HOLCOMB — With the help of a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, the students and people of Holcomb will have a tornado shelter.
The Holcomb R-III school district received a grant to help fund the construction of a 6,700-square-foot building, according to Superintendent Dustin Ferguson.
It will be large enough for 841 people, he said.
The district received a 90-10 split grant, which means it will cover 10% of the funding for the project.
Ferguson said the structure will cost about $2.1 million, with the district paying about $200,000.
Per the grant, the funding covers the building, including bathrooms, lights, heating, a generator and the mechanical structures.
The district can use the building for another purpose, such as classrooms or a gym, but the district would be responsible for the additional costs of that work.
Ferguson said the current plan is to get the building going because the primary focus is to make sure the community has somewhere safe to go in case of emergency.
“The main goal here was to offer something of safety for the community,” he said. “Then, as we go through the process, we’re going to prioritize and make those building decisions based on the funding available, the funding that we have in our fund balances and the priorities of the school district.”
The district is starting in the first part of a 30-month timeline to complete the building. Over the first six months, it will work with a designer and architect to determine what the structure will look like. Then, it has 24 months to get it built.
Furguson said the district plans to build the shelter behind the cafeteria.
As a requirement for the grant, everybody in the district needs to be able to get there within five minutes.
“It’s central to both of the buildings,” he said.
Furguson started as superintendent last year, and the process of applying for the grant already was underway.
He said it was a priority for the board when he started.
“We’re very fortunate. We’re very excited,” Furguson said. “We think it’s a good thing for the community.
“The chief of police was present in our board meeting the other night and explained that he feels there is a need for a safe shelter. He gets asked often if there’s a place to go, and there’s just not a place to go right now.”