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Mountainburg Schools Seek Federal Funds For Storm Shelter

MOUNTAINBURG (KFSM) — All schools in Crawford County have access to storm shelters with the exception of those in the Mountainburg School District. Now th...

MOUNTAINBURG (KFSM) -- All schools in Crawford County have access to storm shelters with the exception of those in the Mountainburg School District.

Now that the county has been declared a disaster area by the federal government, the school has an opportunity to get a safe room of their own.

“When I went to school there, we just sat in the hallway,” Trish Wagner said, “but that's not safe, so I think it's a great idea.”

Mountainburg Schools superintendent Dennis Copeland said he's been trying to get a storm shelter since he started working there in 2008, but coming up with the funding has always been a challenge.

“We talked with an architect who drew an upscale storm shelter or safe room, and so we kept that in our minds and talked with the board and they said at some point we'd like to do that,” he said.

Now that federal grant money is available, the district is in the process of applying for some of that money.

“Now it just comes down to whether or not FEMA approves the application, which we feel really good about right now,” Copeland said.

If it's approved, the shelter would be built at the middle and high school campus between a special education building and the football field.

“It`s exciting for us,” Copeland said. “Obviously we want to provide a safe environment for our students and our facility and community and this gives us an opportunity to do that.”

Copeland said the space would also have a basketball court and may be used for P.E., band and choir classes.

“I think Mountainburg needs something like that to keep the community safe,” Wagner said. “I think it's money well spent.”

If approved, FEMA would cover the cost of the building, but the rest of the features will be funded by an 11-year millage extension passed by voters in 2014.

The district also wants to hear your comments and feedback.

The school district is asking that comments be submitted by March 28, 2016.

This will begin the process of preparing an application for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds, according to the school district.

These funds ware made available to local governments following a presidentially declared disaster.

All residents of the Mountainburg School District and the City of Mountainburg are encouraged to provide comments via telephone at 479-369-2121, email at nnisc@mountainburg.org, or letter addressed to Dennis Copeland, Mountainburg Public Schools, 129 Hwy 71 S W, Mountainburg, AR 72946.

You can find a link to that on their website.

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