“I remember growing up doing tornado drills, it was kind of fun,” said Elizabeth Dillon, a Fairborn resident.
But for parents and teachers, the concern of weather threatening kids’ safety is there.
That’s why Fairborn City Schools is following Ohio building code and constructing a major, $1 million tornado shelter in both the primary and middle schools.
“It gives us much more peace of mind knowing that we do have a place to go,” said Superintendent Gene Lolli. “Particularly with what it seems more and more tornadoes in the area.”
The shelter will look like a normal gym, but will become a safety zone during severe weather.
“It makes me feel more confident in our school system [and] sending my kids here,” Dillon said.
Teachers were encouraged not to use the current gym as a tornado shelter because the roof could easily be torn off.
The new gym that’s being built at Fairborn Primary, however, is being designed a little differently.
It will have a concrete roof strong enough to withstand 250-mile-per-hour wind. The walls will be three times thicker than the ones currently at the school and will be lined with steel. It’s designed to withstand an EF5 tornado and fit 1,200 students.
“It gives me a peace of mind,” Dillon said.
The new school is set to open in August 2020. The new intermediate school construction will then start in 2022.
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