Kansas City Star Logo

Belton High shelter has dual purpose | The Kansas City Star

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Newsletters
  • Obituaries

    • All News
    • Local news
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • The Buzz
    • Nation & World
    • 913
    • Cass County
    • Lee's Summit
    • Video
    • Photos
    • All Sports
    • Chiefs
    • Royals
    • Royals photos
    • Sporting KC
    • Olympics
    • Kansas
    • Missouri
    • K-State
    • High School
    • Scores & Stats
    • NASCAR
    • Outdoors
    • NBA
    • Buy Tickets
    • Blogs & Columns
    • The Full 90
    • Campus Corner
    • For Pete's Sake
    • Sam Mellinger
    • Vahe Gregorian
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The Missouri Influencer Series
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Colleen Nelson
    • Derek Donovan
    • Dave Helling
    • Melinda Henneberger
    • Steve Kraske
    • Toriano Porter
    • Guest commentary
    • Syndicated columnists
    • Submit a Letter
    • Entertainment
    • Ink
    • Events
    • Arts & Culture
    • Music
    • Comics
    • Stargazing
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Movies
    • Horoscopes
    • Arts
    • TV
    • Restaurants
    • Books
    • Star TV listings
    • All Business
    • Cityscape
    • Development
    • Workplace
    • Personal Finance
    • National/International
    • Technology
    • Kids & Money
    • All Living
    • Chow Town
    • Eat & Drink
    • House & Home
    • KC Gardens
    • Advice columns
    • Faith
    • Travel
    • Family

    • True Blue app
    • Red Zone Extra
    • Star news apps
    • Extra Time KC

  • Cars
  • Contests
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Homes
    • Place an ad
    • All Classifieds
  • Spaces
  • KC Weddings

  • Contact us
  • Mobile & Apps

816

Belton High shelter has dual purpose

By MICHELLE STRAUSBAUGH

Special to The Star

    ORDER REPRINT →

December 16, 2014 10:27 PM

It may be the season for greetings now, but soon enough, spring will usher in a period with dread attached to it:

Tornado season.

When that time comes, the Belton School District will be ready to protect its students — and nearby residents as well.

A new storm shelter, funded by a federal FEMA grant and local bond money, is nearly complete. It will be dedicated Dec. 17.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Kansas City Star

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Attached to the new Belton High School, the space has a cost-efficient dual purpose.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency designated the grants for projects that would not only protect students in an emergency, but serve everyday classroom needs, too, said Belton Superintendent Andrew Underwood. Belton has designated its shelter for music, consumer science and a number of other classes.

The building is on the district’s western campus near the football and baseball stadium at Missouri 58 and Cleveland Avenue.

Underwood knew about the grants because the Ava, Mo., school district, where he previously worked, built a shelter with FEMA funds.

“I knew it was a great opportunity,” he said.

The 20,000-square-foot building of precast walls is engineered to withstand 250 mph winds. The $4 million project was funded with $1.7 million from FEMA, while a bond issue passed in 2012 paid for all of the “soft costs” such as parking, water and power, along with the new high school.

Construction on the shelter began about a year ago and is more than 95 percent complete.

When finished, the shelter will be available to the community around the clock, 365 days a year. Police will open the shelter once they are notified of a tornado warning, and the schools will take responsibility within 30 minutes of being notified of the warning, the superintendent said.

The building will shelter students in three buildings on the western campus: the high school, Middle Creek Upper Elementary School and the Grace Early Childhood Care and Education Center.

In a test to qualify for the grant, the district timed the process of students walking from all buildings in that area – four at the time – and they made it in a matter of minutes, said District Communications Coordinator Kristin Beason.

Other students will continue to use the traditional “duck-and-cover” preparations on which they are drilled, she said.

“The school district is continually trying to improve not only the education of, but the facilities for, the students,” Underwood said. “But with the tornado shelter, we have additional classroom space and a safe space for our community. So it’s a win-win.”

Dedication ceremony

The Belton School District will cut the ribbon on its new storm shelter, near the high school stadium at Missouri 58 and Cleveland Avenue, at 4:30 p.m. today.

The community is invited the ceremony as well as a holiday reception beforehand.

  Comments  

Videos

Expect longer traffic delays through KC downtown loop

Parkville Nature Sanctuary honors former director with a memorial butterfly garden

View More Video

Trending Stories

More snow and ice on the way to Kansas City Tuesday: Here’s how much and when

February 18, 2019 10:22 AM

West Virginia’s Bob Huggins poked fun at Bill Self about KU facing adversity

February 19, 2019 11:58 AM

Iowa State fans chide ESPN reporter about Fred Hoiberg comment

February 19, 2019 09:20 AM

Oak Park Mall store employee out of job for confrontation with teen wearing MAGA hat

February 18, 2019 04:25 PM

Here are Kansas City-area schools canceling classes Wednesday due to snow

February 19, 2019 06:04 PM

Read Next

Does Kansas City lack style when it comes to street signs? We answer your KCQ

What's Your KC Q?

Does Kansas City lack style when it comes to street signs? We answer your KCQ

By Robert A. Cronkleton and

Jeremy Drouin

    ORDER REPRINT →

October 24, 2018 05:30 AM

Self-proclaimed grammar nerd Don Beggs of Brookside noticed while driving around Kansas City that the city’s street signs show abbreviations differently. He wanted to know: “Why is there no set style on Kansas City’s street signs?”

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Kansas City Star

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE 816

Mike Sanders’ right-hand man sentenced; officials note his cooperation in other cases

Crime

Mike Sanders’ right-hand man sentenced; officials note his cooperation in other cases

September 20, 2018 04:36 PM
This Christian patriot believes those two terms are unrelated

Joco Diversions

This Christian patriot believes those two terms are unrelated

June 28, 2018 10:45 PM
When the porch decor comes out of winter storage, the magic begins

816

When the porch decor comes out of winter storage, the magic begins

June 26, 2018 12:00 AM
North Kansas City School District staffer wins state honor

816

North Kansas City School District staffer wins state honor

May 29, 2018 08:20 AM
Jackson County Sheriff Mike Sharp to resign amid explosive allegations

Local

Jackson County Sheriff Mike Sharp to resign amid explosive allegations

April 18, 2018 10:02 AM
A $234 million soccer development is in limbo as developers want more city money

Business

A $234 million soccer development is in limbo as developers want more city money

March 22, 2018 11:17 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Advertising information
  • Print
  • Digital
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story