OZARK, Mo. — Residents of the Ozark Plateau will soon have access to yet another storm shelter after multiple violent storms have already battered the region this spring.
On Tuesday, May 21, the Ozark School District hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new rain shelter at the Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center.
Located on the south side of the school on Church Street, the shelter is used for emergencies and also serves as a cafeteria for children attending Tiger Paw. This storm shelter was funded by his $19 million non-tax increment bond issue passed by Ozark residents in April 2022.
“This new facility brings many benefits to the school as a whole,” said Tiger Paw Principal Dr. Elizabeth Dawson. “This allows students to have hot breakfasts and lunches that they have never had before,” she says. “It also, of course, ensures the safety of everyone at Tiger Paw School. Now that we have a storm shelter, we can easily move into this space in the event of an emergency, reducing stress for our students. Masu.”
Until the new kitchen was opened, the gym was used as a cafeteria and staff had to have meals delivered daily from East Elementary School and set up tables in the gym twice a day.
“This is a great opportunity for us to serve children. We haven't served children here with a kitchen since 1994,” said Dr. Curtis Chesick, assistant superintendent of operations. “So it’s great that we can do that.”
The Tiger Paw Shelter is the second storm shelter to be constructed at an Ozark school in 2024 with funding provided in the 2022 Bond. Ozark Middle School is scheduled to open its new storm shelter in March, and Ozark High School is expected to open its new storm shelter in June.
