Superintendent Plans To Rebuild Destroyed School

SWEETWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Superintendent Don Riley is committed to rebuilding the Sweetwater high school that was destroyed by a tornado last month, and he doesn't see consolidation with a neighboring

Sunday, June 3rd 2007, 3:47 pm

By: News On 6

SWEETWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Superintendent Don Riley is committed to rebuilding the Sweetwater high school that was destroyed by a tornado last month, and he doesn't see consolidation with a neighboring school as an option.

``My stance all along on that subject has been that the school was here when I came, and it will be here when I leave,'' Riley said. ``When the school is gone, the community will lose its identity. That's when towns start to dry up. Before long, you start seeing churches go away. That's how it happens.

``As long as there are students and as long as we have the money, we'll stay open.''

The estimated cost to rebuild the Sweetwater school _ Oklahoma's smallest with only 70 students _ is $4.5 million.

``Our insurance will cover it,'' Riley said. ``I had a journalist ask me recently, `Don't you think you're wasting taxpayer money?' No, because we're not spending taxpayer money. We're spending the money we are entitled to through the insurance we have all been paying.''

Crews have been clearing debris from Sweetwater's destroyed basketball gymnasium, multipurpose gymnasium, damaged bus barn and main school building caused by the May 5 storm.

``You never know how many students you will have at the start of the year,'' Riley said. ``We'll either have enough for school or we won't. It's that simple.

``Regardless, we'll be ready to have school come this fall.''

Riley said money is ``not an issue.'' Roughly 80 percent of the district's projected $1.5 million in revenue next school year will come from local oil and gas production, and Sweetwater will carry over enough money to match its projected $1.3 million annual budget for 2007-08.

For video of the tornadoes in Ellis County, click here.

Related stories:

5/5/2007 Tornado Damages Structures As It Moves Through Oklahoma

5/5/2007 Tornadoes Move Through Oklahoma Again

5/6/2007 More Storms Possible As Cleanup From Weekend Continues