HOLDEN, Mo. — Although summer is in full swing, there’s no break for some hoping to improve school safety.
When students from Holden Middle School come back from summer break, they’ll find a new addition to their classrooms. Storm shelters that double up as bulletproof armor are currently being installed in Holden.
Mike Vogt of Staying Home Corp designed these safe rooms. Nine will be installed throughout Holden Middle School and one at the Early Childhood Center. Vogt says these shelters not only will physically protect students, but will also ease the worry of parents.
“They’re not ignorant of the things that exist. They would just like to know that there are some options and that someone cares enough to protect them,” said Vogt.
He says an entire classroom can be in a shelter in under a minute. The doors are locked from inside.
After the tornadoes ripped through Joplin, Missouri three years ago, Superintendent Wade Schroeder started looking for a solution that will keep his students safe.
“Where we live, here in the Midwest, you’d be naive not to think you’d need to be prepared for it,” he said.
Students started taking cover in interior classrooms instead of hallways, but there were not enough in the middle school. So part of a $2 million bond issue was used to finance this project. Each storm shelter costs $10,000 to $12,000.
“There’s no reason to think these won’t last for 20 years and provide protection for that amount of time,” said Vogt.
About 30 people can take cover inside the 3.5 feet by 12 feet box. Students and staff will be trained on how to use these shelters.
When there isn’t any danger, these shelters can roll back to save space. Once rolled back, it takes up less than 20 inches of space.
