A devastating tornado that tore through Alvin, Texas in December left Walt Disney Elementary School severely damaged, prompting action from the school district to relocate students and fast-track repairs.
On December 28, multiple tornadoes caused widespread damage across the greater Houston area. The city of Alvin was hit the hardest, resulting in one fatality and several injuries.
Walt Disney Elementary School sustained a direct hit from an EF-2 tornado on Saturday, which left the roof in total disrepair. Fortunately, the Alvin ISD Education Foundation reported on social media that all students and staff were safe, as no one was on campus at the time.
On Monday, the Alvin ISD Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting with only one agenda item: consideration of an emergency declaration regarding the damage to Walt Disney Elementary.
Following the meeting, the district made two key announcements.
First, the board approved a temporary relocation plan to address the immediate need for students to return to school. While the details are still being finalized, the district confirmed that teachers will have access to the former Alvin Elementary campus starting January 6, with students returning on January 7.
Second, Alvin ISD Superintendent Carol Nelson explained the board’s decision to streamline the repair process. She stated, “The board passed a resolution that we’re able to bypass some committee rules for purchasing, which we need to go ahead, and we need to make some purchases that probably would be hindered by the procurement laws.”
The extensive damage to Walt Disney Elementary suggests that repair costs will exceed $50,000.
As a result, the district invoked a provision in the Texas Education Code that allows for expedited purchasing processes:
[If] a portion of a school facility is destroyed, severely damaged, or experiences a major unforeseen operational or structural failure, and the board of trustees determines that the delay posed by the contract methods required by this section would prevent or substantially impair the conduct of classes or other essential school activities, then contracts for the replacement or repair of the equipment, school facility, or portion of the school facility may be made by a method other than the methods required by this section.
At this time, the total cost of repairs and the timeline for completion remain uncertain.
