Shawnee Schools Recovering From April Tornado

The Shawnee School District is working to recover after a tornado damaged much of the town in April.

One of the buildings that was damaged was Shawnee High School. Shawnee Schools Supt. Aaron Espolt said the school is safe, but construction will be ongoing for 18 to 20 months. 

Espolt said eight other district locations were damaged, and insurance claims are between $20 to $30 million. 

Shawnee schools staff and students will see some changes this fall, as sports games will be at different locations. The Shawnee Football team is expected to play on the Oklahoma Baptist University football field for the 2023-2024 school year. 

"We're safe, we're secure," Espolt said. "Once you're inside these buildings [you] won't really see a difference."

Shawnee High School staff and students return to class on August 10th.