Debate over storm shelters in school heats up

At state and local levels, lawmakers are looking for solutions

The governor wants to allow school districts the option to go above their bond limits to fund storm shelters.

Some lawmakers want to mandate storm shelters in all new schools.

But some Oklahomans say that while what happened in Moore last May was tragic, it's not a reason to raise taxes or spend millions of dollars for shelters that will be used rarely.

But, some critics of shelter plans point out, another school just a mile or two away was also terribly damaged, and yet no one in that school died.

Seven children died when a rare EF-5 destroyed the Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore in May of last year.

Some argue that trying to retrofit existing schools with storm shelters provides huge logistical and financial obstacles, but adding shelters only to new schools leaves some children with protection, while leaving others behind.

KRMG is asking listeners and visitors to KRMG.com to tell us what they think about the issue.

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