Greensburg, Kan., breaks ground on new school

Students, staff, and government dignitaries have broken ground on a new state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly school in Greensburg, Kan. The groundbreaking comes 18 months after Greensburg's two schools were leveled in a tornado. Since then, students have used portable buildings as temporary classrooms. The campus will house lower school and high school students. The buildings will utilize sunlight, natural ventilation and geothermal energy, and will be constructed of materials made within 500 miles of the city. The architect is BNIM Architects.To read the KAKE-TV article, click here.

FROM AUGUST 2007: Although all its school facilities were destroyed by a tornado in May, classes have resumed for students in Greensburg, Kan. About 74 percent of the student body that had been enrolled in schools last Spring returned to classrooms in 28 trailers that will accommodate teachers and students until permanent facilities can be rebuilt. (Kansas City Star)

FROM MAY 2007: As 1,500 people looked on at a local golf course, 25 seniors at Greensburg (Kan.) High School graduated over the weekend, three weeks after a tornado destroyed their school and wiped out most of the town. Eighteen of the 25 lost their homes in the tornado. (Wichita Eagle)

Officials say there won't be formal classes in Greensburg, Kan., the remainder of this spring, but school will resume in August. Officials don't know how or where yet--perhaps portable classes, or classes in neighboring towns. Before any decisions are reached, administrators hope to meet with parents, students and teachers to talk it over. The district has about 300 students. (Wichita Eagle)

The final three weeks of classes have been cancelled in Greensburg, Kan., after school buildings, along with nearly the entire town, were destroyed in a devastating tornado. The buildings housing the high school and grade school disintegrated, but the vaults containing permanent records appear to be intact. (Wichita Eagle)