Fire & Life Safety

Tornado causes significant damage to high school in Grayslake, Ill.

Roof sustains serious damage at Grayslake Central High, where classes are scheduled to begin next week.
Aug. 3, 2015

A tornado that swept through the north suburbs of Chicago caused significant damage to Grayslake Central High School, but district officials say the facility should be ready next week for the beginning of the 2015-16 school year.

In the aftermath of Sunday's storm, officials with District 127 in Grayslake, Ill, said Grayslake Central will be closed indefinitely. The district is evaluating the extent of the damage and has begun to repair the facility.

"We will be hard at work with a variety of repair services for the rest of the week," Superintendent Catherine Finger said in a message on the district's web site. "We remain confident that we will be ready to start another great year together when we welcome students back to school as scheduled next Thursday, August 13."

The National Weather Service confirmed that the Sunday night storm was a tornado, categorized as an EF-1 with winds of 90 to 100 miles an hour.

CBS Chicago reported that the roof at the high school sustained serious damage.

Video from CBS Chicago:

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy, senior editor, has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

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