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Take the money and run?

On the one hand, the Loyal School District may not absolutely need a FEMA-funded concrete dome structure to house a new gym, concert area, etc. On the other hand, maybe the district better grab the funds before federal lawmakers figure out that a lot of tornado-resistant domes are popping up in places where there aren’t that many tornadoes.

Loyal is the latest school district to be considering a new dome, which may be paid in large part by a FEMA grant program that was designed to protect life and property with proactive emergency shelter construction. Spencer was the first to notice the program and applied for and received almost $3 million in federal dollars, and Abbotsford and Owen-Withee soon followed. Loyal has now applied for a grant, and should know by early summer if it could be next in line for a sizeable award. And the idea is obviously catching on, as the city of Greenwood will also talk soon with a consultant about possibly procuring funding.

The upside of a FEMA grant is, obviously, basically free funds to build the shell of a structure that can then be used any way a school district wants. Who wouldn’t want a few million dollars to build a longlasting structure when all you have to do to get it is allow local residents to run inside if a twister appears on the horizon?

The downside is, Loyal would be responsible for paying for all interior improvements. FEMA will pay for a roof and walls, basically, while Loyal taxpayers would fund a gym floor, bleachers, classroom walls, etc. Still, that’s a great deal, and one that’s diffi cult not to consider.

Loyal school officials and the community (a survey is set to come out soon) will soon decide if a new structure is really needed. “Needed,” of course, is a relative word, and a new gymnasium, for example, would be nice, but not a necessity to continue to educate kids. However, if a federal agency is willing to send millions of dollars to help build it, is it wise to pass up that chance? The latest round of FEMA funding for this program is for two years, and it may well vanish after that. Perhaps, even, it should, as we doubt the intent was ever to help small towns build new school buildings. Once enough big-wigs in Washington, D.C., realize what’s going on, this well may be capped off quickly.

For Loyal then, it’s take the money and run now, or maybe never get a second chance. You can help make the decision by responding to the survey and telling school officials what you think they should do.

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