Tornado Repairs At Kathleen Middle School Will Take Months

LAKELAND, FL — Tornado repairs at Kathleen Middle School are expected to take months as Polk County school officials announced Tuesday that classes would be canceled until Monday.

The roof was peeled off the Lakeland School when a powerful tornado ripped through the area late Friday night. The National Weather Service said the strength of the tornado was between an EF-1 and EF-2, depending on the area involved and extent of damage.

"Since then, our maintenance, facilities and custodial personnel have worked to assess and secure the campus," A spokesperson for Polk County Public Schools said on Tuesday. "Portable classrooms and bathrooms are being installed. The work to fully repair and renovate the school will take several months."

Meanwhile, donations of school supplies are being collected to help Kathleen teachers replace damaged school supplies.

"Those wishing to help can donate the following items for KMS teachers:- Post-it notes, pens, Expo markers, tape and tape dispensers, highlighters, Lysol wipes, plastic Ziploc bags, hand sanitizer, spiral notebooks, electric pencil sharpeners, permanent markers, file folders, pencils, pencil top erasers, college-ruled notebook paper, copy paper, crayons, markers, wide-ruled notebook paper, folders, cutout letters, construction paper, air fresheners, individual laminator machines and pouches, gift cards," the spokesperson said, adding that teachers also need glue sticks, composition books and milk crates.

School officials said that teachers and staff members will spend the week preparing for Monday's reopening of the school.

"As you can imagine, visiting the storm-damaged campus can be an emotional experience," the district spokesperson said. "We will be giving our teachers privacy, and media will not be permitted on campus. We appreciate your understanding."

School supplies can be dropped off at the Polk Education Association office at 730 E. Davidson Street in Bartow.

Supplies can also be dropped off at the Horace Mann Insurance office at 5600 U.S. Highway 98 N. in Lakeland.

Mail checks or money orders to the Polk Education Foundation: 1530 Shumate Drive, Bartow, FL 33830. Click here to make an online donation.