Superintendent Dr. Fara Jones will apply for federal disaster recovery assistance to help Perry County School District 32 recover from the March 14 tornado that damaged the campus. Perryville High School and the Old Senior High School sustained the most severe damage in the storm, and all other schools received varying degrees of damage.
FEMA announced on May 23 that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Missouri to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and wildfires on March 14-15, 2025. This includes assistance for eligible local governments and certain nonprofit organizations, such as public schools, on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.
District 32 will qualify for public assistance through FEMA, which can provide up to 75% of costs for approved tornado-related repairs. The district would be responsible for funding the remaining 25% of any approved projects.
“Our hope is that any possible FEMA funding might help the district better serve our students and staff during the long-term recovery process,” Dr. Jones said. “We know it will take time to rebuild our high school, time during which our students and staff will continue to be displaced. If FEMA funding is available, we hope that we can create effective and comfortable temporary learning environments for the interim.”
The district is fully insured through MUSIC - the Missouri United School Insurance Council. “Insurance will pay for us to repair things back to the condition they were in on the day before the tornado hit,” Dr. Jones explained. “With the disaster declaration, it may become possible for us to complete more projects that lead to a more satisfactory long-range recovery. We’re going to work hard to bring in as many resources as possible to give our students the schools they deserve.”
Dr. Jones has hired Brockmiller Construction to serve as the construction manager for the tornado recovery process, and SAPP Design as the architectural and engineering firm. Brockmiller Construction has provided assistance to the district since the storm, and SAPP Design has been on campus since May 2.
“This team is working together to identify all concerns on campus,” she said. “While the most noticeable damage is at the high school and Old Senior High, they continue to identify tornado damage across campus. For instance, the Career Center appears to have minimal damage beyond the roofs, but detailed inspections have revealed concerns with the masonry at multiple expansion joints, missing window cladding, and compromised soffits on all buildings. While it may seem like the recovery process is moving slowly, we are actually taking the time we need to ensure that all storm damage is identified and documented.
“The level of coordination among our construction, engineering, architectural, and insurance
partners is commendable—and their collective expertise is helping us move with both
urgency and care. They have already prepared bid specifications to begin replacing damaged roofs at several buildings. This work needs to be done over the summer when students are not in class, due to safety and noise concerns. We’ll all breathe a sigh of relief when those roofs are replaced and we don’t have to worry about leaks causing additional damage to our structures.”
Dr. Jones and the Board of Education will meet in special session on Friday, June 6, to approve bids for those permanent roof repairs.