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FEMA funding for West School classrooms in final stages
m willoughby w sm
WILLOUGHBY
Funding is in the final stages of approval for the addition of eight classrooms at DeKalb West School.Director of Schools Mark Willoughby announced at Thursday night’s school board meeting that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant the school system recently applied for to build eight tornado-proof safe rooms at the school has been allocated, and the system is waiting only for final approval of the exchange.The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has approved funds of slightly more than $1.5 million to build the addition to the facility, and the grant is now awaiting final approval by FEMA.Willoughby told the assembly that he received a letter last week from David Brown of Kaatz, Binkley, Jones & Morris Architects of Mount Juliet informing him that TEMA had approved the funds.“The application has been approved for more than $1.5 million dollars,” Willoughby shared. “They are working on review comments from TEMA and will send the revised application to them Friday.“The approval letter from TEMA should come right after we submit the application,” Willoughby continued. “The application then goes to FEMA in Atlanta for final approval.”He said that once FEMA has approved the grant construction should begin in a matter of months.“It will take several months for the money to become available,” he said.