COVINGTON, Tenn. — Two weeks after a large and extremely damaging tornado tore through the town of Covington, Tennessee, on March 31, causing significant damage to two schools, Tipton County Schools announced major funding from Ford's Blue Oval City site will help build a temporary campus for the affected students.
Crestview Elementary and Middle Schools were destroyed on March 31 when they took a direct hit from an EF-3 tornado. No students were inside at the time, but since the storm, Tipton County Schools has been left wondering how their students were going to finish the school year, and likely start the next.
Ford’s BlueOval City, along with construction contractor Walbridge, Sunbelt Rentals, United Rentals, Phillips & Jordan, Ideal Contracting, and ArchKey, have partnered with Tipton County Schools to provide temporary structures to serve students and staff at no cost to the district for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year.
Ford's philanthropic arm, the Ford Fund, and Walbridge have provided $500,000 for this project.
These organizations have provided funding, labor, equipment, infrastructure and expertise to erect the temporary structures for the more than 1,300 students and faculty of Crestview Elementary and Crestview Middle School.
The City of Covington has also provided Cobb Parr Park as the site for the two buildings.
Construction is expected to take two to three weeks and up to 20,000 trade hours.
Tipton County Schools said they will keep the community updated on progress as well as the long-term plans for Crestview Elementary and Middle Schools through the district’s website and social media.
