On April 19, 2023, Shawnee Public Schools and the City of Shawnee experienced damage from a tornado. Estimated damages from the storm total $20-30 million. While all of the district was impacted in some way, the vast majority of the damage was at the Shawnee High School campus.

• Jim Thorpe Academy, the SHS alterative academy, was destroyed. JTA has been relocated to the Wilson building at 1830 North Beard Avenue.

• The Agriculture Building suffered damage, and the small animal barn was destroyed.

• The Stucker Athletic Complex sustained a direct hit from the tornado. The building had been recently renovated with an added safe room due to the 2016 bond issue approved by Shawnee voters. Despite sustaining a direct hit during the evening storm, engineers agree that the Stucker safe room would have kept people safe during the tornado if it had been occupied. Shawnee's wrestling teams, which were housed at Stucker, will be using the Union Street Gym this season.

• Other athletic facilities impacted by the storm include the historic Jim Thorpe Stadium, Ed Skelton Field at Memorial Park (baseball), the Performing Arts and Athletic Center, the softball stadium, the Physical Fitness Development Center, and the Paul Duffield Tennis Complex.

• Shawnee Early Childhood Center's south entrance and windows were severely damaged.

• Buildings across the district sustained HVAC and roof damage.

Our school district promises to be transparent throughout the recovery process. We are committed to act with a long-term vision and good stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

As we work to turn disaster into opportunity, we will update this page with information about the recovery process. We have always been #ShawneeSTRONG, but now we are rebuilding to be #ShawneeSTRONGER.

The Physical Fitness Development Center (PFDC) on the campus of Shawnee High School was one of the first projects selected to be addressed in recovery efforts because of the multi-use nature of the building.

A primary auxiliary building for SHS, the PFDC is used for PE classes and athletic training. The PFDC became unusable after the April 19 storm until repairs could be made to the roof and exterior walls.

Repairs were completed on September 25, 2023, and students are now able to use the facility that serves a unique purpose for SHS.

Cost of Project: $195,273 (paid by insurance funds)

The Baseball/Softball Indoor Facility on the campus of Shawnee High School was another project selected to be addressed early due to its use by multiple groups of student athletes. A new roof and skin were added to the facility, and the interior now has new turf flooring in the practice and dressing room areas.

Cost of Project: $230,114 (paid by insurance funds)

Dr. Aaron Espolt, superintendent, provides regular updates to the community about tornado recovery progress. Information about this progress can be found below.