TASB Risk Management Fund Partners with Lockney ISD to Rebuild School
By Allison Kaminsky
For the first time in 2 ½ years, 160 Lockney students were allowed to pass through the doors of their high school to attend classes this semester. But it was not the 80-year-old building the community had always cherished; instead, it was a brand new facility paid for by the TASB Risk Management Fund.
It all started January 11, 2009. Two students set a fire that ravaged the high school, ultimately destroying the main building and damaging the middle school. Receiving notification of the fire, a TASB Risk Management Property and Liability claims adjuster was on site the next day to assess the damages. The building was determined to be a total loss.
Despite the total destruction of their high school, displaced students began their spring semester on time two days later in two local area churches: First United Methodist and First Baptist. Classes remained there for six weeks while temporary trailers were brought in and the 18,000 square-foot central building was demolished.
“TASB came to our rescue. They were a great team to work with. It was a great experience and we were able to get back to the business we’re here for,” said Phil Cotham, superintendent of Lockney ISD.
Classes resumed on campus in the portables in early March. On the one-year anniversary of the fire, science lab classes were moved into permanent classrooms. Though there was still a lot of ground to cover, not a single day of class was lost to the disaster.
“Schools are the heart and soul of a community. When kids are not able to go to school, parents are not able to go to work. This means police, teachers, bakers, electricians, farmers, computer programmers, etc., are not able to complete their jobs. This can literally shut down a community. Working hand in hand with the Lockney ISD administration and school board, the impact upon this community was minimized,” said Todd Holt, division director for Property and Liability Claims Administration for TASB Risk Management Services.
A settlement of just over $5 million was agreed upon for repairs, reconstruction, and supplies. Tables, desks, and cabinets were saved, but the ceiling, interior walls, flooring, and electrical components had to be replaced, along with chemicals and microscopes from the science labs. All but 500 books were also saved, but the remaining 11,000 needed to be “scrubbed” to be restored from smoke damage. The funds also went toward making improvements in the facility, such as including fire alarms, security cameras, and new student lockers. A new computer lab and a staged lecture hall that seats 50 were also added to the building.
“The [TASB Risk Management Fund] was not adversarial. They did not come in as an enemy. They came in as a partner. Everything that we lost in the fire had a value, and those values had to be established. And those values were negotiated. That’s a very big job, and they worked with us every step of the way. We came to an agreement, and it was an agreement that we all benefitted from, and that’s what partnership is. And I appreciate TASB very much for that,” said John Quebe, president of the Lockney ISD School Board.
On the evening of August 9, 2011, the residents of Lockney gathered in the High School Longhorn Gymnasium to mark the end of this trying time for the community. Phil Cotham and John Quebe, along with the rest of the school board, led a dedication ceremony for the new high school. The ceremony ended with an open-house, inviting the community to tour the Lockney Longhorns’ new home for the first time.
“The people of Lockney are very grateful to have their school back," said Elizabeth York, marketing consultant for TASB Risk Management Services. “We are very proud to be in partnership with Lockney and we’re very happy that we could help rebuild this building.
The new building blends with the existing structures that were saved from the fire, the original entrance serving as a memorial in the new facility’s courtyard. Also preserved were the photos of all graduating Lockney seniors since 1926. These photos now hang near the entrance of the new building, encased in glass for all to see.
“The old school building served the district for 80 years. We hope the new structure serves this community for the next 80 plus years,” said Holt.
The TASB Risk Management Fund does more than offer coverage for school districts – the Fund offers solutions to problems. Because of their partnership with the Fund, Lockney ISD was able to cope with a disaster and turn it into an opportunity to rebuild. The new building may not ever be able to fully replace the one lost in the fire, but because of the hard work of a great deal of people, the Lockney Longhorns have a new home for their traditions.
