Cleveland ISD has entered into a partnership with the American Red Cross that allows the District to welcome flood-impacted families in need of shelter into District facilities. The Red Cross plans to relocate to the new shelter roughly 50 evacuees from the Calvary Baptist Church in Cleveland and 22 from the Dunbar Gym in Polk County.
The Hartel Building in Liberty, which has housed a handful of evacuees since the flood, is closing and those evacuees have made other arrangements, said Cleveland ISD Superintendent Stephen McCanless.
With just nine days of school left in the school year, Cleveland ISD’s board of trustees agreed for Red Cross to use one of the Pine Burr Elementary 10-classroom portable buildings as a shelter. The building is approximately 7,000 square feet in size. Pine Burr Elementary is located at 7054 CR 3540 in the Colony Ridge communities south of Cleveland.
The District assures that all shelter operations are entirely controlled and there will be no interruption to the normal school day for Pine Burr students. Students will have no interaction with Red Cross guests.
“As always, safety is our number one priority,” according to a statement from Cleveland ISD.
Extra security officers will be stationed at the Pine Burr campus throughout the duration of shelter operations. Guests will be kept in an isolated location and all activity both inside and outside the shelter will be monitored.
Guests will follow standard American Red Cross rules and regulations during their stay at the shelter. Crated pets will be allowed to accompany their owners throughout their stay.
The shelter agreement is for a maximum of five weeks. After that, all evacuees should be able to return home or make other arrangements.