Main ContentLocal Companies and Agencies Help with Jones High School Disaster
 Jones High School burned early Monday morning, December 10, and pending further assessment, resulted in a total loss of the building. Emergency responders were faced with a lack of water pressure, and officials said electrical problems caused by the current ice storm contributed to the blaze. The fire alarm was inactive because of the power outage the town has experienced since late last Saturday. "The number one issue now is for us to continue to provide an education," Jones High School Principal Carl Johnson said.
Principal Johnson and Mike Steele, superintendent of Jones Public Schools, contacted Oklahoma State University's Local Technical Assistance Program for help with acquiring materials and manpower to install temporary classrooms for Jones High School students. The Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) at Oklahoma State University provides outreach programs and services to those responsible for the construction and maintenance of transportation and public infrastructure systems at the local level in Oklahoma.
"We have great working relationships with county and municipal governments in the state," OSU-LTAP Director Douglas Wright said. "One of the vendors that supply road and ground building aggregate for these agencies has agreed to donate the sub-base material," Wright said.
Martin Marietta Aggregates is donating 400 tons of rock for the project. Martin Marietta is the second largest producer of construction aggregates in the United States and a major employer in Southern Oklahoma. "Community involvement is very important to Martin Marietta, and we were pleased to help Jones High School during this challenging time", said Pete Dawson Vice President for Oklahoma and North Texas.
Oklahoma County District One Commissioner Willa Johnson announced today the approval of a mutual cooperation agreement with Jones Public School for the construction of building pads for the district's portable classrooms. Under the terms of the agreement, Oklahoma County will provide the labor and equipment for the project with the Jones School District responsible for all materials costs.
However, with today's announcement by Oklahoma State University's Local Technical Assistance Program that several local companies were donating the materials for the project, as well as all hauling costs, the project will be at no cost to Jones Public Schools. "District One has a history of providing support to our local school districts," Johnson said. "I want to thank OSU-LTAP, Martin-Marietta Aggregates, Madewell and Madewell, and Dale Brown Trucking for their outstanding efforts on behalf of Jones High School."
In addition to the upcoming construction project, Commissioner Johnson said District One crews had provided fuel for emergency vehicles during the initial response, as well as equipment to knock down walls in order to help save the attached gymnasium in which a number of historical records were housed.
We're glad Jones Public School officials contacted us because we are eager to facilitate and coordinate efforts to help get these kids back in school," Wright said. The Local Technical Assistance Program at Oklahoma State University works with counties and municipalities to train county and city road workers in techniques of construction, safety issues, the use of construction equipment, as well as project management practices. "We're glad to help anyway we can," Wright said. "It's just a disaster for these folks in this community."
For more information, contact:
Douglas Wright, (405)744-6049
Ann Hamilton, (405)808-1688
Website: http://ltap.okstate.edu/
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