North Iowa School District celebrates new safe room/wellness center

BUFFALO CENTER | The North Iowa Community School is about ready to unveil a new addition that Superintendent Cory Myer describes as "a mini YMCA."

The addition includes a new gymnasium that has reinforced walls to make it a tornado safe room.

It also has a weight room and locker rooms on the first floor, as well as a fitness room and a suspended walking track on the second floor.

A ribbon cutting ceremony and open house will take place on Sunday, Feb. 9.

The whole facility will be open to members of the public who take an annual training class and are issued key cards. The annual fee is $50.

Myer said the public will be able to use the facility 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as long as students are not using it.

He said members of the public have been allowed access to the school building for a number of years for fitness purposes, but the new, high-end fitness equipment and walking track give them many more options.

People are particularly excited about the track, which gives them somewhere to walk during the winter, according to Myer.

He said the new gym doesn't have seating because it isn't big enough for that. It will be used as a practice gym by school sports teams, AAU teams and community teams. The district will continue to use the older gym at the school for competition.

The safe room has precast concrete walls almost a foot thick that can withstand a direct hit from a tornado, according to Myer.

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North Iowa School District celebrates new safe room/wellness center