While many people consider schools safe havens, the massive tornado that ripped apart as much as 30 percent of Joplin did not spare the brightly decorated classrooms where children just had weeks to go to finish the school year.
The National Education Association estimates that teachers spend upwards of $1,200 a year out of their own pockets for classroom items, and none of that is covered by insurance, which means the items are simply a loss.
Barb Martin, principal at North Elementary School in Holts Summit, said she and the staff at the school cannot imagine sending children into classrooms with no educational aides or decorations.