Volunteers making progress on St. Mary’s school repairs in Ellis

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

ELLIS — Volunteers, including Thomas More Prep-Marian faculty, worked Tuesday to help make repairs to St. Mary’s Catholic School after a portion of the roof was ripped from the school on July 25.

School Principal April Pfeifer said many volunteers have helped with the work at the school, including putting in new surfacing on the school’s playground, which was not part of the storm damage.

The school still anticipates it will be open for classes on Sept. 10. However, the gym, which lost a substantial portion of its roof and had a portion of its rear wall collapse, will not be open to students until at least January, Pfeifer said.

“It is taking a lot of hours, but luckily with all the volunteers we have, it’s going very well. We have spent quite a few hours painting and pounding in staples in the floor,” Pfeifer said.

The preschool kindergarten, third, fourth, fifth and sixth-grade classrooms as well as the office all received damage during the storm.

Carol Brull, former St. Mary’s teacher, helps paint a wall in her former classroom.

Carol Brull, current TMP teacher, used to teach in the very room she was helping paint on Tuesday. She said she jumped at the chance to aid St. Mary’s rebuild.

“People in the parish really work hard to keep this school going,” she said.

The school is still in need of volunteers to help ready the school for classes. People interested in volunteering can call the school or the rectory to work out scheduling.

The diocese still does not know how much of the damage will be covered by insurance. It is still taking donations to cover the cost materials that were damaged in the storm.

Monetary donations can be sent to Equity Bank, Attn: St. Mary’s, PO Box 255, Ellis, KS 67637.