Red Oak ISD's Shields Elementary moves back home months after tornado

RED OAK, TEXAS - Shields Elementary, in the Red Oak Independent School District, moved back to its permanent campus at 223 W Ovilla Road in Glenn Heights on Saturday.

700 people signed up to volunteer to help move from the temporary location in Red Oak back to the original campus. 

$13 million was spent to rebuild the Shields campus after it was destroyed.

The building is brand new, from the foundation up, said Red Oak ISD Superintendent Dr. Scott Niven. 

All interiors are redone and additional safety features were added, Niven said.

An EF-1 tornado ripped through Ellis County the day after Christmas in 2015. Shields Elementary students were moved to a vacant Junior High School building. They attended classes there through the entire spring semester.

District officials said they have been counting the days until August 6th, when the Shields family could return  home. They also said they are incredibly grateful for all the support they have received from the surrounding community over the last semester.