NPR focuses on Joplin High School, one year after the tornado

National Public Radio turned its focus on Joplin High School in one of the many one-year tornado anniversary stories that will be broadcast or printed over the next several days.

Students attend school in two locations. The 9th- and 10th-graders are housed in an older building in the district, while the 11th- and 12th-grade students attend classes in a vacant space in the city's local mall. The 90,000-square-foot space was repurposed to temporarily accommodate students and faculty just weeks after the tornado.
President Obama visited Joplin a few days after the tornado devastated the school. He will return to deliver this year's commencement speech to the Joplin High School graduating class.
Joplin, and especially its students and faculty, are adjusting to these new arrangements and are looking forward to next year. According to Principal Sachetta, "We started a lot of new things this year, and next year is the year to refine it, rethink about what we've done, and just make those things become better year after year."