Grace Baptist Academy resumes rebuilding after 2020 tornado destruction

From Local 3 News: Five years after a powerful tornado outbreak devastated parts of East Brainerd, including the destruction of Grace Baptist Church and Academy, construction is finally underway on a new campus for Grace Baptist Academy.

The long-awaited rebuilding effort stalled for years due to delays in federal funding. After the 2020 Easter tornadoes tore through the area, the school temporarily relocated to Morris Hill Baptist Church while waiting for reconstruction.

Although construction first started in 2020, progress came to a halt in 2021 as the school awaited assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). That help came earlier this year, when FEMA finalized a $37 million grant that was transferred to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) for distribution.

Head of School, Matt Pollock, said the school is now receiving funds to cover construction expenses as work moves forward.

“TEMA now has over $37 million in its hands from the federal government to disperse to us, and for us to be able to continue to use,” he said. “We currently now have about a third of that money in our bank, with Southeast Bank, and we’re able to pay the bills once again.”

TEMA will continue reimbursing the school as construction continues.

Grace Baptist Academy hopes to complete the first phase of the new campus and occupy the space by fall 2026. The full campus is hoped to be operational in 2027.

However, Pollock emphasized that the school still needs additional fundraising to fully furnish and outfit the facility.

“We need to raise more funds in order to fully furnish it, in order to have it completely outfitted—so that we can fully function in it,” he said. “We’ll raise more money.”

You can learn how to get involved or contribute to the rebuilding effort through Grace Baptist.