Bakersfield School superintendent says campus spared damage from tornado, ballparks destroyed

When the deadly tornado hit Bakersfield Friday night, it missed the Bakersfield school campus, according to Superintendent Dr. Amy Padgett, but it did destroy the school’s baseball and softball complex.

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It’s the second time the baseball and softball complex has been demolished by weather. In 2017, flooding caused heavy damage to the fields and concession stand. Padgett says that time, nothing was left from the flooding. This time though, it will take a long time to clean up due to all of the debris from the tornado.

She says high school and junior high baseball and softball teams will be forced to play the rest of their season on the road this year. They are still working on where they will be able to practice. She is hoping they might be able to play some games on fields at neighboring districts so they won’t have to travel as far.

Bakersfield normally has school four days a week with Monday being the day they are out, but they are scheduled to be in session this coming Monday. Padgett says that is up in the air right now because they don’t have power at the school, and with extensive damage in the area following Friday night’s storms, she is not sure if they will be able to have class.

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The Bakersfield School superintendent says it’s hard to fathom the destruction the tornado did to the community unless you see it firsthand.

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Padgett passed along thanks to the many that have helped since the tornado struck Bakersfield Friday night. She says other school districts, businesses, churches and others have sent supplies, meals and man power to help those affected.

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