Lawrence Supt. Randy Weseman said Friday that the district was lucky to “dodge the reaper” because Southwest Junior High School’s portable classrooms were empty when a tornado thundered past.

The tornado’s assault Thursday night on Southwest and Sunflower School, 25th Street and Inverness Drive, prompted Weseman to cancel classes at the schools Friday. Both schools will reopen Monday on a normal schedule.

An inspection of the two schools revealed the most significant damage was to six portable classroom trailers on the west side of the junior high. Officials said the portables could be repaired and would be put back in use.

“Some of the roofs and exteriors were pummeled pretty bad,” Weseman said. “They look like they’ve been beaten with a ball-peen hammer.”

He said he was grateful the tornado hit during the evening when the trailers weren’t occupied by seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders. During a typical school day, 135 Southwest students pass in or out of the portables every 45 minutes.

“You can dodge the reaper so long,” the superintendent said. “If we don’t get the proper notice, those kids are vulnerable.”

A $59 million bond issue rejected in April by district voters would have allocated $2.5 million for classroom additions to replace Southwest’s trailers.

Southwest Principal Trish Bransky had urged voters to support the bond because it would have provided safer academic spaces for 650 students.

“I’m so worried,” Bransky said. “Our community needs to address this in terms of protecting our children.”

Bransky said custodial staff, but no students, were at Southwest during the tornado emergency. There were no injuries, she said.

If the storm had passed during school hours, she said the trailers would have been evacuated.

“Those temporary buildings are not where you want children to be when you have bad weather,” Bransky said.

Weseman said he had no estimate of damage to Southwest and Sunflower. In addition to the trailers, roofing and windows were damaged at the schools.