COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) - The Columbus Municipal School District declared a state of emergency Tuesday just three days after a tornado ripped through the east side of the city.

Superintendent Dr. Cherie Labat says the board decided to declare a state of emergency to spend money on immediate needs for the district and to protect the district's assets. 

She says because they abide by state purchasing laws, this allows her some leniency to immediately fix issues and prevent any more damage.

School buildings damaged by Saturday's tornado include Columbus Success Academy, Sale Elementary and Stokes-Beard Elementary.

Students at Columbus Success Academy have been relocated to Columbus High School indefinitely.

Dr. Labat says full repairs to the buildings could take up to two years. 

"We're in the process of working with our insurance company, rebuilding Hunt (facility), working with engineers, architects and also looking at additional damages throughout the district," said Labat. "So this is only temporary. We plan to get back to business with full board approval for purchases here in the near future."