South Hancock Elementary: Two Communities, One Recovery
Release Date: August 25, 2008
Release Number: 1604-671
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BILOXI, Miss. -- In the southwestern corner of Hancock County, Miss. between Biloxi and New Orleans and only a mile from the Gulf of Mexico sat Charles B. Murphy Elementary School in Pearlington. Just a stone's throw away from ground zero where Hurricane Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005, the school and community were virtually wiped out. Not far down the road, Gulfview Elementary, the heart of the Lakeshore community, suffered the same fate.
"After the storm, you couldn't feel sorry for yourself because everyone was in the same boat," said Alan Dedeaux, superintendant of education for Hancock County. "You had to go to work immediately and begin rebuilding. Neighbors helped neighbors. The communities were drawn closer."
Some things, however, could not be rebuilt immediately. The loss of the schools had a major impact
on Pearlington and Lakeshore. The children no longer had schools. Many no longer had homes. "At Gulfview alone, of 65 staff members, only about five had a house after Katrina," said Dedeaux.
"Only about a dozen of the 550 students still had homes."
Three years later, elementary-aged students in southern Hancock County are now preparing to move into a new school, South Hancock Elementary, on the property adjacent to what remains of Gulfview.
Funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) program, the new school has been relocated to higher, safer ground on the north end of the 20-acre site of the old Gulfview School. The 84,000 square-foot school is being built to meet FEMA's Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) standards.
"It's definitely state-of-the-art," said Dedeaux. "I was an administrator at Gulfview for about ten years. It was an old school. Each time they needed more space, they would build a new building. With the new school, we've combined the original seven buildings into one. Everything will be under one roof. It will be much safer and more secure for our children."
"South Hancock Elementary is a prime example of how South Mississippi is rebuilding bigger and better," said Alec Watson, acting director of the FEMA Mississippi Transitional Recovery Office.
"The new school has been elevated to better protect the facility from future storms."
Most of the exterior work at South Hancock has been completed, creating a stir among residents. "Everywhere we go, people are asking about the progress on the school," said Dedeaux. "It has really energized the community. I look forward to the grand opening so people can see that the inside is as amazing as the outside."
Dedeaux takes special pride in seeing local workers helping build the new school. "I've had the pleasure of seeing the work going on at the school and many of our workers are actually local residents," said Dedeaux. "You can see a true sense of pride and accomplishment in their faces. This is big for the communities of South Hancock County."
"We are proud of the progress being made in Hancock County," said Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Womack. "South Hancock Elementary is on pace to be one of the first public schools in South Mississippi to reopen its doors after being completely rebuilt."
In order to more efficiently utilize resources, South Hancock Elementary will serve as a replacement
for both Gulfview and C.B. Murphy. The school has already taken steps to help draw the two communities closer. For instance, the students from both communities played an active role in selecting the new school's mascot and school colors. "We have two communities coming together," said Dedeaux. "We are increasing resources by combining them. It's more efficient."
South Hancock's forthcoming completion has provided a light at the end of the tunnel for one of the hardest hit areas of South Mississippi. "Since we began construction, more people have begun moving back to the area and started rebuilding," said Dedeaux.
In fact, South Hancock will open its doors to more students than officials had originally estimated.
"In the last two weeks prior to the beginning of the school year, registration has gone up tremendously," said Dedeaux. "South [Hancock] will be our second-biggest elementary. We didn't expect that just a couple of months ago."
Dedeaux sees the opening of the school as an example of what can be accomplished under difficult circumstances. "The opening of the schools will send a message out there. We were ground zero of the storm. If ground zero can come back, everyone can."
The atmosphere in Hancock County is positive. "I'm proud of our teachers and staff for hanging in there," said Dedeaux. "Very few teachers left after the storm. That's a testament to their dedication to the students. Some of our teachers have even postponed retirement. I think the children saw that attitude and picked up on it."
Though the process has been long and difficult, the school district staff has remained positive throughout. "There were obviously tough times along the way," said Douglas Necaise, construction manager for the Hancock County School District. "FEMA and MEMA have been nothing but helpful from day one. We have no complaints. They've provided much-needed assistance and were always there with the answers."
With 38 regular classrooms, a gymnasium, cafeteria, computer lab, music room, science lab, library and administrative areas, South Hancock Elementary is well-equipped to fulfill the learning needs of approximately 750 school children.
As of August 19, the new school is more than 75 percent complete and on track to open in the fall of this year. Students have begun their school year at an alternate site on the Hancock Middle School campus but anxiously await the day they will move into their new school. "Even though it's a beautiful facility, we'll be putting some beautiful children in there when it opens," said Dedeaux. "That's the crowning achievement in all this."
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Last Modified: Monday, 25-Aug-2008 18:15:13