FEMA Provides Funding For New Slidell School 

Release Date: August 6, 2007
Release Number: 1603-672

» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Katrina
» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Rita

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The students of Our Lady of Lourdes School have had to make do with trailers and the use of another school for their classrooms since Hurricane Katrina. A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant will change that.

FEMA will provide funds to rebuild the Slidell school, which suffered extensive wind, rain and flooding damage from Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29 2005. The remnants of the pre-K through 8th grade school will be demolished, and a new one will be constructed in its place.

Father Frank Lipps, the pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, said the new school will be needed since his church's school has expanded to 600 students, which is the largest the school has ever been.

"It's going to mean we'll be able to answer the educational needs of all the new families (in Slidell)," Lipps said.

FEMA has obligated more than $10.6 million to help the school construct new facilities. The construction process, which is yet to begin, should last a total of 27 months, according to Lipps. FEMA anticipates that further storm-generated damages will be identified, thus increasing the obligated amount.  

When projects are obligated by FEMA through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are transferred to a Smartlink account. This allows the applicant, in this case the Archdiocese of New Orleans, to work with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness as quickly as possible to access the reimbursement monies. The state may require additional documentation from the applicant before disbursing the funds. Obligated funds may change over time as the project worksheet is a living grant that is often adjusted as bids come in and scope of work is aligned.

The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations' buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Monday, 06-Aug-2007 12:45:22