FEMA Helps Recovery School District Build Temporary Schools
Release Date: March 8, 2007
Release Number: 1603-607
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NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The Recovery School District (RSD) may be able to welcome in an additional 6,000 students in the 2007-08 school year thanks to funds obligated today by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
When projects are obligated by FEMA, the funds are transferred to a Smartlink account. This allows the state to work with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) as quickly as possible to access the monies and distribute them to the local applicants. The state may require additional documentation from the applicant before disbursals are made.
"Our schools help anchor the communities in which we live. By bringing in these funds to accommodate more students, we not only help educate our next generation of leaders, but we help bring vibrant, young faces back into the neighborhoods," said Jim Stark, FEMA director of the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office.
The Recovery School District will use monies in this $46.8 million package to prepare temporary classroom campuses for returning students, placing them on the following 8 sites: Abramson High School , Fannie C. Williams Middle School , Livingston High School , Langston Hughes Elementary School , Kennedy High School , Coghill Elementary School , Gregory Junior High School and Carver High School . The temporary classrooms will replace the student capacity lost after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the permanent school buildings.
"This is an important step, one of a number that will be necessary over the coming months to create additional capacity in schools to serve the children of Orleans Parish," said RSD Superintendent Robin Jarvis . "While the temporary modular classrooms represent a short-term fix, they will at least give us some of the space we need for students next fall. We look forward to continuing to work with FEMA and GOHSEP to ensure that RSD is able to access this funding to support the important work ahead. "
The modular school sites built with these funds will remain as temporary school facilities until the permanent schools are repaired or replaced.
The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government buildings and recreation centers, 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 manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Thursday, 08-Mar-2007 09:12:23