BATON ROUGE, La. —Several Louisiana school campuses damaged during the August flood can reopen for students with the help of recent federal disaster assistance grants.
Approximately $35 million reimburses temporary facility and cleaning expenses for schools throughout flood-affected communities. The funds allow students to return to the school campuses they attended before the flood while lessening strains on other schools.
Temporary closures of some flood-damaged schools awaiting repairs have forced other campuses to accommodate displaced students. These grants will relieve some of the stresses students, faculty and staff endure during the temporary arrangements, such as overcrowded classrooms and cafeterias.
Below are highlights of recent FEMA grants that help to return students to their original campuses:
Ascension Parish
Galvez Middle School: $4.1 million for on-site temporary facilities and the removal and cleaning of flood damage.Galvez Primary School: $4.6 million for on-site temporary facilities.Lake Elementary School: $6.4 million for on-site temporary facilities.St. Amant High School: $4.7 million for on-site temporary facilities.East Baton Rouge Parish
Baker High School: $4 million for the removal and cleaning of flood damage.Lafayette Parish
Scott Middle School: Approximately $900,000 for on-site temporary facilities.Livingston Parish
Denham Springs Elementary School: $3.3 million for temporary facilities.Southside Elementary School: $6.6 million for temporary facilities located at Juban Park Elementary School.Livingston Parish schools: Approximately $200,000 for temporary chairs, tables and room dividers for schools accommodating displaced students.St. Landry Parish
Plaisance Elementary School: Approximately $200,000 for the removal and cleaning of flood damage.A total of nearly $53 million in FEMA grants has gone to Louisiana schools damaged during the August flood. The state and FEMA continue to review ways to help these and other flood-affected schools.
The funds were made available through FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program. The program reimburses expenses to eligible local and state government and certain private nonprofit entities in 26 designated parishes to repair or replace disaster-damaged facilities and infrastructure.
The parishes eligible for PA funding are Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Point Coupee, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.
FEMA typically reimburses 75 percent of eligible PA expenses. However, applicants will be reimbursed 90 percent of eligible PA expenses given the magnitude of the August floods. The federal portion is paid directly to the state, which then disburses the funds to the applicants.
