BATON ROUGE, La. — The East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS) will receive $1.1 million following the August floods. FEMA disaster funding will help with demolition, cleaning and remediation costs of classrooms, offices, bathrooms and storage areas at four educational facilities. This brings a total awarded to EBRPSS of $5 million.
After the August floods, 16 school campuses flooded throughout the parish. FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program awarded federal funds for emergency protective measures at Greenbrier Elementary School, Twin Oaks Elementary and Howell Park Elementary School. EBRPSS also received disaster funds for the Professional Development Center that flooded with more than two-feet of water.
The program also awarded $14,000 in disaster assistance to the Tangipahoa Parish School System for repairs to the JROTC building at Hammond High School. For this disaster, FEMA has awarded nearly $79 million for schools.
PA has obligated more than $350 million to reimburse local and state governments as well as certain private nonprofits for the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities and infrastructure. The funds also cover debris removal and emergency response activities in designated parishes.
FEMA’s PA program helps to repair or replace critical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, public buildings and schools. PA offers supplemental financial assistance on a cost-sharing basis. FEMA typically reimburses 75 percent of eligible PA expenses. However, FEMA will reimburse applicants 90 percent of eligible PA expenses given the magnitude of the August floods.
