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Most of the school districts in areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina are preparing to reopen schools in the coming weeks.
| Louisiana | ||
| District/Enrollment | Reopening Date | Damage Report |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans/60,000 | Some schools may reopen by January | All but eight of 126 New Orleans district schools sustained major damage. Most of the damage has not been determined. Floodwater was being pumped from city. |
| Archdiocese of New Orleans(Catholic)/49,500 | Some schools to reopen this month | Jefferson Parish Catholic schools expected to open Oct. 3. Orleans Parish schools won’t reopen at lease until January. St. Bernard Parish schools are closed for school year. |
| Jefferson Parish/51,650 | Some schools to reopen Oct. 3 | Nine of 84 schools must be rebuilt; 11 have little damage and will reopen soon. Two administrative buildings were destroyed; another suffered significant damage. |
| St. Tammany Parish/34,000 | Oct.3 | Five of 51 schools are currently unusable. Administrative employees were to report to work Sept. 19; teachers are scheduled to start Sept. 26. |
| St. Charles Paris/9,600 | Sept. 15 | All 19 schools suffered some damage, none of it major. All have reopened. District is asking motor-home owners to make their vehicles available to district employees who can’t return to damaged homes. |
| St. Bernard Parish/8,800 | No date set | All 15 schools are believed to be flooded. Parish remained flooded last week. district officials haven’t been able to assess damage, but estimate it will reach $100 million. |
| New Orleans-area independent schools/6,000 | Christ Episcopal reopened Sept. 12; nine of 11 other independent schools to reopen in January. | One school, St. Paul’s Episcopal School, was severely damaged by flooding. Many others suffered only wind damage. |
| Plaquemines Parish/5,000 | Planning to reopen in January | Six of nine schools were flooded; roof of one and a section of another were blown off. Three other schools had minor damage. Plans to reopen with all students attending the campuses with minor damage. |
| Mississippi | ||
| District/Enrollment | Reopening Date | Damage Report |
|---|---|---|
| Harrison county/13,300 | Between Oct. 3 and 14 | Three of the district’s 18 schools were severely damaged and will likely close for the school year. Some schools will operate on double shifts, and portable classrooms will be used. |
| Pascagoula/7,500 | Between Oct. 1 and 17 | Unavailable |
| Biloxi/6,200 | Sept. 26 | Two of 11 schools closed for the school year for repairs. Students at closed schools will attend neighboring schools in the district. |
| Gulfport/6,200 | One elementary school scheduled to reopen Oct.3 | Some damage to district’s 11 schools, but building will open in coming weeks. |
| Ocean Springs/4,600 | Sept. 26 | All of the district’s eight schools sustained at least some storm damage. High school football game slated for Sept. 17. |
| Long Beach/3,300 | Oct. 3 | Severe damage to one elementary school. District’s four other public schools had some damage. |
| Bay St. Louis-Waveland/2,200 | Not announced | Unavailable |
| Pass Christian/2,000 | Between Oct. 3 and 14 | One of four schools is in rubble; two others are badly flooded. District schools will reopen in portable classrooms at Delisle Elementary School, which was moderately damaged. |
| Alabama | ||
| District/Enrollment | Reopening Date | Damage Report |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile County/66,900 | Most schools in 101-campus district reopened Sept. 12 | Damage to schools estimated at $12 million or more. Middle school with destroyed roof may be torn down. Students attending another school on double shifts. |
| Baldwin County/26,500 | Schools reopened Sept. 6 | All 46 schools opened after emergency roof repairs. Openings delayed by fuel shortages, power outages. |
| SOURCE: Education Week | ||
