Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
The School Impact
The school year for students, teachers, and education staff in New Orleans, Alabama, and Mississippi has been decimated by the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Follow this constantly updated Education Week series as we cover the hurricanes’ impact at the district, state, and federal levels.Join our ongoing discussion, “How Has the Hurricane Affected You?”
School Climate & Safety
Forced Out by Storm, Teachers Seek News of Job Openings, Pay
When Komal Bhasin heard that her New Orleans school was shutting down in preparation for a hurricane, she anticipated having an extra, leisurely day for lesson planning. Instead, the teacher fled to Huntsville, Ala., to escape the wrath of Hurricane Katrina.
Federal
Congress Approves Additional Hurricane Aid for Schools
Congress has given final approval to a measure that provides $235 million to schools educating students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and extends the deadline for schools to decide how to spend the money.
Federal
White House Katrina Report Praises Ed. Dept.’s Response
A White House report examining the federal government’s response to Hurricane Katrina that was critical of several federal agencies lauded the Department of Education for several of its actions after the storm.
Federal
Hurricanes’ Aftermath Is Ongoing
As students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita continue returning to their home school districts in Louisiana and Mississippi, tens of thousands remain scattered elsewhere in those states, in nearby states, and across the nation.
Federal
First Lady, Spellings Tour Gulf Coast Schools
First lady Laura Bush and U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings dropped into three schools along the Gulf Coast last week to encourage students, parents, and educators in a region where many people still cannot return to their homes or workplaces.
Federal
New Orleans Charter Network Gets Under Way
As students have returned to Alice M. Harte Elementary School here over the past month, they’ve found their old school far from the way they left it on the last school day before Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the city.
Federal
Hurricane Aid is on the Way to Districts, Private Schools
The U.S. Department of Education last week sent out the first installment—more than $250 million—in education aid to states affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, just days after President Bush signed the measure into law.
School & District Management
New Orleans Panel Rethinks School System
Four months after Hurricane Katrina wiped out large sections of New Orleans, an early outline of a newly configured school system is beginning to emerge—and it looks unlike any other district.
School & District Management
New Orleans Reopens an Elementary School
Children’s voices filled the hallways at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in New Orleans last week for the first time in three months, as the first regular city public school opened since Hurricane Katrina struck.
School Climate & Safety
Bond Ratings Another Worry for Gulf Coast Districts
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have wreaked highly visible havoc on schools in the Gulf Coast region, but their impact in a more esoteric realm—school districts’ bonded debt—is just becoming clear. The picture that emerges could say a lot about those districts’ prospects for recovery.
Federal
Katrina Bill Would Ease School Rules
While school districts still haven’t received any federal education aid from Congress to deal with the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the House has passed a measure that could ease education rules for Gulf Coast schools and others that have enrolled students displaced by the storms.
Federal
Landrieu Spices Up Debate on Federal Hurricane Aid
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which battered the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29 and led to breaches in the levees that protected New Orleans from the waters of Lake Pontchartrain, Sen. Mary L. Landrieu, along with others in the Louisiana congressional delegation, has worked to funnel federal aid to the area for everything from job creation to K-12 education.
Education Funding
Hurricane-Aid Bill Backed by Boehner Dies in House
When Republicans bring a House budget measure that trims many federal programs, including some in education, to the floor this week, it won’t include a plan to aid schools taking in students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
School Climate & Safety
Teachers’ Jobs in Hurricane-Ravaged Areas in Limbo
Devastated Gulf Coast districts have begun reopening schools and re-employing teachers who were displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. But with student-enrollment numbers changing daily, many administrators remain uncertain about how many teachers and other staff members they will need, at least initially.