| FEMA financing will assist the Plaquemines Parish School Board in reconstruction |
Phoenix PK-12 School will be reconstructed at the original site of the destroyed school.
A Plaquemines Parish school destroyed after Hurricane Katrina has broken ground to celebrate its reconstruction.
Approximately $41.3 million in FEMA financing will assist the Plaquemines Parish School Board in rebuilding the Phoenix pre-K through 12 school in Braithwaite, La. Phoenix PK-12 School, recognized with a bronze ranking among the best schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report, will accommodate up to 500 students once construction is completed in two years.
"The ground breaking to reconstruct the Phoenix School is an important milestone in Plaquemines Parish's recovery," said Acting Executive Director of FEMA's Louisiana Recovery Office Joe Threat. "FEMA is proud to have a part in rebuilding a school that gives so much back to the community."
Phoenix PK-12 School will be reconstructed at the original site of the destroyed school. The new facility will be elevated 17 feet to protect it against damages from future flooding events. In addition to classrooms and a library, the school will have support areas for special needs, visual and performing arts, technical education and athletics."Phoenix is rising," Plaquemines Parish Superintendent Denis Rousselle said. "Committed to excellence, building for the future."
FEMA has obligated a total of $200.8 million toward Plaquemines Parish School Board projects since Hurricane Katrina. When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are made available to the Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, who disburses them to the applicant for eligible work completed.
The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations' buildings, 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.