WASHINGTON, DC- U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon today announced that St. Bernard Parish will receive $42,538,279 in federal disaster aid grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The grants will reimburse the parishes for infrastructure recovery costs following Hurricane Katrina.

“Making sure that our children have proper facilities and classrooms is an essential part of moving beyond the destruction of last year’s storms,” said Melancon. “So it is encouraging that so many of these grants support the vital task of repairing and rebuilding schools in St. Bernard Parish.

"We need more recovery aid from Washington.  But our schools also need more federal funding so we can raise standards, increase accountability, and generally improve public education for Louisiana’s children.  I will keep fighting in Congress for both.” 

The following grants were announced today for St. Bernard Parish: 

·         $5,060,416.50 for replacement and repair of Chalmette Middle School buildings (St. Bernard Parish School Board). Hurricane Katrina's high winds and flooding, including 10 feet of floodwater surge, caused damage to the school’s four buildings. The main classroom building qualifies for replacement. The other three buildings will be cleaned and repaired. The main classroom building is 2-story, 38,300 square feet (sf) building and the gymnasium is a 17,500 sf structure.  Both were constructed in 1953.  The band/library building is 8,800 sq and was built in 1986.  The new classroom building was constructed in 1998 as a 2-story structure with 12,972 sf. 

·         $1,125,221.49 for debris removal at Lacoste Elementary and Chalmette High School (St. Bernard Parish School Board). Hurricane Katrina's strong winds and driving rains caused Murphy Oil storage tanks to overturn and release about 1.05 million gallons of oil into the flood waters.  Both schools are located in the original Murphy Oil spill footprint.  Nearby levees received 17 feet of storm surge. The schools contracted the removal of debris from both campuses. This grant reimburses additional invoices provided by the Parish Schools. 

·         $2,174,785.36 for replacement of Arabi Preschool buildings (St. Bernard Parish School Board).  This grant will reimburse the school district for replacing the structural elements of the school’s buildings, including an office, cafeteria, and five classroom structures. Total Project Cost: $2,416,428.18. 

·         $6,551,038.77 for Trist Middle School (St. Bernard Parish School Board). This grant will reimburse the school district for replacing or repairing structural items in the facility.  This includes the replacement of all electrical, mechanical systems, interior woodwork, block masonry, and the repair of floors and ceilings.

·         $4,621,463.19 for St Bernard High School (St Bernard Parish School Board). This grant will reimburse the school district for various repairs to St. Bernard High School.  High winds, heavy rains and waters of almost five feet from Hurricane Katrina damaged the school’s facility.  Roof and window damaged allowed rains to penetrate the facility’s second floor. Flood waters on the first floor damaged windows, doors, walls, plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC), and elevator equipment.  Mold remains throughout. The school served 900 students in 129,000 square feet. The school housed 2 gymnasiums, musical band areas, cafeteria, library, administration and a teacher's lounge.

·         $3,096,900.90 for replacement of transportation, maintenance, and storage building (St Bernard Parish School Board). High winds, rain and a twenty foot storm surge from Hurricane Katrina damaged the school’s facility. Water remained inside the facility for more than a week causing damage and mold contamination. The engineered metal, 27,570 square feet (sf) structure has a wood framed mezzanine of 10,710 sf. 

·         $1,554,495.30 for replacement of NOVA Academy, Bldg. A (St Bernard Parish School Board). High winds, heavy rains and five feet of long-standing flood waters from Hurricane Katrina inundated the school. All systems, electrical, mechanical and plumbing were heavily damaged and must be replaced, as well as all finishes and finished materials. This grant will reimburse the school district for replacing NOVA Academy’s Building A, a one-story concrete frame classroom of 10,000 square feet. The school was built in 1958 and consists of three buildings.

·         2,120,794.20 for replacement of NOVA Academy Bldg. B (St Bernard School Board). High winds, heavy rains and five feet of long standing flood waters from Hurricane Katrina inundated the school.  All systems, electrical, mechanical and plumbing were heavily damaged and must be replaced, as well as all finishes and finished materials. This grant will reimburse the school district for replacing Building B, a two-story concrete frame classroom structure of 18,790 square feet. The school was built in 1958 and consists of three buildings.

·         $1,094,650.20 for A. Jackson High School architectural and engineering services (St Bernard Parish School Board). A. Jackson High School was severely damaged due to high winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Katrina. This grant will reimburse the school district for category E architecture/engineering and construction management services.  The architect will provide the school board with plans for the restructuring of 20 damaged school and office facilities.  This school was built in 1965 and is comprised of 97,000 square foot (sf); two-story main building; 33,000 sf gymnasium; and a 6,800 sf one-story classroom. An office annex was constructed in 2001. 

·         $1,774,727.15 for contents of PGT Beauregard Middle School (St. Bernard Parish School Board). Hurricane Katrina's high winds, heavy rains and seven-feet of flood waters damaged the school. Flooding inundated the first floor, while heavy winds blew the roof off causing damage to the second floor.   Damage to the contents was considered a total loss.  This grant will reimburse the school district for replacing the building’s contents, including fixtures, furniture and equipment, cafeteria, chairs, desk, computers, classroom instructional material, janitorial supplies.  This is a two-story, 83,775 square feet structure that served 733 students.

·         $3,805,475.63 for contents of school building (St Bernard High School Board). Hurricane Katrina's high winds, heavy rains and storm waters generated almost five feet of standing brackish water that persisted for one week inside the school. All contents on the first floor were destroyed; while the second floor sustained damages from wind and rain when the flat, built-up roof was damaged.  Damaged items include desks, filing cabinets, tables, chairs, food preparation equipment, office equipment, athletics equipment, janitorial supplies, educational supplies, library books, shelving, art & audiovisual supplies, and textbooks. This grant will reimburse the school district for replacing the damaged contents. The school had an enrollment of 486 students.

·         $2,013,321.42 for repair of J.F. Gauthier School (St Bernard Parish School Board). High winds, heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Katrina damaged the school facility.  All lower area wood, gypsum board, furniture, computer, paper files, desks, doors, electrical apparatus, pump drive motors, and the boiler assembly were damaged. This is a single structure with 56,562 square feet of classroom, library, cafeteria and related student functions. 

·         $2,562,417.00 for facility planning & control at Nunez Community College (St. Bernard Parish). High winds, heavy rains and seven feet of flooding from Hurricane Katrina damaged the Nunez Community College Arts, Science & Technology building. The force of the floodwaters imploded the east entrance doorway causing extensive flooding damage to the interior floor, wall and ceiling surfaces. The flood left water-damaged contents and mold-contaminated and water-damaged building materials. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems on the first floor suffered a total loss. This grant will reimburse the parish for permanently repairing the inside and outside damage to the building.  The structure is 79,021 square feet three-story, masonry structure, constructed in 2000.

·         $2,158,821.90 for water treatment plant site (St Bernard Parish). Hurricane Katrina winds and storm waters caused four feet of floodwaters to enter the Parish’s Water Treatment Plant (WTP). The pump station's roof was blown off, allowing rainwater to damage the electrical control panels inside the 25-foot diameter and 12-foot high, round masonry structure. Two pumps, the electrical power systems, motor controls, automatic transfer switches and removable roof panels were damaged. The Plant consists of an old treatment plant, a new treatment plant, water storage tanks, an administration building and a warehouse building.  This grant will reimburse the parish for repairing the new treatment plant, which was constructed in the 1970's.

·         $2,823,750.00 for public utilities (St Bernard Parish). Heavy rains, high winds and flooding from Hurricane Katrina caused damage to the Parish’s network of 92 lift stations. Only one of the 92 essential lift stations has been restored and is fully functional. This grant reimburses the parish for the 90% federal share of the cost of temporarily pumping-out and hauling raw sewerage from various lift stations and wet wells to either a functioning lift station or a working wastewater treatment plant from July 1, 2006 - Sept 30, 2006.

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