NOLA-PS Provides Update to School Assessments: Minimal Damage Found; Power Critical to Reopening Schools

(NEW ORLEANS - Sept. 2, 2021) – Today, NOLA Public Schools and its school community announced they have completed assessments of almost all of the District’s schools and facilities.

The buildings, many of which were rebuilt or buttressed during the $2 billion federally funded school rebuilding effort after Hurricane Katrina, sustained minimal to no damage due to Hurricane Ida.

The assessment of the remaining school buildings and NOLA-PS facilities will continue through Friday. NOLA-PS continues to be in constant communication with school leaders on how best to serve their schools’ needs and the needs of their families.

The reopening of schools is directly dependent on the restoration of power, which began in New Orleans East and the French Quarter this week.

“It has been encouraging to see lights come back on in sections of the City,” said Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. “With those welcome signs, we hope the power is restored fast enough to let us invite students back to class as soon as possible. For now, we will continue to focus on caring for our schools, our teachers, our staff and our families and hope power is restored to the city quickly.”

“Our schools are intrinsically linked to the return of our way of life,” Orleans Parish School Board President Ethan Ashley said. “They provide the best learning environment for students and comfort to parents who are working through how to return to the City and restart their livelihoods. We need our schools open and running as soon as we can do so safely.”

NOLA-PS is working to establish a headquarters for coordinating the reopening efforts. Meanwhile, our operations team continues to assist its school networks in assessing the condition of all school buildings.

The City of New Orleans has opened water and food distribution sites. We encourage families to visit ready.nola.gov to find out where they can pick up supplies and for more information about the Hurricane Ida recovery.

NOLA-PS will continue to regularly inform the public of its progress.

“The Number One goal remains ensuring the welfare of our people – our educators, our staff, and our students,” Dr. Lewis said. “We are appreciative of the food distribution centers, the cooling stations, and the other accommodations the City has made to care for our NOLA-PS families and the people of New Orleans.”

###