St. Bernard School Able To Expand With FEMA Funding | WPN World People News

Our Lady of Prompt Succor School is expanding to better serve St. Bernard Parish's post-Katrina community with the help of $4.0 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

This funding comes from damages incurred during Hurricane Katrina at St. Mark's School, another Catholic school located in St. Bernard Parish prior to the storm. The Archdiocese of New Orleans submitted an alternate project request to FEMA, asking to use the eligible funding from six previously obligated grants for St. Mark's School toward the construction of a new classroom building at Our Lady of Prompt Succor School.

"We have approved the Archdiocese's alternate project request in an effort to best support their own rebuilding plans," said Andre Cadogan, FEMA's Louisiana Recovery Office Deputy Director, Programs. "The alternate project option is just one of many flexible funding options provided to applicants under our Public Assistance Program."

FEMA's Public Assistance Program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures of both government and certain nonprofit organizations. With its main purpose as an educational facility, the Archdiocese of New Orleans' Our Lady of Prompt Succor School qualifies to receive FEMA funding as a private nonprofit applicant.

"I am pleased that construction on the new building at Our Lady of Prompt Succor School will be able to begin soon and that the school may continue to be a positive example of success in Catholic education. I am grateful to FEMA for their continuing to work with us post-Katrina to see that our schools may best serve the communities, especially in St. Bernard Parish," said Archbishop Gregory Aymond.

Once built, the new school building will be a single story structure with an area of approximately 12,600 square feet. It will house eight classrooms, a lobby, break room and restroom facilities, as well as provide space for storage, mechanical and electrical items.

"OLPS is extremely grateful and appreciative of the efforts that FEMA has given to make our school whole once again," said Our Lady of Prompt Succor School Principal Sharon Coll. "It is through their support we have been able to rebuild, for FEMA has provided the financial assistance necessary to rebuild the educational lives of our students. Without their assistance it would have been extremely difficult if not impossible to have achieved so much."

To date, FEMA has obligated approximately $341.0 million in Public Assistance funding to the Archdiocese of New Orleans for Katrina-related recovery work to its educational facilities. This funding has helped repair or rebuild Archdiocesan-owned schools in Orleans, St. Tammany and St. Bernard parishes.

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.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency