KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana |Cameron schools post hurricane update

Cameron schools post hurricane update

January 9, 2006
Reported by Pam Dixon

The Cameron Parish School System lost 400 students, more than 25-percent, since Hurricane Rita. Schools Superintendent Dr. Doug Chance says he expects 90-percent to return by the fall. If enrollment doesn't pick up, the school district may have to cut jobs. Chance says, "Our revenue stream is down from the loss of those students by 100,000 dollars a month. We're down on royalties and our ad valorem tax."

With three out of six schools destroyed or still unusable, more than 1,400 students continue to share two campuses, and now because of delays from FEMA in providing portable classroom buildings, the district may spend nearly two million dollars leasing 30 buildings for the Grand Lake High Campus and seek reimbursement later. This fall, half the buildings will be moved to the South Cameron School site while restoration continues there. Chance says, "We worked with some very fine local FEMA people, but when the thing gets to the state and above level, it bogs down and it's just simply not being fruitful for us to pursue that."

Once all the portable buildings are in place students can go back to a Monday through Friday schedule rather than the two and a half day schedule that stretches into evenings. Homework is slowly coming back for some students. LEAP test requirements for advancing to the next grade are being lowered to take some of the pressure off 4th and 8th graders affected by the hurricane.

The Cameron Parish School Board also voted to ask the Louisiana legislature to extend the current term of office for board members one year because so many voters scattered all over the place after the hurricane and extend a 10 mill ad valorem tax that expired this year. The election to renew it was canceled after the hurricane.