On Tuesday, September 28th the Senate Education Committee met to discuss the ongoing impact of storms on Louisiana K-12 schools. Much of the meeting was spent speaking with Superintendent Karl Bruchhaus of the Calcasieu Parish Public School System to gauge the ongoing impact of last year’s Hurricanes and mass freezing event on that school system. Calcasieu has recently had to freeze ongoing construction due to funding issues and the Committee was determined to help speed up allocation of additional FEMA monies and figure out how to avoid long wait times from the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness in the future, as more school systems submit their claims to FEMA and begin the process of rebuilding after Hurricane Ida.
The Committee did also head from Dr. Ken Oertling, Superintendent of St. Charles Parish Public School System, Jarod Martin, Superintendent of Lafourche Parish Public School System, and Dr. Sito Narcisse, Superintendent, East Baton Rouge Parish School System. While the Committee did not consider any resolutions or legislation, they did gather information about the ongoing impact of Hurricane Ida from the Superintendents present as well as State Superintendent Cade Brumley and representatives from the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
There is still much to be understood about the ongoing crisis, and many school systems that were impacted by the storm were not present at this committee meeting. Please continue to make your elected officials aware of the impact that Hurricane Ida has had on you and your students:
Find Your Legislators: http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/FindMyLegislators.aspx
Contact the Senate Education Committee:
- Senator Chairman Cleo Fields: cfields@legis.la.gov
- Senator Katrina Jackson: jacksonk@legis.la.gov
- Senator Mark Abraham: abrahamm@legis.la.gov
- Senator Robert Mills: sen36@legis.la.gov
- Senator Beth Mizell: mizellb@legis.la.gov
- Senator Kirk Talbot: talbotk@legis.la.gov
- Senator Mack "Bodi" White: whitem@legis.la.gov
Contact the House Education Committee:
- Vice Chair Mark Wright: wrightm@legis.la.gov
- Representative Beryl Amedee: amedeeb@legis.la.gov
- Representative Ken Brass: brassk@legis.la.gov
- Representative Rick Edmonds: edmondsr@legis.la.gov
- Representative Aimee Adatto Freeman: hse098@legis.la.gov
- Representative Barbara Reich Freiberg: hse070@legis.la.gov
- Representative Stephanie Hilferty: hilfertys@legis.la.gov
- Representative Patrick Jefferson: jeffersonpo@legis.la.gov
- Representative Charles Owen: hse030@legis.la.gov
- Representative Tammy Phelps: hse003@legis.la.gov
- Representative Vincent St. Blanc III: hse050@legis.la.gov
- Representative Phillip Tarver: hse036@legis.la.gov
Contact the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education:
- Mr. James Garvey: James.Garvey@la.gov
- Ms. Kira Orange Jones: Kira.OrangeJones@la.gov
- Ms. Sandy Holloway: Sandy.Holloway@la.gov
- Mr. Michael Melerine: Michael.Melerine@la.gov
- Ms. Ashley Ellis: Ashley.Ellis@la.gov
- Mr. Ronnie Morris: Ronnie.Morris@la.gov
- Dr. Holly Boffy: Holly.Boffy@la.gov
- Mr. Preston Castille: Preston.Castille@la.gov
- Dr. Belinda Davis: Belinda.Davis@la.gov
- Mr. Thomas Roque: Thomas.Roque@la.gov
- Ms. Doris Voitier: Doris.Voitier@la.gov