New Orleans, LA
January 2010
Krewe de Recovery
Hurricane Katrina severely damaged Warren Easton Charter High School. FEMA obligated more than $3.2 million to help the school rebuild and re-open.
As you know, the city flood during Katrina and Easton received anywhere between 8 to 10 feet of water.
So the whole first floor, all the gym, and everything else was underwater. It remained underwater for a good 2, 3 weeks.
There were rumors that it was going to be changed into a hotel, it would be sold, that it would not open back as Warren Easton and this could not happen as a lot of the teachers and alumni had decided to do.
When we learned that the school might not reopen after Katrina, a group of us got together and said you know we???re going to get our school open, they???re not going to close this 130 year history. We actually went to the school board and asked if we could charter the school, and surprisingly they said yes. We now run it as a charter school and we???re just so proud of it.
Coming in on a wing and a prayer, everybody here including our board, Sandra Bullock actually fell in our lap as Godsend. Because not only has she given the school great visibility, but she???s also put a lot of her personal time and money into the school. You need to see our auditorium, because it???s fantastic. That is where most of her money has gone.
This auditorium was just an absolute mess.
So she decided to do the auditorium. She???s done many other things, but that was the first donation. It???s a beautiful building and a beautiful room. We thank her for what she???s done to make it come to life again.
We call Warren Easton the miracle on Canal Street, that???s where we???re located and it helped bring back the Mid-City neighborhood in which it???s located.
This is something worth saving and we???ve been blessed, and I think it shows you what can be done when people decided just to go get it, and that???s what we???ve done.
This is hope. This school is hope. Therefore if this school is hope, this city has hope.
For more information visit www.FEMA.gov.