Ike: Monday Morning Update

Schools in St. Mary Parish reopened this morning, thanks to the hard work of school district personnel and school administrators, faculty, and staff. Dr. Aguillard just reported that attendance this morning was at 90%--pretty impressive, considered what the past two weeks have been like.

The water from Yellow Bayou has receded since yesterday, and the Central Office parking lot is usable today. It is raining again in St. Mary Parish right now, and it seems obvious that this will add to the flooding problem in some areas. However, the rain brings a mixed blessing in that it should eventually help to wash away the brackish water from coastal flooding, hastening a return to normal for our local waterways.

Hwy. 90 traffic (both east- and west-bound) is being diverted to Hwy. 182 since flood waters are encroaching on that highway (see pictures in yesterday's posting). When I looked down the road this morning at 10:00, there was a considerable traffic tie-up at the light in Centerville, where Hwy. 317 meets Hwy. 182. COC employees report that a 5-minute commute has temporarily turned into a 40-minute stop-and-go nightmare. But this, too, will be gone with the flood waters.

Mr. Thibodeaux is working on a plan for making up school days lost because of the antics of those bad boys Gustav and Ike. The October 17th Teacher-Parent Conference Day/Professional Development Day will now be a regular school day, and we will issue progress reports on Sept. 18.

From Dr. Aguillard: The district is ramping up maintenance and contractor services to quickly schedule the replacement of any ceiling tiles showing water damage. All district buildings will be closely monitored for additional water leaks, and necessary repairs will occur immediately. Air conditioners will be run in all building to assist in drying them out.

I still welcome your photos of damage done by Gustav and by Ike. Please make sure to specify what we are looking at in the photos? Thanks,
sudu

Ike: Sunday Morning Update

From Dr. Aguillard:
All St. Mary Parish schools are set to reopen on Monday, September 15, 2008.

From Su:
Let's hope that the rest of the 2008 Hurricane season is UNEVENTFUL! However, if you have photos of damage to your school or your area, please send them to me via email (su.dupre@gmail.com), and I'll put together a slide show to remind us of how challenging the past few weeks have been. Thanks bunches!

Note: Move your mouse over the image below to view SlideShow controls. Click the little caption cloud icon (lower left) to view the captions and the photo credits. I'll be adding photos as you submit them.

Ike: St. Mary Parish Closes Schools on Friday, Sept. 12

From Dr. Aguillard: St. Mary Parish Schools to Close Friday, September 12th due to Hurricane Ike

Like most residents, the St. Mary Parish School Board is closely monitoring the projected point of impact for Hurricane Ike. In light of the recommended voluntary evacuation of low-lying areas, the potential for tropical force winds in the parish, and the need of our residents to have sufficient opportunity to secure and protect personal property, the St. Mary Parish School Board has canceled all classes, athletic events and school activities on Friday, September 12, 2008. All schools are expected to reopen on Monday, September 15th.

School personnel are requested to secure classrooms and electronic equipment prior to departing today.