[StBernard] Second School to Open in August, and More

[Westley Annis]

Second School to Open in August, and More 

February 1 , 2006

By: Steve Cannizaro


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Second school, Andrew Jackson, to open in August and Chalmette High name
likely to return; immunizations being offered at St. Bernard Health Unit;
new hours for free meals at Emergency communities site


A second St. Bernard public school has been authorized to open for the start
of classes in August, this one at the site of the Andrew Jackson Fundamental
Magnet High School, an official said, and it's likely the sole current
school will again be known as Chalmette High rather than St. Bernard Unified
School as it has been called since opening last November.
The School Board has authorized Superintendent Doris Voitier to get bids to
renovate Andrew Jackson High School. The Chalmette school's first floor was
heavily damaged by flooding, and its second story sustained extensive roof
damage.

Voitier said the board wants Andrew Jackson repaired by Aug. 1 to
accommodate students because the enrollment will be too much for the St.
Bernard Unified School being operated at Chalmette High School.
That school opened Nov. 14 with just under 350 students but now has 1,600,
Voitier said Wednesday, and projections are there will be more than 2,000
students in St. Bernard public schools by next school year which starts in
August. Before Hurricane Katrina, the number of students in all public
schools was about

"We're continuing to grow,'' Voitier said. "I'm trying very hard to get a
second school open and then a third one after that."
About $12 million in repairs are under way at the Chalmette High campus,
which now houses classes for students from age 3 through the 12th grade. But
Andrew Jackson should cost less to refurbish because it is a smaller campus,
Voitier said.

There would be enough students by August to divide them up into two schools,
putting the younger grades at Andrew Jackson next school year, Voitier said.
She said she isn't sure what grades would be shifted to Andrew Jackson.
"It's likely (the schools) would keep the names they had'' before Chalmette
was renamed St. Bernard Unified, which signified that all parish schools
were being represented there, Voitier said.

A goal in the next school year would be to open a third school, at N.P.
Trist  in Meraux, Voitier said.

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The St. Bernard Parish Health Unit, operated by the state, has reopened at
2712 Palmisano Blvd. in Chalmette and is giving immunizations, offering
another location to receive shots beside the St. Bernard Medical Center,
which is at the disaster relief center at the Super Wal-Mart parking lot.
The Health Unit is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ,Monday through Friday, in a
trailer office. More services will be offered as the unit expands, officials
said.

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A free food service operated by Emergency Communities ha at 7718 West Judge
Perez Drive in Arabi has new hours.

Hot meals are served three times a day Monday through Saturday and twice on
Sunday.

The hours for food service are 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., noon to 2 p.m., and 6 p.m.
to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, meals are served 11 a.m. to 1
p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.