About SFMPNOLA

The New Orleans School Facilities Master Plan is an ambitious multi-year school construction plan to rebuild school facilities damaged by Hurricane Katrina.  The Louisiana Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish School Board together manage the School Facilities Master Plan.

Ensuring our charter schools’ facilities are safe, welcoming environments for students is one of the Recovery School District’s top priorities.   At the completion of the Master Plan, all public school students in New Orleans will be educated in a new, renovated, or refurbished school facility.

 

You can view the most recent update on progress toward completion of the plan here.

 

2008 School Facilities Master Planning Process
The School Facilities Master Plan was originally created in 2008 after an extensive public input process, and was based on current and future projected student demographics.  The plan divided facility construction and renovation projects tiered in a 6-phase construction plan with incomplete funding.   Included in Phase 1 of the plan was Quick Start facility construction projects that featured the reconstruction of six campuses across New Orleans:

  • Fannie C. Williams Elementary School
  • Andrew Wilson Elementary School
  • Lake Area High School
  • L.B. Landry High School
  • Langston Hughes Elementary School
  • Mahalia Jackson Elementary School

 

Historic FEMA Settlement
In 2010, the Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish School Board reached an unprecedented settlement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, resulting in $1.8 billion to fund a more comprehensive construction plan.  Under this historic settlement, it was agreed that schools would be rebuilt in a way that best served the city’s population, and not simply returned to their pre-disaster condition.

 

2011 Master Plan Amendments
In 2011, amendments were adopted to update the School Facilities Master Plan that would assess available revenue, update and analyze student demographic projections, and develop a clear mission to ensure that all New Orleans public school students attend school in a new, renovated, or refurbished school building.  The amendments were adopted after extensive community feedback, and input from numerous stakeholders including educators, and construction industry experts to ensure the comprehensive plan aligned to national and regional trends.

The 2011 School Facilities Master Plan was designed to serve 55,000 students in:

  • 35 new schools
  • 18 full renovations
  • 28 refurbishments

 

Appreciation
The Recovery School District would like to acknowledge the following organizations for their partnership in rebuilding public schools in New Orleans:

  • Office of Former United States Senator Mary Landrieu
  • Office of United States Senator David Vitter
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency
  • Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
  • Louisiana Legislature
  • Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Louisiana Department of Education
  • Orleans Parish School Board
  • Jacobs/CSRS Program Management
  • City of New Orleans
  • City Council of New Orleans
  • City of New Orleans Planning Commission