Martin reflects on school recovery post-Ida

Yesterday, August 29, 2022, marked the one year anniversary of Hurricane Ida, one of the deadliest and destructive hurricanes in U.S. History. The category 4 storm plowed into Louisiana with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. The aftermath of the storm left communities destroyed, families displaced, and schools significantly damaged.

The Lafourche Parish School system was heavily impacted. Superintendent Jarod Martin said the district sustained over $100 million dollars in damages to the infrastructure. “Every school in the parish sustained some level of damage. Some were minor and could be overcome really quickly, others were catastrophic and we’re still recovering from it. We had Bayou Boeuf Elementary that took on 4 feet of water, South Lafourche suffered tremendous roof and structural damage, along with for Golden Meadow Middle School, North Larose Elementary School, and Larose-Cut Off Middle School.”

Martin said following the hurricane the district wasted no time creating a recovery plan, meeting with contractors a week after Ida made landfall. “Within a couple days after the storm we began having our first meetings to assess the damage and figure out what our most damaged were and how to restore them. We brought in a team of contractors and they began what’s called the mitigation work, which is taking out all of the wet and damaged materials, and sealing off the damaged roofs and broken windows.” In late September, the district welcomed students back to school in Thibodaux, with schools in the central Lafourche area opening in early October, and South Lafourche following in late October.

Reflecting on the devastating storm one year later, Martin said the recovery effort was no easy task but with the help of the community and organizations from across the country, the district welcomed back students less than three months after the storm. In addition to roof and flooding damage, classrooms were destroyed, leaving educators without the supplies needed to have a successful school year. Following Ida, Lafourche Parish educators were recipients of various charitable nonprofits, receiving funds to purchase the materials needed for their classrooms. Martin said the donations were a great source of support, as the district awaits its FEMA claim process. “While the contents of the classroom is covered under our FEMA claim, the claim process is a long and lengthy one; so all of the support has been really humbling and really appreciated.”

As of today, classes in Lafourche Parish are back in session and residents of the Lafourche community are continuing to restore and rebuild the community they love. Superintendent Martin said we can expect the district to come back stronger than it was prior to Ida, with a plan to protect the Lafourche Parish Schools in the event of another storm like Hurricane Ida. “I have to say I’m really happy with where we are. We have a place for all of our students to learn and engage with their teachers in a high-quality curriculum. We’re rounding the corner on getting these repairs out to bid and underway. So I’m really confident that within a couple of years we’ll be built back better than what we were prior to the storm. We plan to rebuild and restore all of our damaged campuses and provide the necessary improvements to our existing campuses to make us even more resilient for future storms. We are committed to this area, we’re committed to this region, and we’re committed to providing an infrastructure that supports kids for the next 5200 years.”

Martin said watching the community come together to support the school district in the aftermath of Ida is what makes being a resident of the parish and member of the district bittersweet. “What I’m most proud of is our educators, our community, the kids, and everyone involved with making the school system successful. Being able to withstand the kind of storm we were exposed to and then come out of it, not unscathed, but unaltered from our course and our mission to provide a top tier educational experience. It’s a heart-warming thing that certainly makes me proud to be a part of Lafourche Parish.”