Back To School After Katrina (For Billy Hea Gyu)

Thousands of students whose schools were destroyed by the hurricane are being welcomed at new schools
In most communities across the country, students have gone back to school. But in areas of the Gulf Coast hit by Hurricane Katrina, many schools were damaged or destroyed. The Department of Education estimates that 300,000 students must quickly find new schools because of Katrina.
New Schools for the New School Year
"Almost all of our schools have been underwater, and we will not, in all likelihood, be fully operational this school year," said New Orleans?St. Bernard Parish Superintendent Doris Voitier. More than one week after Katrina, New Orleans, Louisiana is still about 65 percent flooded.
The Louisiana Department of Education is encouraging students to enroll in schools in the communities where they are seeking shelter. It will take a while before officials have a clear idea of when schools in the hardest-hit areas can reopen. Schools in New Orleans may not open for the entire year.
At least 20 states, including far-away states such as Michigan, New York and California, have offered housing, medical care, and schools for new students. State officials are also hurrying to find extra books, supplies, school buses, and even teachers.
"We have said if you bring 'em we'll teach 'em," said Mississippi State Senator Mike Chaney.
President George W. Bush met with Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on Tuesday to discuss how to best help students. Bush thanked those that have "made extraordinary efforts to make sure that the children who have been upset by this hurricane are able to find some comfort and some solace in the midst of their anguish by being able to go to a school.?/p>
Going Back to School ?In a Hotel
Tyrienisha Smith, 10, was getting ready for fifth grade in New Orleans when Katrina hit. Her parents say that her school is probably underwater. Now, she뭩 starting school at a hotel in Detroit, Michigan. School districts across the country are scrambling to find space for students.
"As long as they're getting their education, it doesn't matter where they're at," said Tyrienisha's father, Sterling Adams. "We could be in Timbuktu as long as they're in school." What's the hardest part about transferring to a new school in a new community? Said Tyrienisha: "I really miss my friends."
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