Louisa schools are fast-tracking construction plans to fix Thomas Jefferson Elementary now that FEMA funds are coming to the county. Late Friday FEMA announced $3.2 million for the school destroyed by the earthquake in August.
Officials say the county plans to move forward as quickly as possible. Louisa County School Board chair Greg Strickland said, "At the earliest it's going to be 2014…there's a lot of work to be done."
The Louisa County School Board and board of supervisors hit the ground running by conducting a geo-technical survey at the elementary school's current site to make sure the ground is suitable to hold a replacement building.
Superintendent Deborah Pettit said, "We're eager to get that back to find out about the soils."
Finding a home for the school does not stop there. Strickland said, "Getting an architect, getting construction, getting that underway."
Thomas Jefferson Elementary students have spent the past few months since the quake in a modular community at Trevilians Elementary. Right now crews are installing canopies to serve as a big umbrella but being outdoors is still a hassle. Pettit said, "Every time the classes go to lunch or even when they go to the restroom, they're going outside; they have to put on their coats."
Even though it has been an abnormally bumpy ride, supervisors and the school board are pleased with the community's support. Willie Harper, the chair of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors said, "We've been very pleased with the people involved in all aspects, not just the students, the parents, the community but also the governmental agencies that've been working with us."
The school system is waiting to get the results of the geo-technical survey. If construction can start at that location, it could take 18 months.
Louisa County High School is waiting to hear back from FEMA to find out how much money it will receive to repair or rebuild.
