News Summary
The Orleans Parish School Board has partnered with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority to focus on redeveloping two vacant schools in the area. The initiative targets Augustine Middle School and Valena C. Jones Elementary School, both of which have remained unused since Hurricane Katrina. The collaboration aims to combat neighborhood blight while exploring community benefits such as affordable housing and early childhood education services. Additional properties are under assessment for potential sale or repurposing amid financial challenges faced by the school board.
New Orleans – The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) has officially announced a partnership with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) to focus on the redevelopment of abandoned school properties in the region. The collaboration will initially target two vacant schools: Augustine Middle School located at 425 S Broad St. and Valena C. Jones Elementary School located at 1901 N. Galvez St. Both of these properties have remained unused and have sustained damage since Hurricane Katrina.
The primary goal of this partnership is to combat neighborhood blight while potentially providing community benefits such as affordable housing and early childhood education services. NORA will play an essential role in guiding the redevelopment efforts, which will include gathering input from the community and selecting among interested developers.
As part of their assessment, OPSB has identified around 25 additional properties for possible sale or repurposing. This decision comes amid a financial crisis resulting from inflated tax revenue projections that have left the district with a significant budget gap. By collaborating with NORA, OPSB hopes to generate revenue to address funding needs for current facility upgrades while ensuring these previously neglected properties can be transformed into valuable community assets.
OPSB President Katie Baudouin has emphasized the importance of making use of abandoned buildings to prevent them from becoming further blight on the community. The school board has established criteria for retaining school buildings, such as requiring a minimum enrollment of at least 350 students and ensuring that the site is free of regular flooding or environmental complications.
Efforts to repurpose these vacant schools haven’t been new; a notable attempt was made in 2012 when a proposal aimed to convert Augustine Middle School into a career training center. The new partnership with NORA represents a renewed commitment to explore varied redevelopment possibilities and assess community needs and interests.
Under the partnership agreement, which will be evaluated annually, NORA is set to guide OPSB in various pathways for surplus properties. These pathways may include selling, leasing, or forming partnerships with nonprofit organizations to maximize community benefits. This strategic approach should not only enhance local neighborhoods but also align with the community’s requirements, such as providing adequate housing and educational resources.
NORA brings experience and expertise in community redevelopment initiatives, having been involved in numerous projects throughout New Orleans. The organization is focused on revitalizing neighborhoods and addressing issues related to blight through collaborative approaches that include public input and strategic planning.
This year-by-year partnership agreement signals a step towards a long-term strategy by OPSB to effectively manage its unused properties while actively supporting the surrounding community’s development. With a concerted effort from both OPSB and NORA, stakeholders hope to breathe new life into these school facilities, fostering community engagement and revitalization as they move forward.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
Transformative Redevelopment at 1010 Commons St. in New Orleans
New Orleans Schools Undergo Major Transformation
Revitalization Initiative for Abandoned New Orleans Schools
Additional Resources
- ETX View: Best Public Middle Schools in the New Orleans Metro Area
- NOLA: Two New Orleans Schools Could Be Repurposed Under Agreement
- The Advertiser: Top 10 Louisiana Middle Schools According to U.S. News
- NOLA: Candidates Still in Running for NOLA Public Schools Superintendent
- The Conversation: New Orleans Schools Still Separate and Unequal
- Wikipedia: New Orleans Schools
- Google Search: New Orleans Public Schools
- Google Scholar: New Orleans School System
- Encyclopedia Britannica: New Orleans Education
- Google News: New Orleans Schools
