Communities and Schools Partner for Health

After Hurricane Katrina, all the schools in Jefferson Parish, a suburb of New Orleans, were closed for a month and the staff were scattered across the country. As a result of local businesses being closed for an extended period and the tax revenue being minimal, the local government, including the school system, faced a financial crisis.

The Jefferson Parish School System, the sponsoring agency, did not allow money to be spent for any reason, with the exception of salaries. Bunche Middle School and Butler Elementary School-Based Health Care Centers in Jefferson Parish were able to buy medical and other supplies, allowing them to remain in operation once the schools reopened.

They contracted with the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center to have its staff from New Orleans provide services at the two schools. The Health Sciences center was also able to purchase a new van to transport students from four schools to medical and mental health appointments.