Kerner Elementary Family,

This morning, the Louisiana Department of Health conducted an official inspection at the Kerner campus. We are happy to share that the campus passed the inspection and received a permit to operate. The contractors are working throughout this week, including installing furniture, painting, and cleaning. We are excited to reopen the school for faculty and staff tomorrow, August 1 and for 1-5th grade students on August 7. As Ms. Despaux has shared, the school is excited to welcome families for the Back-to-School event on August 17 from 6-7:30 p.m. to meet teachers and tour the campus. 

Since Hurricane Ida, the Kerner community has made sacrifices, had to be adaptable, and exhibit endurance. Thank you for your patience and for continuing to show up for our children and one another. I look forward to seeing you all back on Kerner’s Lafitte campus this school year, and we will provide another update the week of August 14. 

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

After an official inspection by the State Fire Marshal today at the Kerner campus, the building was cleared for temporary occupancy. The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) will conduct an inspection Monday, July 31. Once the building passes the LDH inspection, our contractors are telling us that we will be ready to reopen the school for faculty and staff August 1 and on August 7 for students. We know employees are eager to start setting up their spaces, so Ms. Despaux will be in touch with any opportunities for optional time before August 1 to do so.

They are continuing to prepare the campus to reopen. The permanent HVAC units in the kindergarten building have been installed, and the HVAC units in the cafeteria will be installed next week. All remaining permanent units will be installed over the Thanksgiving or winter break. Additionally, new furniture is arriving August 1, and installation will continue throughout the week in preparation for August 7. Painting and cleaning continue in addition to cafeteria equipment and tables being installed. 

We look forward to welcoming our students and staff back to campus, and we will share another update next week as we approach the final stages of returning you to your permanent Lafitte campus. 

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

Our contractors are hard at work continuing to ready the Lafitte campus for August. The building has permanent power and the temporary HVAC system is connected. We are still awaiting the arrival of all the permanent HVAC system components, which we expect to be in fall 2023. Until then, the building will remain cool using the temporary HVAC system. Finishing touches like painting and flooring are happening, and furniture is being delivered and installed on an ongoing basis. For a recent photo gallery of the school’s progress, please visit jpschools.org/lafittereturn.

Based on what our contractors are telling us, we will be ready to reopen the school once the building passes all the necessary inspections, which includes the fire marshal and the Louisiana Department of Health. Last week, the fire marshal conducted a courtesy walk-through of the campus and identified a few areas to address in advance of the official walk-through happening this Friday, July 28. 

As we enter these last couple of weeks before school resumes, we know you are anxious and excited to be back in your school in Lafitte. We remain committed to ensuring we make that happen, and we will be in touch with the next update the week of July 31.

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

We are on track with the updates happening on Kerner’s campus, and based on what our contractors are telling us, we will be ready to reopen the Lafitte campus in August. The contractors are continuing to work to ready the campus, and below are the latest updates:

• The permanent power is on and the temporary air will be connected. Once this is done, finishing touches will begin such as painting.

• Flooring will begin to be installed this week, starting with the second floor.

• The cafeteria furniture was delivered last week and will be installed on the campus.

• Building furniture has been ordered and will be installed as it’s delivered.

Our next update will be the week of July 24. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

Our contractors are telling us that they are still on track to reopen the Kerner Elementary campus in Lafitte in August. The contractors have been working diligently to ready the campus, and below are the latest updates:

• HVAC system components are being delivered on a rolling basis, which have been delayed because of the national supply chain issues with materials and equipment. As HVAC system components come in, the contractor will install the components and connect them to the new ductwork.
• The Entergy transformer pad construction is completed, and we are still waiting on the Entergy transformer to arrive. Once the transformer arrives, Entergy will install the transformer in order to give the school permanent power.
• Once all HVAC equipment is installed and the permanent Entergy transformer is connected, the school will be fully conditioned. Final touches, such as flooring, painting and ceiling tiles will occur quickly after that.

We will share another update the week of June 12. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

We are still on track to welcome our students and staff back this August at the Kerner Elementary campus in Lafitte. Our contractors and team have been working diligently and are excited to turn over a beautiful, newly renovated school to the Kerner community this August. Below are some key updates about the school’s campus:

• The HVAC platform has been erected, and the new chillers and pumps are in place on the platform. Work is beginning to install the chilled water lines to the equipment. As the new HVAC units arrive, they will be installed and connected to the new ductwork.
• Work is in progress to expand the size of the existing Entergy transformer pad in order for Entergy to come and install the transformer. Once this is completed in the next few weeks, contractors will be able to connect electricity and give the school permanent power since the school is currently running on generators.
• Approximately 90% of the new ceiling grid has been installed throughout the school along with new lighting, and new kitchen equipment has been delivered.
• Once all HVAC equipment is installed and the Entergy transformer is connected, the school will be fully conditioned. Installation of finishes, such as flooring, painting and ceiling tiles will occur quickly after that.

Thank you for your continuous support. The next update will be provided the week of May 15. While I know the road to recovery has been long, please know that rebuilding our two schools in Lafitte continues to be a priority for our School Board and district. We know your campuses are an integral part of the Lafitte community, which is why we want to ensure they continue to serve our children for generations to come. 

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

We wanted to share an update about the recovery progress.

We are on track to open the 2023-2023 school year in August at the Kerner Elementary campus in Lafitte. Repairs to Kerner’s campus are progressing well, including completing key repairs to the HVAC system. As the existing HVAC system was damaged beyond repair, all equipment for the system’s components was ordered, and the contractor continues to closely monitor the delivery schedule of the HVAC parts. Parts are being delivered on a rolling basis, which were delayed because of the national supply chain issues with materials and equipment. As system components come in, the contractor installs the components. 

We will continue to keep you informed about the recovery progress, and the next update will be provided the week of April 10. Thank you for your continuous support and understanding as we move forward for our students and our Lafitte community.

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

The following message is part of our promise to communicate monthly with you about our recovery progress.

At this time, we still anticipate an opening at the start of August 2023 at the Kerner Elementary campus in Lafitte. Our contractor is continuing with repairs to the Kerner Elementary campus. We are still waiting on the delivery of additional key components to the HVAC system, including the air handlers and the chillers. The contractor is installing the new concrete pad in anticipation of the permanent Entergy transformer being delivered, installed, and energized. As system components come in, the contractor installs the components. 

Our next update will be provided the week of March 6. Since Hurricane Ida, I know you have made sacrifices, had to be adaptable, and exhibit endurance. Thank you for your continued patience and flexibility. 

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

I have often stated that the key to our recovery efforts would be continuous communication. With this in mind, the following message is part of the monthly communication update that will be sent from me to you on where we are in the recovery process at your school.
At this time, we still anticipate an opening at the start of next school year at the Kerner Elementary campus in Lafitte. As you can see from the photo gallery at jpschools.org/lafittereturn, our contractor is continuing with repairs to the Kerner Elementary campus. We are still waiting on the delivery of additional key components to the HVAC system, including the air handlers and the chillers. As system components come in, the contractor will install the components. The majority of ductwork installation is completed, which will make HVAC installation easy once the parts arrive. 

We will continue to keep you informed about the recovery progress, and the next update will be provided the week of February 6. Thank you for your efforts in providing the education our children deserve and for continuing to show up for one another.
 
Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

I’m writing to you with our monthly update. At this time, we still anticipate an opening at the start of next school year at the Kerner Elementary campus in Lafitte. The majority of the ductwork installation on Kerner’s campus is nearing completion. We are still waiting on the delivery of additional key components to the HVAC system, including the air handlers and the chillers. As system components come in, the contractor will install the components. The chilled water system has all been installed underground from the chill yard to the school building. This piping installation will allow the chillers to be connected as soon as they are delivered. For a photo gallery of Kerner’s repairs, please visit jpschools.org/lafittereturn.

Our next update will be provided the week of January 9. While progress is certainly being made, I can not thank you enough for your patience and flexibility. We know the road to recovery has been longer for Lafitte than other areas in the parish, and we thank you for your continued partnership.

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

I’m writing to you with our monthly update. At this time, we still anticipate an opening at the start of next school year at the Kerner Elementary campus in Lafitte. Repairs to Kerner’s campus are progressing well. As the existing HVAC system was damaged beyond repair, all equipment for the system’s components have been ordered, and the contractor is closely monitoring the delivery schedule of the HVAC parts. We expect parts to be delivered on a rolling basis the next few months, which are delayed because of the national supply chain issues with materials and equipment. New ductwork and chilled water piping are currently being installed so the contractor can install the chiller and its parts when they arrive.

We will continue to keep you informed about the recovery progress, and the next update will be provided the week of December 5. Thank you for your continuous support and understanding as we move forward for our students and our Lafitte community.

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

Maintaining an open dialogue with you is key to our recovery efforts, so I’m writing to you with our monthly update for Kerner Elementary. The demolition of Kerner’s campus is progressing well, and permanent repairs will begin soon. These repairs include the installation of new ductwork and piping for the new HVAC system. The existing HVAC system was significantly damaged, and we will have to install a new HVAC system that is up to code. 

As we’ve mentioned before, we are experiencing national supply chain issues with materials and equipment. Because of this, our contractor will not be able to complete the permanent repairs to Kerner’s campus this school year. At this time, we anticipate an opening at the start of next school year at the Kerner Elementary campus in Lafitte, which means Leo Kerner students will finish this school year at Truman School. I recognize that returning to Leo Kerner at the start of the next school year may not be the most hoped-for outcome. However, please know we are working closely with our contractors to ensure your permanent campus is safe, up to current code, and ready to serve our Kerner Family for years to come. 

Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to providing you with another update the week of October 31. I hope you all have a restful and relaxing fall break.

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Elementary Family,

I know you want to be back home at your Lafitte campus. That day will come. Until then, we are doing all we can to ensure your permanent campus is safe and ready to continue serving our students, employees, and families for years to come. As we continue to work on transitioning students back to the permanent Kerner campus, contractors are currently conducting demolition of the building’s interior. This demolition is necessary to ensure the repairs made to the building’s electrical system are up to code. For photos of the progress, you can visit jpschools.org/LafitteReturn. 

While there are a number of factors beyond our control in the recovery process, one area we can control is regular and transparent communication. Communication with our Kerner community remains a priority. Our next update will be provided the week of October 3. Thank you for your continuous support. 

Dr. James Gray

Kerner Demolition In Progress:

Kerner Elementary Family,

I hope you and your family are enjoying the summer break. Our teams remain hard at work to return students to their Lafitte campuses as soon as possible. I’m writing with our monthly update on the recovery process for Kerner Elementary.

Your school remains on schedule. Kerner Elementary students are still expected to return to their Lafitte campus in early 2023. Kerner Elementary students will open the 2022-23 school year on their current shared campus at Truman School.

During their July 6 meeting, the Jefferson Parish School Board unanimously accepted a contractor’s bid proposal for permanent repairs at the Kerner Elementary campus. The bid was accepted on time and within budget. The construction company that won the bid specializes in the type of electrical work foundational to the success of this project. We still anticipate work beginning on campus by early September.

We will continue to keep you informed about the recovery progress, and the next update will be provided August 5. Thank you for your continuous support and understanding as we move forward for our students and our Lafitte community.

Dr. James Gray