Fisher Middle-High Family,

We are excited to welcome students, employees, and families to Fisher's temporary Westbank Community Campus next month. The contractor is in the final stages of readying the campus, which includes the installation of landscaping and additional finishing work to classrooms and restrooms. 

We want to ensure students and families have a chance to become acclimated with the new temporary campus before the first day of school. Fisher will host a student orientation on the evening of Thursday, August 3. Middle school orientation will be from 5-6 p.m., and high school orientation will be from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Please watch for additional details from Principal Wurth about this event.

We are still awaiting a decision on what will be covered by FEMA reimbursement at the permanent Fisher site, and we took the proactive step last October to approve an architect/engineer for the Fisher Middle-High School design. We still have weekly meetings with FEMA and continue to advocate for an answer as soon as possible. 

As we enter these last couple of weeks before school resumes, we know you are anxious and excited to have your own campus, even though it’s a temporary fix as we await the long-term solution for your campus in Lafitte. I can’t thank you enough for your continuous support and understanding, and we will be in touch with the next update the week of July 31.

Dr. James Gray

Fisher Middle-High Family,

We are so excited to share that Fisher's temporary Westbank Community Campus is 95% complete and has obtained a Certificate of Occupancy from the State Fire Marshal and a Permit to Operate from the Louisiana Department of Health. The interior work has been completed with only minor items remaining. Here are a few key updates:

• New furniture has been delivered and installed throughout the entire campus. This includes new teacher desks and chairs, student desks, complete office furniture sets, conference room tables, cafeteria tables and chairs, library shelving, and teacher lounge furnishings.

• The gym has also been completely renovated with new flooring, custom bleachers, additional lighting, and painting.

• All Fisher's belongings were moved from Ehret to the temporary Fisher site.

• Additionally, the contractor is in the process of installing new landscaping, which includes trees, shrubs, sod, and flower beds throughout the entire property. 

We understand that this has been a long process; however, we are on track to opening Fisher’s temporary Westbank Campus for the start of the 2023-2024 school year this August. For updated photos of our progress, please see jpschools.org/LafitteReturn. Our next update will be the week of July 24. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Dr. James Gray

Fisher Middle-High Family,

As you know, our contractors have been making extensive renovations since last spring to convert the Westbank Community facility from a community school to a temporary site appropriate to house a middle-high school. While we were hoping to welcome staff and students next week, there are still some renovations that must occur before the campus is safely ready to open. Because of this, Fisher Middle-High students will finish the 2022-2023 school year at their current shared campus at John Ehret High and will start the 2023-2024 school year at the Westbank Community campus. Students will learn on campus at John Ehret High for the remainder of this school year. 

After conversations today with our Lafitte Oversight Committee members, this timeline also allows for students and staff to finish the year strong. School administration and district staff will coordinate to ensure faculty and staff have the necessary information and time to pack and move their instructional materials. For updated photos of our progress, please see jpschools.org/LafitteReturn.

Our contractors are continuing renovations, including installing kitchen equipment and a new gym floor. They’re also finishing final touches on landscaping, parking lots, and signage. To acclimate students before the first day of school, we are excited to host an open house for students and families before school starts in August. We will be in touch as soon as possible about a date for this event. 

Since Hurricane Ida made landfall in August 2021, you have continued to persevere, remain resilient, and look after one another. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we get our Fisher Middle-High students and staff into their temporary campus and continue to finalize the long-term solution for the Fisher campus in Lafitte.

Dr. James Gray

April 21, 2023

Fisher Middle-High Family,

We are excited to welcome our students and staff to the Westbank Community campus next month. Students will learn asynchronously at home Monday, May 15 and Tuesday, May 16. Students in grades 6th-11th and all employees will begin school on the Westbank Community campus site on Wednesday, May 17. We know this move has been a long time coming, and you are ready to have your own space while we await a decision from FEMA about your permanent campus in Lafitte.

Contractors have been hard at work to ensure the campus is ready. For updated pictures on our progress, please view jpschools.org/LafitteReturn. The two temporary classroom buildings are completely installed. Brand new kitchen equipment, bathroom fixtures, and a gym floor are being installed. All exterior doors on the campus are in the process of being replaced, and the main building will have all new windows. New student and teacher furniture is being delivered next Monday. Contractors are continuing other final touches, including landscaping and floor waxing.

We are still awaiting a fire marshal inspection to obtain occupancy, which we hope will happen within the next two weeks. We are not able to host an open house for students and families until this review is complete, but we hope to do so before students’ first day on campus. Please stay tuned for more information.

The architect's report for the permanent Fisher campus was provided to FEMA earlier this month. With consideration that the campus has previously flooded five times, we want to ensure that we mitigate the risk of future flooding.

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

Fisher Middle-High Family,

We wanted to share an update about the recovery progress.

Our contractors are continuing renovations to the Westbank Community campus and anticipate multiple buildings on the campus will be ready for occupancy by the end of March. Final touches such as paint, waxing and installation of furniture is awaiting the final permanent repairs to be completed. 

As we shared last month, based on feedback from Fisher faculty and staff, students in grades 6th-11th and all employees will begin school on the Westbank Community campus site on Wednesday, May 17. Students will learn asynchronously at home Monday, May 15 and Tuesday, May 16 so staff have two days to set up their classrooms before students arrive on campus. This will ensure students are set up for success and teaching and learning is not disrupted before and during the state testing window. We look forward to hosting an open house for students and families in April, so stay tuned for a date soon. 

We are still awaiting a decision on what will be covered by FEMA reimbursement, and we took the proactive step last fall to approve an architect/engineer for Fisher Middle-High School design. The architect is preparing all documentation that FEMA requires for their final determination. We have weekly meetings with FEMA and continue to advocate for an answer as soon as possible about rebuilding the permanent Fisher campus.

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

Fisher Middle-High Family,

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

Renovations continue to convert the Westbank Community campus to a temporary site appropriate to house a middle-high school. This includes the installation of two portable 20-classroom buildings with restrooms, which were set in place this past weekend. Our contractors are tiling the floors, finishing the ceilings, and finalizing plumbing in all restrooms. Mayor Tim Kerner, School Board member Kriss Fortunato, and members of our Lafitte Oversight Committee also recently toured the Westbank Community campus to see progress.

At this time, we anticipate the campus to be ready for occupancy at the end of March. However, the Fisher faculty and staff want to ensure that the quality teaching and learning that’s been happening this school year is not disrupted before and during the state testing window. Based on feedback from the faculty and staff, students in grades 6th-11th and all employees will begin school on the Westbank Community campus site on Wednesday, May 17. Students will learn asynchronously at home on May 15 and 16 to ensure teachers and staff have two days to set up their classrooms before students arrive on campus. The last day for seniors is Wednesday, May 10, and graduation is Saturday, May 13.

We will host an open house for students and families in April and will be in touch soon about a date.

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

Fisher Middle-High 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.
As you can see from the photo gallery at jpschools.org/lafittereturn, we are nearing completion on renovations to the Westbank Community campus. Our contractors are completing the floors, finalizing plumbing in all restrooms, and moving furniture into classrooms. 

At this time, we anticipate moving Fisher’s temporary campus to the Westbank Community campus mid-March 2023. We will share a finalized date with you soon and will notify families and employees at least two weeks before the move would occur. Before beginning school on the campus, we will host an open house so students and families can become familiar with the campus. We will also help move employees’ instructional resources, classroom materials and operational equipment to the new temporary campus. 

We are still waiting on a decision on what will be covered by FEMA reimbursement and continue meeting with them weekly. We hope to have an answer soon about the status of rebuilding the permanent Fisher campus.

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

Fisher Middle-High Family,

I’m writing to you with our monthly update. Despite the inclement weather, we were excited to host a football game so our Fisher seniors could play on their home field. 

We continue to wait on a decision on what will be covered by FEMA reimbursement, and we remain in constant contact with them through weekly meetings. We continue to advocate for an answer about rebuilding the permanent Fisher campus and hope to know an answer soon.

Renovations to the Westbank Community campus are progressing well. At this time, we still anticipate moving Fisher’s temporary campus into the Westbank Community campus in early 2023. All exterior painting is completed. Since receiving authorization last month to begin interior repairs, our contractor has been hard at work to begin those renovations. Contractors are working on the floors, including sanding the subfloor and installing permanent floor tiles. Walls are being cleaned, primed, and painted. The contractor is continuing to remodel and install plumbing in all restrooms. For a photo gallery of the Westbank Community’s campus renovation, 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

Fisher Middle-High Family,

I’m writing to you with our monthly update. We know how important athletics are to the Fisher and Lafitte community, and we have been working diligently to make stadium repairs to allow for a sense of normalcy for our students, families, and community members. We are excited that after months of work, we are prepared to host the football game this Saturday at Fisher. With inclement weather anticipated Saturday, we will continue to monitor the forecast and keep the Fisher community informed should plans change.

We are still awaiting a decision on what will be covered by FEMA reimbursement, and we took the proactive step in October to approve an architect/engineer for Fisher Middle-High School design. We have weekly meetings with FEMA and continue to advocate for an answer as soon as possible about rebuilding the permanent Fisher campus.

While the end goal is to have Fisher Middle-High back at your Lafitte campus, we are preparing the West Bank Community campus for students, staff, and families. We received authorization yesterday from local officials to begin interior repairs, and our contractor will begin work on those repairs now. While we were awaiting authorization, the contractor has been busy with exterior renovations, including painting the buildings and waterproofing the roof. 

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

Fisher Middle-High Family,

Maintaining an open dialogue with you is key to our recovery efforts, so I’m writing to you with our monthly update for Fisher Middle-High. 

Last month, Board President Moise and I spent time in our nation’s capital as part of the Jefferson Chamber’s Washington D.C. Fly-in Tour. As part of our visit, we met individually with representatives of our U.S. and state senators, where we shared about how we could use their support and advocacy in working with FEMA to obtain the acceptance of the floodplain manager’s Fisher declaration. We discussed the steps we’ve taken to receive these recovery funds in a timely manner and the importance of being able to rebuild and repair our buildings as quickly as possible. We also drafted a letter and shared it with our U.S. and state senators. 

While we are still awaiting a decision on what will be covered by FEMA reimbursement, last night, our School Board approved Verges Rome as the architect/engineer for Fisher Middle-High School design. While this is contingent upon receiving written notification from FEMA that they agree with the damage assessment, this was a proactive step so we can move as quickly as possible with rebuilding the permanent Fisher campus once we hear back from FEMA.

We continue to ready the Fisher field area, and we will be removing the bleachers and press box soon in the hopes of  hosting two daytime football games this season.

Our contractor is also making progress on readying the West Bank Community campus for our Fisher students, staff, and families. They are continuing demolition and renovation to the campus as well as painting the exterior of the buildings.

As I noted in the letter to our national and state senators, Fisher is an integral part of the Lafitte community. In a small town like Lafitte, a school provides a place for people to come together Whether it is a school play, a football game, or an after-school stop at the snowball stand, these things are at the heart of a community and help promote social, economic, and cultural development.  

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

Fisher Middle-High Family,

Our goal is to ensure that our students have modern schools to learn in that will stand the test of time. After an evaluation by the architect of all buildings on campus, all but two buildings were identified as substantially damaged. The floodplain manager also recently declared the Fisher Middle/High campus over 50% substantially damaged, including all buildings except the library and athletic building. Now, we are awaiting a decision on what will be covered by FEMA reimbursement. This latest substantially damaged notification is the next step to ensuring the long-term solution to Fisher’s campus is one that will serve the students, families, staff, and community for decades to come.

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 the West Bank Community campus can comfortably serve our students, employees, and families. On August 3, our School Board approved a contractor to begin demolition and renovation to the campus. Since then, the contractor has been hard at work gutting and upgrading the facilities. For photos of the progress, you can see below. At this week’s board meeting, the board approved the lease of two modular buildings that will provide additional classroom space and restrooms. These modular buildings should be delivered to the West Bank Community campus later this month. 

While the practice field is open, we are working to ready other parts of the field area. Having a designated area for spectators is one step to this process. We are working to add temporary bleachers and remove the current bleachers in the hopes to be able to host two daytime football games this fall season.

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 Fisher community remains a priority. Our next update will be provided the week of October 3. Thank you for your continuous support.

Dr. James Gray

West Bank Community Demolition In Progress:

Fisher Middle-High Family,

Maintaining an open dialogue with you is key to our recovery efforts, so I’m writing with our monthly update for Fisher Middle-High. We are excited to welcome back Fisher Middle-High students beginning Monday, August 8 on their current shared campus at John Ehret High. This temporary plan is based on the long-term solution for Fisher’s campus.

Our teams remain hard at work to return students to their Lafitte campus as soon as possible. We know how important athletics are to the Fisher and Lafitte community, and we have been working diligently to make stadium repairs to allow for a sense of normalcy for our students, families, and community members. Renovations to the stadium’s field are complete, and we are awaiting a final test before students and staff can use the field to practice. Please visit https://www.jpschools.org/LafitteReturn to see a photo of the updated football field. The plan is to use the stadium’s field for practice and to host two daytime football games this upcoming fall season.

After the architect’s initial assessment in July, ICF determined revisions to the assessment needed to include the stadium bleachers and press box. We are re-submitting the architect evaluation tomorrow to include the assessment of the bleachers and press box. The stadium’s bleachers were severely damaged and must be torn down before temporary bleachers are added. Hosting games at the stadium will be dependent on temporary bleachers and portable restrooms being installed. 

After an evaluation by the architect of all buildings on campus, all but two buildings were identified as substantially damaged. The appropriate paperwork has been completed and submitted to FEMA and local officials based on this information. We are awaiting a decision on what will be covered by FEMA reimbursement and will keep you updated on this process. 

Fisher Middle-High students are still expected to transition to a temporary site at the West Bank Community School campus in early 2023. This return remains on schedule. Renovations continue to convert the facility to a site appropriate to house a middle-high school. This includes the installation of two portable 20 classroom buildings with restrooms, which are scheduled to be delivered to the West Bank Community campus in September. The construction company is also adding a new parking lot, new ceiling and lighting, restroom renovations, and painting throughout the campus. The work taking place will ensure this temporary campus can support Fisher Middle-High employees, students, and families until their permanent home opens in Lafitte. 

During the months since Hurricane Ida, I know you have made sacrifices, had to be adaptable, and exhibit endurance. Thank you for your patience and flexibility. We will continue to keep you informed about the recovery progress, and the next update will be provided September 5. Thank you for your efforts in providing the education our children deserve, and for continuing to show up for our children and one another.

Dr. James Gray

Fisher Middle-High 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 Fisher Middle-High.

Your school remains on schedule. Fisher Middle-High students are still expected to transition to a temporary site at the West Bank Community School campus in early 2023. The entire West Bank Community School campus will be dedicated to Fisher Middle-High until a new permanent school is completed in Lafitte. Fisher Middle-High students will open the 2022-23 school year on their current shared campus at John Ehret High.

We are awaiting final specifications from the architect assigned to the Fisher Middle-High campus. This is an additional step we are required to take as we determine whether to repair or replace the existing facilities. Work is also continuing at West Bank Community School to ensure that site can meet the needs of middle and high school students, employees, and families. This temporary plan is based on the long-term solution for Fisher’s campus.

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

Dear Fisher Middle/High School 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.

Currently, a comparative cost analysis is being conducted on whether to replace or repair the building. This is a step required by FEMA to ensure we reach the most cost efficient outcome. Additionally, temporary repairs to Westbank Community School are still underway. This Friday, bids to ready the school will be advertised. 

Your continued patience and flexibility is greatly appreciated. I am certain that as we continue to work together while we navigate the tides of this recovery process, our campus, school, and community will be stronger and more unified than ever. The next update will be provided on Wednesday, July 6 and remember to visit jpschools.org/LafitteReturn for your school’s hurricane recovery updates.

Dr. James Gray

Dear Fisher Middle/High School 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.

We are continuing to ready Westbank Community campus as a temporary location, but progress continues to be made at Fisher Middle/High.The board approved replacing the synthetic astroturf football field that will be installed this summer and ready. The field will then be accessible to be used as a practice facility by this upcoming fall semester. A full evaluation of the electrical grid for the field lighting will still need to be conducted before the stadium can be used entirely. 

While progress is certainly being made, I can not thank you enough for your patience and flexibility. Our school family is adapting today, so that tomorrow our kids can learn on a campus that is less vulnerable to the threat of future hurricanes. The next update will be provided on Monday, June 6, and remember to visit jpschools.org/LafitteReturn for your school’s hurricane recovery updates. 

Dr. James Gray