Lawrence High School Gets Nearly $13 Million From FEMA

Lawrence High School will receive nearly $13 million in federal funding to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, as well as recoup the costs of repairs that were already made.

The money was secured by Sens. Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Kathleen Rice. The money, a total of $12,948,307.94, comes from FEMA, and will be used to fix and replace piping in the high school’s basement, as well as reimburse the school for the repair of a water main outside.

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused significant damage to the Lawrence High School building. Flood levels reached approximately eight feet above the floor in many locations, resulting in damage to the piping system throughout the school. The flooding was a combination of water, sewage and salt water, which caused significant damage and progressive deterioration to the school’s property.

“Delivering federal funds such as these are crucial to repairing the damages caused by Superstorm Sandy’s devastating storm surge and are essential to fortifying our critical infrastructure against future weather events," Schumer said. "With these funds, the Lawrence Union Free School District and Lawrence High School will be one step closer to their pre-disaster function and capacity. These federal funds will help make Lawrence High School’s infrastructure stronger than before, without leaving local taxpayers and the school district on the hook for these expenses.”

FEMA provided this funding through its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration.

“This grant is great news for the Lawrence Union Free School District, which will be able to finally repair Lawrence High School’s piping system that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy,” said Gillibrand. “Our students deserve safe and fully-functional school facilities that can also withstand the next big storm, and I will continue to work to make sure our communities have the resources they need to fully recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.”

“The Lawrence High School community has worked tirelessly to recover from Superstorm Sandy and get students back into their classrooms,” Rice said. “I’m grateful that these federal funds have come through to support their efforts to rebuild, and I’ll keep working with school officials in my district to ensure they get the resources they need to make their schools stronger and more prepared to withstand future storms.”

Photo: Patch