Flooded St. John Schools May Not Reopen This Year

LAPLACE, La. (AP) — It may be a full school year before students from East St. John High School and Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School can return to their campuses.

St. John the Baptist Parish school officials had hoped to have the two campuses, which were flooded during Hurricane Isaac, ready for students by January.

But at Thursday's school board meeting, The Times-Picayune reports board members learned they would have to take on significant financial risk to do so.

Interim Superintendent Herbert Smith had pushed for a January opening.

The school board will call a special meeting next week to decide whether to work for a January or August opening.