New Orleans Archdiocese to set up satellite schools

Published: 2005-09-08

BATON ROUGE, La. (CNS) -- The Archdiocese of New Orleans is planning to establish satellite elementary and secondary schools in communities where thousands of students have taken refuge to escape the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, according to the archdiocese's superintendent of Catholic schools. Father William F. Maestri made the announcement at a Sept. 7 meeting, which drew an overflow crowd to the Catholic Life Center auditorium in Baton Rouge. Planned for Catholic school administrators and teachers, the meeting also drew some parents anxious to hear any news about their schools. Father Maestri also advised parents they could enroll their children in the existing Catholic schools nearest them or consider home schooling their children, especially if their original school in the Archdiocese of New Orleans will reopen in the near future. All 108 elementary and secondary schools in the New Orleans Archdiocese have been closed because of Hurricane Katrina, although church officials expected some schools that sustained less severe damage to reopen as soon as electrical and water services were restored over the next several weeks.

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