Louisiana Judge Approves Repairs to Fire Damaged School

The Tangipahoa Parish School Board has been given the approval to continue to make repairs and place three temporary facilities outside Hammond Eastside Elementary Magnet School.

Eastside saw significant damage – an excess of $125,000 in losses – after a former administrative office caught fire on Aug. 7.

The Daily Star reports U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, who oversees Tangipahoa’s 48-year-old school-desegregation case, approved the repairs on Tuesday.

Preliminary reports show repairs and materials may cost nearly $500,000. How much will be covered by insurance is unclear.

While office space was damaged, smoke ruined much of the building’s ceiling tiles and insulation.