New Orleans Schools Damaged by Hurricane Katrina for Sale

School buildings damaged by Hurricane Katrina are up for sale.

The Times-Picayune reports that several former New Orleans, La., school campuses and empty lots owned by the Orleans Parish School Board are going on the market.

The school board has decided about one third of the city’s public schools were no longer needed due to Katrina damage and decades of declining enrollment.

By state law, charter school operators get first dibs at the buildings. It’s not clear whether the same holds true for empty lots; the School Board has requested an attorney general’s opinion to clarify the matter.

Ken Ducote, who ran the School Board’s facilities office before Katrina, said several of the sites could pose issues for redevelopment. Most notable is Robert Moton Elementary, built on a former dump that was later designated as a toxic Superfund site. Neighbors have been suing for decades to get compensation for health effects they consider to be environmentally related.