Across the state, schools were making room for many of Katrina’s youngest victims as evacuees make their way to Colorado.
The numbers are trickling in, but so far, nine have enrolled in Aurora Public Schools, a dozen in the Douglas County School District and six in the Adams 12 Five Star district, officials said.
In Denver, district spokesman Mark Stevens said officials were “staged and ready” to enroll students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. On hand were counselors and administrators to sort out which schools are best for families – and sort out transportation to get there.
In the Estes Park school district, officials are eager to open classroom doors to students .
“We’re accepting those students, no questions asked – as every other district is doing,” Superintendent Linda Chapman said. “But we’re also a very high-performing district with a declining enrollment because we’re a retirement community. We could easily take some more students.”
The new students were beginning to adjust.
Thai Bazanac, 9, of New Orleans spent her first day at Brookstone Christian Academy in Parker on Tuesday praying with her classmates for the safe return of her grandfather, Lionel Bazanac, who is among the missing.
“I feel better now because I know God is going to keep him safe,” Thai said.
The little girl and her friend Kyle Carter, 10, both fled Hurricane Katrina together last week with their families.
Kyle said his classmates asked him which states he traveled through to get here, and his teachers were understanding and supportive.
“All teachers were nice to us,” Kyle said.
A few students displaced by the hurricane have already enrolled in schools in cities such as Longmont and Aurora, but officials have no way of knowing how many ultimately will show up, said Gary Sibigtroth, assistant commissioner at the Colorado Department of Education.
Under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act, districts are instructed to enroll the students even if paperwork such as immunization records cannot immediately be retrieved, he said.
Tustin Amole, spokeswoman for the Cherry Creek School District, said districts will rely on parents.
“We understand they are not going to have access to their old school records or immunizations,” she said. “We’ll take their parents’ word if they say they’ve had immunizations.”
Kathy Hill-Young, director of the Lowry Family Resource Center, said the students will face challenges, emotionally and culturally.
“It’s not going to be just as simple as taking this child to a new school as parents across the nation have done …,” she said. “The children are going to have to have incredible support, not only academically but emotionally.”
