WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today announced $1,006,774 for the Kanawha County Board of Education through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance program. Funding reimburses the board for temporary classrooms purchased as a result of the 2016 flooding that damaged Herbert Hoover High School.
This announcement follows Senator Capito’s efforts to highlight the concerns of local officials and parents over the pace of work to construct a permanent replacement for Herbert Hoover High School. The senator spoke by phone with FEMA Region III Administrator MaryAnn Tierney to discuss these concerns and to obtain a status update on the project.
“Almost three years later, communities across West Virginia are still feeling the effects of the 2016 floods,” Senator Capito said. “While coordinated recovery efforts by local, state, and federal officials have made progress in many areas, it is critical that we have permanent facilities for those students whose schools were damaged as a result of the floods. I have listened to the concerns of community members and local officials in Kanawha County regarding the delay in constructing a replacement for Herbert Hoover High School and have communicated those concerns to FEMA leadership. We will move forward, and this reimbursement is a step in the right direction. I will continue to use my role as chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee to ensure we reach the solution our students, teachers, and education leaders deserve.”
“West Virginians have bounced back from the pain and destruction the 2016 floods caused, but we still have more to do. This grant will help our communities repair and provide the students of Kanawha County the best education available. These students deserve to have their schools rebuilt and as a member of the Appropriations committee, I will continue to ensure they receive that support,” said Senator Manchin.
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