“According to the U.S. Department of Education, 1,212 public and private schools in the Gulf Coast region were damaged or destroyed,” Mrs. Bush said. “The basic initial cost of building a book collection for an elementary school library is about $50,000. And the cost for a secondary school library is at least $100,000.”
Schools should begin receiving the awards by late April or early May, said Mrs. Bush. “Additional grants will be distributed throughout the year as more schools are rebuilt and ready to stock their libraries,” she added.
Mrs. Bush announced the library initiative at College Park Elementary School in Gautier, Mississippi, surrounded by about 50 schoolchildren. “We all know that schools are at the center of every child’s life,” she said, “and the routine of going to school gives children a sense of comfort that’s more important than ever for boys and girls who’ve endured trauma. The sooner children are back in their own school, the happier and healthier they’ll be.”
Posted March 10, 2006.