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Meeting to discuss fate of N.O. schools to be held tonight

Section: Community

Darran Simon

The first of five meetings this month to get input from residents on a new master plan for New Orleans public school buildings will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight at William J. Fischer Elementary School, 1801 Whitney Ave.

The following school sites will be discussed:

-- Martin Behrman Elementary School

-- Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School

-- William J. Fischer Elementary School

-- Paul B. Habans Elementary School

-- Alice M. Harte Elementary School

-- Murray Henderson Elementary School

-- Edna Karr High School

-- L.B. Landry High School

-- McDonogh 32 Elementary School

-- Julius Rosenwald Accelerated Elementary School

-- Schwarz Alternative High School

-- Harriet Tubman Elementary School

-- O. Perry Walker Senior High School

The school facilities plan will change the landscape of what was once a singular system of close to 130 campuses. That means some campuses could remain as schools, while others could become community centers or be redeveloped and possibly sold for use as offices and condos.

A team of planners, architects and other professionals will solicit community input and discuss specific factors for each campus, including flood elevation, potential for expansion, proximity to transportation and Office of Recovery Management investment zones and other factors.

A second meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at McDonogh 35 College Preparatory High, 1331 Kerlerec St. Meetings are also scheduled for Jan. 15, Jan. 17 and Jan. 19 at various locations. Each meeting will address specific campuses.

The master plan will ultimately lay out options for the locations and uses of buildings based on the amount of money available, projected neighborhood demographics and other factors. The master plan will also suggest financing options.

Planners intend to wrap up the master plan this Spring and present it to the state-controlled Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish School Board, who each control a portion of the city's school system and are partners in the plan.