Fletcher Technical Community College in Houma is moving forward with an expansion with the aid of $2.7 million in federal funds funneled through the state Office of Community Development’s Disaster Recovery Unit.
The college will use the funds to acquire 38.6 acres of land and build an academic and administration building, making room for the increased enrollment the school is experiencing.
The college’s roster has continued to expand, leading to its largest enrollment last year. College officials say the enrollment now exceeds full capacity.
“The damages from hurricanes Gustav and Ike have left the area served by Fletcher College in greater need of a skilled workforce in order to continue their recovery,” said OCD-DRU interim Executive Director Pat Forbes. “South central Louisiana will need the skilled workforce that Fletcher educates to rebuild their community, both physically and economically. “
Fletcher is a two-year public community college that was established in 1951 on land donated by the Terrebonne Parish School Board. As a result of Gustav and Ike, four buildings at Fletcher sustained damages worth $983,841.
The project is part of the $30 million Economic Revitalization Program, funded with federal Community Development Block Grant funds allocated to Louisiana by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for recovery from Gustav and Ike.
