Staff reports

Students in the Port Arthur Independent School District will return to classes on Sept. 18.
The district made the announcement on its social medial page Tuesday night.
“After much deliberation, our district is scheduled to reopen on Mon., Sept. 18. We understand the hurricane has displaced many of our students and staff,” the statement said. “We ask that they contact their campuses/departments so that the administrators are made aware of their circumstances beginning Sept. 18.”
Buses will run according to the schedule posted on the system’s website.
“We will not be enforcing the standard of dress for our Pre-K through eighth grade students at this time,” the statement said.
“This has been a difficult time for us all but it is imperative that we begin school as soon as possible so that our students don’t miss the instruction they need,” the statement said. “We care about our students. We care about our employees. We care about this community. These past few weeks have been trying, and we will have staff on hand to assist our students and employees through this transition.”
Students of Port Arthur Early College High School will begin classes this coming Sept. 11.
In a meeting held Tuesday, the Port Arthur Independent School District board of trustees gave the superintendent power to make important decisions in the wake of Harvey.
The board held an emergency meeting at the Memorial High School Library in which it authorized the superintendent to:
• enter into a formal agreement with the City of Port Arthur to use school grounds as emergency shelters;
• contract with remediation companies for emergency repairs;
• contract with mold remediation companies for emergency services;
• contract with companies to administer district-wide assessment of roof damages;
• engage emergency management and disaster recovery firm;
• apply to the Texas Education Agency on behalf of students for waiving missed school days; and
• lease alternate premises for temporary relocation of the PAISD administration building.
The meeting was called in response to flooding and the declaration of the Port Arthur area as a Natural Disaster.