FEMA decision expected soon

By this time next week the Ottawa Elementary School District should know if FEMA will help pay for a new elementary school.
Superintendent Craig Doster was told on Tuesday to expect a decision from FEMA within a week. The district hopes FEMA funds 75 percent of the cost for a school to replace the flooded out Central Elementary School along the Illinois River.
The school board last month gave the district architect the go ahead to start designing a school to house 500 students, up from the 400 Central Elementary held before the flooding. Board members were adamant in saying they want the architect to start drawing up plans for a new school but they’re not committing to a new school because they don’t know where they’ll come up with over $20 million. That’s the engineers estimate for a new grade school.
The district’s lease with Wal-Mart ends after 2011. Doster has said he doesn’t want students in Wal-Mart past that time.