Often overshadowed in the media by the drama of the damage to New Orleans is the utter devastation Katrina’s storm surge and the levee break dealt the smaller neighboring parish of St. Bernard. But Ronald Alonzo, supervisor of buildings and grounds for St. Bernard Parish schools, didn’t wait for CNN’s cameras – or for the federal government – to get recovery underway.

Because the destruction of St. Bernard was so overwhelming, the community was practically on its deathbed. Mr. Alonzo realized that without children, the outlook would be dim indeed. It soon became apparent that the federal government’s promises of help for the school system would not begin to materialize for months. So despite the odds, Mr. Alonzo hurried to locate portable school buildings. With his family displaced in Baton Rouge, he nevertheless worked overtime and weekends.

Only 11 weeks after the storm, public schools re-opened in St. Bernard Parish, with everything in place to accommodate 334 students. Mr. Alonzo has continued to play a leading role in the ongoing openings of facilities, and now there is room for more than 4,000 children.