Baton Rouge, La., resident Joseph Griffin said his son, Jermaine, dropped out of school in January after being unable to find scholastic success in the wake of the 2005 hurricane, The New York Times (NYSE:NYT) said Friday.

"If he doesn't get no credits for it, what sense does it make for him to sit up in there," Griffin said, referring to the fact his son was unable to earn a single school credit for two years.

LaTonya London, whose family was relocated to an evacuee trailer park after Katrina, said her 7-year-old son, Darrell, has developed serious behavior problems since the disaster.

London told the newspaper Darrell's problems since the hurricane have resulted in multiple school suspensions.

The Times said a study conducted by the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University found "alarming" declines in the health of children affected by Katrina, including high numbers of respiratory infections and iron-deficiency anemia.

"Not only has their health not improved since the storm," the study said, "over time it has declined to an alarming level."