Schools
13 School Systems Are Closed Indefinitely After Hurricane Laura
Thirteen parish school systems have stopped their school year indefinitely due to Hurricane Laura.
By
JC Canicosa
September 4, 2020
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Thirteen parish school systems have stopped their school year indefinitely due to Hurricane Laura, said Cade Brumley, Louisiana schools superintendent, at a Louisiana House education committee meeting Friday.
Once power is restored in those areas, schools will return completely virtual, Brumley said. But severe damage to the parish’s power infrastructure means that could take weeks.
Find out what's happening in Across Louisianafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Since the hurricane, thousands have also had to shelter in hotels in Texas or other parts of Louisiana. Over 10,000 alone are in New Orleans, according to an Advocate article.
Students displaced by the hurricane are expected to transfer to other school systems, which is pretty standard for families after major natural disasters. The Orleans Parish school system, along with the East Baton Rouge Parish school system, is 100% virtual at the moment, Brumley said, which will make the transition easier. The bigger challenge would be in transferring students into hybrid learning models where classroom space is tighter and requires more safety restrictions.
“Like everything else, educators and principals and superintendents and system leaders across the state have a new set of challenges with accepting displaced students that are above and beyond those they would traditionally face,” Brumley said.
Orleans parish does not yet have an official count for the number of students they expect to transfer to Orleans Parish schools. Families can participate in late enrollment by visiting https://enrollnola.org/late-enrollment/. After completing the form the school system will reach out to them to make a school placement and ensure they are connected to services.
The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization driven by its mission to cast light on how decisions are made in Baton Rouge and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians, particularly those who are poor or otherwise marginalized.