The Lafayette Parish School System will re-open for students on Monday, August 22. School system officials are continuing to assess flood damage to school sites and are also surveying staff to determine how many school system employees and students have been impacted by this historic flooding event. The Lafayette Parish School Board will receive public comment on re-opening schools at a special board meeting on Wednesday, August 17. Employees are being asked to return to work in phases. Custodians and school-based administrators reported to work today. All Central Office staff and employees at satellite offices are to report back to work on Tuesday, August 16. Counselors will report back on Wednesday, August 17. All teachers, support staff, and bus drivers will report back to work on Friday, August 19.
Juniors and seniors who are attending the Early College Academy should report when South Louisiana Community College opens. Freshman and sophomores report on August 22.
On Thursday, August 18, and Friday, August 19, the school system will open a registration center for temporarily homeless or displaced students. The registration center will be in the Large Conference Room at the Vermilion Conference Center (326 Gauthier Road, Lafayette) and will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. The office of Homeless Education will be available at the Vermilion Conference Center to provide support to families experiencing homelessness due to the disaster. Families may also contact the Homeless Education department staff at 337-521-7251. School counselors will be available beginning Wednesday at all 42 schools across the district for students and staff who need assistance or may need counseling services.
Any K-12 student in Lafayette Parish affected by the recent flooding may apply for admission to the Lafayette Online Academy. This includes existing Lafayette Parish public school students, home study students, students attending charter schools, and private or parochial school students. For more information or to complete an enrollment application, visit www.onlinelafayette.com.
Screening for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students will resume on Monday, August 22. Day 2 of screening for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students on Monday. Testing, make-ups, or orientation will take place on Tuesday, August 23. Those students who were originally scheduled to report on August 16 will report on Wednesday, August 24, and those students who were originally scheduled to report on August 17, report on Thursday, August 25. All pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students will report on Friday, August 26.
Westside Elementary School sustained heavy damage from flood waters. The school will be closed for an extended period of time while repairs are completed. Westside students will be split into two groups and sent to Scott Middle School and N.P. Moss Preparatory School. Kindergarten and 1st grade students will attend school at Scott Middle, and 2nd through 5th grade students will attend N.P. Moss Prep. In order to create as seamless a transition as possible for bus transportation, all Westside students will be picked up at the regular time and brought to Scott Middle. Westside students, grades 2 through 5 will then be transported to N.P. Moss Preparatory.