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Jefferson Parish pushes back first day of school
Jefferson Parish Schools Superintendent James Gray announced Monday that the first day of school for the system has been pushed back to school to August 26. Schools had been scheduled to open Wednesday, Aug. 12, and Gray said the system is delayed by two weeks to coincide with the availability of rapid COVID-19 testing. “Jefferson […]
Legal challenge to Gov. Edwards’ order closing bars is rejected by Baton Rouge judge
A musician, a caterer and two bar owners who asked a Baton Rouge judge to rule against Gov. John Bel Edwards’ emergency order that shuts down bars lost in court Thursday when the judge ruled for Edwards’ administration.“The court is firmly of the opinion that the governor has exercised his power deliberately, on behalf of […]
Parents of special-needs students have extra concerns about schools reopening
Lucia Parker is concerned about how much her grandson, James, has regressed since schools in Louisiana were shut down in March. Before the pandemic, James, an 8-year-old student in Metairie who has Down syndrome, was able to recognize shapes and numbers and was just starting to read. Now, Parker said, he barely responds to his […]
State officials link only 10 cases of COVID-19 to summer camps
If your child attended in-person summer camp and successfully managed to avoid an infection from the new coronavirus, that doesn’t necessarily mean that streak will hold true for in-person instruction. Summer-camp administrators say they were able to establish safety protocols for their campers that principals and teachers might find difficult to do. Even so, there […]
‘We’re in a new normal,’ Gov. Edwards says about coronavirus restrictions
Though statewide mandates and closures have changed relatively frequently over the past couple months, Gov. Edwards said the current restrictions and order should not change anytime soon. Undeterred by a lawsuit filed against him by bar owners who accuse him of overreach, Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a Thursday press conference that the White […]
Louisiana ranked next to last in quality of its schools
When measured against the other states and Washington, D.C., Louisiana’s school systems rank 50 out of 51 in the quality, according to WalletHub, a personal finance website based in the nation’s capital. “Unlike other research that focuses primarily on academic outcomes or school finance, WalletHub’s analysis takes a more comprehensive approach,” said Adam McCann, WalletHub […]
Even as Louisiana homelessness surges, federal rental assistance ends
The COVID-19 pandemic has not been kind to Natasha Blunt. She has already lost her grandmother and best friend to the disease. Now she may lose her home, too. Blunt lost her job at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center at the start of the pandemic. And now, like tens of thousands of others across […]
Teachers hold protest in front of Baton Rouge school district office
Teachers protested the reopening of schools in front of the East Baton Rouge Parish School District Office on Wednesday. Educators and concerned parents and students gathered wearing masks and red attire. Protesters held up signs that read “I can’t teach Algebra 2 from my grave,” and “Educators essential but not expendable!” “Now is not the […]
Southwestern Athletic Conference postpones fall sporting events to spring 2021
The Southwestern Athletic Conference will postpone all scheduled fall sporting events, which impacts men’s and women’s cross country, football, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball, until the 2021 spring semester. The conference said in a statement released on Monday that “this action was necessary out of growing concern for the health, safety and well-being both mentally […]
New Orleans Public Schools will begin fully online
New Orleans Public Schools will begin the fall semester fully online and won’t allow in-person instruction before September, the school district announced Tuesday. “We are making this shift because we’re listening to the advice of medical experts,” Superintendent Henderson Lewis said in a news conference. “We’re committed to helping New Orleans get back on track […]
Gov. Edwards’ rent relief program runs out of money in 3 days
On Thursday, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the Louisiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program that he said would help about 10,000 people in Louisiana who are struggling to pay rent because of the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. By Sunday, 40,000 Louisianians had applied, and the application process was suspended. “The response to our […]
Louisiana Republicans don’t plan to sue over mask order, leader says
State Rep. Blake Miguez, chairman of the House Republican caucus, said Friday that there are no plans for Louisiana House Republicans to take legal action against the governor’s mandatory mask requirement after an opinion from Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry that says the order “does not pass the constitutional test” and “cannot be enforced with […]