School Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr. was joined by Mayor Latoya Cantrell and City Health Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno, Thursday, Sept. 10, to discuss the reopening of in-person schools.
Lewis confirmed that PreK- through fourth grade students will start returning to classrooms for in-person learning beginning Monday, Sept. 14. students in grade students in fifth through 12th grades will be given the option to return to the classroom at least twice a week by October.
“We are focusing on a small subset of our students and we are again prioritizing our little ones, who have the most to gain both academically and emotionally from in-person learning.”
School officials have been preparing for the return of in-person learning, using the “Roadmap to Reopening”, a set of guidelines that outline the district’s reopening plan.
As a part of this plan, the district will implement a a program to make COVID-19 testing convenient and accessible for its students and staff by teaming ups local healthcare facilities. Lewis has also said that adjustments to the reopening plan will be made should coronavirus data, such as a rise in cases among students, teachers or staff, occur.
All students and their parents have the option to continue learning remotely.
Mayor Cantrell addressed the news of Gov. John Bel Edwards announcement that Louisiana will move into Phase Three of its reopening at the end of day Friday, Sept. 11, saying that the city of New Orleans will remain in Phase Two.
“The primary reason for us staying in Phase Two, not moving with further easement of any restrictions, is to get our kids back into the classroom, have the time that will allow us to look at the data,” Cantrell said.