Louisiana Schools Closed for the Rest of the School Year, Distance Learning Plans to Come

Published April 14, 2020

On Monday, April 13, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced that schools will remain closed for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year, but education will continue through distance learning.

In a press conference, Edwards said  “It is my intention now, to announce that school will not resume in a sense that students are going to be going to the school building. Education will continue. The school year continues, but they will not be going back to the campus.”

Edwards went on to talk about how education will continue through distance learning.

The Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) President Sandy Holloway suggested that distance learning for Louisiana students will come in the forms of online, paper, or some combination of both.

The CARES Act has assisted the state in providing lower-income families with devices and internet access for distance learning and BESE hopes that will continue.

Holloway also talked about how students will make up for the missed time after the COVID-19 stay-at-home order is lifted by the governor. She mentioned that how the makeup work is handled will likely be left up to district superintendents. One district may roll out a summer plan, whereas another district may start classes days or weeks early.

More details about the distance learning program and other information related to education in Louisiana during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order is expected to come Wednesday, April 15.