Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

To all Bogalusa City Schools families:

I know that each of you are concerned about what our year will look like when school reopens in the fall. Our preference will always be to provide educational opportunities for students face-to-face in our buildings, while also providing opportunities for students to be served online if they choose. How we engage students in learning will be determined largely by the reopening phase of our state.

As part of our planning process, the Bogalusa City School System has formed a “Stay Strong 2020” task force, made up of several sub-committees. Parent feedback has been received through surveys and teacher/parent calls discussing preferences for educating our students and your children. This feedback, along with employee surveys and guidance from the CDC, LDH, and LDOE will guide our decision making.

The following is a general guideline for what to expect when returning to school in August.

• If Louisiana is in Phase One, it is very likely that students will be participating in online/distance learning, due to the attendance restrictions and busing issues in our system.
• If Louisiana is in Phase Two, it is possible there will be a hybrid learning opportunity where our students will be face-to-face and/or virtual learning based upon alternating days. This will allow us to provide transportation within the guidelines put in place by the CDC, LDH, and the LDOE.
• If Louisiana is in Phase Three, we hope to provide learning for all students face-to-face, except those who choose to participate in online/distance learning. However, please remain aware of the modifications to our school days and specific safety guidelines to comply with that will be mandatory.

If school does reopen for face-to-face learning, families can expect the following:

• Temperature checks for students, employees and visitors.
• Face coverings may be required for students, as recommended by the LDH and the CDC.
• Face coverings required for employees.
• Social distancing measures.
• Limited bus capacity.
• Adjusted school arrival and departure.
• Meals in classrooms.
• Facility safety enhancements.

Food services will be provided for your child/children whether they decide to learn face-to-face or virtually. Meals will be provided for virtual students through grab-and-go meals. Information and details will be provided in the near future. Our plans are made revolving around the fact that at any time the situation may change and adjustments will have to be made.

As we move forward, students will be provided devices to use for virtual/distance learning and “cradle-points” will be provided for Wi-Fi. The locations for these “hot spots” will be determined and provided closer to school opening.

We will be holding community meetings in the coming weeks to discuss and lay out our plan for the reopening of the school. We will continue to provide detailed plans that will provide clear approaches to plan.

We all know that the coming school year will not at all look like what it has looked like in the past, but we will embrace the educational opportunities that are before us. We look forward to the new year and the new experiences that will come.

This article was written by Bogalusa City Schools Superintendent Lisa Tanner.