In the wake of school closures across the state, the Beauregard Parish School Board administration announced that it will support online educational resources to encourage learning at home and will implement meal services for students 18 years of age and under, according to Superintendent Timothy Cooley.
“Our school system is, first and foremost, focused on the needs of our students,” he said. “After their health and safety, the two most critical needs from a school system’s perspective are helping ensure students are fed and that they continue in their learning.”
Governor John Bel Edwards announced on March 13 that schools across the state will be closed March 16 – April 10, 2020, in response to COVID-19. This move is part of several measures to implement social distancing throughout the state to slow the spread of the virus.
Administrators at the school board immediately began plans to continue educational opportunities for all students and to create a plan to feed students on weekdays during this time of mandatory school closures.
Teachers across the parish will be using their Faculty Directory pages through the school websites as well as Google Classroom to work with students remotely to continue their education.
Teachers will be suggesting learning opportunities on their faculty directory page through school websites and through Google Classroom. The BPSB website also has free resources listed by grade and subject areas. Parents can click on the “star” button on the BPSB homepage entitled “Learning Opportunities Available Now” to access that information.
“We encourage parents to set a regular learning time while students are at home and to access these resources to help keep students focused on grade-level appropriate resources and tasks,” said Cooley.
The School Food Service department will be feeding students 18 years of age and under at six school locations across the parish. The meals are being prepared in to-go containers and will provide enough food for breakfast and lunch for each child according to federal guidelines for school meals.
Parents or students can pick up meals at Carver Elementary, DeRidder Junior High School, Merryville High School, South Beauregard Elementary, and Singer High School between 10:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays beginning Monday, March 23.
“We will be working out details as we go,” explained Cooley, “but our goal is to provide a meal for each student who needs one.”
School board personnel along with volunteers from community churches will be working together to hand out the meals. Due to new guidance from the state daily, plans may change in the coming days or weeks.
“We ask that those picking up meals be patient with us and practice prescribed safety protocols. Please know that we are doing our best to make this work in the most efficient and practical way possible, and that may mean making adjustments as we go.”
Parents can visit the school board website at www.beau.k12.la.us for information concerning these and other measures being undertaken by the school system at this extraordinary time and for any new information and changes to plans.
“We are all in this together,” concluded Cooley. “Our school system and its employees are dedicated to the needs of our students and will work toward solutions that will provide opportunities to continue their education under the current circumstances.”
