The impact of COVID-19 has put LSMSA in the situation of needing to take unprecedented steps to balance our educational mission with the duty to protect the health and well-being of our entire community.

Although there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at LSMSA, NSU, or Natchitoches Parish at this time, we know that many members of these entities have been traveling recently to parts of the country and world where there may be community spread of COVID-19. As a precaution, LSMSA has made the decision to temporarily transition LSMSA classes to virtual instruction.

The school has asked that parents begin to bring their students home following classes end on Friday, March 13. The LSMSA residence halls will close Sunday, March 15, at 2 p.m.

All in-person classes will transition to online instruction for students on Wednesday, March 18. Classes will continue in this mode for two weeks, at which time the school will assess where things stand with COVID-19.

Instruction will move online in its entirety until further notice. Students will need to meet academic requirements remotely during this time.

As a state agency, LSMSA will remain open at the direction of Louisiana’s Commissioner of Administration. We will practice social distancing and preventative measures throughout the school, which may include some individuals working from home. Email will be the most reliable means of communicating with school employees, although the main line for the School will always be covered (318.357.2500).

We are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution. Public health officials have not yet made this a requirement for public institutions. Nevertheless, given all that we know and what we can anticipate based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we believe this is the most prudent course of action at the current time for our unique high school residential school setting.

LSMSA’s response website, www.LSMSA.edu/COVID-19, will continue to be the primary source of information and updates related to School operations. We will communicate changes across as many channels as possible, and we have teams of individuals across the campus ready to assist faculty and students with the transition to online instruction.

The spread of COVID-19 may necessitate changes in the way we interact, but it does not change what we do. LSMSA will continue to operate and will continue to deliver the highest-quality education possible to the students we serve, and LSMSA employees will continue to perform their duties.