The Natchitoches Parish School Board held a teleconference meeting on Tuesday, July 14 after postponing its original meeting which was set for July 9.
Natchitoches School Superintendent Grant Eloi recommended that the start date for the 2020-2021 school year be pushed back to September, with the first day of school being Aug. 31. A special called meeting will be set sometime next week for the board to vote on this item.
In addition to this he updated Board members on the increase in sign ups for the district’s Digital Home Based Learning option. As of Tuesday’s meeting there are 1,461 students enrolled. With such a large number of students participating in this option the Edgenuity platform the district was considering using for the digital learning would cause financial difficulties. The district will instead use more of a Google Classroom based platform, which will also allow them to align instruction more with what’s going on in the brick and mortar school setting. Eloi said he anticipates the number of digital learning sign ups rising as high as 2,000 students by the registration deadline of July 17.
If the School Board votes to extend the start of the year to Aug. 31, the sign up deadline for the Digital Home Based Learning option will be extended as well.
Another concern as the school year approaches is uniforms. After much debate, the final decision is that uniforms will be required for the 2020-2021 school year. However, the board voted to extend the usual grace period for uniforms through Sept. 30 (as needed). Principals can address uniform issues/needs at their individual schools and dress down day guidelines can be observed for those students who need more time to acquire uniforms.
And what is the deal with uniforms?!? Why in the world would it even be a conversation?
Steve, it’s because store aren’t allowing people to try on clothes and some aren’t accepting returns/exchanges. Ordering online is more difficult as well because of delayed shipping times and when you get them and they don’t fit, you have to re-order and wait again.
Because some people have children that are hard to buy for because it’s hard to find clothes that fit; often forcing these parents to go out of town to find some. Then you have places not allowing returns or allowing people to try on clothes. I for one wouldn’t want to spend money on uniforms if I didn’t have to. Amazingly many schools don’t even require uniforms.
I guess send your kids to daycare until school starts. Cause they are WAY safer there than in a school… This isn’t about child safety anymore when that is the solution. Kids would be safer in a controlled school than a daycare. This is getting ridiculous.