(New Orleans - Sept. 7, 2021) – Today, NOLA Public Schools and its school leaders announced that public schools in New Orleans will reopen to students between Sept. 15 and Sept. 22 as the community recovers from the impact of Hurricane Ida. All schools will notify their students’ families about when their campuses will reopen by Friday, Sept. 10.
This timeline for reopening is dependent upon continued power restoration and progress in other essential services being available across the city. Additionally, some campuses may need longer to reopen given the storm’s impact on facilities. These impacts may include building readiness, food supply, transportation readiness, and adequate staffing to accommodate the return of students.
NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. announced this reopening timeline after speaking with school leaders and hosting Louisiana Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley for a tour of Frederick A. Douglass and L.B. Landry high schools Tuesday.
“We hope this news today can give students and families a bit of certainty during these challenging times,” Dr. Lewis said. “Now more than ever, our children stand to benefit from the comfort that structured and routine daily schooling can bring. So, let’s all come together to reopen our schools quickly and safely.”
“Schools have been challenged over the last year and a half in response to COVID-19, and I would place the Louisiana educational community up against anything in this country for their heroic efforts,” said Dr. Brumley. “And that’s not just with COVID. We’ve had powerful storms to hit this state like Zeta, Laura, Delta, and Ida. Our state needs educators to continue doing hero's work over the next months and years. We can and will make a Louisiana Comeback.”
School leaders and NOLA-PS have assessed all school buildings and found minimal to moderate damage from Hurricane Ida. Much of that can be attributed to the $2 billion infrastructure investment in New Orleans’ public schools after Hurricane Katrina.
“Our schools were rebuilt stronger and smarter, taking full advantage of that federal investment to preserve quality education here in New Orleans,” Dr. Lewis said. “What we need now is further investment in our schools at the state and federal level to build all of them into the resilient palaces our children deserve.”
As schools reopen, COVID-19 safety remains a top priority across the District. Families are highly encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 prior to returning to the City and to school. Taking that step will help us all minimize quarantines and continue to successfully keep the pandemic outside our school buildings.
NOLA-PS will be restarting its testing and vaccination programs as part of the reopening effort. It’s also important for families to have access to behavioral and mental health services during these challenging times. Families can find links to resources at nolapublicschools.com/hurricane-ida-resources.
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