NEW ORLEANS — Orleans Parish School Board member Grisela A. Jackson says she would like to see virtual learning in all schools at least through the first quarter as coronavirus cases once again surge in Louisiana.
In a statement sent to media outlets Wednesday, Jackson said her concerns about the safety of students and school staff were not alleviated in NOLA Public Schools’ roadmap to reopening schools.
Tuesday, Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis and New Orleans Health Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno said they are concerned with rising COVID-19 cases and are reassessing if in-person learning can move forward this fall. The roadmap allows in-person schooling in Phase 2 of reopening, but they said the plan is fluid and will be adjusted if needed.
New Orleans schools are set to reopen the week of Aug. 12.
“Three weeks ago I would have said no question,” Avegno said about the possibility of returning to school. “Now, I think we need to look at the trends in the next few weeks.”
“If we closed schools in March before the number of cases reached a critical high, why are we reopening them at a time when the numbers continue to spike?” Jackson said. “Is it better to err on the side of caution now than to look back with regrets, weeks or months from now, because we pulled the trigger too soon?”
Louisiana’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved new coronavirus regulations Tuesday for the minimum safety standards for schools reopening this fall. Teachers and students will have to wear face coverings as much as possible. Schools will be limited to visitors and classrooms for young students could become the equivalent of a one-room schoolhouse.
BESE’s rules include a face mask mandate for students in grades 3 through 12, but that regulation has language applying to face coverings “to the greatest extent possible and practical.”
Vice President Mike Pence insisted schools should reopen to in-person instruction for students in his visit to Louisiana on Tuesday. Pence described the nation as “in a much better position today to deal with the pandemic” even as virus cases surge across much of the country.
Louisiana has re-emerged as one of the nation’s hot spots for the coronavirus even after signs pointed to successful outbreak response. The state is not taking the wide-open approach sought by Pence as schools plan a mix of online and in-person learning this fall.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.