The officers of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) sent a letter to Governor John Bel Edwards Thursday in support of making an immediate decision regarding the extension of his order and closing public school facilities statewide for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. 

Regarding the BESE leadership recommendation, BESE President Sandy Holloway has issued the following statement:

“The safety and health of our students and educators is the top priority for BESE. The impact of COVID-19 in Louisiana has been pronounced, and statistics clearly indicate that our state is particularly vulnerable to further spread of this dangerous virus at a time when we have yet to see the expected peak in the number of cases."

Holloway continued, "BESE leadership, therefore, supports the Governor in making a decision sooner, rather than later, to extend the school facilities closure through the end of the school year. We also implore districts to maintain food services and distance learning for all students, as the facilities closure does not mark the discontinuation of supports for families for the Spring term."

Preserving continuity of learning for students during the closure is extremely important, according to Holloway. 

"We applaud the efforts of Louisiana educators and school districts to deliver distance education and meal services and the Louisiana Department of Education (LDE), under the leadership of Beth Scioneaux, Acting State Superintendent, will continue to provide guidance and support as all stakeholders navigate this unprecedented event. Our Board supports the LDE in focusing its efforts on designing a long-term plan to address the loss of classroom instructional time and identifying the necessary policy revisions that ensure students are not left behind academically. We look forward to conversations with key stakeholders and local education agencies in that process."

The letter sent to Gov. John Bel Edwards can be viewed here.