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(New Orleans - September 29, 2021) – NOLA-Public Schools and Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. strongly disagree with the Louisiana Department of Education’s recent decision to allow school districts to disregard quarantines for students exposed to COVID-19 because it will immediately increase the risk of COVID-19 transmittal within school buildings.
As a result, NOLA-PS will continue to follow the data and science-based guidance provided by leading health experts regarding all matters related to this pandemic, including quarantine guidelines.
“The Louisiana Department of Education’s decision flies in the face of the data, the science, and the sound advice of our health and medical advisors when it comes to protecting our students and educators amid the latest surge in this pandemic,” Dr. Lewis said. “We have proven that our approach is effective at keeping COVID-19 out of our schools, and we will stay the course and continue to listen to health experts.”
NOLA-PS’ COVID-19 guidance will continue to reflect the recommendations of the Louisiana Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding all quarantine timelines for those unvaccinated individuals who have come into close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19. The NOLA-PS school community has followed this guidance admirably and our schools continue to be among the safest places for students and staff to be.
Those in our school community can rest assured that NOLA-PS will rely on the guidance and recommendations of our advisors from the LSU School of Public Health, Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, the Louisiana Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as we continue to fight this pandemic.
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With most of our schools reopened following Hurricane Ida, NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) continues to be committed to the health and safety of our school community.
This week’s COVID Tracker numbers reflect the first full week with many of our schools back in the classroom.
“I am grateful and inspired by the dedication of our schools to keep their teachers, staff, students and their families safe from COVID-19 as we continue to reopen after Hurricane Ida,” said NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. “Students and staff have participated in testing in record numbers, and I encourage everyone to keep up the good work. Regular testing is a tremendously important tool to safeguard our school community and keep our schools among the safest places for students to be.”
More than 13,500 students and staff were tested Monday through Friday last week through NOLA-PS’ own testing program and its partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH). The positivity test rate among those tested is approximately 1 percent.
“I’d like to stress the importance of not letting up and having your children tested on a weekly basis. This is the best way to help ensure we keep the coronavirus out of our school community. We are doing well, but we need to continue to battle this pandemic with all the resources we have,” Dr. Lewis said.
NOLA-PS urges families to continue checking with their schools for the latest testing opportunities available on their campuses.
As we’ve been doing since the start of the pandemic, NOLA-PS will continue to monitor the data that measures the impact of COVID-19. Our goal is to continue to preserve in-person learning.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, the LDH, and the New Orleans Health Department have analyzed the data and all agree the best place for children to be is in the classroom. The benefits include developing social and emotional skills, access to healthy meals and activities, and access to mental health support that cannot be offered through virtual learning.
With that in mind, NOLA-PS will continue to publicly share each week the number of confirmed cases and precautionary quarantines that our schools self-report. We will also continue to remain in close contact with the LDH and our health advisers as we navigate the 2021-2022 school year.
NOLA-PS’ COVID-19 Case Tracker provides cumulative data of self-reported cases in our public schools since this reporting began on Sept. 21, 2020. Last school year's data is archived and available for viewing on our website.
The NOLA-PS COVID-19 Case Tracker reports the number of active and cumulative positive cases of COVID-19 by school site, the number of quarantined individuals and the number of positive cases of COVID-19 reported over time for the district and by school site.
When:
Mondays @ 4PM
Where:
Visit our COVID Case Tracker dashboard to see the latest data that shows the impact of COVID-19 in our school community.
Update:
As of Friday, August 17, the District is tracking a total of 34 active cases of COVID-19 (7 staff; 27 students) among 19 schools in our school community, resulting in 33 individuals in quarantine.
Since our last COVID Tracker update on August 23, 2021, 333 cumulative cases have been reported.
The case numbers above reflect data the District has received from schools. In some cases, there may be a lag time in reporting due to the timeframe in which families notify their schools regarding test results among students.
The District’s COVID Case Tracker reports active cases over an approximately two-week period. For the purposes of our dashboard, an active case is defined as a COVID-19 case that is confirmed and within its isolation period.
All schools are required to report positive cases to the LDH and the District. The District is continuing to stay on top of updates, collaborate with state and local agencies, and work closely with our school leaders, task force, and community stakeholders to ensure a safe 2021-2022 school year.
The data included in our COVID-19 Tracker reflects self-reported cases from our schools and provides the real-time impact of the pandemic in our school community.
Since individuals 12 and older are eligible for the vaccine, our rules for quarantine and isolation have changed for the 2021-2022 school year. To learn more about the process, please refer to NOLA-PS’ COVID Guidance for the details.
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(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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NOLA-PS COVID Tracker updates to resume Sept. 20
(New Orleans - Sept. 13, 2021) – Today, NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) restarted school-based COVID-19 testing that will provide testing at 91 school sites this week to help ensure the health and safety of our school community, as students start heading back to school this week.
“COVID-19 safety and testing remain top priorities across our school system, especially since many families evacuated to areas where the resurgence of COVID-19 may be high or people may not have worn masks while cleaning up their homes, due to the hot temperatures,” said NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. “Testing is crucial now more than ever, because we want to return our students, teachers, and staff to school as safely as possible.”
In addition to providing high quality, molecular tests at 91 school sites, which includes Type 2 schools authorized by the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), and multiple sites across charter networks, the District will also provide access to molecular COVID-19 testing at the following 3 school community testing sites. These locations will be open to all students and staff within our school community.
NOLA PS School Community Testing provided by CORE:
● Wednesday, 9/15 - Hynes Lakeview @ 990 Harrison Ave. - Testing from 8:30-3:30pm
● Thursday, 9/16 - Landry High School @ 1200 LB Landry Ave. - Testing from 8:30-3:30pm
● Friday, 9/17 - Abramson Sci Academy @ 5552 Read Blvd.- Testing from 8:30-3:30pm
Families and school staff are highly encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 prior to returning to school, regardless of their vaccination status. Families and staff should reach out directly to their schools for the date their school-based COVID-19 testing will be available.
Anyone in our school community can take advantage of the testing sites listed above, as well as any testing site provided by the City of New Orleans.
“Please get tested at one of our sites as soon as possible. By getting tested, we can help keep our students, staff, and their families safe,” said Dr. Lewis. “It will also help us minimize quarantines and continue to successfully keep the pandemic outside of our school buildings.”
With school-based testing underway, NOLA-PS will resume its COVID-19 Tracker updates Monday, Sept. 20 and the data provided next week will include the results of this week’s robust testing program. While COVID-19 protocols may have taken a backseat for many families in the wake of Hurricane Ida due to evacuation and power loss, it is critical that we test everyone in our system before returning to the classroom. We anticipate that this robust testing plan will identify positive cases, and it is our goal to identify positive cases before staff and students return to school. Our NOLA-PS families can rest assured that all NOLA-PS’ mitigation efforts will be implemented upon school reopening to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
NOLA-PS will also restart its vaccination programs as part of the reopening effort. During these challenging times, it’s also important for families to have access to behavioral and mental health services. Families can find links to resources at www.nolapublicschools.com/hurricane-ida-resources.
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(NEW ORLEANS - Sept. 2, 2021) – Today, NOLA Public Schools and its school community announced they have completed assessments of almost all of the District’s schools and facilities.
The buildings, many of which were rebuilt or buttressed during the $2 billion federally funded school rebuilding effort after Hurricane Katrina, sustained minimal to no damage due to Hurricane Ida.
The assessment of the remaining school buildings and NOLA-PS facilities will continue through Friday. NOLA-PS continues to be in constant communication with school leaders on how best to serve their schools’ needs and the needs of their families.
The reopening of schools is directly dependent on the restoration of power, which began in New Orleans East and the French Quarter this week.
“It has been encouraging to see lights come back on in sections of the City,” said Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. “With those welcome signs, we hope the power is restored fast enough to let us invite students back to class as soon as possible. For now, we will continue to focus on caring for our schools, our teachers, our staff and our families and hope power is restored to the city quickly.”
“Our schools are intrinsically linked to the return of our way of life,” Orleans Parish School Board President Ethan Ashley said. “They provide the best learning environment for students and comfort to parents who are working through how to return to the City and restart their livelihoods. We need our schools open and running as soon as we can do so safely.”
NOLA-PS is working to establish a headquarters for coordinating the reopening efforts. Meanwhile, our operations team continues to assist its school networks in assessing the condition of all school buildings.
The City of New Orleans has opened water and food distribution sites. We encourage families to visit ready.nola.gov to find out where they can pick up supplies and for more information about the Hurricane Ida recovery.
NOLA-PS will continue to regularly inform the public of its progress.
“The Number One goal remains ensuring the welfare of our people – our educators, our staff, and our students,” Dr. Lewis said. “We are appreciative of the food distribution centers, the cooling stations, and the other accommodations the City has made to care for our NOLA-PS families and the people of New Orleans.”
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