Updated District Closure Plans

As we continue to prepare for Hurricane Gustav and support school communities across the state, we continue to receive information on school district closures.

As of 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 31, the following school districts have contacted the Department of Education with their closure plans for Hurricane Gustav: (The asterisk represents a change from the list that was published on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.)

Acadia (Tuesday)
Allen (Tuesday)
*Ascension Parish - (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Assumption (Tuesday)
*Beauregard (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Bogalusa City (Tuesday)
*Calcasieau (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Cameron (Tuesday and Wednesday)
*East Feliciana (Tuesday and School Board Meeting Tuesday Cancelled)
Iberia (Tuesday)
*Iberville Parish - (Tuesday)
Jefferson Davis (Tuesday and Wednesday)
*Lafayette (Tuesday and Wednesday - had previously announced Tuesday)
*Lafourche (Tuesday and Wednesday)
*Livingston Parish - (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Orleans (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Plaquemines (Tuesday)
Pointe Coupee (Tuesday)
Recovery School District (Tuesday and Wednesday)
St. Charles (Tuesday and Wednesday)
St. Helena (Tuesday)
St. James (Monday and Tuesday)
St. John (Tuesday and Wednesday)
*St. Martin (Tuesday and Wednesday - had previously announced Tuesday)
St. Mary (Tuesday)
St. Tammany (Tuesday)
*Tangipahoa (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Terrebonne (Tuesday)
Vermillion (Tuesday)
Washington (Tuesday)
*West Baton Rouge (Tuesday)
School for the Deaf (Monday and Tuesday)
School for the Visually Impaired (Monday and Tuesday)
*Vermillion (Tuesday and Wednesday - had previously announced Tuesday)

Please check back with us periodically if possible, and forward us questions or information that we can share with others across the state. We appreciate the cooperation, collaboration and support of the dozens of organizations and hundreds of individuals who are working to ensure our education system is poised to respond to this very serious hurricane.

Voluntary and Mandatory School Closures

Due to the impending approach of Hurricane Gustav, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has issued an Executive Order requiring the closure of selected Louisiana school districts on Tuesday, September 2nd and Wednesday, September 3rd. On Friday, the Louisiana Department of Education released a list of school districts announcing closures, but the Governor’s announcement makes closures of school districts in these parishes mandatory. Most schools had already planned to be off on Monday, September 1st in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

The Governor’s Executive Order will make school closures mandatory in 30 selected parishes on Tuesday and Wednesday. Parishes identified in the Executive Order include Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, DeSoto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, and Winn.

We will continue to work closely with the Governor’s Office and other state agencies to make decisions that support the safety of all our families. The potential impact this storm poses for our state requires us to proceed with the highest level of precaution.

On Friday, the Department of Education listed the names of school districts who voluntary announced closures. Most of the districts were located in South Louisiana and include Acadia (Tuesday), Allen (Tuesday), Assumption (Tuesday), Assumption (Tuesday), Bogalusa City (Tuesday), Cameron (Tuesday and Wednesday), Iberia (Tuesday), Jefferson Davis (Tuesday and Wednesday), Lafayette (Tuesday), Lafourche (Tuesday), Orleans (Tuesday and Wednesday), Plaquemines (Tuesday), Pointe Coupee (Tuesday), Recovery School District (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday), St. Charles (Tuesday and Wednesday), St. Helena (Tuesday), St. John (Tuesday and Wednesday), St. Martin (Tuesday), St. Mary (Tuesday), St. James (Monday and Tuesday), St. Tammany (Tuesday), Terrebonne (Tuesday), Washington (Tuesday), Louisiana School for the Deaf (Monday and Tuesday) and Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired (Monday and Tuesday).

We encourage you to continue to monitor this web-site and blog and send us information so that we can share it across the state. It is highly probably that as the affects are felt in impacted areas, other school districts will be announcing closings and those already participating in the closure will extend the timeframe of closures. Again, please stay safe and monitor news media or the latest information.

A Message From Superintendent Paul Pastorek

As Hurricane Gustav approaches the Gulf, we are keeping a watchful eye on its direction. Safety is our first priority for our Department employees and their families as well as our school communities across the state. Over the next few days I hope that you will periodically check our website and this blog to stay informed and to share information with us as it becomes available. We will be working diligently to communicate information to our public as we are updated. Please stay safe, and be sure you and your loved ones have a game plan.