BOBBY ARDOIN
Contributing Writer
Add two more Opelousas-area schools to campuses that are trending this week into remote learning, as the schools experience staffing issues due to COVID-19, according to a press released issued by St. Landry Parish public school officials.
Opelousas Junior High and St. Landry Charter School announced on Monday that they will conduct classrooms in virtual settings until further.
Northwest High began teaching students remotely on Monday morning, said a school district press release.
The press release did not indicate the amount of time Northwest and OJ are expected to conduct learning in a virtual setting, but students at the school have been instructed to log in and follow their Google classroom procedures while following regular classroom schedules, indicated the press release.
Northwest and OJ employees who are not in quarantine or isolation, are expected to provide Monday instruction from the school building. the press release said.
St. Landry Charter, which began operation in August as a lower elementary school, will have students work remotely until at least Thursday, according to KATC-TV.
The action at Northwest and OJ began after school board members voted on Thursday night to adopt enhanced procedures that require all employees and students temporarily wear face coverings while inside campus buildings or using school bus transportation.
Superintendent Patrick Jenkins told board members that current St. Landry COVID positivity rates have risen to 10.17 percent. That increase in positive COVID cases parish wide exceeds the five percent threshold school officials have recommended for school safety.
School officials said at the meeting that 781 tests provided to school employees and students showed 78 positive cases, a number which reflects the current spike in COVID cases parish wide, Brown added.