The following is a statement from The St. Tammany Parish Public School System
The St. Tammany Parish Public School System has delayed the start of the 2020-2021 school year for students in grades Pre K-12. The 2020-2021 school year will now have a staggered start beginning August 11-14 to ensure safety protocols are in place and employees are trained and prepared for the learning model in place at that time.
“We are still making plans for how the beginning of the school year will look depending on the phase the state is in at that time,” said Interim Superintendent Pete Jabbia. “Our Safe Start Plan allows for teachers and support employees to have additional days to prepare for students before they return to school, whether it is in person, hybrid, or distance learning at that time. Our recent surveys of parents and employees showed a lot of people would be open to this option and it would help students, families, and employees feel more comfortable and prepared for the start of school.”
Students will begin their school year following the learning model in place at that time in a staggered approach in small groups to provide a safe and productive re-entry to school. August 11-14 will be “Safe Start Days” where one-fourth of students will report to school each day. This will be based on the first letter of their last name. On August 17, students will begin their regular school schedule, whether it is distance learning, hybrid, or in-person at that time.
All employees will report to work on their regular scheduled date. Teachers will return to school in person August 3-7 for professional development; Teachers Day is August 10.
Additional Teacher Professional Development Days will allow time for:
- Training on safety protocols and distance learning
- Prepare classrooms based on phased guidance
- Prepare for implementation of new classroom/school procedures
Student Safe Start Days will allow time for:
- Learning new in-person or distance learning routines and procedures
- Administration of diagnostic tests and other assessments to determine unfinished learning
- Daily bus counts to determine transportation needs if students return in person
As part of the revisions to the calendar, students will now report to school October 9 and March 12 for a half-day on the previously scheduled Professional Development/Record Keeping Days. All holidays remain intact and unchanged.
The revised calendar for the 2020-2021 school year is available at www.stpsb.org.
