All public and private schools in Calcasieu Parish will be closed again today as Tropical Storm Isaac brings wind and rain
to Southwest Louisiana.
Calcasieu Parish Superintendent Wayne Savoy made the decision around 4 p.m. Wednesday. He said the schools would reopen Friday
barring unforeseen circumstances.
All of the private schools in the parish will also remain closed, including all schools in the Diocese of Lake Charles system
and the Bishop Noland Episcopal Day School. All Diocese of Lake Charles offices will also remain closed.
The area’s two charter schools, Lake Charles Charter Academy and Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy, will be closed again
as well.
Other Southwest Louisiana parishes have also made the decision to close school today including Allen, Beauregard, Cameron,
Jeff Davis and Vernon.
Day cares usually follow the decision of the area schools, leaving working parents to find alternate ways to care for their
children.
Parents discussed the decision of the districts and most area day cares on the American Press Facebook page.
Most parents suggested the schools had made the right call to close.
Michelle Crochet LeBert said she felt it was a “great decision” to close schools Wednesday. “With the wind blowing the way
it is I sure would not want my kids on a bus. (We’re) enjoying our time off.”
“Since no one can predict what a hurricane will do I think they made the right decision,” wrote Trudy Douget. “Children’s
safety comes first. Day care people have families too.”
“We are loving the quality time with our family. I understand that the weather is unpredictable, but I appreciate how the
school board considers the safety of our children above all else,” Erin Howard said.
Some parents found it difficult to make alternate arrangements.
“It was hard yesterday finding a last-minute sitter for my middle-schooler and infant as I work 12-hour days, but I understand
why they closed.” wrote Chasity Ware Bishop.
“It’s part of being a parent and we must always have a plan B.”
Jennifer McCain Swann said she understood the reasoning behind the public school closures, but did not agree with the decision
to close area day cares.
“Given that the school board has different considerations, I do not understand why day cares follow their lead. They actually
are in the day care business and should consider the needs of the parents of children,” she wrote.
“When they are open, parents can still choose to keep their kids home because attendance is not mandatory. They don’t have
to consider things like kids waiting for buses or walking home in bad weather, and they don’t have to consider how a power
outage at a remote day care on the other side of the parish might affect them. Parents are still paying for tuition on the
days the day cares are closed. I think today was a bad decision.”
Kelly Guidry, a day-care employee, disagreed.
“I understand the points in getting a discount, but I don’t agree with the people that say it was a bad call to close today.
This storm was suppose to hit last night or (in the) early a.m. according to the weather I was looking at,” she wrote.
“Things change, you can never predict the weather. If you live in the south you should know that by now. If you have kids
in school/daycare and work, you should always have a backup for cases like this.”