The leader of Catholic schools in Baton Rouge on Thursday made a forceful argument for parochial schools reopening next month and offering at least some in-person instruction despite concerns about the novel coronavirus.
鈥淚t would be so easy to let this pass and say, 鈥楾he (vaccine) is coming and we鈥檒l just wait,鈥�" said Superintendent Melanie Palmisano. 鈥淭hat child will have lost an important year of their life and their educational development and formation.鈥�
Students attending Roman Catholic schools in Baton Rouge will return to physical classes next month, the diocese announced Wednesday.
Palmisano made her comments with Dan Born茅, communications secretary for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, released Thursday.
Amid a nationwide resurgence in coronavirus cases, public schools in East Baton Rouge and Orleans parishes have delayed in-person instruction until after Labor Day. Eleven of the 15 largest school districts in the country have opted to start the 2020-21 school year with remote learning only, .
Palmisano, who took over her current job in 2008, oversees 31 Catholic schools across eight parishes. Palmisano said that principals of all those schools met in late May and early June to plan for the 2020-21 school year.
鈥淭hey all felt like if it wasn鈥檛 illegal, we were going back to school,鈥� she said.
In the interview, Palmisano answered questions about the diocese鈥檚 reopening plan, and includes a number of safety measures that schools will be taking.
In developing the plan, the diocese relied on several reopening guides, including . Also, all diocesan schools were visited by pediatricians from Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center.
Many decisions were left to each school, Palmisano said.
鈥淲e decided that one size fits none,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o each principal put together a team at his or her school and they decided what they needed to do and put in place.鈥�
For parents who are uneasy with sending their children back to school, Catholic schools will offer online learning, but only a case-by-case basis.
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