FILE: EBBD
Cf: EBBC
EMERGENCY CLOSING OF SCHOOLS
The Lincoln Parish School Board shall grant authority to the Superintendent to determine and announce the closing of schools whenever prevailing or potential hazards or the spread of infectious diseases threaten the safety and well-being of students and employees. Consideration shall be given also to the closing of schools when extreme weather conditions (e.g., heat - cold) and/or become detrimental to the health and safety of students and staff, or when the learning process is seriously impaired. The decision to close schools shall be made by the Superintendent or his/her designee, after conferring, when administratively feasible, with members of the Lincoln Parish School Board, appropriate professional staff, and/or appropriate community agencies responsible for the safety and well-being of the community.
Public announcements and releases to news media shall be made by the Superintendent or his/her designee. Each School Board member shall also be notified of any school closing.
CLOSING OF SCHOOLS
If students have reported to school and an emergency arises during the school day, students may be dismissed early. Such dismissal shall be only by direction of the Superintendent. In the event of dismissal during the school day, all educational and building employees are to continue their work, unless otherwise notified by the Superintendent. The Superintendent’s office shall notify news media and other such persons and organizations as necessary of the decision to dismiss early, or the closure of any schools, School Board offices or facilities. In cases where students are dismissed early, teachers shall be expected to supervise all students under their jurisdiction until they have departed from the school campus.
When the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP), or the Governor of Louisiana orders the evacuation of any area or closures of schools or any other School Board facilities, the Superintendent or his/her designee shall immediately coordinate the dismissal of students residing in the affected zones.
In the event of a catastrophe, closure of schools shall be considered on an individual basis. Emergency School Crisis Plans for each school or facility shall be followed.
During severe weather or other emergency situations, the Superintendent, after conferring with the School Board President, shall have the authority to excuse employees of the Lincoln Parish School Board from reporting to work. Emergency situation shall encompass circumstances that would expose School Board employees to harmful or unsafe conditions, as determined by the Superintendent.
DECLARATION OF EMERGENCIES
The Superintendent may provide School Board employees with leave with pay for absences from work due to an official Declared State of Emergency issued by the Governor of Louisiana or local parish government. Unless a Declaration of Emergency has been issued, all School Board employees shall be expected to report to work. When a Declaration of Emergency has been issued, because of extreme weather or other specified emergency situations, employees shall not report to work except at the request or approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee. If the Superintendent officially directs the closure of the school system due to severe weather or other emergency situations, those persons actually scheduled to work during the time period of the declaration shall receive the time off without loss of pay, annual leave, or sick leave. Workers compensation benefits shall also continue in accordance with state law during the period of the declaration.
Employees shall be paid at the rate of pay in force at the time of the period of the declared emergency, and shall not be increased unless otherwise provided in this policy. Furthermore, upon the Declaration of Emergency, all scheduled vacations for designated essential personnel shall be cancelled. In the event of a school closure due to State of Emergency declarations, essential support employees required to work during this time may be compensated at a rate determined by the Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer. Every effort shall be made to minimize required work of all employees during the period of a Declared Emergency. Thereafter, the School Board shall make all reasonable efforts to seek reimbursement from all Federal and State agencies, including but not limited to Federal Emergency Management Agencies.
In the event of an emergency and the state or local Office of Emergency Preparedness requests the use of school facilities as evacuation shelters or vaccination centers, it shall be the policy of the Lincoln Parish School Board that essential employees of the School Board shall be required to oversee the management of the facilities. All essential personnel shall be available for duty, and necessary services maintained. The Superintendent, in conjunction with members of the supervisory staff, shall identify essential employees by position or title. Inasmuch as such school facilities shall be officially closed to normal day-to-day operations when being used as evacuation shelters or vaccination centers, each support employee working during this time shall be compensated at a rate determined by the Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer that shall be in addition to the support employee’s regular hourly rate of pay. Every effort shall be made to minimize required work of all employees during the period of a Declared Emergency. Thereafter, the School Board shall make all reasonable efforts to seek reimbursement from all Federal and State agencies responsible for evacuation of the citizenry.
Revised: April 14, 2020
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:81
Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin 741, Louisiana Department of Education
Board minutes, 8-17-76, 4-14-20
Lincoln Parish School Board