Bossier Schools Release Results of Parent Survey on School Return

To better prepare for the return to school for the upcoming 2020-21 school year, and in an effort to include the concerns and thoughts of parents, the Bossier Parish School Board conducted a "Parent Survey" and they've just released the results of that survey.

In the survey, a number of issues were polled regarding parents' concerns for the safety of the children as it pertains to COVID-19 and below are some of the key findings.

● The vast majority (68%) of parents currently plan to have their children return to school in August, while 28% remain undecided.

● Most (55%) prefer daily face-to-face instruction, with hybrid and virtual learning options being respondents’ second and third choices, respectively.

● A simple majority (51%) indicated being either very comfortable or comfortable with requiring masks for students and employees.

● Parents are in favor of daily temperature checks, increased cleaning of “high touch” surfaces, broad availability of hand sanitizer and requiring that parents keep sick students at home.

Using these results and with guidance from the Louisiana Department of Education, Louisiana Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, the school board is formulating its plan for a safe return for all students. Subject to changes in state guidelines, and presuming Louisiana remains in Phase 2, Bossier Schools is planning:

● Daily face-to-face instruction for Pre-K through 5th grades

● An A/B hybrid schedule for grades 6-12 in which students are split into groups and receive face-to-face instruction one day and virtual learning the next

The only exception is Plain Dealing High School, where all students in Pre-K through 12th grade will attend daily for instruction.

Once Louisiana enters Phase 3, all students in the district will return to school daily. Bossier Schools recognizes not all parents feel comfortable returning their child to the classroom environment and remote learning options will be offered at all grade levels via Bossier Schools’ Virtual Learning Academy.

Bossier Strong Start, a fully detailed reopening plan, will be released the week of July 20.

Complete results of the survey can be seen at ​bit.ly/BPSBSurvey​.