What Happens if a Child Refuses to Wear a Mask in Shreveport Schools?

School starts Monday in Shreveport and Caddo Parish. Many parents are not happy about the mask mandate for students. Caddo Parish Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lamar Goree talks about the mandate and he also discusses the plan to try to accommodate parents who know want to enroll their children in virtual school.

KEEL News asked Dr. Goree what happens if children show up at school but refuse to wear a mask. He tells us each case would be handled like any other situation where students do not follow the school rules. He says the teacher will intervene first and try to get the child to comply with the rules. If that is not successful, the administration of the school would then step in to talk to the child and urge them to follow the rules. Dr. Goree says the parents will be included in the discussion every step of the way.

We asked Dr. Goree if children would automatically be sent home for not wearing a mask and he told us that is not the plan. He compared this situation to a child wearing a hat in class that is not allowed. He says the teacher would try to convince the child to remove the hat and then the principal would step in if the student would not comply.

Dr. Lamar Goree also talked about virtual learning. Numbers from early August showed only 5% of Caddo students wanted to opt for virtual school this year. But the deadline to apply was back in May. The circumstances have changed since May as the Delta Variant of the virus has exploded across the nation and Louisiana. More parents now want to opt for virtual school for their children. Dr. Goree says Caddo schools will work with parents to try to accommodate these requests. But he does tell us staffing will probably be an issue.