eLearning Model Changing after Spring Break in St. Helena Parish Schools
This time last year, schools in Louisiana were closed due the COVID-19 pandemic. St. Helena Parish School District took several steps to ensure our students were able to continue their learning. Thankfully, school systems received federal Cares Act funding to support their efforts to provide much needed materials/supplies to aid in the transition to online learning. We used our funds to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE), provide a laptop for every student, and outfit every classroom with eLearning technology. We also partnered with various providers to secure wireless internet access for families in our community wherever we could. This was a huge challenge. But we were able to obtain 360 hotspot devices with unlimited data service for one year.
Unfortunately, the district is unable to fund the cost of service for the hotspots beyond our 12-month contract. As a result, parents will have TWO options, beginning in May:
- Return the Hotspot and charger to Central Office by May 31, 2021. Families will not be charged for the hotspot device once returned. However, failure to return the device will result in you paying full price for service each month.
- Notify Central Office that you wish to keep the hotspot device and assume the monthly bill. All families in St. Helena Parish School District qualify for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. You may be able to keep the device and pay a low monthly rate for WIFI services. Further details will be provided during the call.
Also, because COVID-19 cases are steadily declining, state government officials are easing restrictions, and our school safety protocols are working, we will return to full face-to-face instruction after Spring Break. We made this decision because this is the only equitable way our students receive quality instruction. Families who wish to continue using the eLearning platform must provide an official medical statement from their primary care physician stating the need to remain in this setting. The deadline to submit the physician’s statement is Friday, April 16, 2021.
We want to thank all our families for their continued support and look forward to finishing the 2020-2021 school year strong!
Use your phone to scan the QR code to learn more about the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.