Lincoln Parish Schools

Covid-19 Information for Employees and Parents: Lincoln Parish School Board is aware that CDC has changed their guidelines for quarantine. However, Louisiana Department of Health has not released a change for schools. Please continue to follow the 14 day quarantine guidance on exposures until Louisiana adopts the new CDC guidelines. More information will be released next week on the new guidelines.

To: Employees and Parents Lincoln Parish Schools have done a great job of preventing the spread of Covid-19. Thanks to our employees, parents, and students for following steps to prevent the spread. Wearing masks and sanitizing often has truly made our schools safer for students. We will continue to monitor each school for any outbreaks in the future. Based on last week’s announcements, the Governor is allowing each school district to make decisions that are best for each district. Lincoln Parish will not be going virtual for the entire district at this time, but we are making some decisions to address the lack of substitutes in the classroom. The decision has been made to continue to have school every day for students in grades pre-k through 6th grade. However, starting Monday, December 7, 2020, we will move the students in grades 7-12 to an A/B schedule which means students will attend school every other day and be virtual the other days. This decision is being made to accommodate the need for substitutes in the classrooms. With this schedule the teachers in grades 7-12 will be used as subs on their virtual days for any teachers who are out. This A/B schedule will be in place from December 7 - December 18 and also for 2 weeks following the Christmas holidays, January 4 - January 15. You will receive information from your school regarding the A/B calendar.

As we begin a new 9 weeks, we would like to send a quick reminder regarding procedures for those who have been in close contact of someone with COVID-19 or are showing symptoms of COVID-19. Below you will find a link to a document that will provide guidance on the actions you should take. https://5il.co/kjnr

SPECIAL CALLED SESSION (School Board Meeting) Location: STEM Center, 525 Tarbutton Road, Ruston, LA 71270 Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2020 4:00 p.m. Agenda Link: https://5il.co/mavi Due to the Governor’s Phase 3 Order, only 50 people will be allowed to attend. Please practice social distancing and the use of a mask is encouraged. The meeting may also be accessed by Facebook live. Questions or comments may be emailed to kmccorma@lincolnschools.org by 3:00 October 21, 2020. THE LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, IF NEEDED, IN ACCORDANCE WITH R.S. 42:17(A) (1)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue recently announced the continued extension of nationwide flexibilities that allow free school meals for all children throughout the entire 2020-2021 school year.

SPECIAL CALLED SESSION (School Board Meeting) at the STEM Center, 525 Tarbutton Road, Ruston, LA 71270 Monday, October 19, 2020 4:00 p.m. Due to the Governor’s Phase 3 Order, only 50 people will be allowed to attend. Please practice social distancing and the use of a mask is encouraged. The meeting may also be accessed by Facebook live. Questions or comments may be emailed to kmccorma@lincolnschools.org by 3:00 October 19, 2020.

SCHOOL SYSTEM PUPIL PROGRESSION PLAN PUBLIC NOTICE Officials with the Lincoln Parish School District are set to approve the Pupil Progression Plan for the 2020-21 school year. Members of the community are invited to review and give input on the proposed changes until October 2nd at the Lincoln Parish School District during operating hours from 7:30 – 4:00 pm. The plan establishes placement, promotion, retention, and grading policies for students within the Lincoln Parish School District. A committee of school administrators, teachers, and parents meet annually to review the plan and submit recommendations to the School Board for consideration. Following the public input, the proposed plan will be presented to the Lincoln Parish School Board for its consideration at the October 6, 2020 board meeting located at the Lincoln Parish School District.

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Program | Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services Louisiana Reopens 2019-2020 P-EBT Application for Families Who Did Not Apply in May and June Families Who Received P-EBT during the May-June Application Period are NOT Eligible The P-EBT program provides help buying groceries for the families of children who were receiving free and reduced-price meals at school last school year. These one-time benefits are $285 per eligible child. This covers 50 school days missed from statewide school closures during the pandemic. Some parents became eligible for free and reduced lunch in May 2020. They would receive $91.20 per eligible child, which covers the cost of meals for 16 school days in May. The initial PEBT application period closed on June 15, 2020, and served 407,800 children. This second application period is aimed at the 264,111 children who qualified but did not receive PEBT the first time. http://www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/page/pebt-program All students in LP are eligible for free breakfast and lunch during school days until December 31, 2020 or money runs out.

LOUISIANA REOPENS 2019-2020 P-EBT APPLICATIONS FOR FAMILIES WHO DID NOT APPLY IN MAY AND JUNE Louisiana is giving families another opportunity to receive financial benefits from free and reduced-price school meals missed when schools closed in 2019-2020 due to the pandemic. Eligible families who did not apply for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program in May and June can take advantage of the second application window that opens for three weeks, beginning at 8 a.m. September 8. Who Qualifies: 1. Families of children who normally receive free or reduced-price meals at Choudrant Elementary and Choudrant High are eligible for the program. 2. All children who attend a Cypress Springs Elementary, Dubach School, Glenview Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, IA Lewis, Early Childhood Center, Ruston Elementary, Ruston High School, Ruston Junior High, and Simsboro High School regardless of income. This second application period of the 2019-2020 P-EBT is only for families who did not apply to receive P-EBT benefits during the initial window in the spring. These one-time benefits, which total $285 per child, intend to cover 50 school days, from the onset of statewide school facility closures in March through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. The application will be available in a P-EBT portal on the Louisiana Department of Education website. The portal opens September 8 at 8 a.m., and the deadline to apply is September 29 at 5 p.m. For further information use the following link: https://5il.co/kqz5

Good afternoon! We look forward to having students back in school tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 3. If your child is on an A/B schedule, tomorrow, Sept. 3, is “B” day. The schedule for the month of September is attached. If you are without electricity or internet and unable to attend school or complete assignments, please inform your school. The absence will not count against your child, and make- up work will be permitted once your electricity and internet have been restored. Students will be responsible for making up the work, or grades will be affected. Please remind your child to have a mask in grades 3-12, and social distancing is still required. Calendar Link: https://5il.co/kjp1

TO: Parents and LPSB staffs FROM: Mike Milstead RE: Updated info regarding school closures DATE: Tuesday, September 1, 2020 Lincoln Parish Schools will remain CLOSED Wednesday, September 2, 2020. No students, teachers, or paras should report to schools. All other personnel should report and work at the discretion of school principals. The Lincoln Parish School Board office will remain open. As of 12:00 on Tuesday, September 1, three schools remain without electricity. Not all transportation routes can be safely run. More food than first thought had to be discarded, and we cannot effectively/securely serve meals. Quite a large number of teachers and students' homes remain without electricity. We tentatively plan to open schools on Thursday, September 3, 2020.

To: Parents and LPSB Staff members: From: Mike Milstead RE: Lincoln Parish School Cllosure Date: Monday, August 31, 2020 For information regarding Lincoln Parish Schools closure status click on the following link from Mike Milstead, Superintendent of Lincoln Parish Schools: https://5il.co/kfp2

Good Afternoon Parents and Staff Members: If you are need of the following items: Tarps-Damaged roofs, MRE’s, Bottled Water, and Ice. Items are Distributed per household. The Lincoln Parish Point of distribution is: 165 Fairgrounds Road Dubach, LA 71235

Good Morning Parents, Teachers, and Staff Members: "Lincoln Parish schools will be CLOSED Monday, August 31st. No decision has yet been made regarding Tuesday, September 1. Decision regarding Tuesday will be made by noon, Monday. Stay safe." Mike Milstead Superintendent Lincoln Parish Schools

Good afternoon Teachers and Parents, This message is from Mike Milstead, Superintendent of Lincoln Parish Schools. We are scheduled to be out of school Thursday, August 27 due to the weather that has been forcasted. We will continue to follow the same A/B schedule in our secondary schools on Friday. So if you were scheduled to be in school this Friday, you will attend as scheduled. There will be no altering of the A/B schedule. Thank you and be safe.

Good afternoon Parents, Teachers, and Staff: This message is from Mike Milstead, Superintendent of Lincoln Parish Schools. Please click on the following link for information regarding school closure: https://5il.co/k7fq

There will be an Executive Committee Meeting for the purpose to formulate superintendent selection process, revised application form, and review advertisement – Lynda Henderson, Chairman The meeting will be held on Friday, August 21, 2020 at 2:00pm at the STEM Center located at 525 Tarbutton Road, Ruston, LA 71270.

Special Called Session for the Lincoln Parish School Board. The meeting will be held Thursday, August 20, 2020 at 10:00am at the STEM Center, 525 Tarbutton Road, Ruston, LA 71270. Use the following Link for the Agenda: https://5il.co/jw7u

Good afternoon Lincoln Parish Parents, The plan for meal distribution for students in the Virtual Program or on the A/B schedule has been released. This plan is for students who are not at school to eat breakfast and lunch. Please review the attachment which gives specific instructions. The following information can be found on the attachment: 1. Parents must call the school cafeteria between 7:30 am – 9:00 am where he or she intends to pick up meals, which includes one breakfast and one lunch each day. 2. Meals may be picked up from one of six designated schools between 12:45 pm and 1:30 pm each day. Be sure to pick up from the school you contacted that morning. 3. The parent consent form must be completed each day and submitted to the school to verify meals which are distributed. 4. Your child qualifies for a free breakfast and lunch each day if he or she eats free at his or her normal school location and is not at school that day. 5. The six school pickup location options include Dubach School, Choudrant High School, IA Lewis School, Ruston Elementary, Ruston Junior High School, and Simsboro High School. Parents from any Lincoln Parish School may pick up at the most convenient location of the six options. 6. Meals will be distributed in car lines. No one will need to get out of their vehicle. 7. Meals will only be prepared for those families contacting the school cafeteria before 9:00 am each morning. Link for Parent Consent for meal pick ups: https://5il.co/jk60

In the link below, you will find the 20/21 back to school schedule! This includes dates and times for prep days and the start of school! https://5il.co/jehw