From Dr. Bagwell, Superintendent of St. Mary Parish Schools:

Governor John Bel Edwards has officially closed all schools until April 30. The continued closure emphasizes the need for students and parents to take advantage of the district’s “Learning from Home” resources. The expanded list of grade level and content area online content can be found at:  https://www.stmaryk12.net/learnathome. 

Additionally, schools have contacted parents to collect a second phase of learning packets in printed format. All schools will be distributing this important set of learning materials early next week. These instructional materials are critically vital for students to complete as they aid in the continued learning necessary for grade level or course completion. Any parent who is unable to collect the materials at the scheduled time should email their child’s teacher or contact the school.

 At this crucial time in public education, we must work together as educators and parents to ensure that our kids are safe and learning. St. Mary Parish Schools strives to provide all necessary instructional access to aid families in this unparalleled time. We deeply appreciate the ongoing work of teachers, parents and principals as we endeavor to maintain a child’s connection to school in a time of necessary social distancing safeguards.

Dear Parents and Students of St. Mary Parish Schools:

It has been two weeks since Governor John Bel Edwards ordered the closure of all schools in an effort to protect citizens from the spread of COVID-19. Within just a few hours of the unanticipated and somber announcement, schools in St. Mary Parish closed while principals, teachers, and district leaders worked to ensure that students had ample resources to supplement their learning during this period. Additionally, teachers remained at school over the next few days to finalize report cards and examine new ways to help students learn from home.

Overwhelmingly, the school closure has led to anxiety and questions about the traditional end of the school year. This is especially true for the Class of 2020 as they cherish those final days of high school and anticipate prom and graduation. As I write to you today, graduation dates remain intact although prom dates may need to be adjusted depending on the reopening of school. As uncertainty remains with the progress of the virus, I am committed to ensuring that our students remain insulated from any life-altering impacts of this sudden closure. As such, parents will soon be receiving information about a phase two of learning resources in both print and online formats. These resources will help to keep our kids learning from home and aid parents in guiding this effort.

In this unprecedented time, I strongly encourage parents and students to stay connected to their school and to teachers as they are available to support continued learning. The district’s website has also added a section dedicated to learning resources and schedules that are advocated by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in conjunction with St. Mary educators for every grade level. These resources can be accessed on the district's website under Parent/Students | Learning at Home.  

 Students, your teachers, principals and school staff miss you! You are the reason we dedicate ourselves to serving as educators. The promise and potential you possess is evident and every member of St. Mary Parish Schools is devoted to helping you shape the future you aspire to accomplish. Stay healthy, active and keep learning using the resources the school is providing to you and know that we are looking forward to seeing you again on April 20th.

Sincerely,

Teresa T. Bagwell, Ed. D.
Superintendent, St. Mary Parish Schools

St. Mary Parish Schools endeavors to provide food and nutrition to our students even during this time of emergency school closure. As such, the school system is announcing a new program that will deliver meals to the doorstep for free. This program is called Meals-to-You, and it is a partnership between St. Mary Parish Schools, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Baylor University.   

For a family to participate, at least one child in the household must: 

•  attend a CEP School:
  • Aucoin Elementary
  • B. Edward Boudreaux Middle
  • Bayou Vista Elementary
  • Berwick Elementary
  • Centerville High
  • Foster Elementary
  • Franklin Senior High
  • Franklin Junior High
  • Hattie Watts Elementary
  • LaGrange Elementary
  • Maitland Elementary
  • Morgan City High
  • Morgan City Junior High
  • Norman Elementary
  • Patterson High
  • Patterson Junior High
  • Raintree Elementary
  • West St. Mary High
  • Wyandotte Elementary
• OR be designated as free or reduced-priced meals eligible at non-CEP schools
  • Berwick High
  • Berwick Junior High

When parents or guardians sign-up for Meals-to-You, every other week they will receive a Meals-to-You box delivered to their home for each child ages 1-18. Each box will include 10 breakfasts and 10 lunches/suppers, All food items are shelf stable and packaged securely. Contents do not have to be refrigerated immediately, and a friend or neighbor can retrieve the packages for the family if they are not home at delivery time. 

With Meals-to-You, kid-friendly meals are delivered for FREE directly to the family, avoiding extra trips to the grocery store, extra money spent on food, and extra time planning meals that kids will like. This benefit will NOT affect any existing benefits. 

All parents/ guardians will need to complete an online application form and submit it by Tuesday, March 31th (date updated). Access to the online form is available at the following link: https://mealstoyou.org/emergency-meals-to-you-application/.  

Meal boxes will be provided on a first come, first served basis, so parents/guardians should sign up online as quickly as possible.  

St. Mary Parish Schools will be suspending their grab-n-go meal service in accordance with the stay-at-home order issued by Governor Jon Bel Edwards effective at 5:00 p.m. today. The district initiated the emergency feeding program on Monday and served a total of 741 meals at four school sites. While the school system is fully committed to parish students, the safety of staff and employees must also be considered given the governor’s order.

Meal distribution on Monday exceeded totals for the summer feeding program and was made possible through the dedicated efforts of the district’s Child Nutrition Department, principals, and district staff. The ability of the school system to secure protective gear also played a role in the decision to suspend the program at this time.

UL Lafayette's Learning Lab has collected and generously shared timelines and activities for parents and guardians seeking to enhance their children's time at home and support their continuing learning.

These resources have been added to the St. Mary Parish website in the Parents and Students channel and is labeled Learning at Home: http://stmaryk12.net/learnathome.

St. Mary Parish Schools will offer an emergency feeding program for students beginning Monday, March 23, 2020. The program will continue throughout the school shutdown. Students will be able to pick-up meals each weekday from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM or until supply is depleted at the following school sites:

• Franklin Junior High School, 525 Morris Street, Franklin, LA 70538                
• Patterson Junior High School, 225 Catherine Street, Patterson, LA 70392  
• Morgan City Junior High School, 911 Marguerite Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
• (Added Location) Raintree Elementary, 501 Raintree Drive, Baldwin, LA 70514 

A limited number of  “Grab N’ Go” breakfast and lunch packages will be served curbside at each designated site. No meals will be able to be eaten on-site. Any child 18 years of age or under is eligible to receive the free meals and must be present to pick-up a meal. The health and well-being of our students is of utmost priority and the school system is committed to providing students with continued meal service to the degree possible while our schools are closed.

Additional information:  Walkers and car rider locations will be determined and reported here for each site. Thank you for your patience as we do our best to provide for our children.

From Ms. Bergeron, Human Resource Director:

In accordance with the proclamation by Gov. Edwards, office staffing and hours of operation have been adapted to abide limiting the number of individuals in a work area; staff are also practicing social distancing. 

• Hours of operation for all district offices will be 8 AM to 2 PM beginning Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
• Front doors will remain secured. If entrance to the building is required, please call in advance for an appointment.
• Utilize the drop box at the front door of the building for deliveries. Pony will continue to run on Wednesdays.
• Employees should continue to monitor emails and the district website for any further updates.

The St. Mary Parish School Board issued a Declaration of Public Emergency due to COVID-19 at the special session held on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. This declaration confers Superintendent Dr. Teresa Bagwell with emergency powers needed to lead the district's response to the outbreak. These powers include the following:

• Entering into contracts for COVID-19 related purchases such as materials, equipment, supplies, or services for sanitation, cleaning, and technology. 
• Supplying and arranging for the delivery of meals to all children in the parish (18 years of age or younger) at no cost to the families. 
• Continuing to pay school employees their regular compensation during the period in which schools are closed.
• Adjusting curriculum, work schedules, compensation, and staff assignments without further Board approval.
• Adjusting the school calendar.
• Applying to BESE, LDOE, and/or USDOE or other governmental body for waivers of regulations or requirements that are impacted by COVID-19.
• Applying for waivers, grants, reimbursement, aid, and other COVID-19 related matters on behalf of the School Board. 
• Providing non-mandatory, supplemental educational resources to students.
• Taking any other actions reasonably necessary to implement these directives. 

Print a copy of the Declaration of Public Emergency.

View signed copy of Declaration of Public Emergency. 

Registration for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade students at St. Mary Parish elementary schools will be rescheduled once school resumes.  Information will be sent home from the schools and shared through online media and text messages to parents of currently enrolled students.  

Parents are asked to bring the information listed below on the day of registration:  

• Birth certificate
• Immunization record
• Social security card
• Proof of residency (utility bill)
• Proof of income (pre-kindergarten students only)

 Additional information can be obtained by contacting Ms. Niki Fryou (Central Office Complex, 337-836-9661).

Governor Edwards has announced that schools will be closed beginning on Monday, March 16th and will remain closed until April 13th.  St. Mary Schools will observe Spring Break from April 13th-17th and will reopen on Monday, April 20th.