Acadiana School Closures for Wednesday, March 17

As the threat of severe weather heads towards Acadiana, many Parishes are closing school early in an effort of public safety.

Below is the school closure information we have with the help of our media partner KATC for Wednesday, March 17, 2021.This list will be updated as we get new information.

Acadia Parish

Superintendent Scott Richard tells KPEL that schools will have an early lunch and dismiss around 11:30 a.m. Richard says the district plans to start the process of dismissing students after that.

Evangeline Parish

Evangeline Parish Schools and school board offices will be closing at 2:00 pm.

Superintendent Darwan Lazard says that Wednesday's Evangeline Parish School Board meeting is being postponed due to the prediction of severe weather.

Schools and district offices will be closing at 2 PM. All schools and district offices will be open on March 18, 2020 for normal operations, unless notified otherwise.

Lazard says that the public can check www.epsb.com and our Facebook page for updates.

Scared Heart School in Ville Platte will dismiss at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, March 17.

Iberia Parish

Superintendent Carey Laviolette announced that Iberia Parish will close middle and high schools at 12:30 pm and elementary schools at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, March 17, due to deteriorating weather conditions.

Lafayette Parish

Lafayette Parish Public Schools will dismiss early on March 17 due to the threat of severe weather Wednesday afternoon.

The following is a list of school dismissal times:

11:00 a.m. Dismissal Time
High Schools, including: David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy
Lerosen Preparatory School
11:35 a.m. Dismissal Time
All Elementary Schools excluding Alice Boucher Elementary School
J. Wallace James Elementary School
Myrtle Place Elementary French Immersion Academy
Truman Early Childhood Education Center
This does include: Milton Elementary /Middle School
Early College Academy (ECA) - no busses running today
12:15 p.m. Dismissal Time
All Middle School, including the following Elementary Schools: Alice Boucher Elementary School
J. Wallace James Elementary School
Myrtle Place Elementary French Immersion Academy
Truman Early Childhood Education Center Other Important Dismissal Announcements
Edward J. Sam Accelerated School - the second session is canceled today
W. D. & Mary Baker Smith Career Center - students attending the second half of the day will stay at their base school
LPSS says that buses will be sent to the schools at the dismissal times listed above to return students home.

Parents are able to pick up students who are car riders. Children who attend after-care will be dismissed at the times listed above and parents will be responsible for picking up these students. LPSS says that these students will not be able to ride buses home due to limited capacity due to COVID restrictions.

All afternoon activities, such as after-school care, tutoring, sporting events & extracurricular activities, have been canceled. Individual schools are also notifying families.

OTHER SCHOOLS IN LAFAYETTE PARISH

Lafayette Christian Academy will be closing at 12 noon today due to expected inclement weather. LCA says there will be no BTB, all students must be picked up by 12:30 pm. There will be a staggered dismissal to avoid as much traffic congestion as possible. Parents are asked to follow normal pick up procedures and not go to the office to check out students. Dismissal times are as follows: Pre K and K - 11:40 AM

1st and 2nd grade - 11:45 AM
3rd and 4th grade - 11:50 AM
5th and 6th grade - 11:55 AM
7th-12th grade - 12:00 PM

*All LCA extracurricular activities are canceled for this afternoon. Impact has been canceled also.

Carencro Catholic School will have an early dismissal at 11:30 am on Wednesday, March 17, due to the impending weather.

St. Thomas More Catholic High School is closing at 12:45 today due to inclement weather. Classes will resume tomorrow at 7:30 am.

Tuerlings Catholic will have an early dismissal at 12:35 pm on Wednesday, March 17 due to inclement weather.

Westminster Christian Academy (Lafayette and Opelousas campuses) will have an early dismissal today at 12:00 pm.

St. Landry Parish

The St. Landry Parish School District was the first to announce early dismissal times:Biomed/Maca Shuttle Bus Only- 12:30 PM
Trade Schools -12:00 PM
Slats, Alternative School -12:00 PM
All High Schools except North Central - 12:45 PM
Junior High Schools - 12:45
North Central High, Palmetto Elementary, Opelousas Middle School, Creswell Middle School - 1:15 PM
All other elementary and middle schools will dismiss at 1:25 PM.
All Headstart Centers - 1:00 PM
All Administrative Offices - 2:30
Opelousas Catholic School announced that it will dismiss at 1:30 pm on Wednesday, March 17.
St. Ignatius School in Grand Coteau will dismiss students at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, March 17.
St. Edmund School in Eunice will dismiss students at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, March 17.
Westminster Christian Academy (Lafayette and Opelousas campuses) will have an early dismissal today at 12:00 pm.
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Boys & Girls Clubs will be closed Wednesday, March 17, due to inclement weather. Lafayette’s Jackie and Granberry Clubs, and clubs in Abbeville, New Iberia and Opelousas will be closed.

Jeff Davis Parish

While the school system did not announce an early dismissal on Wednesday due to severe weather, school officials said that concerned parents may check out students as early as noon.

See the full statement from the school system:

"Due to a potential severe and quick moving weather event this afternoon, parents and guardians with concerns about their child’s safety will be allowed to check their students out of school as early as noon and will not be charged with an absence. Although these weather events are common in Southwest Louisiana, the frequency of experiencing many of these events this year have left our communities very cautious."

St. Martin Parish

Due to impending weather conditions, Superintendent Allen Blanchard has made the decision to close schools early on Wednesday, March 17.

Schools will be dismissing at 1:00 pm.

St. Mary Parish

Public schools in St. Mary Parish will close early on Wednesday March 17.

Superintendent Teresa Bagwell says the closures are due to the potential for the parish to experience severe weather at the time of school dismissal.

Vermilion Parish

Vermilion Parish Schools Superintendent Tommy Byler says that the school system will transition into an early dismissal protocol beginning at 12:30 pm.

All high schools will dismiss at 12:30 pm and elementary schools will dismiss at 1:00 pm or 1:15 pm.

"All normal end of day times should be moved up two hours," a Facebook post reads. "We don’t want buses on the road during the height of the storm for the safety of our students and drivers."

Byler says that parents will receive a text with dismissal information.

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Boys & Girls Clubs will be closed Wednesday, March 17, due to inclement weather. Lafayette’s Jackie and Granberry Clubs, and clubs in Abbeville, New Iberia and Opelousas will be closed.