Many Louisiana Schools to be Closed on Tuesday

Thousands of students who attend classes in Louisiana Public Schools will get a day away from their studies tomorrow. The reason is quite simple, tomorrow is election day and many schools are used as polling places across the state.

Can you imagine trying to get an entire precinct or two of voters into a school gymnasium while classes are going on? Not to mention the parking nightmare that would arise at every high school across the state at the first bell and when classes are dismissed.

Many school systems build Election Day as a day off into their calendar but in a lot of school systems, it's not really a day off for teachers and administrators. While students may get the day to languish with the Price is Right and what's new on NETFLIX, the backbone of our schools will be hard a word on professional development and other important tasks as the first half of the school year is racing to a close.

When you consider that many school systems will be taking a break for Thanksgiving in less than two weeks and then taking an extended break for Christmas, which is less than 48 days away, you get an idea of just how fast the school year has flown by.

Over the weekend the LHSAA, the governing body for high school sports in the state issued their football playoff brackets so you don't really need a calendar to know that we are getting really deep into the fall with the beginning of winter less than six weeks away.

As far as Election Day goes according to the Secretary of State's website, polling places when an election is held on a Tuesday are to be open from 6 am to 8 pm. The hours are a little different when the election is on a Saturday. Remember you will need to bring your picture ID when you vote.