FILE:  EBBD

Cf:  GBAA

EMERGENCY CLOSING OF SCHOOLS

The Superintendent shall be authorized to announce the closing of schools if prevailing or potential hazards threaten the safety and well-being of students, staff, or school property.  The decision to close schools shall be made by the Superintendent after conferring, when administratively feasible, with members of the St. John the  Baptist Parish School Board and other community agencies responsible for the safety and well-being of the community.

Public announcements and releases to news media shall be made or approved by the Superintendent or his authorized designee.  Each School Board member shall also be notified of any school closing.

In cases where students are dismissed early, teachers are expected to supervise all students under their jurisdiction until they have departed from the school campus.  In the event of dismissal during the school day, all educational and building employees are to continue their work, unless otherwise notified by the Superintendent.

In the event of school closure for emergencies, the Superintendent shall be authorized to use selected holidays to make up for the instructional days missed.

During severe weather or other emergency situations, the Superintendent, after conferring with the School Board President, shall have the authority to excuse employees of the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board from reporting to work.  Emergency situation shall encompass circumstances that would expose school system employees to harmful or unsafe conditions, as determined by the Superintendent.

The Superintendent may provide school system employees with leave with pay for absences from work due to a Declared State of Emergency issued by the St. John the Baptist Parish President or State Governor.  When a Declaration of Emergency has been issued, because of extreme weather or other specified emergency situations, employees shall not report to work except at the request or approval of the Superintendent.  Unless a Declaration of Emergency has been issued, all school system employees shall be expected to report to work.  If the Superintendent officially directs the closure of the school system due to severe weather or other emergency situations, those persons actually scheduled to work during the time period of the declaration shall receive the time off without loss of pay, annual leave, or sick leave.  All personnel, including both non-exempt and essential personnel who are otherwise considered exempt employees, who work at the request or approval of the Superintendent during such closure, shall receive pay at the rate of time and one-half for those actual hours worked, provided the following documentation takes place:  1) Employee’s immediate supervisor must assign work to be performed to employee; 2) Employee will track hours worked on the “Daily Time Activity Report” form as well as enter those hours as “disaster/hazard pay” into the stipend system; 3) Employee’s immediate supervisor must observe work performed and approve hours worked in the stipend system; 4) The Superintendent will have final approval of all disaster/hazard pay via the stipend system.

Furthermore, upon the declaration of an emergency, all scheduled vacations for designated essential personnel shall be cancelled.

Adopted:  September 21, 1978

Revised:  September 4, 2014

Revised:  November 11, 2021

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:81

Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin 741, Louisiana Department of Education

Board minutes, 6-9-88, 9-4-14, 11-11-21

St. John the Baptist Parish School Board