JENNINGS, La. (KLFY) — The first public school students have returned to the classroom in Acadiana after five months without school.
People in Jefferson Davis Parish School District said the fear of the unknown shrunk Monday.
“He’s more nervous than I am,” Bonnie Breaux said of her fourth-grade son, Devon. He attends Jennings Elementary and like many had some hesitations on the first day.
“It’s the whole coming back to school thing,” Breaux explained. “He’s really nervous because he’s afraid that other kids are going to have it, and he’s going to get it.”
Another parent, Jimmy Williams, agreed COVID-19 has definitely turned the world upside-down, but he’s ready to see his third-grade son back in the classroom.
“At home, he would just do nothing but be home on the game all day, so now he can come home and learn something,” Williams told News 10.
Jefferson Davis Superintendent Kirk Credeur prepared for months for day one and the outcome surprised him.
“Today was weird. Literally it was almost flawless,” Credeur admitted.
He said kids followed protocol to the letter and teachers implemented them. To prepare schools performed mock exercises, from arrival, class, clean up, and departure.
To his knowledge, no students were sent home after temperature checks but a couple of staff were sent home with high fevers when they tried to enter a school building.
No COVID tests are mandated, but they must be symptom-free before returning.
“We will probably have challenges as we move forward into the future, but I think as smooth as it went today, it gives us a little confidence that, yeah, we can handle most anything that comes our way,” said Credeur.
It’s that confidence that could be contagious with parents, teachers, and even students like Devon who said he had a “good” day and is glad to get school underway.
Even with school back in session, things will look different. All extracurricular activities such as sports, band, cheer, etc. Are postponed for now because of the limits on 25 person groups.
Credeur said about 40 people opted out of the online program today confident to return to in-person classes.
Still, about 1,100 of the 6,000 students are enrolled online. They have until the end of Friday, Aug. 21, if they want to opt-out.