Schools in Acadiana are beginning to announce early dismissal times due to the forecast threat of severe weather on Wednesday afternoon.
See the latest forecast from the KATC Weather Team.
This list will be updated throughout the day on March 17, as more early dismissals are announced.
Acadia Parish
According to Superintendent Scott Richard, Acadia Parish Public Schools will be dismissing early on Wednesday, March 17, due to inclement weather threat later this afternoon. The district plans to start dismissal after early lunch has been served around 11:30 am.
Richard says they are working with all stakeholders to start the process of early closure.
OTHER SCHOOLS IN ACADIA PARISH
Notre Dame High School will dismiss at 11:30 am on Wednesday, March 17.
Evangeline Parish
Evangeline Parish School Superintendent Darwan Lazard says that all public schools and district offices will be closing at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, March 17 due to severe weather.
OTHER SCHOOLS IN EVANGELINE PARISH
- 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.
OTHER SCHOOLS IN IBERIA PARISH
- Acadiana Christian School in New Iberia will close at 12:30 p.m on Wednesday, March 17.
- Highland Baptist Christian School in New Iberia will dismiss at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, March 17
- Catholic High of New Iberia will dismiss High School students at 12:15 pm. Elementary and Middle School students will be dismissed at 12:30 pm. All after school activities are canceled.
Jeff Davis
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."
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 Schools, 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:
- PreK 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.
- First Baptist Christian School in Downtown Lafayette will close at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17, due to weather.
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 Schooll, 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.
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.
Middle and high school students will dismiss at 1:00 pm and elementary schools will dismiss at 1:30 pm.
Bus transportation will be provided.
OTHER SCHOOLS IN ST MARY
St. John Elementary and Hanson Memorial will both be close early on Wednesday, March 17 due to inclement weather. St. John students will catch the bus at 12:45 and Hanson students will catch it at 12:50. Car Riders and Drivers will be released at 1:00.
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.
OTHER SCHOOLS IN VERMILION PARISH
- Mount Carmel School of Abbeville will dismiss at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, March 17
- Vermilion Catholic will dismiss at 12:19 pm on Wednesday, March 17
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.
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers
