Catholic schools in Avoyelles Parish will stay with 5-day week next year
Based on its belief that a four-day school week “will have an adverse effect on our students,” the four Catholic schools in Avoyelles Parish will continue with a five-day school week in the 2019-20 school year.
The main concern is transportation to and from the four schools for about 50-60 students who ride Avoyelles Parish School District buses. Those students will have to find alternative methods of travel to school on Monday, when the public schools will be closed.
State law allows students in private schools to ride in public school buses if the bus route already includes the address of the private school student.
The four parochial schools are Sacred Heart in Moreauville, St. Anthony in Bunkie, St. Joseph in Plaucheville and St. Mary’s Assumption in Cottonport.
In a news release issued after the School Board’s decision on March 12, Alexandria Diocese Superintendent Thomas Roque Sr. said he met with pastors, principals and parochial school staff to discuss the public school system’s decision.
“We are in consensus that the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Alexandria located in the civil parish of Avoyelles will maintain a 5-day school week for the 2019-2020 school year,” Roque said.
He said the “decreased instructional minutes will have an adverse effect on our students” and “this is not what we want for our students.” Alexandria Bishop David Talley told Diocese personnel to do what is in the students’ best interest and to make “student academic advancement and faith formation” the primary reason for the decision on the school week issue.
The decision was also made in keeping with Pope John Paul II’s belief that “Catholic education aims not only to communicate facts but also to transmit a coherent, comprehensive vision of life, in the conviction that the truths contained in that vision liberate students in the most profound meaning of human freedom,” the news release continued.
“Please reach out to the principals of our schools if you have questions or concerns regarding this decision.”
Those schools, principals and phone numbers are
-- Sacred Heart, Sr. Sandra Norsworthy, 318-985-2772
-- St. Anthony, Aimee Hays, 318-346-2739
-- St. Joseph, William Albritton, 318-922-3401
-- St. Mary’s, Nathan Laborde, 318-876-3651