LAFAYETTE, La. — The Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) has announced the closure of all schools on Tuesday, January 21, and Wednesday, January 22, 2025, in response to severe weather conditions, including expected Arctic cold and the possibility of snow and/or freezing precipitation.
Superintendent Francis Touchet, Jr. made the decision with safety as the primary concern, noting the dangerous cold temperatures and the potential for hazardous road conditions. “I feel confident in making this call today to allow parents to prepare for students to be home and not subjected to the bitterly cold temperatures and wind chill,” said Touchet. “Additionally, a combination of freezing temperatures and wet weather, in whatever form, could create hazardous road conditions which would make travel by any means, especially buses, dangerous.”
In the interim, the LPSS Facilities team and school administrators are expected to inspect campuses on Wednesday afternoon, assessing water and heating systems to ensure schools are ready to reopen. The district will continue monitoring weather forecasts and road conditions to determine if it will be safe to resume classes on Thursday, January 23.
Touchet stressed the importance of returning students to the classroom but emphasized that campuses would only reopen once it is deemed safe. “Getting students back into the classroom is always the goal,” he added, “but I will only allow campuses to open if we are certain that it’s safe to do so.”
Parents, staff, and community members are encouraged to stay informed by checking the LPSS website, following the district’s official Facebook page, tuning into local media, and enabling notifications on the J-Campus app for real-time updates on the situation.
As of now, the district remains committed to ensuring the well-being of its students and staff, with the goal of resuming normal operations as soon as it is safe.