The Lafayette Parish School Board approved revisions to policy GBRC that require certified staff to be signed in prior to the arrival of students to ensure consistent supervision on campus. The change was adopted after board discussion and a substitute motion adding language that allows principals to approve justifiable exceptions in advance.
Julia Reed, president of the Lafayette Parish Association of Educators, urged the board to vote no, saying the change extends teachers' workdays for some staff without guaranteed additional pay and could disproportionately burden employees with caregiving responsibilities or second jobs. "This is gonna be extra time for some people to be at school that's not gonna be then compensated when they didn't have to be there before," she said.
Board members and principals defended the policy as a student-safety measure tied to bus arrivals and large campuses where early supervision is required, citing Acadiana High as an example with hundreds of students arriving before the bell. Chief-of-schools-level staff recommended changing the wording to "expected to be signed in prior to the arrival of students" to ensure teachers are on campus rather than in their car.
The board approved a substitute motion to insert an exceptions clause allowing principals/building administrators to grant advance, justifiable exceptions, and members said principals will work with staff in individual circumstances. The district planned to create consistent request documentation and expects to revisit implementation if problems arise.