LAFAYETTE, La. — As students in Lafayette Parish pack their backpacks for the new school year, safety must be a priority. Here are some tips to ensure a safe start to the 2024-2025 school year.
Social Media Safety
While first-day-of-school photos are a popular tradition, they can also pose risks. Parents often share details, such as their child's school name, age, favorite subject, and homeroom teacher. However, Ashley Wood, Public Information Officer for the Lafayette Police Department, advises parents to be cautious before snapping the picture and posting it on social media.
“If you are going to share that, make sure that you do put your settings on private so only your friends and family can see those posts, and limit the amount of information you put on the board for your child because we don’t need everybody knowing everything about your kids,” Wood said.
See this example below:
Caution in School Zones
LPD reminds motorists to be aware when driving through school zones and the zone's time.
“They will have times posted on the signs in every school zone, so that’s something motorists do need to be aware of. The signs will either have flashing caution lights to let you know that the school zones are in effect at that point,” Wood said.
Bus Stop Information
For parents looking for information on their child's bus stop, the Lafayette Parish School System is providing QR codes. By scanning these codes, parents can access details about their child's bus stop location and bus driver.
Scan the QR code below:
While on the road, what do you do when you see a stopped school bus? Well, we have that answer for you, according to the Department of Transportation there are different regulations when it comes to stopping, depending on what type of road you are on. See below:
Enhanced School Security
In today's world, ensuring your child's safety during school hours is more critical than ever. To address these concerns, every Lafayette Parish School System school has installed metal detectors across all campuses, even elementary schools. LPSS has invested $20 million in other security systems to help protect students and staff, like:
- Fencing around school campuses
- Screening procedures before entering schools
- Securing entryways to separate the outside world from the main school buildings
LPSS Superintendent Francis Touchet emphasized the significance of these safety systems.
“We will continue to do that because that is one of our core values that we are instituting all over Lafayette, which is safe culture, opportunities, and growth," he said.
