Louanna Esponge, paraprofessional at Raceland Middle School, was honored last week with the 2026 Outstanding Paraeducator Award at the Council for Exceptional Children’s Convention and Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah. This international award honors CEC paraeducator members who are involved in direct or related services to students with disabilities and provide exemplary service to students and special educators.

We are extremely grateful for Louanna’s passion for student advocacy and commitment to creating a safe, supportive and encouraging learning environment where all children can thrive. We are so proud to have such a compassionate, dedicated individual on our team. Congratulations, Louanna!

23 days ago, Lafourche Parish School District
Three people stand on a stage in front of a large blue backdrop featuring a mountain silhouette and the text "CEC 2026 Special Education Convention & Expo." The person in the center, wearing a red floral dress, holds a plaque. They are flanked by a man in a tan shirt and grey trousers on the left, and a woman in a black and white floral wrap dress and black boots on the right.
A wide shot of a large convention hall with an audience seated in the foreground. On a large elevated screen, the right side displays the name "LOUANNA ESPONGE" above the text "OUTSTANDING PARAEDUCATOR AWARD" against a light pink background with mountain and tree graphics. The left side of the screen shows a live video feed of the award presentation on stage.
Here is the ADA-compliant alt text for the third photo, ensuring all text from the award is accessible. Alt Text A close-up of a commemorative plaque with a blue glass border featuring a subtle black branch pattern. The center of the plaque is black with silver text that reads: "CEC 2026 Outstanding Paraeducator Award, Presented to Louanna B. Esponge, March 12, 2026. In recognition of your exemplary commitment to: building and maintaining effective instructional teams, maintaining learner-centered supportive environments, planning and organizing learning experiences, engaging students in learning, instruction, and assessing learner needs, progress, and achievement." At the bottom is the logo for The Council for Exceptional Children.
Louanna B. Esponge stands holding her award in front of a white step-and-repeat backdrop featuring the "Council for Exceptional Children" logo. She is wearing a dark red floral dress. At the bottom of the image, an event graphic reads "CEC 2026 Special Education Convention & Expo, Salt Lake City, March 11-14, 2026." The photo is framed by a decorative red and white striped border.
Louanna B. Esponge, holding her Outstanding Paraeducator Award, stands between two colleagues in front of a Council for Exceptional Children step-and-repeat backdrop. To her left is a man in a grey polo shirt and black trousers, and to her right is a woman in a peach top and cream cardigan; both wear convention lanyards. The photo features a red striped border and a logo at the bottom for the CEC 2026 Special Education Convention & Expo in Salt Lake City.
OPERATIONS UPDATE: School and district leaders have conducted assessments of our campuses, and all facilities are safe and ready for students and staff to return. Therefore, all Lafourche Parish public schools and offices will resume normal operations tomorrow, Tuesday, January 27, 2026. We look forward to welcoming back all of our students tomorrow.
3 months ago, Lafourche Parish School District
Blue background with the message "School reopening: Schools and offices will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026"

WEATHER UPDATE: In consultation with area emergency management officials, all Lafourche Parish public schools and offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, and all school-related activities are canceled. Decisions regarding Tuesday will be made Monday, and we will provide an update to our families regarding the safe reopening of schools once we are able to assess our campuses for any weather-related impacts. We will also continue working cooperatively with local authorities to ensure conditions are safe for students and staff to return. We will communicate updates on school operations through employee email, SchoolStatus, social media and our website, mylpsd.com. We encourage everyone to stay safe and warm and take precautionary measures.

3 months ago, Lafourche Parish School District
Blue background with the text "Weather Update: Schools and Offices closed Monday, Jan. 26, 2026"
The Lafourche Parish School District is closely monitoring the weather forecast for early next week. As the forecast continues to evolve, we are actively working with local authorities to assess the situation and determine if any changes to school operations are necessary. We understand the importance of keeping you informed and prepared, and we want to assure you that the safety of our students and staff and their families is our top priority.

As of now, we do not anticipate any changes to school-related activities scheduled for the weekend. A decision regarding Monday will be made no later than 5 p.m. Saturday. Once a decision is made, we will inform our families through employee email, website updates, Facebook and OnCourse Connect, and direct notifications will be sent through SchoolStatus texts, emails, and phone calls. Please continue to monitor these outlets for official updates. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we navigate these potential weather challenges together.
3 months ago, Lafourche Parish School District
Blue background with the text "Weather Watch"
📢 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐆𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲

Be on the lookout to check your student's progress.
5 months ago, Lafourche Parish School District
Graphic with the text "Second Nine Weeks Progress Reports go home today, Wednesday, Nov. 12

National Principals Month: Karen Osborne

To celebrate National Principals Month, we’re sharing some fun facts about our amazing school administrators. Today you’ll learn more about Mrs. Karen Osborne, principal of Raceland Middle School.

Here’s the inside scoop on Mrs. Osborne:

🐻 She’s been a principal for four years.
🐻 She says the most rewarding part of being a principal is supporting and assisting teachers then seeing them and ultimately students succeed.
🐻 Her favorite subject in school was history. “I love a good story.”
🐻 Her favorite school lunch is gumbo and potato salad.
🐻 A trip to Africa is on her bucket list.
🐻 Outside of work, she enjoys shopping and reading.
🐻 Fun Fact: She loves to travel and is always in the mood to sing.

#lpsdproud #ThankAPrincipal

6 months ago, Lafourche Parish School District
A blue and yellow graphic with a headshot of principal Karen Osborne and a photo with sveral other members of her staff.
Be on the lookout to check your student's progress.
6 months ago, Lafourche Parish School District
Blue graphic reminding parents that report cards will be sent home Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.

📢 Be on the lookout to check your student's progress.

7 months ago, Lafourche Parish School District
A blue and yellow graphic with text that reads "First Nine Weeks Progress Reports go home today, Tuesday, Sepemeber 9."

Check out our Back-to-School issue of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭, the digital newsletter of the Lafourche Parish School District. We wish everyone a great first day back and a successful school year ahead. Click here to read the latest issue: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/06f9414440.html

8 months ago, Tanya Bolton
Newsletter cover image
🚌 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐮𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 🚌

You can now find all elementary, middle and high school bus routes by clicking here: https://lafourcheparishsdla.sites.thrillshare.com/page/transportation

Routes begin at:
6 a.m. - High Schools (+SWMS)
6:45 a.m. - Middle Schools (+BBES & GES)
7:30 a.m. - Elementary Schools

We have also included a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section on the website to address some of your concerns. If you have any questions regarding routes and stops, please email the transportation department at 𝐝𝐦𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧@𝐦𝐲𝐥𝐩𝐬𝐝.𝐜𝐨𝐦.
8 months ago, Tanya Bolton
Bus routes available
Here are the official take-in and dismissal times for all LPSD schools for the 2025-2026 school year.
8 months ago, Tanya Bolton
Take In and Dismissal Times