Aubri Juhasz / WWNO
Originally published on March 4, 2021 1:39 pm
When Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards extended vaccine eligibility to K-12 school employees at the end of February, teachers expected long wait times. But so far in New Orleans that hasn’t been the case.
Vaccination efforts appear to be ahead of schedule, particularly for NOLA Public School teachers. Twice as many teachers were vaccinated during the first week of distribution than originally anticipated, according to the district, which is helping schedule appointments for its employees.
The district credits its speedy rollout to the availability of doses and advanced planning surveying teachers to gauge interest and partnering with local hospitals to secure appointments.
Janelle Varnado shares her memory of Seventh Ward Santa: I was a student at St. Leo the Great Elementary. Every year, I looked forward to taking a picture with Santa, the REAL Santa. I have every photo from age 3-11 saved but this one is my favorite. At this age (8), my parents were separating and it was a hard time for my family. With my world changing, I remember looking forward to one constant tradition. taking a picture with Black Santa.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JANELLE VARNADO
Yes, New Orleans, there is a Santa Claus And his spirit lives on in the Seventh Ward! nola.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nola.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Aubri Juhasz / WWNO
It’s been a busy week for the Orleans Parish School Board. During its last two meetings of the year, members rejected tax exemptions for the Folger’s Coffee Company, approved new accountability measures for charter school finances, received an update on music and art education, and amended district-wide discipline policies to account for virtual learning.
If you’re having a similarly busy week you probably didn’t hop on Zoom to watch the board meetings in real time. Fortunately, we’re here to catch you up.
Board members unanimously reject tax breaks for Folgers
The board rejected six tax exemption requests from Folgers on Thursday night, securing roughly $2.9 million in local property taxes for schools. The taxes will be paid over a 10-year period.