With La. public schools closed, rural families concerned with online classes

IDA, La. (KSLA) - Amid coronavirus concerns, Louisiana public schools K-12 have shut down. Schools have shifted to online classes for the next month. This leaves many rural families that don’t have internet access concerned.

The Sagona family lives in Ida in North Caddo Parish. They say they have been homeschooling their 13 and 18-year-old kids for a while now, but they rely on the Caddo Parish School System curriculum.

They don’t have internet access where they live, so they drive from Ida to Shreve Memorial Library’s North Caddo Branch in Vivian to do their coursework. But yesterday, the family says they showed up to the library to see a closed sign.

The library would be closed until at least April 13.

“We just didn’t know what to do,” Frank Sagona said. “I mean, how are we going to handle this all of a sudden? This was just out of left field for us."

Frank Sagona says he called the library and they told him the family could still use the internet from the parking lot. So until the library reopens, the kids will have to complete their online classes while sitting in the car.

Sagona added he has spoken with his Caddo Parish Commissioner about installing utility poles to provide internet to their area.

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