They're not writing the pregnancy into the storyline mrs. c so I don't know how Laurel's absence will be explained. Maybe Ashley will have a fling with Edna... will she keep her hat on? :o)
lol mrs c, I think it's just to add to her school ma'am image...and lots of little old ladies used to keep their hats on all the time or so I'm told....it's a tiara over a headscarf for me :o)