MACA Says No To Port Barre
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
Don’t mess with MACA.
That was the message Magnet Academy Of The Cultural Arts principal Natalie Angelle delivered on Tuesday night during a St. Landry Parish School Board Financial Committee meeting.
Angelle read a written statement where she said a proposal offered last week by school board member Renee Aymond to absorb MACA onto the Port Barre High campus would lead to the “dismantling” of a nationally-recognized school.
Closing MACA located in Opelousas, said Angelle, could also prevent the District from obtaining grant money that is used to support some of the cultural and academic programs used to enhance school programs that are already in existence.
Since its inception Angelle said MACA, a seventh through 12th grade campus, has accepted students with different academic capabilities and has a student population that attracts students from outside Opelousas.
Angelle said she and members of the MACA faculty are opposed to moving students from MACA along with an effort to protect the integrity of the school.
Aymond and school board member Hazel Sias each told Angelle that proposing MACA students could attend Port Barre was merely a suggestion.
If the District was interested in saving money by closing schools, Aymond said last Thursday that perhaps moving students attending MACA could provide additional savings for the school system.
On Tuesday night Aymond walked back her statement about moving the MACA students, saying it was just a statement and not something that would require a vote from board members.
Board member Hazel Sias said last Thursday that Opelousas has lost enough schools as the District continues to develop a campus reduction plan.
“Everytime we talk about moving or closing schools, Opelousas is involved. Now we are talking about doing the same thing with MACA as we did at Opelousas High,” Sias said.
Sias said there has been perhaps an overreaction to any possibility of closing MACA.
“That’s just a suggestion and not part of a plan. MACA never was on the list to be closed. The school (MACA) is in the central part of the city, but students all over the parish can go there,” said Sias.
