Board Members Talk Consolidation
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
St. Landry Parish School Board members discussed potential parishwide campus site closures and rezoning Saturday during a four-hour retreat held at the Resource Center.
Board members representing each geographic zone presented their recommendations about which schools they prefer for closure, but no final voting occurred for their proposals.
Instead Superintendent Milton Batiste III expects no final decisions on the issue will happen immediately.
Batiste said reconstituting several of the 34 district school sites won’t become official until community members are engaged in discussions, redefining proposals made on Saturday and providing follow-up discussions.
The District has been losing students annually for the past six years, creating a mounting financial hardship according to Accountant Tim Carron.
Carron pointed out that in 2023-24, St. Landry received $9,678 in annual state funding for each student enrolled in district schools.
“With that being said, it looks like we’re in trouble,” Carron told board members.
Data provided at the retreat shows that on Feb. 1, 11,228 students were attending public schools in St. Landry.
A student count compiled on Friday indicates there are 11,104 students currently enrolled.
Carron also provided board members with school campus expenses such as employees salaries and benefits, utility and maintenance costs as well as travel and insurance that are intertwined with operating each campus.
Schools that have been designated as perhaps too costly to maintain are Arnaudville Elementary, Opelousas Middle School, Plaisance, Washington Elementary North Central High and the Magnet Academy For The Cultural Arts.
Board president Mary Ellen Donatto cautioned that no final decisions have been made about which schools will eventually face closure.
“The pace at which we move is yet to be determined, but there are things on (the school attendance lists) that jump out at you and where we need to make a decision,” Donatto said.
ESSER Construction Factor
Batiste surprised board members when he told them federal regulations prevent closures of schools where new district-wide classrooms were constructed with COVID-relief money.
A moratorium on closing the ESSER-funded projects are scheduled to last at least 50 years, Batiste pointed out.
The District, said Batiste, just recently learned about restrictions.
Recommended Consolidations-Closures
Beau Chene zone board members Robert Gautreaux and Kyle Boss recommended closing Grand Coteau Elementary and sending students currently there to Arnaudville in order to create a kindergarten-eighth grade facility.
Hazel Sias recommended closing Northeast Elementary and moving those students to Grolee Elementary. Opelousas Middle would also undergo a closing procedure, with those students moving to Creswell Middle.
Previously-closed North Elementary could be refurbished for community use, while Northeast would be repurposed as an alternative campus.
In Eunice, Donatto said she prefers for the city to have three primary schools. Portions of Eunice Elementary would become a trade school and alternative campus.
Students now attending Washington would be moved to either Plaisance or Grand Prairie. Board Members Talk Consolidation
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
St. Landry Parish School Board members discussed potential parishwide campus site closures and rezoning Saturday during a four-hour retreat held at the Resource Center.
Board members representing each geographic zone presented their recommendations about which schools they prefer for closure, but no final voting occurred for their proposals.
Instead Superintendent Milton Batiste III expects no final decisions on the issue will happen immediately.
Batiste said reconstituting several of the 34 district school sites won’t become official until community members are engaged in discussions, redefining proposals made on Saturday and providing follow-up discussions.
The District has been losing students annually for the past six years, creating a mounting financial hardship according to Accountant Tim Carron.
Carron pointed out that in 2023-24, St. Landry received $9,678 in annual state funding for each student enrolled in district schools.
“With that being said, it looks like we’re in trouble,” Carron told board members.
Data provided at the retreat shows that on Feb. 1, 11,228 students were attending public schools in St. Landry.
A student count compiled on Friday indicates there are 11,104 students currently enrolled.
Carron also provided board members with school campus expenses such as employees salaries and benefits, utility and maintenance costs as well as travel and insurance that are intertwined with operating each campus.
Schools that have been designated as perhaps too costly to maintain are Arnaudville Elementary, Opelousas Middle School, Plaisance, Washington Elementary North Central High and the Magnet Academy For The Cultural Arts.
Board president Mary Ellen Donatto cautioned that no final decisions have been made about which schools will eventually face closure.
“The pace at which we move is yet to be determined, but there are things on (the school attendance lists) that jump out at you and where we need to make a decision,” Donatto said.
ESSER Construction Factor
Batiste surprised board members when he told them federal regulations prevent closures of schools where new district-wide classrooms were constructed with COVID-relief money.
A moratorium on closing the ESSER-funded projects are scheduled to last at least 50 years, Batiste pointed out.
The District, said Batiste, just recently learned about restrictions.
Recommended Consolidations-Closures
Beau Chene zone board members Robert Gautreaux and Kyle Boss recommended closing Grand Coteau Elementary and sending students currently there to Arnaudville in order to create a kindergarten-eighth grade facility.
Hazel Sias recommended closing Northeast Elementary and moving those students to Grolee Elementary. Opelousas Middle would also undergo a closing procedure, with those students moving to Creswell Middle.
Previously-closed North Elementary could be refurbished for community use, while Northeast would be repurposed as an alternative campus.
In Eunice, Donatto said she prefers for the city to have three primary schools. Portions of Eunice Elementary would become a trade school and alternative campus.
Students now attending Washington would be moved to either Plaisance or Grand Prairie. Board Members Talk Consolidation
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
St. Landry Parish School Board members discussed potential parishwide campus site closures and rezoning Saturday during a four-hour retreat held at the Resource Center.
Board members representing each geographic zone presented their recommendations about which schools they prefer for closure, but no final voting occurred for their proposals.
Instead Superintendent Milton Batiste III expects no final decisions on the issue will happen immediately.
Batiste said reconstituting several of the 34 district school sites won’t become official until community members are engaged in discussions, redefining proposals made on Saturday and providing follow-up discussions.
The District has been losing students annually for the past six years, creating a mounting financial hardship according to Accountant Tim Carron.
Carron pointed out that in 2023-24, St. Landry received $9,678 in annual state funding for each student enrolled in district schools.
“With that being said, it looks like we’re in trouble,” Carron told board members.
Data provided at the retreat shows that on Feb. 1, 11,228 students were attending public schools in St. Landry.
A student count compiled on Friday indicates there are 11,104 students currently enrolled.
Carron also provided board members with school campus expenses such as employees salaries and benefits, utility and maintenance costs as well as travel and insurance that are intertwined with operating each campus.
Schools that have been designated as perhaps too costly to maintain are Arnaudville Elementary, Opelousas Middle School, Plaisance, Washington Elementary North Central High and the Magnet Academy For The Cultural Arts.
Board president Mary Ellen Donatto cautioned that no final decisions have been made about which schools will eventually face closure.
“The pace at which we move is yet to be determined, but there are things on (the school attendance lists) that jump out at you and where we need to make a decision,” Donatto said.
ESSER Construction Factor
Batiste surprised board members when he told them federal regulations prevent closures of schools where new district-wide classrooms were constructed with COVID-relief money.
A moratorium on closing the ESSER-funded projects are scheduled to last at least 50 years, Batiste pointed out.
The District, said Batiste, just recently learned about restrictions.
Recommended Consolidations-Closures
Beau Chene zone board members Robert Gautreaux and Kyle Boss recommended closing Grand Coteau Elementary and sending students currently there to Arnaudville in order to create a kindergarten-eighth grade facility.
Hazel Sias recommended closing Northeast Elementary and moving those students to Grolee Elementary. Opelousas Middle would also undergo a closing procedure, with those students moving to Creswell Middle.
Previously-closed North Elementary could be refurbished for community use, while Northeast would be repurposed as an alternative campus.
In Eunice, Donatto said she prefers for the city to have three primary schools. Portions of Eunice Elementary would become a trade school and alternative campus.
Students now attending Washington would be moved to either Plaisance or Grand Prairie. Board Members Talk Consolidation
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
St. Landry Parish School Board members discussed potential parishwide campus site closures and rezoning Saturday during a four-hour retreat held at the Resource Center.
Board members representing each geographic zone presented their recommendations about which schools they prefer for closure, but no final voting occurred for their proposals.
Instead Superintendent Milton Batiste III expects no final decisions on the issue will happen immediately.
Batiste said reconstituting several of the 34 district school sites won’t become official until community members are engaged in discussions, redefining proposals made on Saturday and providing follow-up discussions.
The District has been losing students annually for the past six years, creating a mounting financial hardship according to Accountant Tim Carron.
Carron pointed out that in 2023-24, St. Landry received $9,678 in annual state funding for each student enrolled in district schools.
“With that being said, it looks like we’re in trouble,” Carron told board members.
Data provided at the retreat shows that on Feb. 1, 11,228 students were attending public schools in St. Landry.
A student count compiled on Friday indicates there are 11,104 students currently enrolled.
Carron also provided board members with school campus expenses such as employees salaries and benefits, utility and maintenance costs as well as travel and insurance that are intertwined with operating each campus.
Schools that have been designated as perhaps too costly to maintain are Arnaudville Elementary, Opelousas Middle School, Plaisance, Washington Elementary North Central High and the Magnet Academy For The Cultural Arts.
Board president Mary Ellen Donatto cautioned that no final decisions have been made about which schools will eventually face closure.
“The pace at which we move is yet to be determined, but there are things on (the school attendance lists) that jump out at you and where we need to make a decision,” Donatto said.
ESSER Construction Factor
Batiste surprised board members when he told them federal regulations prevent closures of schools where new district-wide classrooms were constructed with COVID-relief money.
A moratorium on closing the ESSER-funded projects are scheduled to last at least 50 years, Batiste pointed out.
The District, said Batiste, just recently learned about restrictions.
Recommended Consolidations-Closures
Beau Chene zone board members Robert Gautreaux and Kyle Boss recommended closing Grand Coteau Elementary and sending students currently there to Arnaudville in order to create a kindergarten-eighth grade facility.
Hazel Sias recommended closing Northeast Elementary and moving those students to Grolee Elementary. Opelousas Middle would also undergo a closing procedure, with those students moving to Creswell Middle.
Previously-closed North Elementary could be refurbished for community use, while Northeast would be repurposed as an alternative campus.
In Eunice, Donatto said she prefers for the city to have three primary schools. Portions of Eunice Elementary would become a trade school and alternative campus.
Students now attending Washington would be moved to either Plaisance or Grand Prairie. Board Members Talk Consolidation
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
St. Landry Parish School Board members discussed potential parishwide campus site closures and rezoning Saturday during a four-hour retreat held at the Resource Center.
Board members representing each geographic zone presented their recommendations about which schools they prefer for closure, but no final voting occurred for their proposals.
Instead Superintendent Milton Batiste III expects no final decisions on the issue will happen immediately.
Batiste said reconstituting several of the 34 district school sites won’t become official until community members are engaged in discussions, redefining proposals made on Saturday and providing follow-up discussions.
The District has been losing students annually for the past six years, creating a mounting financial hardship according to Accountant Tim Carron.
Carron pointed out that in 2023-24, St. Landry received $9,678 in annual state funding for each student enrolled in district schools.
“With that being said, it looks like we’re in trouble,” Carron told board members.
Data provided at the retreat shows that on Feb. 1, 11,228 students were attending public schools in St. Landry.
A student count compiled on Friday indicates there are 11,104 students currently enrolled.
Carron also provided board members with school campus expenses such as employees salaries and benefits, utility and maintenance costs as well as travel and insurance that are intertwined with operating each campus.
Schools that have been designated as perhaps too costly to maintain are Arnaudville Elementary, Opelousas Middle School, Plaisance, Washington Elementary North Central High and the Magnet Academy For The Cultural Arts.
Board president Mary Ellen Donatto cautioned that no final decisions have been made about which schools will eventually face closure.
“The pace at which we move is yet to be determined, but there are things on (the school attendance lists) that jump out at you and where we need to make a decision,” Donatto said.
ESSER Construction Factor
Batiste surprised board members when he told them federal regulations prevent closures of schools where new district-wide classrooms were constructed with COVID-relief money.
A moratorium on closing the ESSER-funded projects are scheduled to last at least 50 years, Batiste pointed out.
The District, said Batiste, just recently learned about restrictions.
Recommended Consolidations-Closures
Beau Chene zone board members Robert Gautreaux and Kyle Boss recommended closing Grand Coteau Elementary and sending students currently there to Arnaudville in order to create a kindergarten-eighth grade facility.
Hazel Sias recommended closing Northeast Elementary and moving those students to Grolee Elementary. Opelousas Middle would also undergo a closing procedure, with those students moving to Creswell Middle.
Previously-closed North Elementary could be refurbished for community use, while Northeast would be repurposed as an alternative campus.
In Eunice, Donatto said she prefers for the city to have three primary schools. Portions of Eunice Elementary would become a trade school and alternative campus.
Students now attending Washington would be moved to either Plaisance or Grand Prairie. Board Members Talk Consolidation
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