Board, Principals Fight To Keep Schools Open
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
It’s apparent that few school-level administrators want to lose their campuses, while St. Landry Parish school board members are crafting ways to keep their election district schools relevant.
Both provided alternative proposals on Thursday that offset a proposed District-wide cost reduction plan before a crowded discussion meeting held Thursday at the Resource Center.
Several elementary school principals who spoke pointed to progress their students have achieved and explained why it would be detrimental if their campuses become one of six sites scheduled to be included in a proposed plan that seeks to save money and slice into a projected $18.1 million of indebtedness.
The nearly three-hour meeting however produced impassioned rhetoric but no solutions.
More substantive decisions are expected June 23 when the Board convenes at special meeting which follows a series of committee meetings,
Superintendent Milton Batiste III did not attend the Thursday meeting.
At a board retreat on Saturday, Batiste explained the District has lost $12.7 million in revenue due to the opening of charter schools around Opelousas, while continued enrollment losses have increased..
What The Principals Said
Grolee Elementary principal Angela Reed-Thomas noted that the school has made progress academically with students who have been widely exposed to the arts, music and dramatic presentations.
Reed-Thomas, supported by a large faculty contingent, suggested combining Grolee and potentially-closed Northeast Elementary into one pre-kindergarten through fourth grade campus.
April Guidry, principal at Grand Prairie, said the school is supported by a close, rural community.
Guidry said Plaisance Middle, where the Grand Prairie students are scheduled to relocate, is not large enough to accommodate the influx of new pupils.
Board member Raymond Cassimere,who represents Grand Prairie, said the District would not save money by moving the Grand Prairie students, since external buildings would be needed for the arrival of GPES students at Plaisance.
Park Vista principal Rachel Melancon revisited a proposal which seeks to make the school a feeder-school magnet for either Opelousas High or the Magnet Academy for the Cultural Arts.
Melancon has suggested making Park Vista a pre-k to sixth grade school rather than a pre-k through second grade campus projected in the plan introduced by Batiste.
From The Board
Board member Renee Aymond, whose election district includes Port Barre and Krotz Springs, proposed sending the 7-12 grade students now attending MACA to Port Barre High, while making Krotz Springs a pre-kindergarten to sixth grade campus.
According to the proposal by Batiste, students at Krotz Springs Elementary would be moved to Port Barre schools and Krotz Springs Elementary would be used as a virtual learning center.
Kyle Boss, who represents schools on the south end of the District, said school officials should delay closing Grand Coteau Elementary until there is a clearer understanding of where students zoned for that school and Arnaudville, Leonville and Cankton will be sent.
“There will be five schools involved and we don’t know which ones will be zoned for Arnaudville or which ones will go to Cankton.
Rod Sias, who also spoke at the meeting said it’s time for everyone involved with the school system to become realistic.
“Conditions are forcing us to change. We have no money. We all love our schools, but where’s the money? We need to follow the superintendent’s plan now. We can’t look past October 1. We have to do it now,” said Sias.
