It’s About Survival for Parish Schools
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
Unless financial remedies are enacted by August, the St. Landry Parish School District will be unable to meet payroll obligations by October, Superintendent Milton Batiste III told an overflow crowd during a retreat held Saturday at the Resource Center.
Batiste was candid and succinct during his opening remarks which were later highlighted by cost saving but preliminary proposals that could eventually be considered by the board before implementation.
“Right now we have to downsize in order to survive moving forward,” Batiste said.
“We cannot afford to operate the way that we have done in the past. We are asking everyone to be open-minded and have an open heart. That’s all I ask,” Batiste said.
“No one is going to come to the rescue, not the federal government, not the state,” added Batiste.
Compared to many of the 64 Louisiana school districts, St. Landry is considerably underfunded from the 20 mills in property taxes the District has collected since 1986, Batiste pointed out.
Board members agreed to meet again June 18 in order to discuss further a number of revenue reduction proposals introduced on Saturday.
Here’s The Problem
Since 2024, Batiste said, the District has lost $12.7 million in potential state funding due to charter schools that are located in the Opelousas area.
The projected 2025-26 District deficit is $18.1 million and as of May, the school system showed a $7.9 million revenue loss.
This Could Happen
Here are the plans Batiste introduced on Saturday:
Krotz Springs Elementary students will be rezoned for Port Barre Elementary. The Krotz Springs campus could be used as a virtual teaching site.
In Eunice, Central Middle would close, with pre-kindergarten and kindergarten moved to Highland Elementary and first through third grades attending East Elementary.
Grolee Elementary and Northeast Elementary schools will close. Pre-K to second grade students now at those schools, will move to Park Vista. Opelousas Junior High would become a third to sixth-grade campus.
The former North Elementary campus in Opelousas, now used as an alternative school site, will possibly be turned over to the city, while the students who are sent there would move to the St. Landry Alternative Training School.
Grand Coteau Elementary students living in Grand Coteau, would move to Cankton, while others that would normally be zoned for Arnaudville would be relocated to Leonville.
Plaisance could become a kindergarten through eighth grade school if Grand Prairie students are moved there.
Central Office cuts of $1 million are also a possibility, the preliminary plan indicates.
New Revenue?
Batiste said the movement of Creswell Elementary students to Opelousas Junior High this year, could provide the District a chance to sell what he said is a prime real estate site in order to provide more revenue.
