School Plan Moves Forward

BOBBY ARDOIN

Editor/Consulting Writer

A school facility reorganization plan that could save the St. Landry Parish School District as much as $2.54 million next year is scheduled for a vote during a special Feb. 13 meeting.

Board members made the decision during a Saturday morning retreat which drew considerable public attendance, especially from residents representing the Town of Washington.

Superintendent Milton Batiste III said although he and his administrative staff have vetted the aspects of his proposals, board members still have the option to discuss the matter further before voting whether to put the plan into action.

Batiste pointed out that state school officials are concerned about the ability of the District to finance 33 school sites, as District enrollment figures continue to decrease by about 200 students annually.

State officials, Batiste said, are also becoming impatient with the perceived inaction of the District to take steps to resolve the problems.

“In the discussions I have had with the state, they looked at our students and facilities and said that we need to do something different,” Batiste said.

Preliminary Proposal

Batiste outlined a proposal that includes consolidating Opelousas and Creswell Middle schools, while sending 122 students now attending Washington Elementary to other elementary campuses in Plaisance, Grand Prairie, Port Barre and Palmetto.

In Eunice, Batiste is proposing to send Eunice Elementary students to either Glendale, East and Highland elementary schools.

Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students attending Eunice Elementary would be moved to Highland, according to Batiste.

The movement of students to other campuses however includes repurposing Opelousas Middle as well as Washington and Eunice elementaries, Batiste said.

Batiste indicated that Opelousas Middle could be utilized as a training center and nutritional storage site, while the increased space at Washington Elementary would be used to expand courses offered by Washington Vocation and Technical School.

Eunice Career and Technical School would use the Eunice Elementary site for expanded enrollment, while the campus would also be used for the Eunice Alternative School setting, Batiste added.

Combining the student populations would also allow the District, especially in Opelousas, to perhaps improve instruction,since classrooms would probably be filled with more certified teachers, said Batiste.

Washington Pushback

Washington Mayor Dwight Landreneau said transporting Washington Elementary students elsewhere would be “devastating” for the town.

Landreneau proposed bringing back the seventh and eighth grade students zoned for Washington that are now being sent to North Central High in order to elevate enrollment in Washington..

Washington principal Kyle Sylvester said the school has increased enrollment recently in addition to elevating state student performance scores from an “F” to a “C”

“Some people said it would take a miracle to save Washington Elementary, but guess what? It happened,” Sylvester said.