SLPSB Approves Plan
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
A St. Landry Parish School District plan that repurposes and consolidates several elementary and middle school campuses was approved with little board member opposition Thursday night during a special meeting that drew concern from individuals representing the Town of Washington.
The plan crafted by Superintendent Milton Batiste III was confirmed 11-2 and will send students now attending Washington Elementary to either Grand Prairie, Plaisance, Palmetto and Port Barre elementary and middle schools, while expanding the Washington Career And Technical Education Center.
Additionally the plan consolidates Opelousas Middle and Creswell Middle schools into one campus, while Eunice Elementary students will be moved to East or Glendale elementary schools.
The plan also includes extending Highland Early Learning Center to include kindergarten students along with repurposing and transforming Eunice Elementary into an alternative school. Eunice Career and Technical Education Center will be relocated at Eunice Elementary according to the plan.
Implementation of the plan is expected to become effective this year, Batiste has indicated.
Batiste has said at previous board and community meetings and again during a Board retreat Saturday morning, that state school officials are anxious for the District to develop a process that closes or consolidates campuses and improves student test scores at targeted schools.
On Thursday the Board first voted 9-4 to reject a motion by Raymond Cassimere that would have eliminated Washington Elementary from the plan.
That vote followed input from several individuals who spoke against closing Washington Elementary.
Washington Elementary principal Kyle Sylvester said parish school officials should concentrate more on improving scores at low performing schools rather than closing Washington Elementary.
Sylvester also pointed to the impact closing the school would have on the community. Sylvester added that Washington Elementary has shown academic improvement and growing enrollment.
Verdia Lavergne said many parents don’t have adequate transportation in order to reach their children in cases of emergency.
Johnnie Fontenot noted that there was still time for the administrative staff to work together with the Washington community to formulate a solution for the school, which has 122 students.
Board president Bianca Vedell read a personal message in which she said the closing of another school will impact the northern end of St. Landry.
“The north end cannot withstand the closing of another community school,” Vedell told other board members.
Cassimere said the Washington Elementary staff has done everything that District officials have required in order to keep the school open..
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