BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
St. Landry Charter School officials had every right to celebrate last week, but admittedly after classes began on Thursday, it obvious they said, that there is still challenging work ahead.
The charter school in its second year of operation has added an extra grade level, enrolled more than 100 new students and is helping revitalize a residential section of Opelousas that has perhaps needed an influx of hope.
State, parish and city officials celebrated the opening of the charter school last week with a kick off and open house event that featured the unveiling of a totally brightened and repurposed campus that had been abandoned and vandalized for three years.
Now about 300 students are being educated at what was once the Southwest Elementary School campus.
Interest is apparently high as school Principal Elsie Semien said St. Landry Charter has a waiting list for those parents who wish to send their children to the kindergarten through fifth grade campus on Burr Lane.
Semien, a veteran administrator who retired from the St. Landry School District in 2021, said the charter school is gaining a reputation as a facility that she says “is fulfilling the education promises that we made when we opened.”
However now that the school is filled with students, Semien said it will be up to her and school staff members to deliver the original message of improving the education level of students citywide.
When buses first deposited children at St. Landry Charter on Thursday, the school Semien said, was operating a capacity.
“We are taking as many students as the law allows. We’re at our capacity now in order to keep our classroom sizes down to 22 students. We did however add a third class for our first graders,” said Semien.
St. Landry Charter ended 2021-22 with 194 students, Semien said.
New Physical Environment
Semien said the contrast from the way the Southwest Elementary school building appeared several months ago compared to what visitors saw as they toured the school last week is somewhat astounding.
“What we saw (beginning in April) was not a pretty sight. Material had been left everywhere. Debris had to be shoveled. Windows had been broken, there was a fire that was set in one classroom and things had been gone through,” Semien added.
St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz provided trustee labor assistance, exterior and interior walls were painted, grass was cut regularly and a cafeteria area was renovated, said Jack Ortego president of the school’s board of directors.
Ortego said the school paid the St. Landry School District slightly more than $270,000 for the classroom, office complex and 10-acres of property.
“We wanted the school, but the (District) was required to go through a bid process. No one bid, so the price dropped. Then we received a grant that helped us clean up. We had some funding to help us along with the trustees. Most of all though it became a case of people wanting to pitch in,” said Ortego.
Getting Started
Semien credits Debbie Faul, the executive director of St. Landry Charter for launching the school from its infancy last year to presiding over the physical transformation and installing curriculum guidelines at all grade levels.
“Debbie pulled that school (last year) into shape just as she is doing now with our new campus. We knew when we started that it would be a hard road to travel and we could not have done this without Debbie,” Semien said.
Faul also guided the school through the state admittance process by creating a curriculum that is aimed at raising test scores for students who once attended low performing schools in Opelousas.
“We want to emphasize that we are a school that is educating students from all over Opelousas and not just this area of the city. We want to affect change in education all over the city,” said Faul.
In the Neighborhood
Semien said it was apparent however that residents who live adjacent to the school were happy to see a renovation that brought some activity to the neighborhood.
“All during the summer people would drive by while we were working and blow their horns. Often they would tell us personally that they were happy we were here,” said Semien.
Ortego said establishing a new presence at a site that was once deserted, has been rewarding in addition to fulfilling a promise of providing a better chance for education success.
“Yes, the school might have once had a bad reputation, but people are seeing we want to change things. They are happy there is activity here again. So many good people have become involved with this school and it’s amazing what you can do when they feel that way,” Ortego said.
What’s Next?
Faul and Semien said plans are already underway to construct a gymnasium on a portion of the campus.
Completing the gym will provide a prelude for an athletic program that will include several sports, according to Semien.
“We are looking at track and basketball. In addition we also want to have volleyball and soccer. We want to build an all-around athletic program,” said Semien.
Semien told those who gathered for the open house that the school will eventually expand to eight grade levels, adding one during each of the next few years.
