What’s next for the Lafayette Public School System? – The Current

The Lafayette Parish school system is about to get a complete overhaul to address a $38.2 million budget shortfall and could see nine schools closed, three major consolidations and the construction of two new schools.

School officials have long hinted at big changes. In March, amid fears that Paul Breaux Middle School would close, the board voted to remove the school’s immersion and gifted programs after hours of community dissent.

The draft plan was unveiled this month by Civic Solutions Group (CSG), a consulting firm led by former Louisiana Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek.

If school officials follow the recommendations, nine facilities would be closed: Paul Breaux Middle, Acadian Middle, Lafayette Middle, SJ Montgomery Elementary, Duson Elementary, Katharine Drexel Elementary, Comeaux High and EJ Sam Accelerated. The plan would also consolidate student populations at three elementary schools, Raphael Baranco, Alice Boucher and JW Faulk, and close one campus.

Paul Breaux Middle School and Northside High School would become two newly constructed campuses located at the current site of Northside High School.

The district’s budget reduction is driven by declining enrollment, the end of federal COVID-19 funding and rising insurance costs. LPSS is at a 69.7% occupancy rate, with more than 13,500 vacancies in the district.

CSG will present the financial impact and a revised plan before the board takes action at its next meeting on Nov. 20, but some districts they’ve worked with have saved $3 million per school closure.

The plan would also reconfigure the remaining schools and allow students who live near magnet schools to have enrollment preference for up to 25 percent of all available lottery spots if they meet admissions requirements.

Two community comment sessions are also scheduled for Oct. 28 at Northside High and Oct. 29 at Acadiana and Southside High before the Nov. 20 meeting. You can take the LPSS survey or email them if you have feedback.

Until next time, I’m Elliot Wade and this is Lafayette.