The fate of several schools was decided during a School Board meeting Wednesday evening, which focused on the final recommendations of a district optimization review.
Duson Elementary and Comeaux High School will remain open following public outcry at the meeting. However, the board voted to close Katharine Drexel Elementary School and several others.
Lafayette Middle School is one of the schools slated for closure, and its campus will be repurposed as Lafayette Elementary School.
S.J. Montgomery Elementary will close, and its students will move to the newly repurposed Lafayette Elementary.
In an emotional meeting, parents and community leaders urged school board members not to approve Civic Solutions Group's recommendations, citing concerns over rezoning, busing, and overcrowding.
However, School Board member Jeremy Hidalgo, representing District 9, said the board must make financial decisions for the district.
“This is a financial decision for all students around the district, so it bothers me that we have these types of conversations around the charter schools when the charter schools are not the only, but right now the largest, impact to our budget,” Hidalgo said.
The board also voted to expand arts and STEM programs, which officials hope will retain students within the Lafayette Parish School System rather than lose them to charter schools.
The board later voted unanimously to refer discussions about Paul Breaux Middle School and Northside High School to the Long-Range Planning Committee for further review. The recommendations included closing the two schools and building a new middle and high school on Northside’s current campus. The delay gives the district more time to evaluate the proposal and gather additional input from the community.
Here are videos of our live reporting from the site:
Here are the live updates from the meeting:
9:22 p.m.: Board votes to keep Comeaux High School open and move E.J. Sam students to Comeaux High for the 2025 school year.
6:50 p.m.: Board votes to keep Duson Elementary open.
6:15 p.m. Board approves closure of S.J. Montgomery Elementary School.
6:10 p.m.: Board approves closure of Lafayette Middle School and to repurpose the facility as Lafayette Elementary.
5:56 p.m.: Board approves closure of Katherine Drexel.
4:42 p.m.: Board members question CSG whether students are being removed from an "A" school to a "D" performing school with the rezoning. More than 3,000 students will have to be rezoned if the changes are approved.CSG recommends six schools taken offline but reminds residents, "that doesn't mean they will be closed."
4:19 p.m.: The board approved more time for parents to speak following opposition to the time limitations on public comment for agenda items. Public opinion is no longer restricted to one hour per agenda item.
4:13 p.m.: "Silencing the people of Lafayette Parish is not going to help with this situation,” Duson Police Chief Kip Judice on meeting. "I think there is an issue when you put a time limit on topics that affect the entire Parish."
4:08 p.m.: One hour for public comment per agenda item. Lafayette Parish Association of Educators first to speak at meeting opposing limitation of public comments. Asking for parents and educators to be heard during meeting
4:06 p.m. Board members have voted on other items, and they've moved on to the consultants' recommendations.
4 p.m.: The meeting has started; you can watch it here:
3:31 p.m.: Parents are not allowed to bring posters inside the meeting. Announcement made by LPSS official
3:30 p.m.: Growing crowd outside of Lafayette Parish School System ahead of tonight’s much-anticipated school board meeting. Board members are expected to vote on several recommendations from a district optimization review, including closing several schools. Doors open at 3:30 pm, the meeting starts at 4:00 pm at 202 Rue Iberville.
Our crews have taken pictures of the scene as of 3:30 p.m. The meeting starts at 4 p.m.
