ST. LANDRY PARISH — GRAND PRAIRIE, La. — For generations of families in the Grand Prairie community, Grand Prairie Elementary has been more than just a school. It's been a place where parents, grandparents and great-grandparents learned, grew and built lifelong memories.
Now, after the St. Landry Parish School Board voted to close the school as part of a district-wide consolidation plan, many in the community are struggling to come to terms with its future.
The closure is part of a broader effort by the district to address declining enrollment and financial challenges. In all, six schools will close, while four others will be consolidated.
For Grand Prairie native Danny LaFleur, the decision marks the end of a family legacy that spans generations.
"My dad grew up in this community," LaFleur said. "He graduated here in the '50s. I graduated in 1976, so this is my 50-year anniversary closing out of my school. My wife graduated here, and she taught here for 19 and a half years."
LaFleur said four generations of his family have been connected to the school and never imagined he would see it close.
"It's terrible," he said. "We're so proud of our little school. It's been in my family for generations. Everybody knew each other by name. Community schools are the way to go. Bigger is not always better."
Ashley Sharpe shares that same sense of loss.
Sharpe said she moved to the Grand Prairie community 11 years ago because of the school's reputation and wanted her children to grow up in a close-knit rural community.
Now, she is preparing to tell her 6-year-old daughter, Zola, that she will not be returning to the school she loves for first grade.
"I haven't told my daughter yet," Sharpe said. "She loves it here. Every time we pass by the school, she says, 'It's my school,' and she talks about her teachers. It's sad to see that go and not have that anymore."
Sharpe said she worries the transition will be difficult not only for her daughter, but for many children across the district.
"It's scary," she said. "It hurts my feelings—not just for me, but for the community. I feel like a lot of kids are going to have transitional issues trying to learn somewhere they didn't grow up in."
St. Landry Parish School Superintendent Milton Batiste acknowledged the emotional toll the closures have taken on families but said the district had few alternatives.
"My goal as superintendent would be not to close any school," Batiste said. "I wish we were opening schools. I wish we had a situation where we were having to build new buildings, but that's not the current reality."
The district has been working to eliminate an $18 million dollar deficit led to the selected school being closed.
Batiste said the district plans to consolidate Grand Prairie students at Plaisance Middle School, creating a prekindergarten through eighth-grade campus. Additional portable classrooms will be installed to accommodate pre-K students, with the goal of having them in place before the start of the upcoming school year.
The district says it will begin finalizing transition plans for students, employees and families affected by the closures beginning Monday.
