Proposals that would change the future of the Lafayette Parish School System have landed with a shock in an area that has long had strong attachments to campuses and their traditions.
Earlier this year, the school system invited the New Orleans-based consulting firm Civic Solutions Group to evaluate its priorities and make recommendations on how best to move the school system forward in an environment where declining enrollment and increased competition have strained public school coffers.
Last week, the group's 14 recommendations were unveiled after community meetings and campus visits. Some of the most worrying to many involve school closures. The proposal would close Comeaux High School, which was established in 1965 and has an active alumni base, and rezone students to Lafayette High, Acadiana High or Southside High. Paul Breaux Middle School, a school first built as an elementary school in 1896 to educate Black students during segregation, would also close. A new middle school would be built on the grounds of Northside High School to accommodate those students. Acadian Middle and Lafayette Middle would also close, with the latter being converted to an elementary school.
Aside from the fact that these are some of the oldest and most historically significant campuses in our school system, we can’t help but notice that they also are located in the central part of the city. So in a way, the plan feels like a hollowing out of the school system’s core to benefit campuses in the booming suburbs.
We recognize the many challenges LPSS faces — including rising insurance costs — and we know there are future headwinds as the state moves to make it possible for parents to use public funding for private schools. Still, these proposals seem to be a capitulation rather than a way forward for the system.
We know these proposals are not final. And we hope the school board will genuinely listen to some of the concerns raised and not just push through the plan blindly. It's encouraging that the school system has scheduled public meetings to review the changes. Civic Solutions Group also will solicit input through a survey and email. Feedback from the community will be essential, so we urge all who care about public education to make their voices heard. The final plan will be discussed and voted on at the school board’s next meeting, set for Nov. 20.
We will be eager to see how the school board balances the need to respect our community’s history and traditions with the goal of maximizing the system’s resources. Because make no mistake about it: Lafayette needs strong public schools. Any city that hopes to compete in the future must make education a priority. And our students, teachers, parents and taxpayers are invested in making sure our public schools are the best they can be.