The Lafayette Parish School system is embarking on a strategic planning process this summer and fall in an effort to determine what public education will look like in the future. It has hired New Orleans-based Civic Solutions Group to direct the process of collecting citizen input and making recommendations to the school board.
We applaud this effort and believe it could not come at a more opportune time. Public school systems around the state are facing growing headwinds with the proliferation of options in education. With the passage of a bill creating education savings accounts by the Louisiana Legislature, some parents will be able to use public funds to pay for private education as soon as August 2025.
In recent years, the challenges for the district have been especially daunting. LPSS has seen an enrollment decline, with 31,300 students enrolled in the 2021-2022 school year, compared to about 29,400 in the 2023-24 school year. It faced a budget crisis as costs for specialized staffing and insurance continue to rise. Coupled with the end of federal COVID relief funding, the district was left struggling to close a $38 million gap to balance its budget this year. It was forced to raise premiums for employees and retirees who are part of its self-funded insurance program, make cuts to some offerings and fund some projects using one-time revenue from special sources.
That’s why we’re glad to hear Civic Solutions Group partner Paul Pastorek say that all options will be on the table to optimize the district’s resources and create a roadmap for the future. That’s also why it is imperative that stakeholders from all parts of the community have a seat at the table.
All too often, the brunt of cuts go to programs that serve the neediest students. And LPSS is seeing that population grow. From 2023 to 2024, special education enrollment increased by nearly 200 students in the district, and English as a Second Language enrollment increased by about 150 students.
After an outcry by parents and students in April, when the board abruptly voted to close the full-time gifted program and the French and Spanish immersion programs at Paul Breaux Middle School, we know what it looks like to have the community cut out of the decision-making process. The move also left many fearful for the future of the school, which has historic ties to Lafayette's Black community.
We urge everyone who cares about Lafayette public schools to take every opportunity to give feedback to the planners. Civic Solutions Group says it shortly hopes to have dates and times for community meetings. The recommendations they present could involve consolidating or closing schools and programs that matter to our children. We commend the board for committing to a transparent strategic planning process.
But the only way it works is if we all participate.