LAFAYETTE, La. — The Lafayette School Board voted to relocate the Gifted Magnet, French and Spanish Immersion programs from Paul Breaux Middle School to Edgar Martin Middle School.
The School Board also voted to discontinue the Chinese Immersion Program at Corporal Michael Middlebrook Elementary School.
Despite pleas from parents and community members who have been advocating to keep the programs at the school, the board school voted 5-4 to relocate the program at Wednesday's school board meeting.
“If you take nothing else away from this public outcry, take away the knowledge that many families and stakeholders feel ignored, uninformed and completely suspicious of your motives,” said one parent at Wednesday's school board meeting.
Wednesday night's meeting saw packed rooms and an overflow of people in long lines hoping to persuade the board to keep the programs at Paul Breaux Middle School and the Chinese Immersion program.
Lafayette School Superintendent Francis Touchet says the decision to relocate the gifted magnet, and immersion programs from Paul Breaux Middle School is due to low enrollment at middle schools across Lafayette.
“There is a middle school issue and that students regardless of it's Paul Breaux or across this district, we are loosing students. After 5th grade, parents are deciding for some reason or another to take kids out of the system, but by all means, by high school the numbers are right where they need to be.”
Touchet said student enrollment has declined at Paul Breaux Middle School. In 2021/2022, 42% of gifted students did not enter the gifted program at Paul Breaux Middle School. 43% did not enter in 2022/2023 and 46% did not enter in the 2023/2024 school year.
Touchet believes the decline is due to students going to charter and private schools. "Now we have charters, now we have private schools, all I'm saying is whether we do this or not, we are going to be faced in the next three years with challenges."
LPSS says since 2015 it has seen a 224% increase in charter school enrollment across Lafayette Parish and spent $30,551,482 for the 2023 school year.
Touchet confirmed that schools across Lafayette Parish are facing similar fate if the numbers don't improve.
”Were gonna look at all schools and its going to be all schools but Lafayette Parish is not going to be to survive with these initiatives that is happening and that is happening as far as reality and when it comes is that charter schools are coming and private schools are next”
Meanwhile, the decision to discontinue the Chinese Immersion Program at Corporal Michael Middlebrook Elementary School was also met with concern by parents.
Melissa Hardy's son attends Middlebrook and she says she is now considering other options for her son's education, "What we really want is the time to communicate with the board and find out what they need. We're willing to help. We want to help the program grow but we feel like we haven't gotten the opportunity nor have we gotten the communication to know why we can't do so."
Hardy joined several other parents who spoke at Wednesday night's school board meeting asking the board to reconsider its decision stating the program.
LPSS said in a recent statement, closing the Chinese Immersion Program at Middlebrook will yield $510, 304 in savings. LPSS says less than 70 students are registered in the Chinese Immersion Program.
Through Lafayette’s school of choice or magnet program, students across Lafayette can attend magnet schools and programs even if they are not zoned for the area.
There are fears that Paul Breaux Middle School will close once the Gifted, French and Spanish immersion programs are removed as this will also impact registration numbers, but the school board did not confirm those reports.
