EUNICE — A number of schools in St. Landry Parish are under consideration for closure or consolidation, and Eunice Elementary is one of the schools at the center of the discussion.
On Thursday night, the St. Landry Parish School District met with community stakeholders to present ideas and gather feedback regarding potential changes.
“Eunice Elementary was mentioned as a repurposing and disbursing those kids throughout Eunice and expanding our Eunice Career and Tech, having that campus expand onto Eunice Elementary,” said Superintendent Milton Batiste.
Washington Elementary is also being considered for repurposing, while Grand Coteau Elementary could face closure.
Opelousas and Creswell Middle Schools are up for consolidation, along with North Central and Port Barre High Schools. However, Batiste noted that merging North Central and Port Barre High may not be feasible due to the significant distance between the two schools.
“We know this would be something that would take a lot of planning,” said Batiste. “With those communities, there is a lot of square miles in between them.”
The commute between the two schools is estimated to be nearly 30 minutes.
At Thursday night’s future planning committee meeting, Batiste emphasized that these proposals are still in the early stages and remain ideas for consideration. However, some community members voiced strong opposition to the suggestions.
“I am passionate about that elementary school because we deserve to be open,” said Mary Lavergne, District 4 Councilwoman for Washington. “We have a plant coming to the town of Washington that might hire people coming from different places, with children. What is a community without a school?”
Rachael Melancon, Principal of Park Vista Elementary, also attended the meeting. She acknowledged the challenges the district faces and expressed that consolidation may be necessary to remain competitive with other school districts.
“We cannot compete with surrounding districts for certified teachers, for facilities, and for the materials that students and teachers need,” said Melancon.
“Last night was about giving the community a voice,” added Batiste.
Declining Enrollment at the Core of Discussions
District officials attribute the proposed changes to declining student enrollment over the past few years. Both Opelousas and Creswell Middle Schools currently have only around 100 students enrolled.
The district continues to gather input from the community as it considers the best path forward.
