Enrollment is shrinking at Jefferson Parish schools, and while some facilities are overused, some are under-utilized. What can be done about it?
Chairman Ralph Brandt of the Jefferson Parish School Board, joined WWL’s Newell Normand this week to talk closures, consolidations and the future of education in Jefferson Parish.
“Many of our schools are operating at a level below 50%,” he said, adding that “a substantial number of schools that are below 400 enrollment.”
Brandt explained that the board reached out to engineers and consultants to get advice about how to best modernize the schools. Recently, recommendations were presented at a board meeting and public comment on those recommendations is expected April 5.
In addition to declining enrollment, schools in Jefferson Parish are also impacted by aging infrastructure.
“I mean, if you look that studies across the country say that useful life for a school type building is about 50 years and 80% of our schools are 60 years or older,” Brandt explained. He also mentioned “unique challenges faced by the individual school buildings, including some in the Lafayette area still recovering from Hurricane Ida.
By consolidating schools and closing down some buildings, the board also hopes to address a teacher shortage in the area. Outside of Jefferson Parish, a nationwide teacher shortage was reported as of last year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Listen to the full conversation here.
Related
