Now that the Jefferson Parish School Board has voted to consolidate seven schools and move two others to different campuses, what will happen to the school buildings that will be left vacant?
The board's president and vice president say several options are being considered.
"We plan on razing some of the properties," board vice president Derreck Shepherd said. "It could be considered in upcoming meetings with the guidance of the superintendent."
"The school system will be looking at long-term uses in some cases," added board president Ralph Brandt, noting that district officials will assess the properties before making any decisions to condemn buildings. "Razing the schools will be a consideration if they cannot be repurposed in some other way."
Brandt says the district may consider land swaps with the Jefferson Parish Government or the municipal governments in the parish.
"We will explore situations where if a school could be repurposed with one of those governmental entities, either the parish or a city, that we might entertain something that, again, is a win-win both for the communities and the school system," Brandt said.
Outrights sales of the soon-to-be-vacant properties are also on the table.
"Some properties will be retained for future development, and some will be offered for sale at a public auction through the state's public bid process," Shepherd said.
Regardless of what the district does with those properties, both Brandt, who voted in favor of the restructuring plan, and Shepherd, who voted against it, say the school board made its decision with the best intentions in mind.
"I hear them," Brandt said of the people who urged the board not to adopt its plan. "I heard them last night, but ultimately as a board member--and particularly as the board president--this is for long term sustainability. I think it's the appropriate thing to do in this situation."
"The board members who voted yes: they are not racist individuals who have cold hearts and don't want what's best for our children," Shepherd said. "This is a tough decision for everyone, and everyone had to make a decision based upon what was in the best interest of children. I want people to understand that the people we have on the board are good people who had to make a tough decision based upon what they thought was the right thing to do."
