The mood was grim as the Natchitoches Parish School Board met Tuesday, June 13th at a special called meeting. The room was packed to capacity with every principal in the school system and many teachers attending. The meeting was called with one item to discuss – how to deal with the impending $1, 500,000.00 deficit now that school closures are “off the table” and the district faces the possibility of layoffs in order to close the deficit.
Representatives from the three levels of education in the system, elementary, middle school and high school spoke to the board about the devestating effects losing teachers would have on their schools. Mr. Bill Gordy, principal of the largest school in the parish, Natchitoches Central High School, spoke at length. While he spoke of the effects on the school, he also pointed out the effects on the parish’s economy. Cuts to personnel would endanger the “Jump Start” workforce training program for vocational education by cutting back on welding, prostart, home ec and agriculture teachers. It would also endanger NCHS’ higher than the state average 86% graduation rate and rise to a “B” school performance score. All of these are factors that companies look at when they are looking for places to locate. The cuts would become a workforce preparation issue that would further hold the parish back.
All of the speakers sounded a common theme of increased class sizes, discipline problems, loss of planning time, support for teachers, recruiting and retention of quality teachers, and school safety.
You would be surprised at how little the NPSB actually pays for non academic activities such as sports and orchestra/band and the many other things the schools have – Most of the money is raised by the students and their parents
How did it get this bad in the first place?
The economy has not grown in this parish in a long time. Stores shutting down left and right. Believe our city government should be trying to get industry to Natchitoches, but instead depend on tourist to support the city. CRAZY. I know for a fact that when new people move here to work at what industries we do have they move to Alexandria or outskirts of shreveport and drive it. No jobs for spouses and the school system.
they rely on their precious front street and glorious festival once a year.
Most everyone I know who lives in Natch has to travel for work,or go out of town to eat and shop.I do not have a child in this school system,but I hope for other kids that the school board figures this out fast !
Being from Natchitoches, I know all too well this situation. When my son was 3-5 he was forced to go to a “bad” school. Why? We as a family, me as single mom, had to scrape together $ for private school. Plus, the schools are dumbing down kids. Actually it’s the system in place everywhere now. But u r correct about riverbank! They have, and are planning on, pouring more money into that precious front street and river bank area. No road maintenance, no thriving business, no parks for kids, no entertainment no nothing. And you know exactly what the town has become…..let’s say it’s over run by people with no decent jobs or morals to keep the town growing. So instead, let’s just bring in tourists a few times a year and only show them the river bank. Let’s pour all our money into useless crap. That’ll fix it. Glad I moved.
all school board members need to have no pay including the superintendent needs to be fired! . no school board member needs to be paid one dime ever!!! plus the school board system owns property all over the parish called the 16 sections an the timber an the use of said property could off set the cost an keep the school system running. closing schools an letting teachers go is not an option that should ever be on the the table smaller class sizes an more teachers are what is needed, plus the school board needs to be trimmed down !!! plus we do not an i repeat do not need a school board president an a superintendent they both need to go , an parents need to take over the school board. people in Natchitoches parish need to think of the children first an formost! we need smaller classes, an more schools built in other places. but again all school board members need to be fired !!!! for they are useless!!!!!!!!!! an care not for the children but their own pockets!!!!!!!!!!!! wake up Natchitoches parish an demand that the school board be fired!!!!!!!!!!!!
fire everyone.The strong will survive and the stupid will weed themselves out.
don’t see anyone bringing up money spent for sports–or even stopping sport activities–where does all that money made at football and basketball games go too–but since new education focus on social engineering instead of 3 r’s they would let the schools shut down before focusing to education of kids–