NPSB to Hold Town Hall Meetings in April for the Discussion of a New Consolidated District
NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA – The Natchitoches Parish School Board will be holding town hall meetings in the month of April to gain feedback on the possible construction of a new high school for the new consolidation of Districts 6, 8 and 10.
The suggestion the board is proposing is to combine District 6, 8 and 10 into one consolidated District 11.
As an incentive to consolidate these 3 districts, the board is proposing the creation of a new high school in the area that would serve Cloutierville, Provencal and Marthaville.
“The school would be a 2A school with full programmatic offerings,” says NPSB Superintendent, Dr. Grant Eloi. “We are holding two town hall meetings to invite public input on this process, which includes both district consolidation and the new high school.” The two town halls will take place at Provencal Elementary/Jr. High School on April 20th at 6 p.m. and Marthaville Elementary/Jr. High School on April 22nd at 6 p.m. Both meetings will take place in the school gymnasiums.
For more information and to view the school board’s proposal, visit https://npsb.la/news/public-notice-town-halls-discuss-consolidation-new-district-11.
About Natchitoches Parish School Board
The Natchitoches Parish School Board meets the challenges required to raise academic standards and positively impact student achievement throughout all of Natchitoches Parish. We are committed to a policy of educating children by helping them to develop an awareness and appreciation for the achievements, problems and aspirations of all people in our culturally diverse society.
I think it would be a great thing for the community!! Natchitoches has got to allow change to better the communities involved.
As a former teacher and a recent transplant to Natchitoches I have a little insight into how decisions like this are made.
The school’s placement has nothing to do with what’s best for the communities served, the taxpayers, or even the students who will attend. Instead, the goal is to consolidate students from several highly rated feeder schools in the district under one roof to create a showcase school. The new school’s location is planned next to the interstate to lure property developers to build new subdivisions in the immediate vicinity of the shiny new school. This will provide easy access to Natchitoches, but also to the Alexandria metro.
The ultimate goal is that new development fed by commuters both to Natchitoches and to Alec will expand the tax base both within the parish and city. I am neither in favor nor against this strategy, but feel it’s important for the citizens of Natchitoches Parish to recognize the underlying decision-making.
“Recent transplant” says it all. So misinformed. No one is trying to create a showcase school. It’s a shame people are so skeptical of growth and change.
Some on here are saying that placing the school in the city limits is for tax purposes, how so? The school system is funded, in part, by a parish wide sales tax that makes no distinction between parish and city. Additionally it would be a consolidated district composed of the communities that it serves so any bond issue funding construction would be voted by those in that consolidated taxing district, yes other districts could be included in the issue but we don’t yet know their plans for funding.
To the person claiming that it makes no sense to put it here and the one that wants it in the west side of the parish, I imagine, that based on the article, the proposed location gives the school access to I-49 for it’s connection to Hwy 6 and 120 as well as Waterwell Road and it’s connection for Hwy 1. This location has to serve Marthaville, Provencal AND Cloutierville and provides a more or less equal drive time for those three areas.
My problem with this announcement is that far too many don’t know what the term preliminary means and in its rush to be “transparent” the SB has not provided enough detail to stop all of the wild speculation, but then again if the SB put forth a better preliminary plan they’d be accused of not being transparent enough. Damned if you do damned if you don’t. Typical.
And if I read Google Maps correctly, there is a huge part of the parish that is Kisatchie National Forest which limits where a school can be placed.
Does anybody remember NPSB already closed down Cloutierville, St. Matthew, and Allen highschools? They tore down the school buildings and sent everybody to NCHS. What a waste of taxpayer money!
If you make the current Marthaville school a high school that would eliminate busing those kids out of their community.
Segregation is all I see
A split between Clouterville and Provencal both going to the same school is segregation? You literally are to stupid to speak publicly, just shut up!
Does Lakeview have all of the full programatic offerings that NCHS does? How do they think they will balance this racially? Walk into Provencal and Marthaville. Now walk into NJH. Will the students from Natchez, South Town and Fairgrounds who were zoned Cloutierville go to the new school to increase the minority count? While Natchez may have gone to Provencal, the other areas (anything off of Mill St and south) came into town schools.
Go to the NPSB’s website and tell me how many times you read the word “tax” involving a new school. You’re welcome.
I think there should be another school to serve the west side of the parish the proposed location doesn’t make any sense. The road distance between there and NCHS is approximately 11 miles so student coming from the Marthaville area would travel 6 miles further to school. It is 6 miles from I-49/La 6 to La 478. I think a new school should be on La 6 Wesr between Hagewood and Robeline or La 120 between Provencal and Flora. To me, a La 120 location makes more sense.
I wonder if the proposed site is on land the School Board already owns.
Yes!
Yes it is
Doesn’t fit their agenda if it don’t fit in the city limits. They want the tax. 478 is within the city limits. Read the blue signs on I49 and on 478…..
Where is the area that the school will be built on?
If this is for Provencal, Marthaville and Cloutierville, why is it being built in the city limit of Natchitoches? I can tell you why, tax tax tax and more money money for Natchitoches. Only idiots would go for this. Nothing but a huge scheme….
The location is not in the city limits
Yes it is. City limits include all of 478 from La Hwy 1 to I49 and a mile north and south of 478 on I49. Definitely a revenue mule for the city.
Because even though it’s technically in the city it actually is not, by any measure at all. That area is really well placed to serve the mentioned areas. It’s also about a fifteen minute drive to town.
This would make NCHS drop from 5A athletically. It would also make more teaching jobs in the area. Maybe you can provide a map for the school’s exact proposed coverage.
This would be great!!! If there was another high school just maybe our kids will have the opportunity to learn more and not stay in a very crowded class room. The schools and the road have nothing to do with each other.
Your as stupid as all the Hicks in marthaville Kristine!!! Crowded classrooms are not an excuse for your kids to be idiots just saying
It is a proven fact that kids in overcrowded classrooms don’t learn as much as kids in smaller classes. A teacher can give more attention to a child who doesn’t understand something in a smaller class. Smaller classes learn more and are less likely to get loud and out of control as those classes so large that the teacher cannot give as much individual attention. I have said for a long time that Natchitochas Central was a school that was much too large.
Are there any plans for the current school? Do we just build a new school and leave NCHS in the condition it is in? It is still bat infested, I saw that myself after a basketball game this season.
Have any of you people complaining bothered to look at NCHS. This would be great for all of our kids and their futures. Yes, I am absolutely concerned about the money. Why would it come from. If they want new taxes then they absolutely should dig their head out of the dark spot around back. They already take far too much money from us and our local businesses. Maybe this would finally be a good use for the overdone ballpark, I don’t know. It would be nice to have this school though!
Taxes paid for the school system have nothing to do with the roads. If taxes are needed it would be likely be up to the voters in the area of the new school to decide by passing the needed taxes. I want to hear what those in that area have to say.
So how much will property taxes need to be raised in order to fund this? What is the projected cost?
Where would this be located
See Map for possible location
According to the map that would be I-49 and Waterwell Road.
This is nuts! Where is the money coming from? You still four failing schools in the district. What about condition of the roads? This new superintendent likes to spend taxpayer money. Just say no!
What part of fixing roads comes from the school board budget?
If money fixed failing schools we wouldn’t have failing schools.
So many of our students are not able to really participate in various after school activities or feel like they belong with there not being a high school in their own community. To have that scenario, would be an impossible dream.
However, an additional high school for these communities would help. At one time, Robeline seemed to be a logical choice. So many choices and decisions to be made before all this is settled.
I just know, if I had a young high school students, I would truly not want to send them to Natchitoches Central. But that is just my opinion. Fortunately, my kids were out of high school when we returned to the parish.
Before everyone gets upset, let’s hear the facts, see the studies and logistics. Then and only then will we really know what is best. Plus will it be good for our students!