The Natchitoches Parish School Board discussed updates to the district’s Smart Steps program, transportation operations, early childhood services, sales tax collections and several policy and financial matters during its Aug. 11 meeting.
During his superintendent’s report, Superintendent Dr. Grant Eloi updated the board on the district’s use of digital payments. He said the district would continue to utilize digital payments as an option for day-to-day school activities and athletic events. Principals and secretaries have been informed that a cash option should always be available. The district doesn’t want to lose people because of convenience fees.
The board also received an update on the district’s Smart Steps program, which is designed for kindergarten through second-grade students with behavioral needs. The program was described as a Tier 3 intervention focused on helping students develop social, coping and self-regulation skills. Students could be referred by principals to the district’s student services team, which would review intervention data before determining eligibility.
The program was expected to last a minimum of 45 days, with individual goals established for students. Students would transition back to their regular classrooms gradually rather than returning immediately after completing the program. District officials emphasized that Smart Steps was not intended to be a punitive alternative school. Instead, it was designed to address behavior in developmentally appropriate ways and change the trajectory of students’ educational careers.
Smart Steps was located on the L.P. Vaughn campus in the former Head Start hallway, but was a district program available to students from all schools. Board members asked about similar resources for older students. District officials said there was not a standalone program identical to Smart Steps for middle school students, but counseling and social work resources were being prioritized at the junior high level.
The district also planned to use Satchel Pulse, a social-emotional learning system, to screen students and identify their needs. Officials said the information would help schools determine which students needed additional support during designated intervention periods. District officials also discussed services for students with disabilities. They said students with disabilities would be evaluated individually to determine whether Smart Steps was appropriate, and that students with needs related to special education could require a different approach.
Officials said parent involvement was a significant component of Smart Steps. Parents would have to agree for their child to participate, and the district planned to offer family activities to help parents understand and reinforce behavioral strategies at home.
The board received a federal programs and early childhood report covering the 2025-26 school year. Title I funds were largely expended and remained within the 15% allowable carryover. The district also fully expended its CLSD funding, except for approximately $377,000 that remained available under the funding. The district fully expended $100,000 in Ready Start Network funding and its early childhood state funds. Those funds supported 177 birth-to-3-year-old families through fully paid scholarship fees at eight Type III child care centers.
Officials said program partners had expanded their centers by opening additional classrooms to help address the need for quality early childhood services. The district’s LA 4 pre-K program also had a strong closeout, with only one student failing to meet the required 74% monthly attendance threshold.
The Rapides Foundation matched early childhood scholarship funding dollar for dollar. Additional local funds were used to make up the difference, including approximately $12,000 from private donors and other funds.
The board also received the final sales tax report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2026. June collections decreased by approximately $25,000 compared with June of the previous year. Overall, year-to-date collections increased 3.3% from the previous year. The district collected just over $24 million during the fiscal year, slightly above its $23.5 million budget. The district budgeted $24.4 million in sales tax collections for the upcoming fiscal year.
The board also approved a resolution authorizing the Louisiana State Mineral and Energy Board and Office of Mineral Resources to nominate school board-owned property for a state agency mineral lease. The board approved authorization for signatures on a lease agreement with EIP Holdings.
The board renewed a memorandum of understanding between Crime Stoppers Inc. and the Natchitoches Parish School Board. District officials said the Crime Stoppers app was available on student devices and allowed students, parents and community members to report concerns, including bullying, harassment and mental health concerns. Reports could be made anonymously and were sent to designated school officials and law enforcement.
The board approved a resolution authorizing DLM Geophysical to conduct a seismic survey on school board-owned property. Officials said the agreement covered approximately 265 acres and that the district had negotiated a rate of $25 per acre, matching the highest rate being paid for other leases in the parish. Officials said the seismic survey was not an oil or natural gas lease. The survey would cover properties in the Robeline and Marthaville areas, as well as property near Posey Road and a roughly 500-acre tract off Waterwell Road.
The district said it was also seeking royalty rates equal to or greater than those being offered elsewhere and that the involvement of the State Mineral and Energy Board would provide additional scrutiny of the lease terms.