District 5 Lafayette Parish School Board member Kermit Bouillion is hosting a public forum at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Scott Middle School gym, giving stakeholders yet another chance to hear Superintendent Pat Cooper's "100% In ... 100% Out" plan for Lafayette Parish public schools. The public has another opportunity to hear Lafayette Parish School System Superintendent Pat Cooper's "100% In ... 100% Out" turnaround plan at a forum set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Scott Middle School gym.
The most significant pieces of Cooper's turnaround plan include school-level control in raising academic achievement; a birth-5 wellness and early learning model for at-risk children; developmental kindergarten classes for students who aren't at grade level when they start school; random drug testing for middle and high school students, and, among numerous other changes, a vast expansion of health and wellness services offered to students and faculty at every school in the district.
The school board, in a 5-3 vote, accepted phase 1 of Cooper's six-year turnaround proposal at its April 18 meeting. On May 2, the board voted 5-4 to approve Cooper's staff reorganization, which eliminated 42 positions from central office (some were transferred to school-based jobs) and is expected to save the school system roughly $2.6 million.
Following Cooper's presentation on how he plans to raise the district from "C" to "A" status, District 5 public school parents will be able to meet the new superintendent and ask questions on how his plan will impact their children.
The forum is hosted by District 5 school board member Kermit Bouillion.
Read more coverage from The Ind on Cooper's turnaround plan here and here.