Education officials, including state Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek, have speculated that LPSS chose the NP Moss site for the new technical high school in an attempt to block a state takeover of NP Moss, the district's lowest performing school. As many as 871 students zoned for NP Moss Middle School will be moved to five middle schools in Lafayette Parish to make room for the Thibodaux Career and Technical High School, set to open in August at the NP Moss site.
The Advocate's Marsha Sills reports that the Lafayette Parish School Board voted at its meeting Wednesday to divide the NP Moss students among Acadian, Carencro, Edgar Martin, Lafayette and Paul Breaux middle schools.
Education officials, including state Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek, have speculated that LPSS chose the NP Moss site for the new high school in an attempt to block a state takeover of NP Moss, the district's lowest performing school. Pastorek told The Independent Weekly's editorial board recently that LPSS never contacted Pastorek's office about Moss's standing, also noting that the state may not have opted to take control of the academically unacceptable school.
Hunter Beasley, board member for District 8, cast the only no vote on the plan to rezone NP Moss students, citing unknowns about whether the district has planned for additional resources at the five middle schools to accommodate the additional students:
Equipment at N.P. Moss Middle School will be divided among the five sites, said Nelda Broussard, director of census, student behavior and health services.
Superintendent Burnell Lemoine said Title 1 funds will remain attached to those Moss students to help provide additional support.
The School Board chose Architects Southwest to design the $50,000 renovations and additions necessary to transform the middle school into the career and technical high school, according to The Advocate.
Read more on Wednesday's School Board meeting here.