Alice Boucher earned a school performance score of 49.2 following the 2012-13 term; JW Faulk came in with a dismal 34.4.
Alice Boucher and JW Faulk elementary schools could see an exodus of students before the school year commences. The Lafayette Parish School System says parents of students attending those schools may seek to have their children transferred after preliminary calculations by the state Department of Education found the schools to be academically unacceptable. State law allows for out-of-zone transfers for students attending AUS schools.
Boucher earned a school performance score of 49.2 following the 2012-13 term; Faulk came in with a dismal 34.4. Schools must earn a grade of 50 to be removed from the AUS list.
Citing "additional productive changes" made to the schools during the prior school year, Cooper noted that while parents have the right to transfer their children, they may "want their child to take advantage of the ongoing changes at Boucher and Faulk." Boucher is also home to the World Languages Academy, a feature that might compel some parents to keep their children at the school.
Parents wishing to transfer their children will have three choices: Carencro Heights, Ossun or Prairie elementaries. According to the school system, "[e]very effort will be made to give parents their first choice. However, it is dependent upon the school's available space. If all requests cannot be granted, placement will be based on enrollment limits at each school with priority given to those with the lowest test scores."
School system spokeswoman Angela Morrison also noted that steps are in place at both AUS campuses to address the poor performances:
At both schools there will be a higher level of focus on reading, writing and math, planning to go above standardized instruction minutes dedicated to reading and math. Specialized strategies to work with students in need of remediation as well as students who excel will be implemented.