INDReporter

LPSS' technical high school opening at LTC

by Nathan Stubbs

The Lafayette Parish School System will open a new career and technical high school in August, but it will not be housed at N.P. Moss Middle School. The Lafayette Parish School System will open a new career and technical high school in August, but it will not be housed at N.P. Moss Middle School. The decision came after more than an hour's worth of discussion at last night's board meeting, and was welcomed by several north side parents who had fought against Moss' conversion.

CSRS, the engineering firm charged with creating a facilities master plan for the school system, had recommended the Moss campus in two of four options presented to the school board for creating a career and technical high school. The school board has been looking to create the technical school for almost 20 years. Moss was recommended because its low achievement scores have further dwindled its enrollment to fewer than 400 students (the building has capacity for 1,000).

The career and technical high school is instead being opened on the Lafayette campus the Louisiana Technical College. That option was the least expensive but also had the most limited capacity for housing students (LPSS estimates 150 students will start at the school this year). The school board also directed staff to explore the creation of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Academy at Moss as a way to possibly boost enrollment.