Report on School Consolidation Commission October, 2018 Meeting

Source: Commission Co-Chair Malinda Brumfield-White Facebook Post

"We had an informative, honest and lively dialogue during the Washington Parish & Bogalusa School Board feasibility study consolidation meeting on 10/22. The group is commissioned to study the feasibility of consolidating to one administration for the whole parish. This does not include consolidating schools, only administration. We currently have less than 7,500 public school students in our parish. Do you believe we are using our resources wisely to educate ALL our children with two administrations? NO parish in this state compares to the way we do business to educate our students. Do you feel we should continue to do business this way because it is what has been done for a century? Some may resist change, however change has occurred over the past 100 years, ie population shifts, technology, drug epidemic with families being destroyed across our parish, etc. The time is now to take a look at how we do business with our tax dollars to educate our children. If not now, when? This will not be an easy task for anyone on the commission, however we must work together to see if there are benefits with a merger. If no benefits yield at the end of the study, no harm done. If we find we can do more with less with benefits to the parish as a whole, the will of the people will decide at the end of the day with a vote.

What I’ve witnessed from the majority is NO new taxes to build or refurbish schools. Next step would be to see how we can do more with less until the will of the people decide they want a better environment for their children and future children.

Our neighboring parishes have thousands more public school students with one administration. Washington Parish has less than 7,500 with two school board systems. NO parish in this state compares to us.

Please voice your concerns, ideas, and more importantly educate yourself in the way we support education in Washington Parish.

Next meeting will be held in the Bogalusa High School Library, 11/26 5:30pm."

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