Overview of Proposed 2023 Infrastructure and Efficiency Plan
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Meyers Engineering/MGT Consulting presented the 2023 Infrastructure and Efficiency Plan to the Jefferson Parish School Board on March 27, 2023. This proposed plan would expand opportunities for kids, maintain educator jobs, address staffing shortages and our aging facilities, and stabilize our financial future.
Under the proposed plan, eight schools would be consolidated and students would be reabsorbed into other schools:
- Grace King High School students would be absorbed into Bonnabel High School and Riverdale High School
- Gretna Middle School students would be absorbed into Marrero Middle School and Livaudais Middle School
- G.T. Woods Elementary students would be absorbed into Bissonet Plaza Elementary School and Tom Benson School
- Helen Cox High School students would be absorbed into John Ehret High School,LW Higgins High School, and West Jefferson High School
- Joshua Butler Elementary students would be absorbed into Judge Lionel Collins Elementary, Isaac Joseph Elementary, and Truman School
- Mildred Harris Elementary students would be absorbed into Cherbonnier Elementary and Emmett Gilbert Elementary
- Washington Elementary students would be absorbed into Bunche Elementary
- St. Ville Elementary students would be absorbed into Woodmere Elementary while a new school is being built at the current St. Ville site. Once the new school construction is completed at St. Ville’s current site, a new St. Ville Elementary will open. At that time, school lines will be redrawn to include the St. Ville Elementary, Woodmere Elementary, Shirley Johnson Gretna Park Elementary, and George Cox Elementary campuses.
Two schools would relocate their campuses and students:
- Haynes Academy would relocate to the Grace King High School campus
- Thomas Jefferson Academy would relocate to the Gretna Middle School campus
One school would expand to a PK-8 school:
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C.T. Janet Elementary (currently PK-5)
The proposed 2023 Infrastructure and Efficiency Plan, along with communications and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. can be viewed below.
There will be a Regular Session School Board meeting in which the board will consider approving the proposed plan. The meeting will be held on April 5, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at the JP Schools Administrative Office (501 Manhattan Boulevard, Harvey, LA 70058).
Communications
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March 31, 2023 Update
JP Schools Family,
As a system, our goal is to envision the best possible future for Jefferson Parish Schools while mapping a practical plan for the challenges we are presented with today. We currently have 140 teacher vacancies, up from 20 vacancies three years ago. Since 2020, our enrollment has declined by over 2,000 students. The average age of our buildings is 60 years old. We still face over $500 million in permanent repairs from Hurricane Ida. We are facing rising insurance costs like the rest of southeast Louisiana.
We can’t ignore these challenges. Instead, we must face these challenges head-on and examine the future of our school facilities to ensure our students have the best educational opportunities available. Tackling these tough decisions now will set our students, system, and parish up for long-term success.
We understand this is an incredibly difficult and emotional time for the students, families, employees, and communities impacted by the decisions in the proposed 2023 Infrastructure and Efficiency Plan. As a district, we do not make these decisions lightly.
The proposed plan puts our students into higher quality school facilities, addresses our ongoing staffing challenges, and allows us to provide more opportunities and resources for our students and schools who need it the most. Consolidating schools with low enrollment allows us to optimize our buildings and puts more money back into classrooms. No matter what school our students attend, they will be welcomed with open arms. Customized plans for each impacted school will be shared with students, families, and staff as more information becomes available. Revised school attendance maps will be available at the end of April, and once available, families will be sent this information via Jcampus communication.
The proposed 2023 Infrastructure and Efficiency Plan and answers to Frequently Asked Questions can be viewed at www.jpschools.org/2023Plan. Please note the FAQs will be updated on a continuous basis.
There will be a Regular Session School Board meeting in which the board will consider approving the proposed plan. The meeting will be held on April 5, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at the JP Schools Administrative Office (501 Manhattan Boulevard, Harvey, LA 70058).
Change is not always easy, but these changes are necessary if we want to ensure our children have the education they deserve and the opportunity for a better tomorrow. I know that together, we can continue to be the proof point for what’s possible.
Dr. James Gray
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March 27, 2023 Update
JP Schools Family,
We want you to have the important information we have outlined below in detail. Tonight, Meyers Engineering/MGT Consulting presented the 2023 Infrastructure and Efficiency Plan to the Jefferson Parish School Board. This plan expands opportunities for kids, maintains educator jobs, addresses staffing shortages and our aging facilities, and stabilizes our financial future.
The plan Meyers Engineering/MGT Consulting presented tonight is the result of feedback from the January School Facilities Stakeholder Survey, MGT Town Hall meetings held in March, dozens of community meetings, feedback from various stakeholders, and research by the district and independent education consultants. It also puts into action many of the recommendations made by the Hill Group in their 2018 Jefferson Parish Schools Educational Facility Master Plan study.
The plan allows us to continue to expose students to high-quality curriculum, provides accelerated opportunities for students, provides families with school choice, gives us the ability to increase partnerships, and gives schools the opportunity to be more competitive in athletics. It keeps our teachers in the classroom and does not impact current class size formulas. It considers our various neighborhoods and its impact on students’ safety and security, increases transportation efficiencies, ensures that high-yield instructional initiatives like Jefferson Summer Bridge can continue, and allows us to continue to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.
The following schools will be impacted most significantly:
- Grace King High School students will be absorbed into Bonnabel High School and Riverdale High School
- Gretna Middle School students will be absorbed into Marrero Middle School and Livaudais Middle School
- G.T. Woods Elementary students will be absorbed into Bissonet Plaza Elementary School and Tom Benson School
- Helen Cox High School students will be absorbed into John Ehret High School, LW Higgins High School, and West Jefferson High School
- Joshua Butler Elementary students will be absorbed into Judge Lionel Collins Elementary, Isaac Joseph Elementary, and Truman School
- Mildred Harris Elementary students will be absorbed into Cherbonnier Elementary and Emmett Gilbert Elementary
- Washington Elementary students will be absorbed into Bunche Elementary
- Haynes Academy students will relocate to the Grace King High School campus
- Thomas Jefferson Academy students will relocate to the Gretna Middle School campus
- St. Ville Elementary students will be temporarily housed at Woodmere Elementary while a new school is being constructed
While our goal is to have brand new schools across our entire district, the plan puts in motion the construction of two new school campuses at the following sites:
- Bunche Elementary
- St. Ville Elementary
This plan also calls for the creation of one new PK-8 school:
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C.T. Janet Elementary (currently PK-5)
Our growth these last two years is evidence that what we are doing is working for our students. This does not happen by chance. It happens through the intentional use of high yield instructional practices that support our shared vision of success for all students. It happens by ensuring we have the structures and programs in place to move all of our students forward. It happens through the continuous support and development of our people. It happens through partnerships with our families and community. We have an opportunity to optimize a facilities plan that ensures we can put students first, staff schools appropriately, and address our aging buildings in an efficient manner. While this plan includes hard decisions, they ensure our children can have a better tomorrow.
The School Board will vote on the plan April 5. We will be posting Meyers Engineering/MGT Consulting’s entire plan on our website here tomorrow so employees, families, and the community can get more information.
Sincerely,
Dr. James Gray
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March 13, 2023 Update
JP Schools Family,
Today marks the three-year anniversary of when our schools were shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, we have been through a lot together. Whether it was learning how to conduct virtual instruction, taking daily temperature checks, implementing one-to-one student technology, or teaching in a new building after Hurricane Ida, you persevered. You supported one another, learned new skills, and adjusted practices in order to meet the needs of our kids. You pivoted as our context shifted.
As these last three years have shown us, change is not always easy. However, change is necessary if we want to ensure our children can have a better tomorrow. As you may know, the School Board hired Meyers Engineering and MGT Consulting Group to develop a revised Infrastructure and Efficiency Plan and present it at an upcoming School Board meeting. They will use community feedback from the nine town hall meetings last week to help create the plan.
In addition to utilizing input from our stakeholders, Meyers Engineering and MGT Consulting Group will also take into account where we are as a district. While we have made significant gains, we still face the following ongoing challenges:
- We are seeing record-high teacher shortages. We are currently down 150 teachers, up from 40 vacancies in 2019. Teacher attraction and retention is a national issue. Staffing shortages also include bus drivers, paraprofessionals, and mental health professionals.
- 80% of our facilities are older than the average life cycle for a municipal building. The average age of our buildings is 60 years.
- Overall, our current schools are not at capacity – meaning there are too many facilities for the number of students we have. The current district student capacity is 60,750, and current student enrollment is approximately 42,000, not including charter schools.
- The parish looks different today than it did when our current footprint was established. The number of children under the age of 18 has been decreasing consistently each decade. In 1980, the number of children under the age of eighteen was approximately 140,000. In 2020, this population was 96,000.
- In addition to the decline in student population, we have potential funding gaps due to Hurricane Ida repairs and funding recurring district initiatives that are using one-time ESSER funds. For example, Jefferson Summer Bridge cost the district approximately $4,050,000 of ESSER funds in summer 2022, and all ESSER funds must be spent by September 2024.
While we won’t know any details until the consultants present the final plan to our School Board and administration, our goal is that the plan would include building new schools, significantly reducing staffing shortages, and possibly bringing back certain programs (e.g., athletics, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), art, band, music, dance, theater). With the approval of the most recent sales tax and millage renewals, we have the public’s trust, so the plan would also ensure that we continue to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.
Please also know the plan would protect educator jobs. Any impacted certificated employees with a satisfactory evaluation would maintain their employment, salary, and benefits. Just like we did in 2020 when we conducted school consolidations and K-8 expansion, our Human Resources team would visit schools to meet face-to-face with impacted employees and obtain their input on where they would like to work next school year.
As I value honesty and transparency, I will continue to share updates and information with you about this process. I encourage you to continue to stay focused on what’s important now - the students in front of you each day. While this plan would go into effect for the 2023-2024 school year, we still have two and a half months to finish the year strong.
Collectively, we have an opportunity to optimize a facilities plan that ensures we can put students first, staff schools appropriately, and address our aging buildings in an efficient manner. We are part of a larger ecosystem and depend on each other to progress our community as a whole. The moves we make today will set our students, district, and parish up for success in the future. As we continue planning for what’s next for Jefferson Parish Schools, thank you for your support and commitment in doing what’s right for our kids.
Dr. James Gray
Frequently Asked Questions (Updated 3/31/2023)
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Why is Jefferson Parish Schools considering consolidating schools?
JP Schools is considering this proposed plan for a multitude of reasons.
- We are in a similar situation as many other school districts across the nation that continue to experience a decline in enrollment. The trend of declining enrollment is being attributed in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other demographic factors that are affecting birth rates and school populations. Many of our current schools are not at capacity – there are too many facilities for the number of students we have. The current district student capacity is 60,750, and current student enrollment is approximately 42,000 (not including charter schools).
- We are seeing record high teacher shortages, with 140 teacher vacancies, up from 40 vacancies at the same time in 2019. Teacher attraction and retention is a national issue with robust local and regional competition for seasoned educators. Our staffing shortages also include bus drivers, paraprofessionals, and mental health professionals.
- Eighty percent of our facilities are aged out of the average life cycle of a municipal building, which is 50 years. The average age of our buildings is 60 years, and 41% of our schools are between 41 and 99 years old.
- Jefferson Parish looks different today than it did when our current footprint was established. The number of children under the age of 18 has been decreasing consistently each decade. In 1980, the number of children under the age of eighteen was approximately 140,000. In 2020, this population was 96,000.
- In addition to the decline in student population, we have potential funding gaps due to Hurricane Ida repairs. Our plan is to continue funding recurring district initiatives that are using one-time Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) funds. For example, Jefferson Summer Bridge cost the district approximately $4,050,000 in ESSER funds during summer 2022, and all ESSER funds expire in September 2024.
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Did the school board approve the plan?
No. The School Board will vote on the proposed plan April 5 at the School Board meeting at 6 p.m. at 501 Manhattan Blvd.
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If approved, when will these changes take effect?
These changes would be for the 2023-24 school year.
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Will teachers lose their jobs under this plan?
No. Certificated employees with a satisfactory evaluation working at a school that is closing or being consolidated will maintain their employment, salary, and benefits. Just like the 2020 school consolidations and K-8 expansion, the JP Schools Human Resources team will visit schools to meet face-to-face with employees impacted by these changes and get their input on where they would like to work next school year.
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How was the plan created?
The plan Meyers Engineering/MGT Consulting presented is the result of feedback from the MGT Town Hall meetings held in March, dozens of community meetings, feedback from various stakeholders, and research by the district and independent education consultants. It also puts into action many of the recommendations made by the Hill Group in their 2018 Jefferson Parish Schools Educational Facility Master Plan study.
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When will the Jefferson Parish School Board vote on this proposed plan?
The school board will vote on this plan April 5, 2023. The meeting will take place at the JP Schools Administration Building at 501 Manhattan Blvd. in Harvey at 6 p.m.
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How can I watch the meeting if I can’t make it in person?
The April school board meeting will air live on Jefferson Parish Schools television and stream live on our website. JP Schools TV can be viewed on Cox and AT&T Uverse. You can find the live stream link here.
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Where can people learn more?
Employees, families, and community members can view more information at jpschools.org/2023Plan.
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What are some of the trends the district has seen in teacher shortages?
The district is seeing record-high teacher shortages. We currently have 140 teacher vacancies, up from 20 vacancies in 2020. Teacher recruitment and retention is a state and national issue. Staffing shortages also include bus drivers, paraprofessionals, and mental health professionals.
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How old are the facilities in the district?
Eighty percent of our facilities are older than the average life cycle for a municipal building. The average age of our buildings is 60 years.
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What schools are impacted by the proposed plan?
What schools are impacted by the plan?
Under the plan, eight schools will be consolidated and students will be reabsorbed into other schools:
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Grace King High School students will be absorbed into Bonnabel High School and Riverdale High School
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Gretna Middle School students will be absorbed into Marrero Middle School and Livaudais Middle School
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G.T. Woods Elementary students will be absorbed into Bissonet Plaza Elementary School and Tom Benson School
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Helen Cox High School students will be absorbed into John Ehret High School,LW Higgins High School, and West Jefferson High School
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Joshua Butler Elementary students will be absorbed into Judge Lionel Collins Elementary, Isaac Joseph Elementary, and Truman School
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Mildred Harris Elementary students will be absorbed into Cherbonnier Elementary and Emmett Gilbert Elementary
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Washington Elementary students will be absorbed into Bunche Elementary
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St. Ville Elementary students will be absorbed into Woodmere Elementary while a new school is being built at the current St. Ville site. Once the new school construction is completed at St. Ville’s current site, a new St. Ville Elementary will open. At that time, school lines will be redrawn to include the St. Ville Elementary, Woodmere Elementary, Shirley Johnson Gretna Park Elementary, and George Cox Elementary campuses.
Two schools will relocate their campuses and students:
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Haynes Academy will relocate to the Grace King High School campus
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Thomas Jefferson Academy will relocate to the Gretna Middle
This plan also calls for the creation of one new PK-8 school:
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C.T. Janet Elementary (currently PK-5)
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Will there be any schools converted from a PK-5 to a PK-8 school?
This plan also calls for the creation of one new PK-8 school:
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C.T. Janet Elementary (currently PK-5)
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Are our schools at capacity?
No. The current district student capacity is 60,750, and current student enrollment is approximately 42,000, not including charter schools. We are operating too many facilities for the enrollment we have.
The parish looks different today than it did when our current footprint was established. The number of children under the age of 18 has been decreasing consistently each decade. In 1980, the number of children under the age of eighteen was approximately 140,000. In 2020, this population was 96,000.
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What schools will be relocated?
Two schools will relocate their campuses and students:
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Haynes Academy will relocate to the Grace King High School campus
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Thomas Jefferson Academy will relocate to the Gretna Middle School campus
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What is a PK-8 school?
PK-8s are neighborhood schools that serve students in grades pre-kindergarten through 8th. Our PK-8s offer Tier 1 curriculum, enriching athletics and extracurricular activities, and a safe nurturing environment where students are prepared for high school and beyond.
Reading Approved at February 2023 School Board Meeting
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Amended and Approved Second Reading: Move that the plan be presented for Board approval at the April 5, 2023 Board meeting. A contract with Meyer Engineers, LTD. and MGT Consulting Group requires completion of their work, and presentation of a report after nine community meetings are held by March 31, 2023, addressing the above considerations, to the Superintendent, at a cost not to exceed $400,000.00 to be paid from general funds. (Approved Second Reading at February 1, 2023 meeting) Click here to watch the Second Reading.
Original First Reading: Move that the Jefferson Parish Administration provide this Board with a revised "2023 Infrastructure and Efficiency Plan" informed by the following considerations: school consolidations to optimize occupancy and reduce operational costs, expansion of the Pk-8 model where appropriate, increase Early Childhood Education (ETC) seats where possible, expanded opportunities for Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings, ensures greater efficiency in transportation costs, eliminating light loads and dead mileage as much as possible, creates future opportunities for purchasing/leasing of buses which includes establishing a site for overnight paring and maintenance, and any pervasive, urgent issues at any of our campuses. This plan is to be presented to the Board at the March 2023 meeting. (First Reading at January 4, 2023 meeting authored by Mr. Derrick Shepherd)
