17 ABR. 2025 · The Baton Rouge school district is undergoing significant changes due to a decline in student enrollment. With around 10,000 fewer students and many schools operating at less than half capacity, the district plans to close, repurpose, or consolidate several schools. This will affect over 10,000 students and more than 1,400 faculty and staff members. Patrick Martin, a school board member, explained that the district has fewer students due to a general decline in school-aged children, outmigration, and competition from charter and private schools. As a result, some schools are significantly underutilized, leading to inefficiencies in resource allocation.
One example of a school facing closure is Westminster Elementary, which has low enrollment and performance. Students from this school will be accommodated in nearby Jefferson Terrace. Another example is Windborne Elementary, which will be repurposed to house the Belfair Montessori program, a strong program currently in a less suitable building. The district engaged a company to help aggregate data on facilities, school performance, and capacity to make informed decisions. About 60-65% of the decisions are data-driven, while the remaining 35-40% are based on professional judgment to improve educational outcomes.
The district aims to create better learning environments by consolidating schools and reallocating resources. For instance, combining schools can lead to more efficient use of staff, such as having dedicated social workers for a larger group of students instead of splitting their time between underpopulated schools. Faculty and staff from affected schools will likely follow their students to new locations, and a job transfer fair will be held to discuss options. The consolidation is expected to help address the teacher shortage by optimizing staff distribution and improving overall efficiency. The district is also considering the future use of the physical buildings that will no longer be in use.