Interim superintendent reports 371 students districtwide; audit findings, staffing gaps and athletics budget raise questions

BATON ROUGE, La. — Interim Superintendent Shirley Lewis told the Board of Directors of the Special School District on Sept. 9 that the district began the 2025–26 school year with 371 students and that schools and programs have started instruction and professional learning activities.

Lewis said the Louisiana School for the Deaf (LSD) began with 76 students; the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired (LSVI) began with 53 students (later reported at 56 enrolled); CLASSIC began with 36 students; Pine Crest and Renaissance Home for Youth together started with 111 students; and Office of Juvenile Justice programs began with about 85 students. Lewis said beginning-of-year attendance across schools averaged 94.2 percent.

The superintendent reported facilities and safety work: a visual and audio emergency alert system is in place in the secondary building and used during drills, and operations staff completed roofing, flooring and transformer work on campus. The district’s braille-transcriber staff at the Louisiana Braille Program at Angola completed brailler repair training, Lewis said. The district also named seven recipients of superintendent awards and listed a number of recent retirees.

Lewis spent much of her report reviewing a June 2023 performance audit by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. She summarized eight audit findings that the district needs to address, including organizational culture and staff morale, staffing and turnover, incomplete grievance processing, incomplete district policies and procedures, a need for board orientation and evaluation tools, weaknesses in the LSD ASL/English bilingual implementation and certification gaps, inconsistent delivery and documentation of speech therapy services, and unspent IDEA funds. Lewis said the audit showed SSD did not spend $746,910 of about $2,100,000 in IDEA funds that were available for LSDVI. As interim superintendent, Lewis said she had been given the audit on Aug. 18 and needs time to review documents before reporting progress on implementation.

Athletics was a prominent subject in the superintendent’s report and during public comment. Lewis said athletics budgets were reviewed Aug. 25 and that leaders agreed to reduce costs; as a result, the district will not field a football team this fall. Lewis read a student’s line that "sports aren't just about winning. They are about teamwork, discipline, and fun."

Delvickio Opiku, executive director for business and finance, told the board the district first saw the athletics budget on Aug. 25 and that the 2024 budget development materials submitted last October did not include sports. "We didn't have football last year, and there was no budgeting for football for this year," Opiku said, adding that a late request for about $150,000 could not be accommodated without an appropriation. Nancy Ralls, executive director for districtwide supports (which includes athletics), told the board that the athletic director had been working on a schedule but that no schedule had been approved by Ralls or the superintendent; she also said SSD plays six-man football and must travel long distances because nearby opponents are not available.

Alumni and community speakers voiced concern about the timing and transparency of the athletics decision. Joseph (Ari/Joseph) Latino, an LSD alumnus who identified himself in public comment, said he was "concerned about the athletic program" and that "there was not enough transparency and not enough posting online for the public to see, information being shared." He and others urged earlier and clearer communication and offered to help with fundraising and alumni support.

Why it matters: enrollment, safety systems, staffing and the audit findings affect classroom programming and services for students with sensory disabilities; the athletics budget dispute prompted public concern about transparency and planning. Lewis and district leaders told the board they will continue follow-up work on audit recommendations, staffing updates and budget alignment.

Ending: Board members asked for additional follow-up at future meetings. The board voted unanimously earlier in the meeting to receive and accept the superintendent’s report into the record. Lewis said she will continue reviewing audit materials and report back to the board on implementation progress.