District presents plan to move Natchitoches Junior High, proposes citywide grade rebanding

Natchitoches Parish School Board Committee members heard on Feb. 4 that Natchitoches Junior High (NJH) has chronic building problems and that district staff propose reconfiguring the city’s grade-banded schools from five campuses to four to address facilities and instructional continuity.

The proposal, presented by Jennifer Martin of the district’s teaching-and-learning department, would move NJH to the district’s current magnet campus and make Weaver a 3–5 campus, NJH a 6–8 campus, keep LP Vaughn as pre-K–2 and Natchitoches Central as 9–12. Martin described the plan as “the most viable and equitable” option the department had vetted.

Why it matters: district staff said NJH is the facility in greatest need of sustained investment. Superintendent Dr. Eloy told the committee that district inspections and an indoor-air study did not detect abnormal air-quality levels but that the building has persistent water intrusion, age-related failures and pest issues that have required repeated, costly repairs. Staff estimates ranged from about $1.6 million to $2.5 million for near-term roof, duct and HVAC work to keep the building usable, and a conservative full refurbishment estimate of about $16.4 million to bring the building to long-term standards.

District staff said the rebanding proposal would reduce the number of times a city-school student changes campuses over a K–12 career, preserve existing curricula and daily supports such as WIN (intervention) blocks and quarterly progress checks, and create opportunities to reallocate counselors and social workers so every city campus has onsite student-support personnel. Martin said instructional programs and elective offerings would not be reduced; in some cases they might expand because of larger teacher pools at Weaver and NJH.

Officials described the proposal as an alternative to more expensive long-term options. “We do believe that there is a timeline on this,” Dr. Eloy said; “it is the opinion of the district staff that at some point, we will have to vacate this building.” He said the question is “when rather than if.” Martin said the plan would allow students to attend four campuses instead of five during a full K–12 span, a change the district argues carries educational benefits.

Staff and board members debated timing and logistics. Facilities and finance staff told the committee that constructing a new building would likely cost tens of millions of dollars and that immediate repairs to allow continued occupancy would require engineering and a bid process that make a summer-only fix unlikely. Facilities staff estimated lead times for equipment and bids that would push substantial work into the 2025–26 school year if the board directed immediate repairs.

The committee did not vote. Martin said the district has three options: take no action, adopt the rebanding for 2025–26, or adopt it for 2026–27. She and other directors recommended a March decision if the board wants implementation in 2025–26 so central-office departments can complete detailed master schedules, summer logistics and transportation routing. Principals said they prefer a longer runway for planning; district staff said March decisions would still be feasible but tight.

The board scheduled community meetings and calendar changes to allow public input: a committee meeting at 5:00 p.m. followed by a town-hall style session at 6:00 p.m. at Natchitoches Junior High on March 6, and a regular meeting at the board office on March 13; the district will publish a formal proposal and announcement in advance. The superintendent asked staff to prepare detailed timelines and logistical plans for the March meetings so the board and the public can review staffing, student rosters, transportation and summer-school impacts.

Next steps: The district will circulate detailed implementation timelines and logistical plans before the March meetings; no binding board action was taken Feb. 4.