Superintendent announces principal development cohorts; district enrollment up 29 from last year

Superintendent Joe Purvis told the Livingston Parish School Board the district will begin two principal development cohorts'an aspiring-principal cohort and a new-principal cohort'to build leadership capacity across the district. He also provided an enrollment update showing a modest increase in students compared with the same date last year.

Purvis said the aspiring-principal cohort is an application-based program intended to prepare internal candidates for principal roles; the district received about 54 applicants and selected "either 20 or 21" participants, according to his remarks. The new-principal cohort will provide scheduled meetings, a set agenda, troubleshooting support and contributions from supervisors across the central office. Purvis said the cohorts will be led by Teresa McRae, Beth Jones (director of curriculum), and Kelly Jones from human resources, with additional involvement from various supervisors including "Mister Shafin" and "Mister Wax".

On enrollment, Purvis reported: "This year on today's date, we were at 26 9 18. Last year on this date, we were at 26, 8 89. So that's, we're up 29 students based on the current numbers," and he noted those figures remain fluid. He reminded board members of a budget-and-goals meeting scheduled for Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. and said a pledge schedule showing which students will appear at upcoming board meetings was provided for members who wish to meet students from their districts.

The remarks were informational; no district policy or budget changes were proposed as part of the presentation in the transcript.