At the July 10 Committee of the Whole, East Baton Rouge Parish School System staff reported broad progress on the district’s realignment effort but acknowledged remaining staffing gaps in several schools.

Mr. Gilbert (project lead) told the board the master action tracker shows approximately 72 percent of items are on target and that the district is about 95 percent on target overall. He said 23 moves related to realignment were planned and 18 had been completed, with the remaining five moves scheduled for completion the following week. Summer-cleaning work is under way: about 30 schools are 100 percent complete and another 25 schools are over 60 percent complete. The district reported managing more than 350 summer projects, 36 percent of which are realignment-related.

Doctor Smothers addressed staffing. She said the Southeast Region currently has eight vacancies, Holland Oaks South has 26 vacancies, and Broadmoor/Sherwood combined had 44 vacancies. Capital Elementary in the North had about 20 vacancies; Marydale Elementary had four vacancies (about 93 percent staffed); Claiborne had reduced from about 30 to 16 vacancies (roughly 75 percent staffed). Smothers characterized the district as approaching about 80 percent staffed in some realignment areas and noted a midsummer job fair was planned.

Staff clarified that not all listed vacancies are classroom teacher openings — many are office, clerical, leadership, or paraprofessional roles. Administrators also said recent stipend and raise actions by neighboring parishes have led some teachers to resign and take positions elsewhere; district leaders said they will meet with board members individually to discuss options to stay competitive.

Board members asked that staff supply a more detailed vacancy report (classroom vs. non-classroom) at the next meeting. The board also asked facilities and contractors to prioritize building readiness for the first day of school, including air conditioning functionality, restrooms, lighting and flooring.

No formal board action was required beyond requesting follow-up reports.