Superintendent Purvis outlines five priorities after strategic-planning grant; presents 5-year targets and district progress

Superintendent David Purvis presented the results of a yearlong strategic-planning process funded by a state grant and shared five district priorities and ambitious five-year targets intended to guide Livingston Parish Schools through 2030.

Purvis said an external vendor compiled three data sources for the plan: public performance data, an instructional-quality review (53 classroom observations) and a constituent survey that yielded more than 4,000 responses (about 2,000 from families, 1,400 from staff and roughly 700 from students). "We received over 4,000 responses," Purvis said, noting that the sample included students, families and staff across the district.

The steering process identified five district priorities: academic equity and consistency; excellent instruction; thriving school communities; engaged and invested families; and highly effective and committed staff. Purvis said the exercise found district strengths including steady attendance, outperforming the state in many academic outcomes, evidence of instructional systems and that more than 50% of families reported students feel a sense of belonging at school.

The review also identified gaps: declines in some measures over the last two years for historically disadvantaged students, inconsistent instructional practice across schools, concerns about mental-health services and requests for clearer organizational structure and hiring practices. Purvis said student responses produced a lower net promoter score than prior cohorts, an outcome he said surprised him and that the district will address.

Purvis described initiatives tied to the priorities: targeted principal and teacher coaching, instructional leadership-team work, curriculum and assessment adoption, social-emotional learning and efforts to improve family engagement. He said the School Leadership Center (SLC) of New Orleans will monitor implementation under the grant's continuing phase and that the district will collect progress data during the coming year.

Purvis also cited operational steps tied to other efficiency work: implementing nontraditional breakfast schedules across more schools to raise participation (citing an average increase of about 900 additional student breakfasts served per day during 2024'5), use of Lean Frog recommendations to improve revenue and a planned transportation review still pending report. He credited investments in vape detectors and awareness for a decline in drug-related incidents from earlier years.

Purvis framed several performance indicators as aggressive five-year targets and said the district and the SLC will monitor progress. He told board members the plan will be shared in more detail with principals at a July meeting and then rolled out at schools once the year begins. "We will be sharing this with our administrators at our July principals meeting," he said.

The presentation was delivered as an informational update; no formal board vote was required. Board members and other speakers praised the work and encouraged continued implementation and monitoring.