Board adds and advances plan to move Como arts academies to Lafayette High; parents ask for delay and clarity

The Lafayette Parish School Board voted to add an item to the consent agenda to relocate the visual arts program from Como High School to Lafayette High School and discussed a broader plan to move the performing arts academy. The addition to the consent agenda passed by board voice vote, and the related items were included in the consent block the board approved later in the meeting.

The proposal prompted multiple public commenters — students, parents and community members — to urge the board to delay, offer more transparent outreach and assess the impacts on scheduling, seniors’ credentials and family transportation. One parent called the timeline “hurried,” saying families had learned about the planned change with only weeks’ notice and noting many students had already completed schedules for next year.

District staff provided enrollment history and projections for the Como academies to justify the recommendation. Magnet/assessment staff presented multi-year counts showing the performing arts pathway had significantly fewer applicants and lower enrollment than in earlier years at Lafayette High; the staff noted historical enrollment dropped after the academies moved campuses and that projections for next year showed fewer students than the programs’ capacities. Specific figures presented by staff included a decline from several hundred students in earlier years to mid-hundreds and projections in the low hundreds for the upcoming year; staff emphasized the numbers were vetted by the Department of Magnet Academies.

Board members who supported the move framed it as a fiduciary and access decision intended to preserve program viability and broaden opportunities for students across the parish. Board members who opposed or expressed caution urged additional community engagement and clarity on how the district would handle students already enrolled at Como, particular seniors and students who are not zoned for Como.

District staff described transition options: students zoned for Como may remain at Como; students who wish to remain at Como but are not in the Como zone may petition to stay; district leaders said they would work to accommodate rising juniors (who would be seniors next year) with collaborative master schedules and a shuttle between campuses so those students could complete required credits. The district said it would invite families to confirm whether students wish to remain in a Como pathway or move to Lafayette High for the performing arts sequence.

Board members and staff reiterated a commitment to continue investing in Como High School facilities and programs; several said the item is not a school closure and that the district intends to repurpose and reinvigorate Como if the academy move proceeds.

Ending: The board added the visual arts relocation to the agenda by unanimous voice vote and included performing-arts relocation in the consent agenda; the meeting record shows those items were processed with the consent block but does not show a separate roll-call vote for each item. Staff said they would contact students and families directly to finalize placements and scheduling.