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Natchitoches Parish board reviews K–2 'Smart Steps' behavioral pilot; local provider urges earlier screening
Summary
The Natchitoches Parish School Board heard a presentation on a proposed K–2 behavioral pilot called Smart Steps Learning Center that would serve up to about six students per class with daily SEL, an on‑site mental health provider and individualized behavior goals; a local provider told the board it was not contacted and urged early screening before kindergarten.
Jennifer Ingram, who presented the plan to the Natchitoches Parish School Board, said the pilot—called Smart Steps Learning Center—would serve kindergarten through second grade students with severe behaviors that disrupt learning or present safety concerns and would offer small classes, social‑emotional lessons and daily access to a mental‑health provider. "It will be called Smart Steps Learning Center," Ingram said during the Aug. 1 meeting.
Ingram said students would have individualized safety, functional communication and self‑management goals and would stay a minimum of 30 to 45 days, with extensions if goals were unmet. The program would be housed at a single district site and be open to qualifying students from across the parish; Student Services and Special Education would oversee the placement, she said. Staffing needs identified include a certified teacher, a paraprofessional and a board‑approved behavior analyst.
Board members asked whether the program would be part of the existing alternative school; Ingram and administrators said it would operate as a separate consolidated site rather than placing specialists at every school, a change designed to concentrate resources and improve staffing stability. The superintendent said the district modeled the pilot on versions used by other parishes and expects to begin the pilot after school‑based interventions have at least a six‑week window for implementation and referral.
During public comment, Amy Bamberg of Behavioral Specialist of Louisiana, whose group operates a local office on Texas Street, told the board she had sent a July 23 letter and met with Superintendent Eloy on July 30 offering strategies to identify children before kindergarten and to coordinate local behavioral providers. "No one in Natchitoches Parish has ever talked to us about this," Bamberg said, adding that private insurance and Medicaid can cover applied behavior analysis and that local providers and pediatricians could help earlier identification and referral.
Administrators said the district has contacted other parishes with similar programs to learn what worked and to avoid past problems—such as a revolving door of personnel—by consolidating services in one location. No formal vote was taken on the pilot at the meeting; the presentation was received for information and questions remained about parental engagement, exact staffing timelines and vendor partnerships.
Next steps: the superintendent said the district will continue planning, pursue partners and expects a timeline that depends on completing the required school‑based interventions before referring students to the pilot.
