Lafayette Parish school board votes to take Como High offline after hours of student and community pleas

The Lafayette Parish School Board voted to take Ove Como (Como) High School offline beginning with the 2026–27 academic year and to repurpose the campus as outlined in the board motion after an evening of emotional public testimony from students, parents, teachers and alumni.

Dozens of students and community members filled the meeting to urge the board to keep Como open. "For us, Como isn't just a line item on a budget, it's our home," student Zoriel Tapo told the board. Teachers and parents described the school as a family and pushed for options short of closure, including hybrid models that would combine traditional academics with expanded trade programs.

Why it mattered: speakers said the timing and notice aggravated concerns—several speakers said the agenda item appeared only two days before an important ACT testing window—and warned the change would displace roughly 600 students to other campuses. Parents and teachers also cited Como's recent academic performance and community programs: speakers noted Como's graduation rates and awards, faculty attendance, and extracurricular programs such as NJROTC and band.

Board members acknowledged those community ties…