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Superintendent reports: Lakeview band wins top ratings; district logs 534 dual‑enrollment course completions and three associate degrees
Summary
District staff and the band director reported growth and awards for the Lakeview band; district staff said students completed 534 dual‑enrollment courses this year, three students will earn associate degrees, and the district covered tuition with LDOE course‑choice funds.
The Natchitoches Parish School Board heard a string of instructional and program updates on May 12, including an upbeat account of the Lakeview band’s rapid growth and a dual‑enrollment update showing hundreds of college‑level course completions and three students finishing associate degrees.
The Lakeview band director told the board the program grew from essentially a single student four years ago to roughly 31 members this year, including sixth through 12th graders and several beginners. The director said the ensemble earned straight ones (superior ratings) at district and state evaluations and won trophies at a national competition in Dallas. “We now have 31 students in the band,” the director said, adding that a majority were on the honor roll.
In a separate report on dual enrollment, district staff (Miss Gilmore) said students completed 534 dual‑enrollment courses this year through partnerships with Northwestern and BIPSE; three district students will graduate with associate degrees, including Traelin/Trailing Lofton, Matthew Mayeux and Jacob Harrison. Gilmore told the board that 100% of tuition was covered by supplemental course allocation funds through the LDOE course‑choice program, meaning students and parents incurred no tuition costs for these credits.
Board members and staff also introduced Quentin Calhoun as the new BIPSE campus administrator. Calhoun described plans to expand computer‑technology courses, noted a hiring partnership with General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) that could place graduates in $20–$24 per hour roles after certification, and said the campus will offer scholarships for 20 students for an introductory summer computer‑technology course.
Board members praised the partnership outcomes and said the district should build on the work linking high‑school coursework to postsecondary credentials and local employment opportunities. Staff promised to provide a course breakdown and more details on dual‑enrollment pathways in a follow‑up report.
