Judge OK with student shift

U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote last week approved a slightly modified version of the consent order negotiated by the St. Martin School Board and plaintiffs in a decades-old desegregation case dealing with student assignments.
Judge Foote’s ruling came after two days of court hearings here. The judge and attorneys representing both parties also made a surprise visit to Catahoula Elementary School on Thursday before the ruling was issued.
The plan approved by Judge Foote will go into effect with the 2016-17 school session and includes the following changes:
•Catahoula Elementary School will change from its current preK-grade 8 configuration to preK-grade 5.
Approximately 73 students in grades 6-8 will be transferred to St. Martinville Jr. High.
•St. Martinville Primary School – The Catahoula-St. Martinville attendance zone for students in grades 2 to 5 will be adjusted, shifting the Catahoula zone to include an area east of La. 347/Cemetery-Resweber Hwy from just south of the St. Martinville corporate limits north to Boon Lasseigne Road. This will result in the transfer of between 30 ad 40 students from SMP to Catahoula.
The judge’s ruling allowed for a slight shift in this zone boundary, allowing children living along Andrew Drive (just north of Boon Lasseigne) to remain in the Parks zone.
•Parks Primary and Middle schools – The Parks attendance zone will be reduced, with that area that includes the Hebert Lane neighborhoods and homes mostly along the west side of La. 347/Poydras Hwy shifted to Breaux Bridge. This area also includes Barras Road, Ruse Maline, Eunice Road and Clayton Castille Road on the east side of La. 347.
This will result in the transfer of approximately 220 students in grades preK-8 from the two Parks schools to Breaux Bridge Primary, Breaux Bridge Elementary and Breaux Bridge Jr. High schools.
In a statement issued on behalf of the School Board, attorney Pat W. Dill said “Per the Consent Order, the District will provide notice of the changes to be implement for the 2016-17 school year to all parents in approximately two weeks from the entry of the order.
“On behalf of the Board, we urge the public to respect the Court’s decision and support the District as it moves forward to comply with its desegregation obligations.”