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EBR public schools closing and consolidating is a bad omen for BR

Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:05 pm
Posted by PelicanState87
Member since May 2024
125 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:05 pm
We all know when beloved public schools close that's a bad omen for any city. I thought BR was finally headed in the right direction with a conservative mayor but BOOM this happens. You want to hear cities adding schools, not closing them down.

About 10 public schools are closing in EBR. The most controversial being the historic Capitol High School campus. They are proposing the Capitol High campus near downtown close down and re-open as a 7-12th school at the newer Capitol Middle School farther away from downtown. Of course Capitol High alumni ain't for it but it really makes no sense to keep that big campus open when less than 100 kids are showing up to class at Capitol High today and the campus is so outdated. I remember the days they averaged over 1K (maybe 25 years ago) and it was a much more vibrant school. Back in the days when Semione Augustus and Brandon Bass played basketball at the school, both were All-Americans that went on to be LSU Hall of Famers

There will be more closures and consolidations coming due to historic low enrollment and BR declining population. They already closed down the Istrouma Middle campus and consolidated it with Istrouma High. Once St George get off the ground, that'll be a nail in the coffin for at least 3-5 more EBR schools.

Like New Orleans, I don't see a turnaround for the city. And like New Orleans BR has so much potential with LSU, SU, the Mississippi River, being the state capitol and birthplace of Raising Canes but yeah I just don't see a turnaround unfortunately. But if I had to choose where to raise a family, I still would pick BR over New Orleans

LINK /
This post was edited on 4/30/25 at 4:17 pm
Posted by Trout Bandit
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Dec 2012
14433 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:12 pm to
quote:

beloved public schools

Posted by facher08
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2011
5055 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:18 pm to
quote:

I thought BR was finally headed in the right direction with a conservative mayor but BOOM this happens.


You think the municipal education system's trajectory is supposed to do a 180 after the guy has been mayor for a little more than a quarter?
Posted by Wasp
Off Highland rd.
Member since Sep 2012
1522 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:20 pm to
Honestly, this is a pretty bad take. Across EBR schools, enrollment is about 50% of capacity. There are ~ EBR schools. The majority of those are elementary schools ~65.

Capital Middle enrollment is ~200 with capacity of 1000.

Resources are spread too thin with too much being spent on administrators.

If EBR wants to improve its scores it needs to consolidate schools and focus resources. We currently spend ~$16k per student!
Posted by UptownJoeBrown
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2024
2218 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:21 pm to
quote:

beloved public schools


Beloved?

You trying to sell a tax increase to us?

EBR public schools have been crap since the 70s.
Posted by LouisianaLady
Member since Mar 2009
82164 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:22 pm to
People have been begging for EBR to consolidate schools for ages now. We've got to do something about the insane bloat the funding is going to when it should be going to education.

And if EBR wants to continue throwing a fit about the funding that "follows the pupil" when many of their pupils are eventually attending St. George schools down the line, then they need to start addressing their serious mismanagement of funds ASAP.
This post was edited on 4/30/25 at 4:23 pm
Posted by PelicanState87
Member since May 2024
125 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:23 pm to
quote:

Honestly, this is a pretty bad take. Across EBR schools, enrollment is about 50% of capacity. There are ~ EBR schools. The majority of those are elementary schools ~65.

Capital Middle enrollment is ~200 with capacity of 1000.

Resources are spread too thin with too much being spent on administrators.

If EBR wants to improve its scores it needs to consolidate schools and focus resources. We currently spend ~$16k per student!


You misunderstood. Consolidation is absolutely good for EBR so they can save money and better utilize resources but it's not a good sign for the city. That's less jobs, less money for the economy, more blight, on and so forth.
This post was edited on 4/30/25 at 4:26 pm
Posted by Wasp
Off Highland rd.
Member since Sep 2012
1522 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:27 pm to
You’re still wrong.

I’d be shocked if many, really if more than a handful, of jobs will be lost. People will move back into the class room. TOTAL SPENDING will not decrease.
Posted by facher08
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2011
5055 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:29 pm to
quote:

That's less jobs, less money for the economy,


Public sector jobs. This isn't like Dow is packing up and leaving.
Posted by Brummy
Central, LA
Member since Oct 2009
4601 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:29 pm to
quote:

The most controversial being the historic Capitol High School campus. They are proposing the Capitol High campus near downtown close down and re-open as a 7-12th school at the newer Capitol Middle School farther away from downtown.

Didn't they just re-open that campus within the last year or two?
Posted by OysterPoBoy
City of St. George
Member since Jul 2013
40399 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:31 pm to
quote:

that'll be a nail in the coffin


Do they really do that? What is the point?
Posted by Fat and Happy
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2013
18532 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:32 pm to
If schools like capitol have 100 or so students on any given day, why would anyone expect something to not occur?

Yeah students may be enrolled but if it’s possible to consolidate 4 high schools into 1, why wouldn’t they try and do that?

I really hate that this sort of issue isn’t discussed further for public knowledge and shown the reality of what truly exists
Posted by PelicanState87
Member since May 2024
125 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:33 pm to
quote:

Didn't they just re-open that campus within the last year or two?


I think it remained open but was under different leadership. It went back under EBR a few years ago
Posted by OysterPoBoy
City of St. George
Member since Jul 2013
40399 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:35 pm to
quote:

if it’s possible to consolidate 4 high schools into 1, why wouldn’t they try and do that?


Most of the gangs aren’t compatible.
Posted by dgnx6
Member since Feb 2006
78759 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:49 pm to
I will quote what the great Democrat Joseph Robinette Biden Jr said once.



quote:

Unless we do something about this, my children are going to grow up in a jungle, the jungle being a racial jungle
Posted by longtooth
Member since Jun 2013
500 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:01 pm to
Mayfair, Westdale Elm, Sherwood Middle, BRHS and a couple more that are Good to great public schools and a bunch of middle of the pack C to B level schools with gifted components.
Posted by TROLA
BATON ROUGE
Member since Apr 2004
13862 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:07 pm to
The school system would’ve been fine had Broome not wasted millions throwing money away fighting the inevitable St. George school district. She chose to bury her head in the sand instead of strengthening and properly consolidating schools.
Posted by tigerfoot
Alexandria
Member since Sep 2006
58930 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:51 pm to
Rapides should shut 8-10. But nope we passed a bond to Bandaid all of em versus consolidating and really improving the schools.
This post was edited on 5/1/25 at 9:17 am
Posted by doubleb
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2006
40012 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:57 pm to
quote:

We all know when beloved public schools close that's a bad omen for any city. I thought BR was finally headed in the right direction with a conservative mayor but BOOM this happens. You want to hear cities adding schools, not closing them down.


EBR has been adding schools mostly charter schools. They are being built all over the parish. Parents are choosing to send their kids to these schools rather than to the public school system.
Posted by Major Dutch Schaefer
Location: Classified
Member since Nov 2011
35212 posts
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:59 pm to
quote:

beloved public schools


They already got rid of Lee High.
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