[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6093150,"mediaKeyId","2848355-73cd8b14c121d0b2e9a5171fa1456c80","parentId",2848355,"title","Caddo Parish staff recommend closing Queensborough, other schools; seek appraisal and sale of Norris Ferry property","audioSeconds",1852,"startMs",638000,"endMs",2490000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2848355-73cd8b14c121d0b2e9a5171fa1456c80&start=638&end=2490","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2848355-73cd8b14c121d0b2e9a5171fa1456c80/thumbnail_638000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6093150/Louisiana/Caddo-Parish-staff-recommend-closing-Queensborough-other-schools-seek-appraisal-and-sale-of-Norris-Ferry-property","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6093150-e7c50218c177659ac6fc6a6687d77a44/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150645&Signature=ETai--iV~FgIHOq6To~fqPcfj46sRQySQ78RLEq1CJpujFpAYUoqP2NDPtl4AQDc8ZwBOflBo7oPGRZ5iHBXIX4sHdhqMji3ZJdN5eIBxRzG9FuvlFeP~972THRghHgNP~bKvS08M5KgmeplQnB8cKvK822A9jbZ-FHyuS8PC4PjQ-HiP0MSlaEXzbwEr4WLpBgVs8bD6xKyt-I3gam-WnnCDExxaChsJTe8UGgI6Q7vSTaJTLJvaThe26kUN-cKGfUBWYYNgyxqKEbBxJP0l43C2~WNPzVOrAIEk1PAnizJxfp5nfm8NIuk-JN7ud1pQzFTAsmx236Pzazd9v3NOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CADDO PARISH PUBLIC SCHOOLS","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","The Caddo Parish School Board's executive committee discussed recommendations from its building and grounds committee on April 1, including a staff plan to close Queensborough Elementary at the end of the 2024'025 school year and to prepare the former school for sale, with proceeds dedicated to future construction of instructional facilities.

The committee also recommended plans to close Blanchard Elementary at the end of the 2025'026 school year and consolidate its students into Donnie Bickham Middle School, which the district would convert to a pre-K through 8 campus beginning in fall 2026. Staff recommended closing 80 First Street ECE at the end of the 2025'026 school year and assigning those students to Atkins Elementary. The recommendations were presented to the full board as agenda items for the board's April 15 meeting.

Why it matters: the district says consolidations would reduce operating costs while allowing some schools to offer expanded services; the draft estimate discussed in the meeting placed recurring savings from the consolidations roughly between $750,000 and $1 million per year.

Staff and committee members described outreach and operational steps. Mr. Greer, a district staff member, said staff visited Queensborough, met with the principal and faculty and plans an \"easy transfer process\" for students to J. S. Clark Academy. \"We visited 1 on 1 with the principal and then participated in, a really good conversation with faculty,\" Greer said. He added that the district plans to add sixth grade at J. S. Clark next year so siblings and cohorts can stay together.

Human-resources details: Miss Stanford, a district HR staff member, told the committee that \"all of our fully certified teachers will move into vacancies at J S Clark. Our intention is to always let our teachers follow the students.\" She said classified staff will be placed into district vacancies and that employees on temporary certificates would be handled individually; staff encouraged affected employees to attend a district job fair.

Numbers cited: committee members and staff said Queensborough currently enrolls about 222 students; J. S. Clark has a capacity of more than 1,000 and the combined school after consolidation is expected to be under 700 students, the district said during the discussion.

Property sale and process: the committee recommended securing an updated appraisal for the Norris Ferry property and advertising it for sale either by bid or listing at the appraised value, with proceeds placed in an account dedicated to future instructional-construction projects. Attorney Abrams—identified in the meeting as the district attorney—said staff would consult legal counsel about sale process details before final board action. Committee members reiterated that any sale must follow legal requirements and public-process rules and that no private arrangements have been made.

Public comment and concerns: resident John Glover spoke during the meeting's public-comment period, urging the board to publish a clear, written plan showing how students from Queensborough and J. S. Clark would be supported academically. \"These children will meet regardless of what you've said to your staff,\" Glover said, adding concerns about both schools' academic performance and asking for a plan \"in black and white\".

Next steps and limits: the building and grounds committee forwarded its recommendations to the full board for consideration at the April 15 meeting. Committee members and staff emphasized that closures, property listings and any transfers remain contingent on board approval, applicable district policies and legal processes such as appraisal and public bidding.

Votes at the meeting: a motion to approve the proposed April 15 agenda and consent agenda that included the committee recommendations was moved and seconded during the session; the transcript records the motion and second but does not record a final roll-call tally for that motion in the provided excerpt.

Ending: district staff said they will continue outreach to families and staff and present implementation details to the full board; any final decisions about closures, sales or school-name changes will require separate board action and compliance with district policy and law.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","CPSB School Board Meeting: April 1, 2025 | 4:30 pm","oneSentenceSummary","The Caddo Parish School Board's executive committee discussed recommendations from its building and grounds committee on April 1, including a staff plan to close Queensborough Elementary at the end of the 2024'025 school year and to prepare the former school for sale, with proceeds dedicated to future construction of instructional facilities.","taxTitle","Caddo Parish, School Boards, Louisiana","taxId",14434,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6093145,"Caddo Parish board discusses revised meeting, budget schedule ahead of April 15 agenda",438,1245000,1683000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2848355-73cd8b14c121d0b2e9a5171fa1456c80&start=1245&end=1683","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2848355-73cd8b14c121d0b2e9a5171fa1456c80/thumbnail_1245000.jpg","/articles/6093145/Louisiana/Caddo-Parish-board-discusses-revised-meeting-budget-schedule-ahead-of-April-15-agenda","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6093145-0a0bd8d9edafb18a10f6cd14e1c40a2d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150645&Signature=X7S1aOKYKwQd8CADNqDChHzQCaJ4rrk9yWRn2M7693YwrmzbtltvhNfDA3j7~SwjmTZsBvbHCq4c8ww084o6mgniak8siNUFCEs6mYHnHx454JTO1pttJvTPanLx0S~BKgBvMjPCQgNAkadmwXWMyLZSO9vdEitVnxs--MAYF-TSppDC1p15Mfi827eE4mI21RDy~DNTYURKbaDnwICqtQdYUGC0Iqzo995EJtfDukzTBp~4pHMf2L5e~KLTulBp5kbP1e3DskJgRNCZOE83plH4nSoAcEEHtg8H~qE-maW9Wy1YKGTrvBEXu3fv4Y0a9rveyCF03d6P-ZWqZB0ZlA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Caddo Parish School Board executive committee members reviewed proposed changes to the district's meeting calendar on April 1 and discussed when budget work sessions and regular meetings would occur in May, June and July as staff prepares the fiscal-year materials.

Why it matters: scheduling affects when the board can adopt the budget and when staff must complete and distribute budget documents. Board members sought clarity so they can plan attendance and public events such as graduations and community celebrations.

Key points discussed: board members and staff discussed a proposed schedule that included a regular/combined executive meeting on May 20, a budget work session on May 27, and additional budget-related meetings on June 3, June 10 and June 17 (with June 17 also described as a combined regular and executive meeting). The committee also discussed a combined meeting on July 15. Staff member Mr. Howard said the district would need additional time to balance the draft budget and could not guarantee a completed packet for distribution before Memorial Day; he said district staff would provide the balanced materials to board members as soon as they were ready.

Board member concerns and clarifications: several board members expressed confusion about the memo's layout and dates. Miss McLean and Miss Yates asked staff to ensure budget items such as general-fund votes be scheduled where appropriate; Mr. Howard confirmed that the district often distributes budget materials the week before Memorial Day and that in past years the board has had flexibility to hold additional meetings \"if needed.\" Dr. Benson asked whether any preliminary budget materials could be shared earlier for board review; Howard said there was nothing yet ready to distribute and the district needed time to balance funds before formal presentation.

Process notes: committee members said that one meeting being removed from the draft (May 6) was not the intent; rather, staff intended to schedule meetings so the board could complete budget work before the June deadline to adopt the budget. Members asked staff to present a clearer calendar and to label combined meetings and budget work sessions in future memos so that members can plan for childcare and work schedules.

Next steps: the proposed calendar was included on the draft April 15 agenda; the full board will consider the schedule and the timeline for budget adoption at the April 15 meeting. Staff said it will send budget materials to board members as soon as they are balanced and available.","Committee reviewed proposed changes to the board calendar for May to July 2025 and clarified which dates will be regular meetings, combined executive sessions, and budget work sessions; staff said budget documents will not be ready to distribute immediately.","actionData","errors"]

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Caddo Parish staff recommend closing Queensborough, other schools; seek appraisal and sale of Norris Ferry property

Caddo Parish board discusses revised meeting, budget schedule ahead of April 15 agenda