Board takes up school closures

The St. Mary Parish School Board will meet and vote today on the consolidation plans of J.A. Hernandez and M.D. Shannon elementary schools at the Central Office Complex in Centerville.

It begins at 5 p.m.

The items on the agenda are:

—Consider and/or vote on school consolidation plan in District 1.

The plan is to close Hernandez and send its students to W.P. Foster and LaGrange elementary schools.

—Consider and/or vote on school consolidation plan in District 3.

The plan is to close Shannon and send its students to M.E. Norman and Wyandotte elementary schools.

—Consider authorizing the superintendent to negotiate with Michael Hefner of Geographic Planning & Demographic Services for the purpose of redrawing attendance zones in any possible impacted area.

This second meeting came about after the board voted to delay a decision for three weeks.

The three-week period was to allow board members and the community time to provide additional solutions for reducing the district’s $4 million-plus deficit next school year besides closing schools on the agenda.