The Calcasieu Parish school district is “28,000 students strong,” according to CPSB Superintendent Shannon LaFargue.

On Thursday, he spoke at the Republican Women of Southwest Louisiana’s monthly luncheon to discuss the current state of the Calcasieu Parish school system.

For the past three years, CPSB has been up in enrollment despite the past devastation in the SWLA community. LaGargue said that the greatest disruptor was the hurricanes of 2020.

“It wasn’t COVID that did it to us, but it was that Laura, and then Delta.”

The district lost 5000 students during that time due to displacement, but as local housing and infrastructure improved, teachers returned and schools “came back online,” CPSB has gained 2000 students back. This growth is necessary for the district to receive adequate Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) – the formula used to calculate the amount of funding distributed to school districts – from the state of Louisiana.

CPSB encourages teachers, faculty and staff to maintain optimistic outlooks to not only drive growth and development within the district but also to ensure the well-being of students, he said.

“It’s so easy in today’s world to be negative and cynical. So, if we walk in the threshold of school doors, and have that cynicism and that negativity with us, kids pick that up.”

He cited poor mental health as the greatest hurdle that students and adults are currently facing.

“You see these tragedies throughout the country, and God forbid anything like that happen in Southwest Louisiana.”

The safety and security of school campuses is CPSB’s first priority. LaFargue recounted the steps that were taken after a series of school shootings in 2022 and 2023.

“After Uvalde, we awakened in the school system to possibilities that couldn’t happen here. We have to pay attention, we have to have the awareness. After Covenant in Nashville, it was time to take action. … Our safety and security team took the position of not on our watch. We’re going to do everything we can to the greatest extent possible.”

Since then, CPSB has taken aggressive steps to enhance school security. They received $518,355 from the LDOE Louisiana Stronger Connections Grant.

Those funds were used to fortify school exteriors with weapons detectors, shatterproof window film, radios for improved communication, weapon detection wands, and logistical fencing. Additionally, CPSB has expanded its security resource officer agreements with the Towns of Iowa and Vinton and the City of Westlake, and secured contracts with Stratigos Dynamics, Inc. to ensure there is security on every campus.

He said community partnerships are also a major component of CPSB’s day-to-day operations, including collaborations with McNeese State University, SOWELA Technical Community College and the City of Lake Charles. These partnerships bring community awareness to the district’s students and broaden their horizons, he said.