A public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 7, at Ralph Wilson Elementary, 1400 Opelousas St. to discuss a proposed restructuring plan for two Calcasieu Parish School Board campuses.

At a committee meeting on March 27, tentative plans to move all grade levels from Ralph Wilson to J.J. Johnson’s campus were approved.

J.J. Johnson would become a kindergarten through fifth-grade campus. Currently, J.J. Johnson houses kindergarten through second grade and Ralph Wilson houses third through fifth grade.

Additionally, Ralph Wilson would be converted into the Ralph Wilson Center for Opportunities, a center for overage students in middle school. CPSB Superintendent Jason VanMetre told the American Press the Center for Opportunities would be for students grade sixth through 12th who are over-age, under credited or have any special circumstances.

“While some of these students may be in middle school, some may have already moved to high school.”

This campus would be created to provide better services to students who are “potential dropouts, and help prepare them for life, both in school and beyond,” he said.

These students would receive academic support, career and technical education opportunities, and mentoring and counseling services. A Wednesday press release said students would receive a combination of face-to-face teaching and asynchronous virtual learning.

VanMetre said the need for additional support for over-age students began after the pandemic and 2020 hurricanes, when some students did not receive a traditional education. Upon returning to school, they were behind in school.

“When a fifteen-year-old is sitting in a seventh-grade class and they are academically behind, it becomes very hard for them to see a successful pathway to graduation,” he explained. “While we tried to help these students as best we could within the structures that exist, it became evident that we need a more complete solution for these students.”

He noted the restructuring would allow for more planning and professional development opportunities, and that since J.J. Johnson is a feeder school for Ralph Wilson, combining the zones will reduce the number of school transitions students make throughout their education.

Because of the expansiveness of the proposal, the district would rely on several funding sources.

“For example, career and technical funds, alternative education funds and as well as some grant funding could all help offset the cost to the general fund,” he said.

The public meeting on Monday will allow attendees to hear from school district officials, and voice their opinions and ask questions.

This proposal will be presented to the full board on Tuesday, April 8.

If approved, changes would go into effect at the start of the 2025-26 school year.