The Lafayette Parish School Board voted unanimously to build a new school in north Lafayette that will serve kindergarten through eighth-grade students.
The board voted at its Thursday meeting to build a new facility on the J.W. Faulk Elementary property. The district plans to budget about $50 million for the new
“(This) was a long time coming,” said School Board Member Amy Trahan. “I have had such support from members within my district. I’ve had so many calls for this new school. People are fired up for this.”
The school will merge students from J.W. Faulk Elementary, Dr. Raphael Baranco Elementary and Paul Breaux Middle schools after its completion. Baranco was built in 1981, and Faulk and Paul Breaux were built in 1958.
The need for a new building comes as those aging facilities need more and more capital funding to complete repairs. Current Paul Breaux Middle School Principal Tia Trahan said she’s thankful for the work that has been done on the campus recently, but those are just “Band-Aids” for the bigger facility issues.
“Our students deserve more than what these aging walls can offer,” she said. “They deserve an environment that is safe, modern and inspiring, a place where they can feel proud of and where they can thrive.”
It’s unclear what the capacity for the new facility would be. The current enrollment for Baranco, Faulk and Paul Breaux is 974, a district staff person said Thursday night. LPSS Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr said the new facility would be able to house between 1,200-1,300 students.