Two schools in the Caddo Parish (Louisiana) district will be closing at the end of the school year.
The Shreveport Times reports Werner Park and Sunset Acres elementary schools in Shreveport would shut down, and Fair Park Middle School in Shreveport would be converted to a charter school.
The decision to close the schools came after the Louisiana Department of Education and the Recovery School District notified Caddo Parish officials that that the school board had to take action on poorly performing school by May 15 or the state could assume control of the seven Caddo campuses now rated as academically unacceptable.
The district's student enrollment has declined by about 19% over the last 10 years.
In addition to the school closures, state officials say that administrative leaders at struggling schools--Atkins Elementary, Bethune-Oak Park Elementary, Broadmoor STEM Academy and Caddo Middle Career & Technology--must reapply for their positions.
The state also directed the district to offer differentiated compensation at Atkins, Bethune-Oak Park, Broadmoor STEM Academy, Caddo Middle Career & Technology and to partner with Star Academy to provide a school-within-a-school model at Caddo Middle Career & Technology and Broadmoor STEM Academy.
