The Lafayette Parish (Louisiana) School Board has voted to close Comeaux High School in Lafayette and convert the campus to a career center.
The Advocate reports that the 5-2 vote came after more than three hours of public comment and more than an hour of board comment.
The campus will be renovated to house the career center as well as the E.J. Sam Accelerated School.
The district would have until the 2028-2029 school year to open the new Career Center. A preliminary estimate projects the renovations would cost about $25 million, Lafayette Superintendent Francis Touchet said.
Board members who voted in favor of the proposal argued the move was necessary because of excess capacity at Comeaux, a waitlist at the career center and a need to save money.
Enrollment at Comeaux has declined in recent years, particularly after hundreds of Comeaux students were rezoned to the newly opened Southside High and the district voted to move the performing and visual arts academy to Lafayette High.
Comeaux is designed to hold about 1,700 students, but had about 640 enrolled students as of Feb. 1.
Board members also said the W.D. and Mary Baker Career Center needs more space. The school, which has about a dozen industry programs, has a nearly 500-student wait list.
Building a new career center on Comeaux's campus is expected to cost about $25 million and would be paid for out of the district's capital funding.
The proposal to close Comeaux and move the Career Center to the campus was first presented in fall 2024, but failed on a 5-4 vote.
The district's existing career center, the W.D. and Mary Baker Career Center, has 12 programs, including auto paint and body, culinary, cosmetology, culinary, HVAC, machining, medical and welding. It is serving nearly 500 students, according to spring 2026 enrollment numbers. But there’s nearly the same number of students on a wait list
