Two historic New Orleans high schools, John F. Kennedy High School and Frederick Douglass High School, will merge operations next school year at Kennedy’s campus, according to KIPP New Orleans officials.
Nola.com reports that KIPP New Orleans’ board of directors has voted to combine the schools, which they attributed to rising costs, major repairs needed to Douglass’ building and declining citywide enrollment.
The combined school will operate under the Kennedy name. Douglass principal Towana Pierre-Floyd will lead the combined school.
The consolidation comes as NOLA Public Schools and charter school officials grapple with a district-wide enrollment drop.
Neither Douglass nor Kennedy has seen a drop in enrollment. But as relatively small schools with under 700 students each, the merger will enable them to pool their resources and boost funding for sports, band and other extracurriculars, KIPP officials said.
They also said the merger will move Douglass students to a better building. The existing campus "continues to crumble and there is no viable path to renovation,” Pierre-Floyd said.
KIPP New Orleans will also move KIPP Central City Primary, which served pre-K to 4th grade, into the building that houses KIPP Central City Academy, which serves grades 5-8. The programs will remain separate.
