In December 2023, more than 600 community members participated in a survey to gather more information about the election results and priorities for a solution. Survey results closely mirrored the actual election results with respondents overwhelmingly feeling that the 2023 bond was too expensive for taxpayers and that they wanted to see a solution that was less than $100 million with more details available. 

The DeSoto Parish School Board values the survey results and input from the community and is moving forward with an election as soon as possible in order to minimize the effects of rising construction costs and to have a solution that is long-lasting and cost-effective. The plan prioritizes many of the areas identified during the survey including improved traffic patterns and a focus on academic areas instead of athletic spaces. By building a new high school, the district will add one cohort (200-250 students) worth of capacity at the feeder schools.

The November 2023 proposal was for a total of $130 million (millage rate of 34) and included a new high school( for 1200 students), improvements to the lower elementary school, and athletic spaces. The April 2024 proposal is significantly reduced in costs at $85.2 million with a millage rate of 22.

Significant cuts were made to the original plan to meet the needs of our growing community while minimizing the impact to taxpayers. The plan proposes the construction of a new high school and upgrades to the lower elementary which would be combined with reconfiguring grade levels across current facilities. 

The DeSoto Parish School Board is dedicated to using other available funding sources to reduce the impact on the taxpayer whenever possible. The district has $13 million on hand that can be used for facility repairs and investments and would use this money to help with the additions and improvements at the lower elementary school. 

The new plan prioritizes many of the priorities identified by the community in the survey including improved traffic patterns and a focus on academic areas instead of athletic spaces. With the $85.2 million bond proposal, district 2 would see:

• Improved traffic patterns

• Expanded NDLE with seven new classrooms, new restrooms, new occupational and physical therapy spaces, new library, new administration offices and removal of T-buildings

• A New High School for 900 students

• Increased CTE spaces

• Adjusted capacity for HS cafeteria (900 instead of 1,200 to seat half the student population at once) and gymnasium (1,400 instead of 1,800)

• In lieu of a full theater, the plan includes a 450-seat multipurpose space with audience-style seating. This space could be used for drama, cheer, dance, wrestling and other activities when retractable seating is pushed back.

The April bond plan is $47.5 million less than the November 2023 plan. Many items that were in the 2023 bond plan have been eliminated in the new proposal to better align with the community’s desire to focus on academics.

While funds from the bond proposal are focused on the lower elementary and high school, every school in District 2 would be positively impacted thanks to reconfiguration. By proposing this plan to build a new high school facility and creating improvements at the lower elementary school, the DeSoto Parish School Board and administration aims to have a solution that will support students and staff for decades to come. 

Facilities would be reconfigured to provide individualized and modern learning opportunities for students in every grade level with small student-to-teacher ratios that are seen in other parts of the Parish. If the proposal is approved:

• Grades 9-12 would be housed in the new high school

• Grades 6-8 would move to the current high school and have access to more capacity as well as high-school-focused options like labs and career and technical education spaces.

• Grades 3-5 would be at the current upper elementary school, creating a grade level of capacity

• Grades 1-2 would move to the current middle school, allowing young learners to have additional sections in each grade level and creating the ability to have lower class sizes and more student-to-teacher connection than the current facility 

• The PreK 3 and 4 programs and kindergarten would stay at the lower elementary school, creating an early learning center that would allow the PreK program to accommodate all students instead of operating with a waitlist, and eliminating the need for mobile classrooms