School districts spend summer preparing for the next school year. In East Baton Rouge Parish, that planning includes school realignment, classroom investments, and efforts to improve student performance. Those topics were part of a recent discussion with Baton Rouge Alliance for Students Executive Director Adonica Duggan.
District leaders continue making changes after East Baton Rouge Parish Schools closed nine schools during an earlier realignment effort. Officials redirected savings into classroom support, especially in early education grades. One major investment placed two teachers in some classrooms focused on foundational learning through second grade.
District leaders are now expanding grade-band changes and adjusting school start times. Education leaders said research shows students perform better when school schedules align with learning science. East Baton Rouge schools currently have some of the earliest start times in the country.
School Closures Bring Community Challenges
Realignment efforts create challenges beyond academics.
Vacant school buildings can become neighborhood concerns. Duggan said districts need plans for former school properties so they continue serving communities. Possible ideas include redevelopment partnerships or public input on future uses.
District leaders also face pressure to balance budgets while keeping resources focused on students.
“We always say budgets are a statement of values,” Duggan said while discussing school spending priorities.
Louisiana Education Growth Shows Progress
Louisiana education leaders point to recent academic gains.
During the discussion, Duggan highlighted Louisiana ranking first nationally in reading growth and second in math growth. She stressed that improvement matters, but districts must continue building long-term academic performance.
East Baton Rouge Parish schools have also shown growth in literacy and math achievement. Education leaders said maintaining strong teacher support, tutoring programs, and evidence-based instruction remains critical moving forward.
As summer planning continues, education leaders say the focus remains the same: putting students first while preparing schools for another academic year.