BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – What happens to a school once its doors close for good?
In East Baton Rouge Parish, Superintendent LaMont Cole has a bold idea: turn one of them into a place where new teachers can call home.
As part of his recently unveiled realignment plan, Cole proposed an idea that would convert one of the schools slated for closure into affordable housing designed specifically for new educators. The concept would also include on-site childcare.
Cole believes this option could ease the transition for teachers relocating to Baton Rouge and give them a reason to stay. One of the ideal locations for this idea, according to Cole, is Westminster Elementary.
“I think that would be extremely popular or attractive for a teacher who is seeking to move here,” Cole said.
The idea, still in early stages, is envisioned as both a recruitment strategy and a creative reuse of district property. By offering lower rent and built-in childcare, Cole hopes to reduce financial and logistical barriers for incoming staff.
“If they knew they could live in an affordable and safe location that extremely nice, with childcare on the site, I think that would allow for them to be here, be excited about living here, and then be excited about doing the work in our school system,” he said.
The idea has already caught the attention of education advocates. Valencea Johnson, a representative from the Louisiana Association of Educators, called the proposal “progressive and innovative.”
“As a student fresh out of school? Yes, I would consider it,” Johnson said. “That would be a positive step forward, letting people get established and also bringing tax dollars to the community.”
While the housing idea is one part of the broader realignment, Cole acknowledged that it won’t be the only solution needed to address staffing challenges. The district is still working on strategies to increase teacher pay and improve work culture.
“As we’re doing all these different things around alignment, as we’re looking at our resources, perhaps we will find a way to provide them with a raise and pay them what they deserve,” he said.
Cole is currently talking to developers to figure out how much this could cost and how hard it would be to convert the school into housing. He hopes he can come up with a plan that he can potentially present to the school board.
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