Schools to get population forecast for planning

• By MARSHA SILLS
• Advocate Acadiana bureau
• Published: Nov 4, 2009 - Page: 1BA

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LAFAYETTE — Projections of the size and location of the student population that the Lafayette Parish School System may serve in the next five and 10 years will be presented to the board during its 5:30 p.m. meeting today.

The demographics will guide master planners who have been hired to develop a facilities plan for the district.

Demographer, Jerome McKibben is scheduled to present the district’s demographic forecast to the board as part of its master planning process.

CSRS Inc., of Baton Rouge, signed a contract with the school district in May to coordinate its master plan, which is due by May.

The demographic report will project the number of students by grade level for the next five years and a 10-year student headcount.

Today, board members will also be updated about the status of the district’s partnership with the regional office of public health to distribute the H1N1 vaccine to parish schoolchildren.

The school district plans to offer vaccination clinics at select school sites on a Saturday, but is awaiting more information from state health officials about the vaccines availability.

Last week, school nursing supervisor Betty Alford said the district has been working closely with the regional office of public health to coordinate the clinics.

The vaccine will be offered to students in grades Pre-K through 12th, with vaccinations first offered to students under the age of 9 years, Alford said.

At today’s meeting the board will also be asked to sign resolutions of support of tutoring programs and extended learning programs in the district that target students who need additional educational services.

In the past, the programs have faced funding uncertainties. This current school year, stimulus Title I funding helped support the after-school programming at Title 1 schools.

At least $528,000 of the $3.73 million available to the district in stimulus funding was directed to the extended learning programs. The stimulus funding also will support the programs next year.

The resolutions are routine and will be submitted to the Louisiana School Boards Association, the governor, legislators and state education officials to signify the members’ support of the programming, said Katie Landry, deputy superintendent of academics for Lafayette Parish Schools.