Board approves contracting demographic firm to redraw enrollment boundaries

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board voted May 25 to approve administration negotiating and entering into a contract with Geographic Planning and Demographic Services, LLC to produce revised enrollment boundaries for the district.

Attorney John R. Blanchard moved a series of procedural motions to suspend the rules and to reconsider the board’s April 20 authorization regarding South Central Planning and Development Corp. After the board voted to suspend and then to reconsider, Morris moved and Triche seconded a motion to authorize administration to negotiate with Geographic Planning and Demographic Services, LLC for professional expert services to prepare revised boundaries. The motion passed on roll call with 10 yeas and one absent (DeFrancesch).

The contract scope, as described in the motion, includes producing revised enrollment boundaries using all current schools and an alternate option that would not use Fifth Ward Elementary and would designate East St. John Prep as a K–8 school. No contract dollar amounts or timelines were stated on the record; the board instructed administration to negotiate terms and return for final approval as required. The motion followed an executive-session discussion earlier in the meeting on pending litigation; the enrollment-boundary motions were approved in open session following reconvening.