Presenter urges Caddo Parish officials to flag school‑closure impacts on Black and brown communities

Irma Rogers presented a packet and a bell‑curve graphic that she said illustrate the educational impact of school closures on Black and brown communities. She recounted a long list of local school closures and urged commission members to call the state education department and local legislators' attention to the community effects of closures and testing‑driven grading systems.

Rogers noted that local organizations such as MLK CDC run summer programs funded in part by the parish and argued that narrowing curricular expectations could disadvantage many students. "This sheet will tell you what happens when you close the schools in our black and brown communities," she said, and asked commissioners to pass the information on to the state board and local lawmakers. Commissioners thanked her and suggested she also present to the local school board; the commission did not adopt a formal motion but asked staff to consider how to best share the materials.