ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH, La. (WGNO) — In a 7 to 4 vote Thursday night, Nov. 7 St. John the Baptist School Board has decided to close Fifth Ward Elementary at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.
The school is less than a mile from the Denka Plant in Reserve, in an area commonly called cancer alley.
The Legal Defense Fund sued the district for allegedly moving predominantly black and Hispanic students to Fifth Ward regardless of where they live. The NAACP believes the proximity puts students in danger of the ‘mutagenic, carcinogenic effects of chloroprene.’
In the past, the Environmental Protection Agency, along with Congressman Troy Carter have supported closing the school.
Students will be redistricted to either East. St. John Preparatory or LaPlace Elementary for the 2025-2026 school year.
A separate motion was also passed to change the name of East St. John Preparatory to Fifth Ward Preparatory to honor the history and alumni of the school.
Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.
Latest Post
- St. John Parish School Board votes to close Fifth Ward Elementary and consolidate schools
- Disinformation from adversaries and Americans swamped 2024 election
- Trump transition team gets to work
- Louisiana Attorney General says FBI is investigating ‘racist and vile spam texts’
- Trump’s win brings uncertainty for student loan forgiveness
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
