School Complex Will Serve Generations to Come

Step-by-Step: How We Got to Aug. 2012

CENTRAL — For the Central community, the opening of the new Central School Complex is a milestone that may well be remembered and celebrated for generations into the future.

For Central schools Supt. Mike Faulk and the members of the Central Community School Board, it is a triumph of vision and determination that turned a dream into the $46 million Central School Complex that will rival any elementary or middle school in the South.

The people of Central gained their independence from the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and took control of the public schools in Central on July 1, 2007.  In May 2007, 2,500 students from Central were enrolled in public schools in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Since July 1, 2007, the people of Central have been in control of their own destiny.  Now, five years after gaining their independence, they have shown what they could do, and the results are impressive:

• Central broke away from the East Baton Rouge school system, No. 58 ranked, and is now rated as the No. 2 school system in the state by the Louisiana Department of Education.

• For three straight years, Central 3rd graders have had the highest iLEAP test results in the state.

• Central High School has the highest ACT scores in Louisiana.

Not bad for a school system where 52 percent of the students come from families below or near the poverty line!

How did it all happen?

Yesterday, Supt. Mike Faulk gave Central teachers a brief time line of the past five years.  Here are his remarks:

Where Have We Been and What Have We Done?

By Supt. Mike Faulk

• August 8, 2007 — First gathering of employees of the new Central Community School System was held at Zoar Baptist Church.  There were 350 employees, workers, board members and other guests present.

• August 13, 2007 — 3,000 students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade showed up for the first day of the 2007-2008 School Year at Bellingrath Hills Elementary, Tanglewood Elementary, Central Middle, and Central High.

• July 19, 2008 — An election was held asking voters to approve new taxes to build new schools.  It was defeated.

• August 2008 — Central Intermediate School opened for 4th and 5th graders at the former Starkey Academy on Joor Road (Central’s 5th public school).

• October 1, 2008 — Enrollment reached 3,155 students in pre-K through 12th Grade.

• May 2, 2009 — Election was held to ask voters to approve new taxes to build a new middle school and a new intermediate school and to renovate the other schools in the Central Community School district.  All three taxes received voter approval.  The third tax to build a new elementary school passed by 170 votes out of 7,000 votes cast.  The employees of the school system, the parents of our children, and the supporters of our school system in the community were responsible for our success.

• June 2009 — A financial settlement was reached with the East Baton Rouge School Board which provided us with $7 million in cash and $1.6 million in property.

• Summer 2009 — Construction Coordinator Ross Bogan was hired.

• October 2009 — Enrollment reached 3,638 students in pre-K through 12th.

• October 2009 — PBK Architects was selected to design a new middle school and a new intermediate school.

• Winter 2009 — Architects were selected for school renovation projects at Central High, Bellingrath Hills, and Tanglewood.

• Spring 2010 — Bids were awarded to renovate Central High School, Bellingrath Hills and Tanglewood.

• July 2010 — Ground-breaking for the new schools.

• August 2010 — Renovation projects completed.

• Contract awarded for construction of new schools.

• October 2010 — Enrollment reaches 3,891 students in pre-K thru 12th Grade.

• October 2010 — School Performance Scores for the Spring 2010 State Testing were released.  Tanglewood Elementary School’s 3rd Graders were the highest performing in the state.

• District Performance Scores for the 2009-2010 School Year were released.  The school system was ranked No. 6 in the state.

• Spring 2011 — Construction was in full swing.

• October 2011 — Enrollment reached 3,921 students in pre-K thru 12th Grade.

• October 2011 — School Performance Scores and letter grades were released for the spring of 2011 State Testing.  Three of our schools received A’s, and once again Tanglewood’s 3rd Graders were the highest performing in the state.

• District Performance Scores were released and once again Central was in the top 10 school systems in the State, ranking No. 7.

• Spring 2012 — Construction was at its peak.  Roadwork began on entrances to new schools.

August 6, 2012 — New schools were 95 to 98 percent complete.

• August 8, 2012 — Enrollment: was at 4,273, and the number of Central Community School System employees reached 453

• August 13, 2012 — School will open for the 2012-2013 school year.  The new Central School Complex will open.  Roadway work will be nearing completion.