Judge Blocks St. Landry Parish From Closing Krotz Springs Elementary
OPELOUSAS, La. — A judge has temporarily stopped the St. Landry Parish School Board from closing Krotz Springs Elementary School, granting a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction Wednesday, just hours before the board was scheduled to vote on the school’s fate.
The 27th Judicial District Court order came in response to a lawsuit filed by the town of Krotz Springs, which argued residents would suffer immediate and irreparable harm if the closure moved forward. The ruling blocks the school board from taking any administrative steps toward shutting down Krotz Springs Elementary, but it does not touch any of the other schools included in the district’s broader consolidation plan.
What The Injunction Means For Krotz Springs Elementary
The order prevents St. Landry Parish School Board from discussing, voting on, or administratively advancing the closure of Krotz Springs Elementary. It also bars any action considered inconsistent with maintaining the status quo at the school, which enrolls roughly 230 students in pre-K through eighth grade.
The board had been set to vote Wednesday night on a consolidation package that included Krotz Springs Elementary alongside several other campuses. That vote did not happen for KSES. The school board’s attorney, Courtney T. Joiner, sought and received the court’s permission to seek review from the Third Circuit Court of Appeal, a move that could shape how the case unfolds before the injunction hearing.
Inside The Budget Crisis Driving The Closures
The consolidation plan traces back to a budget shortfall the district has been confronting for more than a year. St. Landry Parish is projected to enter the 2026-27 fiscal year with only about $10 million left in its general fund while facing an $18 million deficit, a gap driven by the loss of pandemic-era federal funding and years of declining enrollment. Voters rejected a millage increase in the May election that would have given the district new revenue.
Superintendent Milton Batiste III has told board members the district has no choice but to cut deeply, since Louisiana law bars school systems from adopting unbalanced budgets. The board voted to close Washington and Eunice elementary schools in 2025, and this year’s plan added votes on closing Grolee Elementary, Northeast Elementary, and Central Middle School, along with rezoning Grand Coteau Elementary and closing the Center for Academic Programs. Grand Prairie Elementary was spared closure for at least one more school year after a committee recommendation.
Krotz Springs Pushed Back Hard
Opposition in Krotz Springs had been building up for weeks before Wednesday’s court order. Derek Evans, a Krotz Springs resident with two children enrolled at the school, organized a petition against the closure that drew more than 500 signatures. Evans argued the closure would put an undue burden on parents and children, since students would have to travel an additional 13 miles to attend school in Port Barre.
Krotz Springs Mayor Carroll Snyder has pressed the school board to lay out exactly how much money closing the school would save once the cost of longer bus routes is factored in. Snyder has also said the town is exploring a type two charter school as a backup plan if the closure moves forward.
What Happens Next
The temporary order will remain in place until a show cause hearing set for July 10 at 9 a.m. at the St. Landry Parish Courthouse. At that hearing, the school board will have to argue why a preliminary injunction should not be issued against the closure. The outcome will determine whether Krotz Springs Elementary stays off the table for good, or whether the district’s consolidation plan moves forward as originally written.
The rest of the consolidation plan, including the proposed closures and reconfigurations at other St. Landry Parish schools, was not affected by Wednesday’s ruling and remained on the board’s agenda for the 2026-27 school year.
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Gallery Credit: Joe Cunningham
