On April 27, voters in North DeSoto (District no. 2) did not approve a $85.2 million building bond proposal focused on addressing rapid growth in the area with the construction of a new high school and upgrades to the lower elementary.
Vote totals are:
Yes - 642
No - 1,161
Thank you to everyone who participated in the April 27 election and cast an informed ballot!
The revised plan was developed with input of more than 600 community members who shared their thoughts on why the 2023 bond plan was rejected. During the survey 78% of respondents said that the DeSoto Parish School Board needed to do something about the growth in District 2 and that they wanted to see a solution that was less than $100 million and focused on academic spaces.
While other schools in the area have seen a push for lower class sizes at the elementary level, North DeSoto Lower and Upper Elementary Schools cannot have comparable class size decreases because of space constraints and the PreK programs would have to continue to turn students away. A three-year-old option was available during the 2023-24 school year, but because of increased demand for four-year-old PreK and Kindergarten classrooms, the program has been eliminated for the 2024-25 school year with a waiting list in place for the four-year old program.
We know not everyone voted the same way but we are all united in the belief that it is our responsibility to set a positive example for the young people of our community and that we all want what is best for them. The DeSoto Parish School Board will continue to communicate and collaborate through the next steps in the process.