As New Orleans public schools face looming closures due to declining student enrollment, alumni and parents are mobilizing to fight back against district plans. Community members packed an auditorium at L. B. Landry High School on Monday evening, demanding that district leaders protect their institutions from being shuttered.
The Algiers high school, which was previously threatened with closure after Hurricane Katrina, is once again facing an uncertain future. Following an announcement by Algiers Charter Schools that they will stop running the school at the end of the school year, hundreds of alumni gathered to voice their opposition. NOLA Public Schools will start deciding this fall which campuses will close or merge, leaving District Superintendent Fateama Fulmore and school board members under intense political pressure.
Enrollment Declines Drive District Decisions
District officials maintain they have little choice regarding the upcoming closures. The public school system has lost more than 3,000 students since 2019, leading to a direct drop in per-pupil funding while fixed expenses such as utilities and building maintenance remain constant. Empty seats mean reduced revenue for essential operations, teacher raises, and student tutoring.
“I don’t want to see any school close,” said School Board member Leila Eames, “but if we don’t have bodies in the building, we don’t have a choice.”
When evaluating which facilities to target, the district considers enrollment, academic performance, geographic location, and building conditions. Superintendent Fulmore stated that she will announce the decisions, which must be approved by the board, in December.
Orleans Parish School Board member Carlos Zervigon emphasized that the superintendent must rely on data when making her selections. “People can make all their noise they feel is their obligation to defend their community, to state their case,” he said, “but in the end, the superintendent has to make the call based on what is approved criteria.”
Advocates Urge Action to Protect Finances
Education advocacy groups and civic leaders argue that downsizing the district is vital to maintaining overall financial stability and preserving recent academic gains. New Schools for New Orleans has urged district leadership and board members to move forward with closures to address the revenue shortfall.
Leslie Jacobs, who advocated for the creation of New Orleans’ charter system after Hurricane Katrina, has met privately with city and school officials to discuss the deficit. She noted that schools have already cut spending and tapped rainy-day funds. Jacobs also helped draft a state law granting the superintendent authority to close schools before their current contracts expire to address falling enrollment.
“Failure to act has really bad consequences for all of the kids,” Jacobs said.
Community Backlash and Political Opposition
Critics argue that traditional neighborhood schools hold value for their communities that cannot be measured solely by test scores or enrollment tallies. Opponents also point to the city’s centralized enrollment system—which allows students to attend schools outside their immediate neighborhoods—as a factor that has hurt traditional high schools like Landry.
Elected officials have stepped into the debate to support the Algiers campus. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, and City Councilmember Freddie King III have publicly demanded that NOLA Public Schools keep Landry open. Carter, whose mother attended the school, warned that closure would cause a loss for Algiers, drawing comparisons to the past consolidation of O. Perry Walker High School.
“Let’s not let history repeat itself,” Carter said.
At Monday’s packed meeting, alumni made impassioned pleas to district leadership, urging them to spare the campus. “Don’t just throw us away like we a bag of trash, ’cause we’re not,” said 1964 Landry graduate Faye Harrison to Superintendent Fulmore. “I’m asking you, please, do not close our school. Please.”
December Decisions Approach
With community meetings drawing large crowds at Landry and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter Elementary School, tensions are expected to remain high as the district finalizes its review. Superintendent Fulmore is scheduled to announce the decisions in December.
