The North DeSoto community is a great place to live! The area has seen tremendous growth and there is more on the way. More than 130 new addresses have been approved and in addition to 12 subdivisions with up to 500 lots currently in the planning or development phase. The DeSoto Parish School Board has had to increase capacity in the North DeSoto schools before and by allowing voters to consider this proposal, are giving the community a chance to decide what happens in the future.
For North DeSoto Middle School, this growth can be seen in our classrooms and hallways. While the Bond funds are largely focused on a new high school facility, the impact would be felt across all North DeSoto schools. Middle school students would have amazing lab and career spaces by moving into the current high school, giving new opportunities for academic and extracurricular participation as they pursue their interests and get ready for high school.
“I have seen the growth just be exponential over the past six years here,” said Principal William Carter. “Kids want to be involved in way more stuff than we already offer so there are a lot more things I’d like to be able to offer students. The more space that is available, the more that we could accomplish.”
While the November 2023 Bond plan doesn’t directly impact North DeSoto Middle School, upon completion of the new high school facility, grades 6-8 would transition to the current high school facility which would open up a variety of educational opportunities for middle school students including amazing lab and career spaces to get a head start on career and college readiness. Teaching and learning is the most important function of any school and the plan reflects that commitment. Spaces dedicated to teaching, learning, career development, and specialist areas are more than 75% of the plan with a smaller piece being spent on spaces for athletics and extracurricular activities.
Five-year enrollment projections show that continued growth is expected for the North DeSoto area. Additions were made in 2014 at the upper elementary and middle schools, which are now full. All of the schools in the North DeSoto area are at, or near maximum capacity with more growth on the horizon.
If the bond is not approved by voters, North DeSoto High School and its feeder campuses will likely experience severe overcrowding. Because of spacing concerns, the district would be unable to expand academic offerings and create new modern programming. Due to rising costs and projected inflation, the $130 million project would cost $140 million if started in 2026.
Election day is Saturday, Nov. 18 and early voting begins on Saturday, Nov. 4. Get more information at www.desotopsb.com/NDBond