A proposal to remove grades 7 through 12 from Mount Hermon School will be the subject of a community meeting to be held at the school at 5:00 p.m. on September 10.
The Washington Parish School Board will be holding its regular monthly meeting at the school following the special community meeting.
Parish Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Thomas met with Board members individually during the past week and gave them a comprehensive look at why closing the junior high and high school is being considered.
This past Friday she explained that the Mt. Hermon School plan is only a proposal at this point. At the September 10 community meeting the school board will present the same information to the public that Board members have seen and an overview of the plan. After the proposed changes are presented, questions can be asked by those attending the meeting. Following this informational meeting and comments by the public, school board members will then take some time to contemplate the input from the community meeting before a special meeting is called for the board to vote on the proposal.
Mrs. Thomas offered assurance that this plan was not compiled hurriedly and without great thought. She said it is the result of months of looking at various aspects of the school such as population and opportunities available for students in course offerings and extracurricular activities, and as well as staff retention, staff workload, and the problem facing all Louisiana public schools, a decline in population.
Thomas explained that the first priority in such a decision is what is best for the students. With only 139 students in total for grades 7-12, Mount Hermon School does have small classes, but small enrollment creates real academic challenges. She noted, "Small classes can sound ideal, but there comes a point when enrollment becomes so small that it limits what a school can reasonably provide. Several MHS classes have only four or five students."
She noted that currently Mt. Hermon High can only offer 5 dual enrollment courses versus the 11 offered at Franklinton High School and Pine High School. Dual enrollment classes give students a vital head start on college and at a time when tuition is rising, this can be game changer for students from Washington Parish, where poverty is a realistic social construct.
"This entire proposal is not about giving up on MHS," she said. "It is about refusing to give up on the students of MHS and the opportunities they deserve. Our responsibility is to provide every student in Washington Parish with the greatest opportunities possible."
While many parents may say their children are going to school for an education and not to be in clubs or play sports, Thomas said such activities are an integral part of becoming a citizen through teamwork, practice, responsibility and establishing a place of belonging in the microcosm of society that high schools are.
When comparing opportunities at MHS to Franklinton and Pine, Thomas stated, "Clubs, sports, and electives are not even comparable for students," she said. Mt. Hermon currently offers two support groups in comparison to ten at Franklinton High School. Mt. Hermon has six sports while Franklinton and Pine offer as many as 13. There are only 4 clubs at MHS while the average number at the two other schools is 16. “These give students the chance to find their niche and not only come in contact with other like-minded students but also give students the chance to participate as part of the total high school experience.,” she said.
Staff retention is also an issue at Mt. Hermon. Thomas elaborated, "Many of the Mount Hermon's teachers in grades 7-12 are responsible for approximately six different course preparations. That is extremely difficult for teachers. There are no multiple classes in US History or Algebra I, for example. In contrast, one teacher may teach Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Financial Math and Advanced Math each day. This makes for longer planning times and a heavier workload for teachers.”
The superintendent said, "We cannot simply continue adding courses and programs when enrollment does not support the staffing necessary to provide them. This has made MHS one of the most difficult schools in our district to staff. Our teachers work hard, but we have to ask ourselves whether the structure we have created is sustainable and whether it gives teachers the conditions they need to provide the strongest instruction possible."
Mt. Hermon has also seen a frequent turnover in administration with eleven principals since 1980. It is notable that in 1980 Dennie Fowler became principal for 16 years. The average time for principals has been two years. One of the primary factors is that as a PK to 12 school, there is a huge range in student ages and principals have to make multiple moving parts work smoothly.
Mount Hermon residents have always expressed a closeness with their school, which dates back to the mid-1800's. The 1885 Mt Hermon Schoolhouse is located at Mile Branch Settlement at the Washington Parish Fairgrounds in Franklinton. In the early 1980's, Mt. Hermon School was partially destroyed by fire. It was a very sad time for the community that rallied behind the school and worked for it to be rebuilt and continue to thrive.
It is a true community school and the surrounding area has been strong in support.
However, the numbers have changed. In Louisiana, there has been an eight percent drop in public school populations since 2016. This can be attributed to the growing popularity of charter schools and the fact that homeschool has become more popular, especially since the COVID pandemic.
Washington Parish has seen a drop in student population and consolidation of schools has already occurred in Varnado with the closing of Angie Junior High and Varnado Elementary.
Thomas added, "I know there will be sadness. I know there will be anger. I know there will be people who disagree with this. I understand why. But I have to make this decision based on what I believe gives our students the strongest future." Board members will have to make a decision as well.
She continued, "I cannot ask this community to forget its history. I would never want that. Instead, I am asking us to honor that history by making sure the next generation of students has every opportunity possible. Mt. Hermon School has a proud past. It can still have a strong future as an elementary school serving this community. And our students can move forward into junior high and high school with access to more courses, more programs, more activities, more career pathways, and more opportunities. At the end of the day, this decision has to be about them. Our students deserve more-and it is our responsibility to give them more."
Opponents of the Mount Hermon School were to hold a scheduled a meeting for Monday evening (August 31) at Silver Creek Campground. The proposal to change the school to only elementary grades has created plenty of controversy in the Mount Hermon area and on social media. The Mount Hermon area's elected school board member, Keith Giles, has vowed to fight the proposal. Other residents of the Mount Hermon area have also promised that they will not accept this proposed change without standing up and speaking out.
