(New Orleans – March 8, 2023) — As the proud Superintendent of NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS), Dr. Avis Williams believes every child deserves to learn and thrive in an environment that's safe and healthy.
With that in mind, last week she shared a decision to site the Homer A. Plessy Community School, currently located in the McDonogh 15 building, to the building that currently houses McDonogh 42 or the McKenna building. This decision was made due to the poor condition of the current McDonogh 15 building, which includes not being fully remediated of all lead and asbestos. It's also not fully ADA compliant, it's not energy efficient, it does not have a cooking kitchen, and it lacks the additional square footage to expand the school's programming that will help ensure our scholars success now and into the future.
Essentially, it does not meet the educational standards for facilities set by the Orleans Parish School Board.
"I am a leader who must make tough decisions and this siting was not one of them due to the compelling evidence to support the need to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for our scholars," said Dr. Williams. "I am also a leader who must listen. After many conversations with leaders, parents and other community stakeholders, I have decided to reset on this decision and take additional time to receive community input, review more data and allow for deeper engagement."
Two community meetings are scheduled for next Monday, March 13th at 5pm at the Homer A. Plessy Community School campus – 721 St. Philip St., NOLA, 70116 and Tuesday at 5pm via zoom. Interested stakeholders are welcomed to join. Please click this link to sign-up for the virtual meeting. During these meetings, the NOLA-PS team will share specific information about the McDonogh 15 building and what to expect moving forward.
For now, Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams says the Homer A. Plessy Community School will remain in its current location. Please click here to see her message to the community.
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About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district's administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB). NOLA-PS currently oversees 72 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams, the first woman in the District's 181 years to serve as its permanent superintendent.
For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.