A new elementary school will be built near LSU’s Band Hall, according to the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board.
Located at 575 W. Roosevelt St., McKinley Elementary School will replace the former building and is zoned for the Highland Old South Baton Rouge region, meaning students zoned for University Terrace Elementary School and Buchanan Elementary will be zoned to McKinley once constructed, according to David Tatman, the president of East Baton Rouge Parish School Board.
Michael Gaudet, a representative for East Baton Rouge Parish District 7, said there were a few unexpected issues in the construction of McKinley Elementary, resulting in opening delays. The school was scheduled to open for the 2022 school year, but due to supply chain issues, it’s now scheduled to open in August 2023.
Gaudet said that the University Terrace school population is currently meeting at the Eva Legard Learning Center due to demolition.
When asked if the new school would create more traffic around LSU’s campus, Tatman said the East Baton Rouge Parish School System is striving to minimize the negative impact due to traffic circulation in communities.
“We are willing to partner with traffic engineers to ensure we maximize our campus design,” Tatman said.
The area used for the new facility was previously a school, and since that area has housed a school and used bus transportation, Gaudet believes that traffic near the school will not affect LSU.
“As an addition, the new school design fully incorporates bus and carpool access to reduce traffic efficiently,” Gaudet said.
The school board also plans to work with LSU’s College of Human Sciences and Education to implement programs within the new elementary school’s curriculum.
The school board has partnered with LSU for past projects, including the Eva Legard Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies.
“East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has always had an extensive relationship with the LSU College of Human Sciences and Education,” Gaudet said. “I am certain that LSU’s partnership will continue but we are not exactly sure what is planned for McKinley Elementary.”
Although the school is zoned for students who previously attended University Terrace Elementary School and Buchanan Elementary, Gaudet believes that McKinley Elementary will be available to a wider range of students in Baton Rouge.
“East Baton Rouge School System offers a wide and increasing choice in schools and therefore students are not just governed by attendance zones,” Gaudet said. “[The school board] is in the process of a district-wide facilities plan which will also likely provide the opportunity to modify current zones.”
School Board Vice President Dawn Chanet-Collins is an alumna of the former University Terrace Elementary School. She feels bittersweet that the school will be demolished but believes that the new elementary school will accommodate a wider range of students.
“With the combination of Buchanan Elementary and University Terrace Elementary, it gives children exposure to diverse backgrounds,” Chanet-Collins said. “With a state-of-the-art facility and future partnerships with LSU, children attending McKinley Elementary will have vast opportunities for development.”
A bulldozer sits Thursday, Sept. 01, 2022, outside the New McKinley School by Edward Gay Apartments on LSU's campus.
