WPSB Mt Hermon Community Meeting 9/10/2026

The Washington Parish School Board held a community meeting on September 10, 2026, to discuss a proposed reconfiguration of Mount Herman School from a preK-12 to a preK-6 institution. The proposal aims to address challenges such as declining enrollment, staffing difficulties, leadership instability, and financial pressures by focusing resources on younger students and redirecting secondary students to nearby schools with broader academic and extracurricular offerings. The presentation emphasized potential cost savings of approximately $950,000 and improved educational opportunities for secondary students. However, the community expressed strong opposition during the public comment period, highlighting concerns about the loss of community identity, the impact on students and families, transportation issues, and the value of the current preK-12 model. No formal vote was taken during this meeting, but the board acknowledged the difficulty of the decision and indicated ongoing prayerful consideration before moving forward.