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Griffin Stadium by the North DeSoto Schools in Stonewall, Louisiana. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save North DeSoto Lower Elementary and Middle Schools will have more classroom space as the DeSoto Parish School Board approved a $17,158,000 capital expansion project. According to a news release from the DeSoto Parish School Board, the board approved this project at the April 10 board meeting to help with the overcrowded classrooms at North DeSoto Lower Elementary and North DeSoto Middle School.
This news release said this investment reflects the district’s continued commitment to academic excellence, student safety and preparing for future enrollment growth. The four North DeSoto schools currently serve more than 2,700 students, and the projected enrollment for 2027 adds nearly 1,000 additional students, according to a page on the DeSoto Parish Schools website about the 2024 proposed bond. The page shows that the current facilities available will not accommodate this type of growth.
According to Peyton Dufour, coordinator of communications, family and community engagement, this led to the plan to add classroom space to the lower elementary and middle schools. “This project is a proactive approach to meet both the current needs of students and lay a solid foundation for long-term solutions,” DeSoto Parish School Board President Donnie Dufour said. "Our responsibility as a Board is to ensure that every student has access to safe, high-quality learning environments.
This project moves us forward in a big way." North DeSoto Lower Elementary School expansion: According to the news release, the North DeSoto Lower Elementary project will include construction of a new classroom wing, playground, covered canopy, and administration/library wing, as well as renovations to 7,160 square feet of the existing facility. A total of 35,420 square-feet of new construction will be added.
The overcrowding at the lower elementary had been so severe that DeSoto Parish Superintendent Clay Corley said in September that the school nurse was using an old book room as her office, as hers was repurposed into a classroom. North DeSoto Middle School expansion: The news release also detailed the extent of North DeSoto Middle School’s expected expansion. A 13,069 square-foot addition will include new classroom space and a Band Hall, further enriching the school’s academic and extracurricular offerings.
The new classroom space across both schools will house 16 classrooms, with additional classrooms created by renovating the existing space in the current buildings, according to the news release. Upon the completion of the project, North DeSoto 2nd-grade students will relocate to the lower elementary campus, which will help alleviate the overcrowding and student capacity at North DeSoto Upper Elementary. Due to the number of students, the lower elementary has only been up to 1st grade for many years.
"This project is about meeting the immediate needs of our students and making sure we’re ready for what’s ahead,” District 1 School Board Member Dudley Glenn said. "As we see continued growth in the North DeSoto communities, we must ensure our facilities grow with them. By tackling these challenges now, we’re laying the groundwork for future needs of our students and educators.
” The news release said that with DeSoto Parish experiencing sustained student population growth, the expansion projects are necessary to ensure that the student-to-teacher ratio remains low, supporting individualized instruction and a nurturing learning environment. The additional classrooms will help accommodate student growth while maintaining the district’s high standards for academic performance. "This is only the beginning phase and an early solution to a growing concern.
While it doesn’t solve every challenge immediately, it allows us to tackle our most urgent priorities head-on. I am grateful that our board had the foresight to begin setting aside funds in District 2 several years ago that allow us to move forward with a project like this,” Corley said. "As our community and school district continue to grow, so must our investment in the future.
I’m hopeful that our stakeholders will recognize these efforts and continue to partner with us in building a stronger, more comprehensive path forward for our students." The North DeSoto Schools Capital Project expansion is a plan to help alleviate the overcrowding problems without building a new high school, which was part of a failed bond proposal in April 2024. While Corley said in September that this added space would likely only be a temporary fix, there are no current plans to create a new bond proposal for a new high school on existing school board property.
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