Some schools overcrowded, others underutilized in Vermilion Parish

It is no surprise that some schools in Vermilion Parish are overcrowded, while many are underutilized.
Vermilion Parish School Superintendent Tommy Byler gave the school board a usage update on the 20 schools in Vermilion Parish.
Six schools have a capacity of 80 percent or higher, and another six have a capacity of 59 percent and less.
It is no surprise that North Vermilion High School can not take any more students because it is 93 percent full. NVHS was built for 943 students, and today there are 878 students.
Cecil Picard Elementary and North Vermilion Middle School are both 80 percent full and growing. They are expected to continue to grow, creating headaches for the school system.
“At some point, you guys (board members) are going to have to decide if you all are OK with 1,000 students at an elementary school,” Byler said. “If that is the case, then I will be coming to you to build a new cafeteria or build up. “
Dozier Elementary in Erath is 90 percent full.
The schools that can handle more students are Gueydan High School (41 percent capacity), Eaton Park Elementary (52 percent capacity), Jesse Owens Elementary (53 percent capacity), Herod Elementary (53 percent), Abbeville High (54 percent capacity) and J.H. Williams Middle School (59 percent capacity).
The four Abbeville schools are less than 60 percent full.
Byler threw out numbers of how many students can fit in certain school buildings.
Gueydan High School’s total capacity is 585 students, and today, there are only 234 students in the school.
Jesse Owens Elementary has a building capacity of 352 and there are 199.
“We have no choice. The school board has to give me direction on where we want to go with school buildings,” said Byler. “We can not wait five years.”
Byler said he would give the School Board members 15 options to consider.
Kaplan High was built for 685 students, and today there are 570 students.
Erath High was constructed for 778 students, and today there are 558 students.
Abbeville schools are a “major concern” for Byler because they are less than 50 percent full.
Abbeville High School is built for 1,207 students. Today there are 648 students at AHS.
J.H. Williams Middle was built for 911 students. Today there are only 549 students.
“We have buildings being underutilized,” said Byler.
Byler mentioned using “a wing” of an Abbeville school to house the “Alternative School” or “Virtual Vermilion School.”
Byler also brought up the nasty word, “rezoning.” He told the board to fix the overcrowding in certain parts of the parish, all 20 schools will be affected. Every rezoning line in the district will have to be redrawn, and he does not see that happening in the near future.
“You will have to give me direction,” Byler told the board.