A former McKinley High School assistant band director who ordered several students to perform push-ups for showing up late to a 2014 marching band practice offered an in-court apology Wednesday to an ex-student who was hospitalized for five days w…
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
The political campaign arm of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber has endorsed candidates in six of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board races on Nov. 6, an endorsement that comes with a contribution of $2,500 to $5,000 per campaign.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Figuring out who is responsible for cleaning and maintaining East Baton Rouge Parish public schools has become increasingly confused thanks to a month-old lawsuit brought against Aramark, the large corporation that manages facilities for the schoo…
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
A former McKinley High School student who spent five days in the hospital in 2014 after he was ordered to perform 200 push-ups for being late to marching band practice testified Tuesday his swollen arms resembled those of the cartoon character Pop…
Monday, September 17, 2018
The vice chairman of the Southern University System Board of Supervisors was charged Monday with filing a false public record after investigators found his voter registration and homestead exemption were for two different Ascension Parish addresses.
The state is getting $9 million to help educators detect and address mental health problems among public school students, especially in alternative schools, officials said Monday.
Saturday, September 15, 2018
For women on Baton Rouge’s college campuses wondering how best to handle risky situations, Rape Aggression Defense program instructor Kathy Saichuk encourages them to ask themselves a crucial question: “What if?”
Friday, September 14, 2018
After years of planning and fundraising, Northshore Technical and Community College will finally break ground on its Walker campus on Monday.
LSU President F. King Alexander on Friday disputed charges that that the school's new admission policy is watering down standards.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Louisiana's bid to increase the number of students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math is getting a $300,000 boost.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
The state has given its approval to ExxonMobil’s request for a multi-million-dollar property tax break on a potential Baton Rouge plant expansion, but now the company needs to persuade the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, the Metro Council an…
About 35,000 people, so far, have signed a petition asking LSU to release Mike the Tiger and permanently stop having a live tiger mascot.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Two Denham Springs schools that were badly damaged by the August 2016 flood will combine campuses as part of a federally funded plan to restore the schools.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
More than six decades after her own high school graduation, Sister Helen Prejean returned to her alma mater on Tuesday and told current students about lessons she's learned and the tenets of her Catholic faith that have propelled her to advocate o…
LSU is getting $22 million from the federal government to train state and local first responders, officials said Tuesday.
Monday, September 10, 2018
A member of the Livingston Parish School Board said Monday a newly hired band director suspected of having an inappropriate relationship with a student at a Texas school five years ago has been placed on administrative leave.
As the person most involved in carrying out LSU’s new admissions policy that discounts the importance of college board tests, like the ACT, Jose Aviles has been somewhat surprised at the clamor caused by shifting emphasis towards essays and recomm…
Southern University will be getting $2 million from Entergy Corp. and $2 million from the state to aid the school's engineering programs, officials announced Monday morning.
Sunday, September 09, 2018
LSU is tied for 140th among national universities, according to college rankings released Monday by U.S. News & World Report.
Saturday, September 08, 2018
Sometime during the 14th straight day sandblasting rusting metal in the Gulf, I soured on offshore work.
Friday, September 07, 2018
Two members of the LSU Board of Supervisors voiced their support Friday for the administration’s decision to discount ACT scores and another five board members privately backed the change in admission standards.
DENHAM SPRINGS — On a recent afternoon, Martha Gonzalez's two youngsters ran back and forth across her narrow street in Eastover Estates, chatting in Spanish with their Honduran neighbors.
The East Baton Rouge Parish school system is looking to hire a Huntsville, Ala.-based consulting firm to help it get ahead of a potentially rough round of budget cuts next year.
Amid teacher unrest and a widening pay gap with other states, Gov. John Bel Edwards plans to recommend an election-year salary increase of at least $1,000 for public school teachers in 2019, officials said Friday.
Work can finally begin on demolishing and rebuilding Southside Elementary School in Denham Springs, the last flood-damaged school in Livingston Parish to get approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Thursday, September 06, 2018
The new band director at Denham Springs High School left a job at a Texas school district five years ago while police investigated whether he had an inappropriate relationship with a student.
Vincent Fortado was not charged with a crime. A police report said the band teacher admitted developing a close relationship with, and sending "flirty" text messages to, a high school student, and asked her to delete text messages, which she did. It wasn't clear whether Fortado quit or was fired.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on Thursday unanimously selected Kenyetta Nelson-Smith as its vice president, replacing Connie Bernard, who recently gave up the post, citing her husband’s diagnosis with an aggressive form of cancer.
Despite daunting financial challenges, Louisiana needs to focus on offering affordable child care for infants and toddlers, a national expert told a state panel studying the issue Thursday.
Two former LSU students pleaded no contest Thursday to misdemeanor hazing in the alcohol-related death of freshman fraternity pledge Max Gruver, whose mother said was ready to “spread his wings and soar” when he arrived at the university a year ago.
LSU is tied for 352 of 500 colleges and universities in ratings compiled and released Thursday by The Wall Street Journal.
Wednesday, September 05, 2018
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board is holding a special meeting Thursday to select a new vice president to replace Connie Bernard, who gave up the appointment Friday, saying her husband was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
A former LSU student accused in last September's alcohol-related death of Max Gruver was rebuked by fellow fraternity members for shooting pledges with an airsoft gun less than a week before the fatal hazing, prosecutors say.
Tuesday, September 04, 2018
Marvin L. Yates, former chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus for Southern University, died Tuesday, the school announced.
Public schools throughout the capital region announced Tuesday they plan to stay open Wednesday despite threat posed by Tropical Storm Gordon.
A group headed by a member of the Board of Regents blasted LSU President F. King Alexander on Tuesday for the university’s recent decision to stop automatically disqualifying applicants who score too low on college board admissions tests like the ACT.
Monday, September 03, 2018
As Tropical Storm Gordon churns in the Gulf of Mexico and heads toward the northern Gulf Coast, several Baton Rouge-area schools have announced that they will close Tuesday.
Saturday, September 01, 2018
Low ACT score? No problem: LSU to increase opportunities for all students with 'holistic admissions'
LSU is relaxing a generation-old policy of automatically rejecting applicants who score too low on the standardized entrance exams like the ACT.
Friday, August 31, 2018
Embattled EBR school board member Connie Bernard gives up VP post, citing husband's cancer diagnosis
Embattled East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Connie Bernard on Friday gave up her position as vice president of the panel, saying her husband was recently diagnosed with “an aggressive form of cancer.”
The East Baton Rouge school system's lead attorney is on his way out and School Superintendent Warren Drake says he hopes to have a replacement in the key position by Oct. 1.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
LSU is ranked 5th in the Southeastern Conference and 90th among peer schools, according to the Washington Monthly 2018 College Guide and Rankings.
Monday, August 27, 2018
LSU suspended all activities for the Delta Chi fraternity Monday while university officials investigate potential violations of student conduct, according to a letter sent from student affairs to the fraternity.
The attorney who has served for more than 15 years as general counsel for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System announced his plans Monday to leave the post to pursue a new role with a private project management firm.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette officials are trying to set the record straight: No, students are not being forced to pay $999 for an accounting textbook.
A fledgling public-private effort to boost education in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – in Baton Rouge has a new name, a new plan of action and a new regional focus.
Friday, August 24, 2018
SHREVEPORT – After meeting behind closed doors Friday for about two hours, the Southern University Board of Supervisors upheld the firing of former band director Nathan Haymer.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Gov. John Bel Edwards told the state Board of Regents on Wednesday that Louisiana's financial outlook is much improved but stopped short of promising a hike in state aid for colleges and universities next year.
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
The East Baton Rouge Parish school system is loosening its otherwise tight purse strings to the tune of almost $1.1 million to buy a dozen temporary buildings it has been leasing this past year to help flooded Glen Oaks High School get back on its feet.
BATON ROUGE (AP) — Preliminary numbers show LSU is on track to have its largest freshman class in history.
Monday, August 20, 2018
When all the counts are finalized LSU expects the classes that began Monday will include the largest number of freshmen ever.