Rapides Parish School Board

09/05/2026

The ribbon is cut and the new turf is officially in play at D.C. Bill Bates Stadium! ✂️ 🏈

Pineville High School opened its new synthetic turf field and resurfaced track before Friday's season opener, both funded by the bond District 52 voters approved in May 2025.

"On behalf of the Pineville High community, we would like to thank all Pineville voters for the ability to make this dream come true," Principal John Neal said.

Thank you to the school board members, elected officials, and community partners who joined us at center field to celebrate!

09/05/2026

🛠 Happy Labor Day from RPSB! Our schools and offices will be closed Monday, September 7, in observance of the holiday.

We will reopen Tuesday, September 8.

To every worker who keeps our schools running, from bus operators and custodians to food service technicians, teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators: thank you for the work you do!

09/04/2026

It was a good afternoon at Rugg Elementary! ✂ 🎉

Students who spent previous years in portable buildings are starting this school year in permanent classrooms inside the main building. We cut the ribbon this afternoon on a new classroom wing, built with funds from the District 62 Bond voters approved in 2022.

The campus also has a new elevator serving every floor and upgraded windows throughout. Thank you to the voters of the city of Alexandria who made this possible!!

09/04/2026

Today our school leaders joined community partners from across Central Louisiana at The Rapides Foundation Symposium, where Geoffrey Canada gave the keynote.

Canada is the president of Harlem Children's Zone and spoke about surrounding children with support from "cradle to career".

The Harlem Children's Zone began as a one-block pilot project in the 1990s and now reaches more than 34,000 students and families across a 97-block stretch of Central Harlem. It's built on the idea that students need support from every angle and this work can't end when the final bell rings.

Thank you to The Rapides Foundation for inviting us to the table and for bringing this conversation to our region!

09/03/2026

We welcomed leaders from Tangipahoa Parish today, one of our partner districts in the Tri-District Consortium Montessori Grant.

The day included classroom visits with Montessori certification candidates, providing a chance to see their training in practice and talk through their growth as Montessori educators. 🧮 🌱

Through this grant, we will continue to strengthen Montessori instruction across our schools!

09/01/2026

Last night, Poland Junior High dedicated its gymnasium to Mr. Bob Stevens.

He walked the halls as a student, set the Class C scoring record with 4,223 points, played college ball at Louisiana Christian University, and was inducted into the LHSAA Hall of Fame in 2017. He then returned to Poland and served as a coach and principal for 23 years.

Former students came from near and far to be there, including women who played for him in the 1980s at Redemptorist in Baton Rouge, along with coaches and players from across Rapides Parish.

Surrounded by his family, Mr. Stevens watched his name be revealed at the gym where so much of his life's work happened.

Congratulations, Coach! We are grateful for the contributions you've made to our district over your career.

09/01/2026

We're so proud of our incredible teachers, leaders, and students for this accomplishment! Way to GROW! 🌟

Louisiana ranks No. 1 among the states in reading growth, and the work taking place in these school systems is a big reason why.

Congratulations to the top school systems for achievement on the 2025-2026 K-3 literacy screener. They're leading the way in our state for the percentage of students scoring on or above level.

Each system was recognized during the August Louisiana BESE meeting.

08/30/2026

🚍 Become a bus operator for the students of Rapides Parish!

Our certification class is free, and full-time drivers receive state retirement and state group health insurance.

Bus operators help ensure that students are ready to learn and succeed each day by bringing them safely to and from school. This is a job where operators can see the difference they make, and we invite interested candidates to register soon!

Please contact Mrs. Cinda Thomas at [email protected] or 318-449-3108 for registration information.

08/29/2026

Working in small and whole groups this week, Mrs. Horton's kindergarten students at Martin Park Elementary used base ten blocks to build one-to-one correspondence.

💭 It's how students connect counting to cardinality: understanding that the last number name said tells the number of objects counted, and that the count holds no matter how the objects are arranged or what order they're counted in.

The group work is where the reasoning gets said out loud. When students count together, check a partner's set, and explain how they know, they're building the habit of defending their thinking.

This early form of mathematical reasoning will serve them through elementary school and beyond!

08/25/2026

Football season in Cenla is officially underway! 🏈

All of our football programs were in the room today, along with their coaches and principals from across the parish. Thank you to The Rotary Club of Alexandria Louisiana for hosting the Pigskin Preview and making it a staple year after year!

Jamborees kick off Friday. We're looking forward to great seasons ahead!