Duson Elementary students thank officials, supporters during lunch

DUSON, La. (KLFY) -- The Lafayette Parish School Board voted unanimously not to close down Duson Elementary School. To show their gratitude, students presented thank you notes during lunch to officials and community supporters who have been vocal about not closing the school.

Duson's Mayor, Chief of Police, a school board member, and community volunteers had lunch with students to celebrate.

"When you see the smiles on these faces, you see them eating, you have to picture them years down the road that they have no idea what transpired, and hopefully they will take benefits of being able to stay in, do so on their," Mayor Johnny Thibodeaux said.

Chief Kip Judice said he's still on cloud nine after the board's decision.

"The biggest thing on my heart right now is thank you to all of those school board members, the nine people that they literally listened to us last night. They took into account all of the situations that we presented to them, and they voted with their heart," he said.

District 3 School Board Member Joshua Edmond said the numbers he saw impacted his choice resulting in his belief he did the best thing by voting to keep Duson Elementary open.

"Once I started hearing the community speak that the town was going to suffer and it would just gone cripple the economics around this area, it just made sense to vote the way I voted," Edmond said.

Cafeteria volunteer and supporter John Hillyard said there was a point in time when he felt their efforts were like trying to talk to a wall, but he and his family were pleasantly surprised when the decision to keep Duson Elementary open was made.

"My oldest daughter, who's not even going here anymore, she cried. She cried happy tears because it was it was an amazing thing to see that 0-9 vote," Hillyard said.

The board voted to close Katharine Drexel Elementary and S.J. Montgomery Elementary. They also decided to turn Lafayette Middle into Lafayette Elementary and rezone the middle school students to other schools within the district.

Aside from Duson, Comeaux High was voted to stay open.

"We got graciously blessed by this and I want to thank everybody who came and supported us and prayed for," Thibodeaux said.

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