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Highland Elementary School is proud to host the Knowledge Matters Campaign on April 16-17. The Knowledge Matters Campaign will bring its School Tour to the Ouachita Parish School System in Louisiana, which is implementing high-quality, knowledge-rich curricula in both social studies and English language arts literacy (ELA).

This School Tour destination marks the Knowledge Matter Campaign’s first-ever visit to a district using high-quality curricula in both ELA and social studies, reflecting the Campaign’s newly expanded #HistoryMatters work. It is the 50th visit of the Knowledge Matters School Tour, which seeks to “find the good and praise” the embrace of exemplary knowledge-building curricula and instruction.

School Tour visits offer teachers and school leaders the opportunity to share with other educators what their learning journey has entailed. This visit will capture the experience of educators using three knowledge-building curricula: 

• Louisiana Guidebooks, one of eight curricula recognized by the Knowledge Matters Campaign as exceptional for its content-richness (a key component in the Science of Reading), which was developed by and for Louisiana teachers;
• Bayou Bridges, a social studies program co-developed by the state of Louisiana and the Core Knowledge Foundation that was rolled out last year; and
• Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), also recognized by the Knowledge Matters Campaign, and used in Ouachita Parish for grades K-2.

“We are honored to host the Knowledge Matters Campaign and showcase the knowledge-based teaching and learning happening across Ouachita Parish,” said Curtis Pate, Chief Academic Officer of the Ouachita Parish School System. “Our students and teachers are thriving—and we’re excited for them to share their story.”

The Campaign is especially pleased to spotlight Louisiana, which was the only state to surpass pre-pandemic achievement on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), with its highest scores in elementary and middle school to date.

Since 2018, the Knowledge Matters Campaign has visited districts across the country where educators have shifted their instruction to embrace high-quality, knowledge-building curricula based on the Science of Reading. The Campaign is proud to return to Louisiana and commemorate a “knowledge win” on its 50th School Tour visit, said Barbara Davison, Executive Director.

“It’s fitting that we’d bring our 50th school visit to a place that has embraced the knowledge-rich approach in as comprehensive a way as Ouachita Parish has,” Davidson said. “We’re eager to share the stories of educators who have successfully implemented these evidence-based practices in their classrooms.”

The visit is scheduled for April 16–17 at Highland Elementary School in the Ouachita Parish School System. Members of the media are invited to attend a Roundtable discussion on April 17. 

About the Knowledge Matters Campaign

The Knowledge Matters Campaign is a project of StandardsWork, a non-profit advocacy organization whose mission is to “find the good and praise it.” The campaign garners national awareness for the importance of building students’ background knowledge of the world through high-quality literacy and social studies instruction, including through its School Tour and Review Tool. For more, see knowledgematterscampaign.org.

The Ouachita Parish School Board recognized three state-championship teams and the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SSAC) during Tuesday’s regular board meeting.

The Richwood High boys basketball team, led by longtime head coach Terry Martin, captured the 2025 LHSAA Division III Non-Select state championship. The Rams have won four state titles under Martin’s leadership.

The West Monroe High boys and girls powerlifting teams were also crowned state champions. Under the direction of head coach Obie Sims, West Monroe girls powerlifting won the LHSPLA Division I state title for the fourth consecutive year. West Monroe boys powerlifting, led by head coach Lane Welch, won the LHSPLA Division I title, which was the 21st state championship in program history.

The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SSAC) is comprised of 10 high-school students that Ouachita Parish Schools Superintendent Todd Guice meets with periodically throughout the school year. These meetings include community service and a discussion of various topics, including feedback on how to improve the school experience for all students.

2024-2025 SSAC Members

Jaheim Jefferson, Ouachita High
Isabella Wood, Ouachita High
Denim Boyd, Richwood High
Sanese Presley, Richwood High
David Roach, Sterlington High
Mallory Talbert, Sterlington High
Mia Jenkins, West Monroe High
Cooper Thornton, West Monroe High
Jace Atchison, West Ouachita High
Emmaline Wink, West Ouachita High

Also recognized for SSAC service in 2023-2024 was Travis Adams, Sterlington High

Policy Change Approved

The School Board approved a policy revision adding smart watches to the list of cell phones and electronic telecommunication devices to comply with state law. The revision also defines a school instructional day as the arrival to school and dismissal at the end of the day.

The revision was approved by BESE in accordance with ACT 313 of the 2024 Louisiana Regular Legislative Session, which prohibits the use of cell phones or other electronic telecommunication devices at any K-12 public school during the instructional day.

Evaluation of Bid Items                        
Surplus Equipment Sale awarded to highest bidder at $3,338.85
Property Sale – Old Myles Property awarded to highest bidder at $250,000                                                                          
WOHS FB Stadium Renovations/Improvements awarded to lowest bidder at $10,360,000                            
Property Sale – Old Sterlington Middle approved to rebid @ 85% appraised value                                                            
Central Elem. Restroom Renovation & Canopy awarded to lowest bidder at $957,500                           

The School Board granted permission to bid on the following item:
Property Sale – Old Sterlington Middle at $1,275,000