08/27/2026
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This morning, the Calcasieu Parish School Board received a Memorandum Order from the Honorable James David Cain regarding the longstanding desegregation case Conley et al. v. Lake Charles School Board, now the Calcasieu Parish School Board. This order was issued by Judge Cain today without allowing the Calcasieu Parish School Board to present any legal arguments.
In his order, Judge Cain provided specific directives outlining actions the district must take in the immediate future. A summary of those directives is provided below.
- Judge Cain ordered that - “Calcasieu Parish School Board be released from all obligations contained within the orders prior rulings in the desegregation matters with respect to student assignment, faculty and staff composition, transportation, and extracurriculars. Accordingly, attendance zone oversight and majority-minority transfers are compelled under this court's rulings shall cease for the 2027-2028 school year.”
o What this means – Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, the district will no longer be under a court order to provide transportation for students seeking out-of-zone transfers under the majority-minority transfer provision. However, the district has been granted permission to continue providing transportation for students who have already received and are currently utilizing an out-of-zone permit under that provision.
- Judge Cain further ordered that - “Calcasieu Parish School board devise a plan to move to parish- wide bonding for academic facilities and submit the proposed plan to the court within 180 days of this order. The court will, however, permit the existing bonding districts to continue for special projects such as athletic facilities. Gymnasiums are considered academic facilities under this ruling because of physical education requirements as well as the use of school gyms for assemblies and other academic purposes.”
o What this means - The district's current process for proposing and funding academic facility improvements through bond propositions must be reevaluated. The bond proposition currently scheduled for the November 3 ballot in Sulphur is permitted to proceed under Judge Cain's order. However, bond plans that were being developed for District 33 for a spring election must be paused at this time. District staff will immediately begin developing the parish-wide bonding plan required by the court and will submit that plan within the timeline established by Judge Cain.
The district learned of this order this morning and felt it was important to promptly inform the public of these developments.
We recognize that these matters are significant to our students, families, employees, and community members. We also understand that this order raises questions regarding its potential impact and implementation. The Calcasieu Parish School Board is carefully reviewing the court's directives and will work diligently to ensure compliance while keeping stakeholders informed throughout the process.
Because this remains active litigation, the district is unable to provide additional comment beyond this statement at this time. We will share updates as additional information becomes available.
