BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board is introducing a new plan that includes school closings and repurposings. During a board member meeting, Superintendent Lamont Cole discussed the board's proposed plans. The plan is titled "Students First" and priorit izes student achievement, operational excellence, and employee development. The plan includes closing nine schools, vacating four buildings, and repurposing six buildings. This would also require at least 15 attendance zone changes. According to the EBRPSS plan, 10,178 students and 1,412 staff members would be impacted by the realignment plan. "You asked me to charter a path that would best meet the needs of the students and improve our school system overall," said Cole. "Part of that journey and part of that path would be to have tough conversations throughout the community, which would lead to having to make tough decisions." Schools to close Bernard Terrace Elementary Capitol Middle (consolidated)* Eva Legard Center IDEA Bridge IDEA Innovation JK Haynes Elementary Ryan Elementary Westminister Elementary Winbourne Elementary School buildings to be vacated Capitol High School* EBR Readiness Middle School JK Haynes Elementary Westminister Elementary Buildings to be repurposed Belfair Magnet School Bernard Terrace Elementary Capitol Middle Site* Eva Legard Center Ryan Elementary Winbourne Elementary *Capitol Middle building would become the home to Capitol High School. Students at Capitol Middle/High would become 7th through 12th grade. Capitol Elementary would consist of students from grades 3rd through 6th. The plan would go before the board in May for final approval, officials said. Click here to read the full realignment plan. Latest News Proposed realignment plan in East Baton Rouge closes 9 schools, affects 11K students and staff Santa Fe sheriff releases body camera footage of Gene Hackman investigation Video shows ICE agents shatter car window during Massachusetts arrest: attorney Coroner's office identifies man found in Mississippi River Veteran returns to Vietnam, finds peace with former enemy ...read more read less