East Carroll Parish Schools and Briarfield Academy had a busy 2023, celebrating students’ athletic and academic achievements, as well as changing policies and upgrading school buildings.
The East Carroll school board voted to give themselves a raise early in the year, from $650 a year, plus $50 for extra meetings, to $800 a month, $900 for board president.
Andre McMerchant Jr., a star football player for General Trass High School, signed papers in February to play for the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Briarfield’s junior varsity boys basketball team won a district championship and the junior varsity girls finished as runners-up.
The General Trass Panther basketball team advanced to the second round in the LHSSA tournament, a feat not seen in decades.
Briarfield’s track teams racked up postseason wins, with the junior varsity girls and boys teams bringing home district championship trophies. Varsity girls were also district champs and varsity boys were district runners-up.
A couple of General Trass seniors received scholarships from the John H. Scott Memorial fund after they graduated. Calvin Thompson III received a $6,000 scholarship as the top recipient. Kayviana Perkins of Lake Providence was the top vote-getter in the video contest.
Briarfield’s tennis teams won the overall state tournament in May, with Miller Holt named number 1 and Ben Coullard named number two singles. Jackson Thornton and Deacon Howard #2 doubles and Jack Martin and Davis Holt finished as runners-up in #1 doubles. In girls tennis, Ella Claire Payne and Gracen Thornton one state in #2 doubles. Anna Lee Tatum and John Robert Walters were runners-up in mixed doubles.
Briarfield’s softball team won the state championship for the second year in a row in October, after considering that this year would be a building year.
General Trass Panther football advanced all the way to the second round of state playoffs in 2023, gaining recognition for several key players this year.
Briarfield’s football team also advanced to state playoffs, ending just one game shy of the championship.
East Carroll Parish Schools were named the most improved school district in Louisiana based on district-wide scores on what’s known as the LEAP test. The district’s overall score went from a D to a C. Southside Elementary School was recognized as the fourth most improved K-8 school in the state, increasing its score 15 points over 2022 scores and moving from an F letter grade to a D.
The school district held a ribbon- cutting ceremony in December for its new administration building, marking an end to a project that broke ground in the summer of 2021.
Throughout the year, the school board juggled federal pandemic funds and bond money to upgrade physical conditions at all district schools. Work began at the end of 2023 using federal funds to get new restroom plumbing and fixtures at all three schools - General Trass, Griffin Middle Academy and Southside, new HVAC at the GMA and Trass gyms, new roof gutter replacement at Trass, updated exterior doors at all schools, new cafeteria seating, new seating in the gym and in the football stadium at Trass, and new HVAC systems for GMA and Southside.
Bond money will be used to upgrade the weight room at Trass, get new flooring for the gym at Trass, create a new parking lot for Trass football stadium, new HVAC system for Trass, as well as various other painting, lighting and window upgrades throughout the district.
The East Carroll school board will be keeping a close eye on finances as the new year begins. Superintendent Meagan Brown reported that as the federal pandemic funds come to an end, the district will need to take a long, hard look at the number of teachers and staff who were paid with those one-time relief funds because normal school funding cannot support current staffing.
