It's been a long time coming and now local residents are getting a clearer picture of what the new replacement Lafayette High School will look like.

If you've driven near the current Lafayette High School location, you have probably seen some of the construction and demolition activity as the site for the new school begins to take shape.

Up until rezoning in 2018, Lafayette High School was the largest public high school in Louisiana with an average of around 2,400 students enrolled. Even though the rezoning achieved the goal of bringing their student population down to an 1800 student average (similar to Southside, Acadiana, and Comeaux High Schools), Lafayette High School is still the oldest high school in the Lafayette Parish School District, built back in 1952.

Over the past few years, there have been numerous meetings, planning, and discussion about what a new Lafayette High School could look and now it looks like things are finally starting to take shape.

On Tuesday (Feb. 14) local realtor Jessica LaCourse posted a group of images showing detailed renderings of the new replacement Lafayette High School.

According to the information provided in the graphics the project aimed to "maximize the use of the available property" to "engage a socially creative and supportive learning space with safety for the students and faculty as a central focus."

The three-story, 300,000-square-foot structure will house up to 2,300 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders at LHS.

The spaces are designed to energize students' imaginations through uplifting experiences that empower students to succeed. The building will be a teaching tool, supporting educators as moderators to learning, where all students are welcomed and valued.

According to LPSS, the design aims to "allow for spaces to be flexible, functional, and engaging. One of the main differences between the old school and the new school will be the connection to the outdoors.

The building shall reinforce connections to nature by creating a relationship to the outdoors, natural daylight, and blurring the threshold of interior and exterior environments. This will allow us to provide educational pathways without boundaries that will excite students and provide opportunities for peers to share personal experiences in unexpected educational settings.

Another major improvement will be the safety of the school; executed through the concept of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) to "prioritize visual control, removing blind spots and encouraging visual transparency throughout the building.

The idea is to create a perimeter by using concentric zones to monitor from the outside and to cover both interior and exterior issues. All aspects of school safety design are being discussed and considered in the building design with the latest technology.

While every project will have its critics, the response to the new replacement Lafayette High School has been positive overall.

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I personally can't wait to see the finished product as well as the excitement from students and faculty members who will enjoy our city's flagship high school on a daily basis.

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