(Editor’s note: Historical information at the end of story provided through the writings of Webster Parish Historian John Agan.)
By Pat Culverhouse
J.L. Jones Elementary School will officially become a Webster Parish Schools district-level multipurpose facility following a Monday vote by the parish school board.
Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, second-grade students from Jones will be reassigned to J.A. Phillips Elementary while third-graders will move to E.S. Richardson.
Without discussion, the board voted unanimously to transition J.L. Jones students to the other schools. No information was given on the disposition of J.L. Jones school staff.
“This is not a school closure, it is a repurposing of the facility,” said LaTanya Grigsby, a community resident and long-time advocate for the school. “We will still have J.L. Jones. It will just be used for other important activities.”
During a meeting last month between residents of the community, board members and school system staff, Superintendent of Schools Johnny Rowland said the current configuration of students at Jones did not fit under new state accountability guidelines.
Jones would now be rated on third-grade LEAP scores with points in Mastery and Advanced categories. But the state would award no points for a basic (growth) category. With no points awarded, that would mean Jones could fall into an “F” category under state accountability, Rowland explained.
“We have never had an ‘F’ school in Webster Parish. If you look at the growth category, Jones receives an ‘A’ and now that would get them zero points,” Rowland said during the April meeting.
Supervisor Oreata Banks had also warned against using the term “closing” in reference to the school.
“It’s still our building. It’s not going anywhere, she said.
Although nothing reportedly has been determined, future use of J.L. Jones could include an arts and creative learning center, professional development and learning center, academic enrichment programs, educator pathway model classroom and parent center and model classroom.
This isn’t the first time a parish school board has voted to repurpose an elementary school. In 2015, the board began discussing plans to transition J.E. Harper Elementary.
In August of that year, the board approved a resolution to move kindergarten and first-grade students from Harper to J.A. Phillips Middle School. The Harper facility now operates as the J.E. Harper Pathways to Excellence Center.
J.L. Jones Elementary received its name from the highly-regarded educator who became principal of Minden Union High School in 1922. A strong advocate for education of all students, Jones was well-known and respected throughout Louisiana.
Union was renamed Webster High School in 1941 and in 1953 a new school building was constructed which included housing for elementary grades on campus. That elementary division was formally given J.L. Jones’ name following the educator’s death.
In 1959, Minden voters gave approval to a bond issue that included constructing a 20-classroom elementary school at the present site on District Dr. off Joel St. School board members at that time voted to carry the J.L. Jones name to the new $307.000 facility.
A new J.L. Jones Elementary School officially opened its door to students in September, 1960.