LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- The empty building in Lafayette which used to house Prairie Elementary School will not be empty for long.

With the French immersion school now in a new building in a new location, the property at the corner of Ambassador Caffery Parkway and Congress Street will be the home of the Lafayette Parish School System's new SOAR Program.

SOAR, which is an acronym for Success, Opportunities, Achievement and Re-engage, will serve as an alternative site for K-5 students who need short-term reassignment due to behavioral issues. 

Prairie Elementary is now located in a new $25 million school at 1101 Rue du Belier in Lafayette.

Janine LaFleur, LPSS's assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, said the program is designed to be another layer of support for young learners.

“With the relocation of Prairie Elementary School, we realized a golden opportunity to implement this program we have been discussing for quite some time," LaFleur said. "By separating elementary students from middle and high school students, we are creating learning environments that allow us to dive deeper into the issues affecting students, connect with them on an individual level, and ensure they have the necessary support and resources in place to flourish in their regular classroom setting.”

Tara Walker, who served as assistant principal of Prairie Elementary for the last nine years, was named program administrator for the new project.

“Building relationships and trust within the school community and with our families is crucial for our long-term success," Walker said. "Our goal is to effectively communicate with base schools and re-engage students once they are showing success.“

The new school will be equipped with a sensory room for students with special needs and a full-time social worker. The goal of the program is to work with students to help them master academic standards and teach them skills that will help them succeed when they return to their original school. 

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