LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- A public meeting will be held next week to discuss the proposal to turn the old Truman Early Childhood Education Center into a new community center.
The meeting will be held on Monday, Dec. 30, at Saint Anthony Catholic Church Hall in Lafayette. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m.
The school closed its doors in December 2023 after more than 60 years of operation. The school is also described as having much history, such as being one of the first desegregated schools in Lafayette Parish.
Officials with the Lafayette Parish School Board and the Lafayette City Council said they are in talks with the Sun Community Housing Development Organization, a local nonprofit organization, to repurpose the site into what will be known as the Sun Community Center.
Lafayette City Councilman for District 1, Elroy Broussard, said this center will mean a lot for people who reside on the north side of the city.
"So many schools in our area have closed, and the history is going away, it's important for you to keep your history before you and understand what it took to get to where you are," Broussard said.
Broussard said if the proposal moves through, the facility would be used to house many community activities such as theater productions tutoring sessions, game rooms, and more. He said officials are now asking for citizen's input on what they think the center should look like.
"We asking the community to weigh in on it to see what all the possibilities are, we want to redo it, make it look better, brighter, more welcome, and we just can't lose this part of history for the city of Lafayette," Broussard said.
