Bossier City weekend weather — Today: A chance of thunderstorms. Showers. Locally heavy rainfall possible this morning. Highs around 80. Chance of rain near 100%. Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows around 70. Chance of rain 50%. Saturday: Cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. A chance of showers in the morning, then showers likely in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Chance of rain 60%. Saturday night: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 70s. Chance of rain 40%. Sunday: Cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. A chance of showers in the morning, then showers likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Chance of rain 60%. Sunday night: Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the lower 70s. Chance of rain 20%.
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Bossier Schools LEAP scores: See how your child's school did.
Bossier Schools says a new curriculum, stepped-up tutoring initiatives, support, and hard work by Bossier Parish educators and students paid off, according to spring LEAP results released by the Louisiana Department of Education.
The 2023-24 Louisiana Educational Assessment Program is an annual measure of student proficiency in ELA, math, science and social studies for grades 3-12. Social studies results were unavailable this year because the LDOE is developing new standards.
Students in grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 all increased percent proficiency in ELA in Bossier Parish, and there were gains as well in average scale scores for those same grades and English II in high school.
Additionally, 16 Bossier Parish schools showed growth in the percentage of students earning Mastery or Advanced on the LEAP.
The largest gains in ELA proficiency, which is the percentage of students earning Mastery or Advanced from the previous year, were at Haughton Middle, with a 10% gain and Stockwell Place Elementary, with an 8% gain.
Platt Elementary and Benton Middle posted a 6% increase, and Greenacres, Sun City and Elm Grove Elementary each experienced a 5% growth in proficiency.
Other schools showing ELA increases include Apollo Elementary, Benton High, Benton Intermediate, Bossier High, Elm Grove Middle, Haughton Elementary, R.V. Kerr Elementary, Plantation Park Elementary and Rusheon Middle.
Additional highlights across the district show:
10 schools demonstrated an increase in students earning Mastery or Advanced in mathematics;
11 schools made combined subject gains in proficiency (Mastery or Advanced);
Science scale scores increased in grades 3, 6 and 7;
The Black or African American subgroup increased in average scale scores in all content areas in grades 6 and 7 and in English II at the high school level;
Grades 6 and 7 in the military-affiliated subgroup showed increases in all content areas;
Economically Disadvantaged students in high school maintained average scale scores in Algebra and English I while showing increases in English II and U.S. History;
Students with Disabilities made increases in the average scale scores in all content areas in grades 3, 5 and 7, with grade 6 making gains in math and science;
Students with Disabilities also posted proficiency gains in English II and U.S. History at the high school level;
The Homeless subgroup increased by 5% in Mastery or above in subjects combined from the previous year.
“We want to commend our teachers and students for putting in the hard work and celebrate their success,” said Bossier Schools Superintendent Jason Rowland. “Success is not easy, but it is worth the effort that goes into it. On that note, while we are thrilled with the growth seen, we are not fully satisfied with our outcomes. Bossier Schools will be introducing additional new curriculum in 2024-25 to include ELA and math at the middle school level, as well as Algebra I and social studies, that will enable our district to build on its successes and continue to accelerate learning.”
Detailed LEAP student reports are being emailed today to the primary parent/guardian listed in OnCourse, the district’s secure student portal. The individualized reports are password protected, and the annual registration process must be completed before scores can be viewed.
School Performance Scores (SPS) will not be released by the LDOE until later this fall.
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A Bossier City vote on term limits is not a done deal
Mayor Tommy Chandler called a press conference Thursday to announce that local advocates are taking another swing at Bossier term limits.
The Bossier Term Limits Coalition has gathered another list of signatures and has a new petition certified by the Registrar of Voters to present to the Bossier City Council. It calls for a retroactive three-term limit for the mayor and city council members.
"The term limit coalition group that has been working on this petition has worked very hard and a status and a petition that is complete and now ready to be filed," the mayor said. "Once the petition is accepted and filed, the issue of term limits will now be allowed to go to the ballot and voted by the citizens of Bossier City."
What could go wrong?
The City Council must vote to accept the petition before it can proceed through the legal and pre-election process of being placed on the ballot.
Councilmember at large Chris Smith, who also attended the press conference, reminded the media of that.
"The way that I appreciate it is that, yes, we do have to vote on it," Smith said. "We have 30 days to take action on it. After that, petitioners could, if they so choose, seek their declaratory vote."
The first petition was stalled by the Council and was ultimately bounced to the 26th Judicial District Court, where it was ruled to be improperly certified. With a majority of the city council opposed to term limits, will another similar tactic be deployed? Any delay — no matter how futile — could prevent term limits from appearing on the December ballot.
BossierNow update 10:10 a.m. 7/26/24
Mayor Chandler’s ordinance proposing amendments to the City Charter regarding term limits as specified in the certified petition has been placed on the City Council agenda for this Tuesday.
In the meantime, the Charter Commission, originally formed to put local term limits before the voters, has been in disarray. Recent meetings have failed to generate a quorum, but the commission has scheduled another meeting for Monday at 6:30 p.m.
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I-20 reconstruction: Here's what is about to close next
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development says that the Industrial Drive (LA 782-2) interchange ramps will soon be closed for reconstruction as part of the ongoing I-20 major rehabilitation project in Bossier City.
Beginning Tuesday, August 6, 2024, the I-20 eastbound off-ramp and the westbound on and off-ramps at Industrial Drive will be closed to allow the contractor to remove the existing pavement and roadway base and replace them with new base and concrete. This applies to the ramps in both the eastbound and westbound directions. The eastbound on-ramp to I-20 from Industrial Drive will remain open.
This interchange closure is anticipated to be in place until late September 2024, weather permitting.
Motorists can access I-20 from the Benton Road or Airline Drive interchanges. The Old Minden Road interchange remains closed at this time for continued reconstruction.
Other construction work on the project is continuing, including pouring concrete for new travel lanes on the interstate, drainage improvements, and nighttime concrete panel repairs on the Shreveport side of the project.
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Meanwhile, a JDB inspection
Intermittent lane closures have been scheduled for the LA 511 (Jimmie Davis Bridge) over the Red River as part of a routine bridge inspection.
The dates are as follows:
Saturday, July 27, 2024: Eastbound lane closure. Traffic will be maintained through the use of flagging operations.
Sunday, July 28, 2024: Westbound lane closure. Traffic will be maintained through the use of flagging operations.
Bossier City free time calendar
Live music in Bossier City and other notable events in the area for your free time consideration.
Tonight, July 26: Fan favorite Dan Smalley returns to put on another incredible performance in the legendary listening room at Louisiana Grandstand. If you've never seen this Shreveport native perform, plan to see what you've been missing.
August 31: Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Elle King at the Paradise Theatre in the Margaritaville Casino.
September 7: The Cleverlys, a one-of-a-kind, unique comedy and music experience at the Louisiana Grandstand. "If Dolly Parton, Earl Scruggs, and Spinal Tap spawned a litter of puppies, it would be The Cleverlys," says the New York Times.
September 12: Pony Bradshaw makes a rare Louisiana stop at the legendary listening room of Louisiana Grandstand. Catch Pony Bradshaw as he fuses Americana, rock, folk and many other styles.
September 13: Comedian Rodney Carrington at the Paradise Theatre in the Margaritaville Casino.
September 14: Cody Johnson, The Leather Tour at the BGA.
October 18: Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Darrell Scott at the Louisiana Grandstand.
October 20: Jelly Roll, The Beautifully Broken Tour, with Warren Zeiders and Alexandra Kay at the BGA.
October 26: Daughtry at the Paradise Theatre in the Margaritaville Casino.
November 1-3: Disney On Ice presents Frozen & Encanto at the BGA.
November 16: Creed, Are You Ready? Tour at the BGA with 3 Doors Down and Mammoth WVH.
November 23: William Clark Green brings his "Whole Lotta Lubbock" tour to his debut appearance at the Louisiana Grandstand. Green is tearing up Texas dance halls and filling venues all over the country with his hits like "She Likes The Beatles" and "West Texas in My Eye."
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