Union Parish School District

Building Purpose, Pathways, and Possibility

Through Academic Focus, Career Readiness, Special Education Support, and Community Partnership, This Louisiana District Is Reshaping Opportunity for Every Student

 

Across the education landscape, school districts are being asked to do more than ever before. They are expected to close learning gaps, prepare students for a changing economy, support increasingly complex needs, retain talented teachers, and deliver results despite persistent fiscal pressure. In Union Parish, Louisiana, district leadership is meeting that challenge with a clear sense of purpose.

Under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Cathy Stockton, Union Parish School District is focused on creating a system where students come first, teachers feel supported, and communities are active partners in the work of education. With an emphasis on strong instruction, special education services, career and technical pathways, technology integration, and family engagement, the district is moving deliberately to improve outcomes while redefining what public education can offer.

For Stockton, the vision is straightforward but ambitious: build a district where students do not simply attend school, but truly benefit from it.

A Strategic Vision Centered on Students

Union Parish School District’s priorities are grounded in a strategic framework that begins with a simple but essential principle: every decision should serve students first.

“Our goal is excellent instruction for students, outstanding student experience, and driving teamwork, school, family and community partnerships,” says Dr. Stockton.

That student-centered mindset guides the district’s work across all levels. Whether the discussion is about academic performance, teacher support, career preparation, or community trust, Stockton insists that the district’s first lens must always be what is best for students.

When she joined the district, she stepped into a system that had experienced years of strain and instability. Her objective was not to preserve the status quo, but to act as a change agent—someone willing to make difficult decisions in order to improve opportunities for students and employees alike.

That work is now unfolding through a mix of academic focus, structural support, and a stronger alignment between district programming and community realities.

Meeting Students Where They Are

A major strength of Union Parish School District lies in its willingness to meet students with varying needs and circumstances, rather than expecting all learners to fit a single mold.

That is particularly evident in the district’s special education programs. Under the leadership of Special Education Supervisor Rhonda Davis, Union Parish is providing direct, hands-on support to students while also helping teachers navigate instructional and scheduling demands more effectively.

Davis, who has served in the district for 28 years, is not a supervisor who remains behind a desk. She works directly in classrooms, observing, teaching, and supporting staff in real time.

“One feature that we offer is that kind of service,” Davis explains. “Getting down into the trenches is what works.”

That philosophy matters. By staying close to the day-to-day realities of classrooms, district leadership can better identify strengths, weaknesses, and the kinds of interventions that truly make a difference for students.

The district also works hard to support students who might not otherwise find a place in more selective or specialized settings. As charter and school-choice models continue to grow, Union Parish leadership is candid about the reality that public districts often remain the institutions most fully committed to serving all learners, including those with significant academic, behavioral, or developmental challenges.

In Union Parish, that commitment is not abstract. It shows up in service delivery, staffing, and a refusal to place barriers in front of students who need help.

Wraparound Services That Support Student Success

Union Parish’s student support model extends well beyond traditional instruction.

The district provides psychological testing, counseling services, social work support, and student assistance team meetings designed to troubleshoot concerns before they escalate. Rather than defaulting immediately to formal referrals, staff work to understand what a student truly needs—whether that involves attendance support, behavioral intervention, academic assistance, or additional social-emotional resources.

This layered approach is designed to address the full reality of student life, recognizing that academic progress is often influenced by much more than what happens during a lesson.

The district is also introducing a sensory room to better support students dealing with ADHD, sensory challenges, agitation, and other needs that can affect learning and behavior. The idea is to provide students with tools and environments that help regulate what they are experiencing internally so they can engage more successfully in the classroom.

Taken together, these services reflect a district that is thinking holistically about achievement and support.

Expanding Career Pathways for a New Economy

One of Union Parish School District’s clearest priorities is helping students connect their education to real-world opportunities.

That means strengthening pathways not only to college, but also to trades, certifications, and direct workforce entry. District leaders recognize that not every student’s path will look the same—and they are designing opportunities accordingly.

Among the district’s most promising recent efforts is expanded access to industry-based credentials and career-focused training. Through initiatives supported by grants and partnerships, students have been able to complete programs such as Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training and heavy equipment operator certification.

The heavy equipment operator program, offered in partnership with a local community college, provided juniors and seniors with a three-week training course at no cost to students. Participants completed the program with a recognized credential and a practical skill set they can take directly into the workforce.

For many students, that kind of training is transformational. It creates immediate economic opportunity while also validating the idea that success can take multiple forms.

Union Parish is also investing in facilities to support this vision. The district recently completed a $2.5 million career and technical building, where students can work toward credentials in areas such as welding, electrical, and related fields. Its agricultural program has also earned national recognition through FFA competition and achievement.

These efforts align closely with the realities of the district’s region, where healthcare, manufacturing, processing, timber, and skilled trades all play important roles in the economy.

Technology as a Learning Tool, Not Just an Add-On

Technology integration is another key pillar of the district’s strategy.

At Union Parish Elementary, every student has access to a device, with tablets used in pre-K and Chromebooks distributed through upper grades. Smart panels, document cameras, and instructional platforms are now part of daily classroom life, helping teachers personalize instruction and target skill development.

Technology is not being treated as a novelty. It is being used deliberately to address gaps, support interventions, and build student familiarity with digital tools that will matter in later grades and in future careers.

Students use technology during intervention blocks, reading labs, and classroom projects. Teachers also rely on digital platforms to support math and English language development, helping close gaps through targeted instruction and data-informed learning.

At the same time, district leaders recognize that true technology readiness involves more than access to devices. It also means ensuring students learn practical skills such as keyboarding, digital organization, and presentation tools—competencies that will serve them in high school, college, and the workplace.

Bringing STEM to Life Early

Union Parish is also working to build excitement around STEM learning from the earliest grades.

Through a partnership with Louisiana Tech University, the district introduced STEM activities and teacher training designed to strengthen engagement in science, math, and engineering concepts. Teachers received both professional development and hands-on kits that brought topics such as magnets, design thinking, and problem-solving into the classroom.

Students responded enthusiastically, and the district sees these initiatives as a valuable way to make science and technology feel concrete and accessible.

The district has taken that effort even further by creating structured college exposure for elementary students. Third, fourth, and fifth graders now visit regional higher education campuses, including Grambling State University, University of Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Tech University, and Delta Community College.

These visits are designed to make the idea of college more real. For younger students, “college” can otherwise remain an abstract word. By physically experiencing campuses, seeing classrooms, and imagining themselves in those spaces, students begin to connect education to future possibilities.

That kind of early exposure helps normalize aspiration and broaden students’ sense of what is possible.

Special Programs That Connect Learning to Purpose

Union Parish is also creating innovative learning environments that blend academic standards with hands-on exploration.

One notable example is its adoption of Star Academy, a program developed through NOLA education partners that introduces students to STEM-based modules, flexible learning spaces, new technology, and career-connected project work.

In these classrooms, students are not simply completing worksheets. They are designing, measuring, building, experimenting, and seeing how academic subjects connect to the kinds of careers and industries they may one day enter.

In seventh-grade geometry, for example, students may work on home plan design. In science, they may explore food science and measurement through applied activities. These lessons are giving students broader exposure to careers they may never otherwise encounter in a rural district context.

The district has implemented the model so successfully that it has already served as a site for professional development and demonstration for other districts.

Teacher Retention Begins with Culture and Support

Like districts across the country, Union Parish faces the challenge of teacher recruitment and retention. Leadership is working to address that challenge through both financial support and culture-building.

The district has implemented a $5,000 recruitment and retention stipend for certified staff, helping make employment in Union Parish more competitive. But district leaders are clear that retention is about more than money alone.

At the school level, leaders are focused on improving campus culture, strengthening instructional support, and ensuring teachers feel valued rather than overburdened. The district also brings in consultants and support personnel to help staff improve practice and navigate instructional expectations.

At Union Parish Elementary, Principal Kasey Hough says the district made a conscious effort to break a cycle in which teachers were developed locally only to leave for neighboring systems.

“We worked hard in partnership with the district to really grow our teachers and grow our culture, to keep them on our campus with us longer,” she says.

That local investment is mirrored at the secondary level, where Principal Amy Littleton speaks passionately about the importance of bringing homegrown educators back into the system. As a graduate of the district herself, she sees talent development as both a staffing strategy and a form of community renewal.

Her goal is not only to lead the school now, but to help cultivate the next generation of leaders who are from Union Parish, invested in Union Parish, and committed to shaping its future.

Community Engagement as a Core Strategy

Union Parish School District is also placing renewed emphasis on direct, visible engagement with families and community members.

District leaders and school teams participate in local parades, seasonal celebrations, town events, and community gatherings throughout the parish. They are also organizing town hall meetings in communities across the district to make it easier for families to talk directly with school leadership.

Given the geographic size of the parish, that face-to-face approach matters. Leaders know that strong engagement cannot depend entirely on centralized meetings or digital communication.

Families need to feel seen, heard, and invited into the process.

Schools are also building stronger family connections through programming such as back-to-school STEM events, trunk-or-treat STEM nights, open-house outreach, and neighborhood visits by teachers and staff.

In one especially powerful initiative, teachers rode buses into the neighborhoods where students live, handing out information and popsicles ahead of open house. The gesture was simple but meaningful: it showed students and families that educators were willing to meet them where they are.

These efforts are helping shift the relationship between schools and families from one of distance to one of partnership.

Making the Most of Limited Resources

Like many districts, Union Parish is operating within significant fiscal constraints. Enrollment losses, state funding pressures, and past structural decisions have all affected the district’s financial position.

Yet leadership has continued to find ways to move forward.

The district’s career and technical building was funded through the sale of a former school property. Remaining proceeds were then used to complete much-needed facility improvements, including painting, repairs, and general updates to district buildings that had gone years without meaningful investment.

These improvements may seem basic, but they matter. As Dr. Stockton notes, when facilities look neglected, communities can interpret that as a lack of pride. Even on a limited budget, Union Parish is working to ensure that its schools reflect care, effort, and professionalism.

The district is also exploring solar panels as a way to offset utility costs and potentially generate long-term savings or revenue. It is an example of the kind of out-of-the-box thinking leaders believe is necessary when traditional funding streams fall short.

Looking Ahead

As the Union Parish School District moves into 2027, its priorities are both practical and aspirational.

At the elementary level, one major goal is continued school performance growth, with leadership aiming to improve the campus letter grade again next year. At the secondary level, leaders are pushing to elevate academic performance, strengthen culture, and expand pathways that prepare students for life after graduation.

Across the district, the focus remains on improving ACT scores, increasing access to career and technical credentials, supporting special education students effectively, expanding student engagement, and helping teachers stay and grow within the system.

For Dr. Stockton, though, the ultimate goal is bigger than metrics alone.

She wants schools where students love learning, where reading opens doors, where kindness is part of the culture, and where employees want to come to work each day.

“I want the students to love to read,” she says. “I believe being a good reader gives you a key to success in almost all occupations.”

It is a simple statement, but it captures the spirit of the district’s work. Union Parish is not chasing improvement for its own sake. It is trying to create real opportunities for students, teachers, and the community it serves.

A District Defining Success on Its Own Terms

Union Parish School District understands that education today must be flexible, inclusive, and relevant. It must support students with complex needs, connect learning to real careers, embrace technology thoughtfully, and build stronger trust with families—all while navigating limited resources.

What stands out in Union Parish is not just the breadth of what the district is trying to do, but the conviction behind it.

This is a district that believes public education still matters deeply. It believes students deserve options, teachers deserve support, and communities deserve schools that are visible, responsive, and ambitious.

In Union Parish, that belief is being translated into action.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Union Parish School District

What: A School District committed to a flexible and inclusive teaching approach and a firm belief in community and public education

Where: Farmerville, Louisiana

Website: www.unionpsd.org