Caddo Parish Public Schools

Huntington High School is ready to welcome students and staff back to campus on Thursday, August 20, with normal operations and the regular school schedule.

Our district maintenance and building teams have worked extensively to address the air-conditioning concerns on campus and prepare the school for students and staff to return.

We are grateful to the teams who worked diligently to get the campus ready and to our Huntington families for their patience and support. We look forward to seeing our Raiders back at school tomorrow.

Huntington High School will transition to virtual instruction tomorrow, Wednesday, August 19.

The transition to virtual instruction will allow district maintenance staff full access to the campus to evaluate and address air-conditioning needs. Maintenance teams have been working throughout the evening to assess systems and make necessary repairs as quickly as possible.

We appreciate the patience and understanding of our Huntington families and staff as this work continues.

Tonight, the Caddo Parish School Board celebrated an outstanding group of students whose accomplishments reflect the talent, leadership, and commitment found across our schools.

Congratulations to Kaleb Law of Captain Shreve High School, our August 2026 Caddo Parish Student Leader of the Month; Luka Mikaberidze of Caddo Magnet High School, recognized as a District 6 Congressional Award Gold Medalist; and the Caddo students who participated in the A-HEC of a Summer Program, gaining hands-on experience while exploring careers in healthcare.

We also celebrated Caddo Magnet High School’s JROTC Academic and Leadership Bowl teams for representing Caddo on the national stage. The Academic Team finished among the top three programs in the nation, while the Leadership Team became the first Caddo JROTC team to compete in the Level 3 Leadership Bowl Championship, finishing 13th nationally.

Finally, last but not least, we were proud to recognize Sanil Thorat, the 2026 Louisiana Elementary Student of the Year, for an achievement that reflects excellence in academics, leadership, character, and service.

Congratulations to each of these students! Your accomplishments make Caddo proud!

There is something special about kindergarten day!

Across Caddo, our youngest learners arrived on campus ready for a year of new experiences, new friendships and plenty of learning. From first-day smiles to hugs, high-fives and proud families, our schools were excited to officially welcome our kindergarteners to the 2026-2027 school year.

We can’t wait to see all they will learn, discover and accomplish this year.

Welcome to Caddo, kindergarteners! This is just the beginning.

There’s nothing quite like the energy of the first day at C.E. Byrd High School!

We continued our first-day celebrations this morning with the Jackets, where school spirit was on full display as students arrived ready to begin the 2026-2027 school year.

The halls are full, the Jackets are back and a new year is underway. We can’t wait to see what our students and staff accomplish together this year!

We kicked off the 2026-2027 school year this morning at Shreve Island Elementary, where students and families were greeted with plenty of smiles, excitement and Bulldog spirit.

From welcoming students and parents at arrival to reconnecting with our incredible teachers and staff, it was a great reminder of what makes the first day of school so special. Shreve Island’s cheerleaders and mascot helped bring the energy as we celebrated the start of a new year filled with opportunities.

Welcome back, Caddo! We are excited for all that is ahead this year.

The day we’ve been waiting for is here! Welcome back, Caddo!

Today, we open our doors for the first day of the 2026-2027 school year, and we could not be more excited to welcome our students, teachers and staff back to campuses across the district.

From the first bus arriving to the first bell ringing, today is about new beginnings, new opportunities and the incredible potential of every student who walks through our doors.

To our students: We are ready for you.

To our families: Thank you for trusting us with your children.

To our teachers and staff: Thank you for everything you have done to prepare for this moment.

Here’s to a great first day and an even better year ahead. Welcome back, Caddo!

Another key leader stepping into a new role for the 2026-2027 school year is Mitzi Nix, who will serve as Caddo Schools’ new Director of Accountability.

Mrs. Nix brings extensive experience in assessment, accountability, and working directly with schools to understand and use student performance data. Throughout her work in Caddo, she has supported school leaders and educators through the assessment process, helping campuses navigate testing requirements while ensuring the information we gain from assessments is used to strengthen teaching and learning.

She brings a deep understanding of both the technical side of accountability and, more importantly, what the numbers mean for the students and schools behind them.

In her new role, Ms. Nix will lead the district’s accountability efforts while continuing to work alongside schools as Louisiana implements its new accountability system.

We are excited to have her knowledge, experience, and commitment to schools guiding this important work.

Congratulations, Mitzi!

As we prepare to welcome students and staff back for the first day of school on August 10, we are equally excited about the leaders who will be supporting them throughout the year.

That includes Dr. Lynette Hampton, our new Director of School Performance, who will work alongside K-8 and middle school leaders across Caddo.

An award-winning educator and proven school leader, Dr. Hampton has spent years serving Caddo students, staff and families. She has led both North Highlands Elementary and Walnut Hill Elementary/Middle and was previously recognized as Caddo’s Elementary Principal of the Year.

In her role as Director of School Performance, she will bring that experience to schools across the district, partnering with principals and their teams to strengthen instruction, address barriers and ensure schools have the support they need to help students succeed.

We are proud to have Dr. Hampton taking on this important role and excited about the leadership and experience she brings to the schools she will serve.

Congratulations, Dr. Hampton!

We’re excited to welcome Mercedes Friels as the new principal of Caddo Heights Elementary!

Ms. Friels is no stranger to Caddo Heights and is excited to take on this new role. Since joining the district in 2013, she has dedicated her career to serving our students and families, most recently as assistant principal at Caddo Heights.

That experience means she steps into the principalship already knowing the students, staff and community she will lead. Her appointment provides important continuity for the campus while building on the relationships and work already underway.

We are excited for Ms. Friels to take this next step in her leadership journey and continue moving Caddo Heights forward.

Please join us in congratulating Principal Mercedes Friels!