Caddo Superintendent Keith Burton

Today, we celebrated Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel being sworn in as an honorary judge in Caddo Parish. DJ was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer in 2018 and, after 13 surgeries, has become a strong, joyful, inspirational teenager. He set a goal to be sworn into 1,000 law enforcement agencies and has now been sworn in by more than 1,350 agencies, earning him a Guinness World Record. It was an honor to witness DJ and hear from him and his father, Theodis.

This afternoon, staff had the opportunity to present the Caddo Parish School Board with a proposed 2026-2027 budget that includes a 6 percent across-the-board pay raise for all employees.

Across our district, excellence is happening every day. It is happening in classrooms, on buses, in cafeterias, in front offices, in school hallways, in maintenance shops, in counseling offices and in every place where our employees show up to serve children and families.

That excellence deserves to be recognized.

This proposal is one way we are working to recognize the people who make Caddo stronger.

I am grateful for the work of our employees and proud to bring forward a recommendation that reflects our commitment to investing in them.

A major investment in Caddo employees!

This afternoon, Superintendent Burton presented a proposed 2026-2027 budget to the Caddo Parish School Board that includes a 6 percent across-the-board pay raise for all employees.

If approved, the raise would take effect July 1 and provide a lasting salary increase for employees across every position in the district.

This recommendation is the result of months of work to develop a proposal that is both meaningful for employees and sustainable for the district.

Every day, Caddo employees teach, support, transport, feed, encourage and care for students. This proposal reflects a continued commitment to investing in the people who make student success possible.

The Board will consider the proposal as part of the 26-27 budget process.

What a great first day of celebrating the Class of 2026!

Today, we had the privilege of recognizing graduates from Southwood High School, Huntington High School and Green Oaks Performing Arts Academy as they crossed the stage and stepped into the next chapter of their lives.

To our Cowboys, Raiders and Giants, congratulations. You have worked hard, overcome challenges and reached a milestone that reflects your dedication, the support of your families and the commitment of teachers and school leaders who helped you along the way.

As superintendent, I could not be prouder of the students we celebrated today. Each diploma represents a story, a journey, and a future filled with possibility.

Always great to sit with Al Moore and discuss all that's happening in Caddo Schools.

Community Speaks — Thursday at 10 AM
🎙 Hosted by Al Moore
🎓 Guest: Keith Burton, Caddo Parish School Superintendent

Join us for a powerful discussion on how our schools are doing, the challenges they face, and the future of education in our community

Here is a behind the scenes look at filming with the Committee of 100 for a feature video on Caddo Works. Caddo Works is our district’s workforce development partnership with the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce that connects students with internships, apprenticeships, and real-world learning across our community.

Huge thanks to the Committee of 100 and all of our partners who are opening their doors to our students.

Today at the ArtBreak press conference, we spoke about the healing power of art and the comfort it can bring in times of grief. In a moment I won't soon forget, I was honored to highlight two special pieces on display this week: artwork by Khedarrion Snow, a kindergartener at Summer Grove Elementary, and Sariahh Snow, a fourth grader at Summer Grove Elementary. Both children passed away in Sunday’s tragedy; however, their bright, curious artwork is a beautiful reminder of the joy they found in discovery and in creating.

Today I attended the annual Cherish the Children of God Breakfast hosted by VOA of North Louisiana. This year’s theme, “Belonging is the Beginning,” is a timely reminder that connection and community are where healing starts. VOA is a strong partner of Caddo Schools, and we’re seeing lives changed every day. While this week has been filled with sadness following Sunday’s tragic events, there is hope for our community. Take, for example, future community leaders like Corinthian, a senior at Booker T. Washington High School, who shared his story of hope and how Communities In Schools has made an impact on his life. These are the stories that make a difference. Thank you, VOA and all our partners, for standing with our students.

This morning, our community experienced an unspeakable tragedy.

While we do not yet know the names of the children or where they attended school, we do know that eight young lives were taken far too soon. They were children with dreams, hopes, and futures that were just beginning to take shape.

There are no words that can make sense of a loss like this.

As a community, we must wrap around one another in the days ahead. We must take care of our children, support our families, and stand beside our educators and first responders who are carrying the weight of this moment.

Caddo Schools stands ready to support in every way we can. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, loved ones, and all those impacted by this tragedy.

Thank you, Judge Ree Casey-Jones, and our partners from Juvenile Services, FINS, TASC, Volunteers for Youth Justice, Volunteers of America, and district staff for joining a focused, data-driven review of truancy, chronic absenteeism, and disciplinary trends.

This week we worked together to assess where students are missing opportunities, evaluated current interventions, and identified where services or resources need to be adjusted to keep students in school and learning. We are proud of the success we've seen this school year in our efforts but will continue this work with our partners to improve attendance and supports.

Thank you, Dr. Phillip Rozeman and Dr. Johnette Magner, for inviting me to be a guest on the latest Education Checkup Podcast on KTBS. It was a great opportunity to discuss the work underway in Caddo Schools and the steps we are taking to elevate the learning experience for every student.