Surging populations in both the cities of Broussard and Youngsville has the mayors of those two cities and school system officials scrambling to come up with a solution to the school facilities crisis in the southern part of Lafayette Parish.

According to the Daily Advertiser, Youngsville Mayor-Elect Ken Ritter explained at a Tuesday morning press conference that he is hesitant to approve new residential construction in his city because of overcrowding issues in public schools.

Broussard Mayor Charles Langlinais agreed, saying there is an "extreme shortage of facilities."

"This is something that you all have been very patient about," school system Superintendent Dr. Pat Cooper told both Ritter and Langlinais. "I think with a new board coming in, your patience is going to be rewarded."

Cooper outlined three possible scenarios under which new schools may be built, the Advertiser reported. One would be a joint funding partnership between the school system and the cities. Another option is to use the district's reserve fund or capital funds to issue bonds. And yet another idea is to use property the school system owns in the area for new construction, possibly through public-private partnerships.

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