LAFAYETTE, La. (The Daily Advertiser) – Students at Lafayette High have put together a 15-minute documentary on why the school should keep its performing arts academy, health careers academy and gifted program.

The Lafayette Parish School Board is expected to vote June 1 on whether to move one or both academies to another site, likely Comeaux High, in an attempt to reduce what officials deem overcrowding on the Lafayette High campus. Another proposal would split gifted programs between Lafayette High and Comeaux.

The video was posted on YouTube three days ago, and has more than 1,000 views on the site.

The documentary features testimonials from several Lafayette High students and teachers. Many say the school’s large size is not a problem, but rather, allows for a diverse student body and a multitude of academic and activity offerings.

“I believe that gifted students look forward to coming to Lafayette High because they want to be in a nationally-ranked band, they want to be in a nationally-ranked choir, they want to play athletics – the baseball team, volleyball, soccer. They want to be involved in the school,” said Melanie Lowry, who teaches AP chemistry and gifted physical science, in the video.

Some school board members have said moving one or both academies to a campus with more space would allow those programs to grow. Comeaux High is expected to have several empty classrooms beginning in 2017, after the first phase of the new Southside High opens.

However, in the video, some students disputed that thinking. Celia Theriot, a Lafayette High student, said many students would not follow the health academy to Comeaux, because they feel such a strong love toward Lafayette High.

“The health field would lose many potential high-performing students that are pursuing health careers,” Theriot said in the video.

Currently, Comeaux High does not have an auditorium, choir room or dance room. Board members have indicated they would build an auditorium at the school if the performing arts academy moved there, but construction would take several months, at a minimum.

“If we have no space to perform, then what we are we doing?” said Jacory Bernard, a Lafayette High performing arts academy student.

Gifted teachers also raised concerns about splitting that program. Some said it may result in fewer gifted course offerings, or force teachers to become itinerant and spend time traveling between multiple schools, rather than teaching or planning.

According to district data, Lafayette High has 373 students in its gifted program, 353 students in the health careers academy and 441 students in the performing arts academy.