Lafayette Schools Urge Lawmakers to Cut Testing

Superintendent Francis Touchet asked state legislators to reconsider testing and yearly teacher mandates at the district's annual legislative breakfast.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Administration

Photograph of a bare wooden classroom desk with a pencil and closed booklets, with a flat Louisiana lowland and cypress trees visible through a window. — Lafayette Parish Superintendent Francis Touchet asked state lawmakers at the district's annual legislative breakfast to reduce student testing and yearly teacher mandates. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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At the Lafayette Parish School System's annual legislative breakfast, Superintendent Francis Touchet urged state lawmakers to reduce student testing and reconsider yearly mandates placed on teachers. He said testing has continued to accumulate despite calls to lessen the burden.

Why it matters

School leaders in Lafayette Parish are seeking relief so educators can spend more time teaching and supporting students rather than meeting state requirements. Decisions made in state lawmaking directly shape what happens in classrooms across Louisiana.

The request was made in person to state legislators at a single annual event, with no quantified testing or mandate figures provided. Whether lawmakers will respond in the upcoming session has not been determined.

The players

Francis Touchet

Francis Touchet is the superintendent of the Lafayette Parish School System, leading one of Louisiana's major public school districts.

The details

Touchet made the request at the school system's annual legislative breakfast, where district leaders communicated directly with state legislators about how state-level decisions affect local classrooms. Lawmakers indicated that infrastructure is expected to be a major focus of the upcoming session.

The legislative breakfast took place on November 6, 2026.
The upcoming legislative session will take place in Baton Rouge.

Administration Context

Local school districts in Louisiana rely on the state legislative session in Baton Rouge to set testing and teacher requirements that shape daily classroom work. Lafayette Parish's push at the annual legislative breakfast places district concerns directly before lawmakers ahead of that session.

Families and educators in Lafayette Parish could see changes to testing schedules and teacher requirements if lawmakers act on the request during the upcoming session. Until then, current testing and mandate rules remain in place for classrooms across the district.

The takeaway

Local school requests reach the state level through events like legislative breakfasts, where district leaders can shape policy before lawmakers meet. Parents and educators who want to follow the outcome can track the upcoming Baton Rouge session.