BATON ROUGE - East Baton Rouge Parish School System superintendent LaMont Cole sent out a letter Monday saying that students should be allowed to remain at their original schools until they finish there before transitioning to the work-in-progress St. George school system. 

As part of his response letter, Cole said students enrolled in any school should be allowed to remain at that school until they complete the highest grade level provided there—students in elementary school should be allowed to finish elementary school, and likewise for middle and high schools, before they transition to a school within their allotted district. 

Cole also said the EBRPSS' priority will be to provide for the families and students within its district when it comes to magnet programs. After district residents have been accounted for, Cole said he supported opening enrollment to those outside of the district, such as students from Zachary, Central, Baker and St. George. 

Cole acknowledged problems in the school system, saying that despite the challenges the system has faced, he is "diligently working to identify obstacles, develop solutions, and implement systems that uplift all students."

"Let's work together—parents, educators, community members, and leaders—to make this vision a reality," Cole wrote.

You can read Cole's full letter here.