Ouachita Parish, adopt a school, west monroe, chamber - KNOE 8 News; KNOE-TV; KNOE.com |

WEST MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) Of the 36 Ouachita Parish schools, 8 have yet to receive sponsorship in the Adopt-a-School program.

Adopt-a-School is a West Monroe/West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce and Ouachita Parish School Board partnership to bring area businesses and schools together. For a $25 fee, businesses and individuals can adopt a school for a year.

Although monetary donations are always welcomed, there are easier and cheaper ways of helping a school. Chamber President Courtney Hornsby says sponsors will be expected to help the school in a variety of ways.

"A lot of times, it's donation of your time," says Hornsby, "They're looking for people to read to students, to judge a social studies fair, or maybe to come volunteer at the local fall festival they're having."

One business can sponsor multiple schools, and one school can have more than one sponsor. If sponsoring a school is so easy, why are 8 of the 36 parish schools, still waiting on adoption?

Hornsby believes many of the sponsors have special relationships with specific schools.

"They grew up in that school and they want to give back to the elementary school they went to. A lot of times they might own a business and their child happens to go to a certain school and that's the school they want to support," Hornsby says.

The problem could also be that area business are unaware of schools in their community.

"Maybe it's that we don't even realize we have these schools," says Hornsby, "they might be in a lower or less populated area and they just don't know about them."

The following schools are waiting to be adopted: Kiroli, Lakeshore, Ouachita High, OPAC, Robinson, Shady Grove, Swayze, and Woodlawn Middle.

To learn more about the Adopt-a-School program email Courtney Hornsby at chornsby@westmonroechamber.org or call the Chamber of Commerce at (318) 325-1961.