Student in a wheelchair says broken elevator is blocking her education: ‘It’s really frustrating’

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB/Gray News) - A Louisiana student in a wheelchair is speaking out about the lack of resources in education after she said a broken elevator has left her feeling stranded at her own school.

Naomi Jones is a junior attending Alexandria Senior High School in Alexandria. She said the elevator she uses to get to her classes has been broken since the summer, keeping her from getting to her teachers and classmates.

“Really frustrating, like it’s really frustrating,” Jones said.

The 17-year-old has osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bones, and relies on using a wheelchair to get around.

With the elevator out of service, Jones said she’s been forced to stay downstairs in the art room while her classmates are upstairs with their teachers.

“It’s frustrating because I need to learn what they’re learning in class so I can stay up to the same level that my other classmates are on,” she said.

Jones said she often works alone without direct instruction, which makes assignments especially difficult.

“I don’t know what they’re really like doing, so I can’t really put what they expect me to put on the paper,” she said.

Jones dreams of becoming an architect, but she worries that being cut off from her teachers, particularly for math, could set her back on her goals.

“I need my teacher to come teach it to me, but he’s busy, so I try to figure it out on my own, which always ends up being wrong,” Jones said.

In April, Rapides Parish School Board Superintendent Jeff Powell said 14 projects were in the works under the $100 million District 62 bond, which voters approved in 2022.

At Alexandria Senior High, those projects include boiler and chiller replacements and synthetic turf for athletics.

Jones said a school official told her the elevator wire had been cut during ongoing construction at the school.

Jones said she had not been given a timeline for repairs when she asked and that her principal told her she is waiting on an update.

In a statement sent to us, the Rapides Parish School Board said they were aware of the broken elevator and that their highest priorities are the health, safety and educational needs of the students.

“We are working closely with school administrators to ensure all students maintain full access to their educational programs during this temporary disruption,” the statement said in part.