CENTRAL CITY, LOUISIANA

'Central City' is Louisiana's newest city. Located in East Baton Rouge Parish and officially named the City of Central, the community of 27,000 residents is the 12th largest city in Louisiana.
Despite opposition from the Parish government and even some of the community's own residents, the supporters of Central incorporation won in a April 2005 vote. The city immediately established its own newspaper, ''Central City News''.
Former Central High School principal Shelton 'Mac' Watts became the temporary mayor. Formal elections were held on April 1, 2006, in which voters chose incumbent Watts with 86% of the 18,000 votes.
There are many churches in the area. The largest are Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, and Zoar Baptist Church. Others include Blackwater United Methodist, Cornerstone, Fellowship Baptist, Life Tabernacle, Magnolia Methodist, and Voice of Pentecost.
In November 2006, the voters of the state passed a constitutional amendment authorizing the creation of the Central Community School District, which will allow the people of Central to govern their own public schools.
On January 9, 2007, Gov. Kathleen Blanco appointed the interim members of the new Central Community School Board. They are Morris L. Anderson, Sharon Watts Browning, Willard M. Easley, Ruby W. Foil, James W. "Jim" Gardner, Wilfred M. "Marty" Guilbeau Jr. and Russell M. Starns. The board appointed Mike Faulk as the first superintendent. The new school system will begin operation on July 1, 2007 and it is expected to have about 2,700 students.
The city's public schools are Bellingrath Hills Elementary, Tanglewood Elementary, Central Middle School, and Central High School. Private Schools within Central's School District boundaries include Central Christian Academy, Central Private School, St. Alphonsus Catholic School, and Starkey Academy.