The town hall meeting on education ended just after it began Thursday evening, after moderator Bill Arata proposed a slightly new format for the next town hall meeting.

“This is an educational format and as such it should be something that educates,” he said.

Arata said he would like each school district in the area to put together a brief presentation focusing on what is working in each district. He said each district has a technology or arts department and the presentation can be a brief video or a PowerPoint display and they should be five to 10 minutes long.

In addition, he is asking everyone in the community that has questions to drop them off at his law offices or the mayor’s office, and he will deliver them to the respective school boards.

“They won’t be attack questions,” he said.

After the presentation, the schools will address whatever questions come from the community.

Arata said he’s hopeful representatives from Annunciation, Bogalusa, Ben’s Ford Christian and Northshore Charter School will all participate in the next program, where the community will see “what’s right with education and not what’s wrong.”

Arata did not set a date for the next meeting, but he said he would set one within a week.

Finally, city councilwoman Gloria Kates said she has learned of a Keep Louisiana Beautiful classroom program that encourages beatification and could reduce littering. The program includes its own classroom curriculum and Kates said she would get with each district and answer questions about the free program.