Lafayette, LA (January 27, 2025) – The Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Tara Walker as Principal and Ms. Allison Clouse-Dugal as Assistant Principal to lead the launch of the Accelerated Campus Excellence (ACE) Program at Alice Boucher Elementary during the 2025-26 school year.
The ACE initiative represents LPSS’s commitment to transforming student achievement and fostering deeper learning on underperforming campuses. The ACE model is built on five pillars: high expectations of highly effective principals and teachers, instructional excellence, an extended school day, mental health and social resilience, and parent and community partnerships.
“We are excited to have Ms. Walker and Ms. Clouse-Dugal at the helm of this transformative program,” said LPSS Superintendent Francis Touchet, Jr. “The implementation of ACE at J.W. Faulk and Baranco Elementaries this school year is already yielding results and exemplifies one more way LPSS is offering opportunities for student growth.”
About the 2025-26 Alice Boucher Elementary Principal, Tara Walker:
Ms. Tara Walker brings a wealth of experience and leadership to her new role. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She began her teaching career in St. Bernard Parish in 2002 and later taught at Youngsville Middle School for seven years. Ms. Walker became a lead teacher at N.P. Moss Preparatory School before serving as assistant principal at Prairie Elementary School in 2014. Most recently, she was appointed program administrator of the SOAR program in 2022.
About the 2025-26 Alice Boucher Elementary Assistant Principal, Allison Clouse-Dugal:
Ms. Allison Clouse-Dugal has been an educator in Lafayette Parish for 13 years and brings a diverse background in education and mental health. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of New Orleans, an alternative teaching certification in Special Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Northwestern State University. Ms. Clouse-Dugal began her teaching career at N.P. Moss Preparatory School in 2012 as an inclusion and resource teacher in the 8th Grade Connections Program. She went on to teach at Ossun Elementary School for six years, where she was named the 2020 Teacher of the Year. She has since served as Assistant Principal at Carencro Bob Lilly Elementary and currently at Charles Burke Elementary School.
For more information about the ACE Program, please visit the LPSS website.
