Lafourche swears in new school board members

Five prominent figures from the community joined the Lafourche Parish School Board for the first time Wednesday night to complete a 15-member educational panel.

District Judge Jerome Barbera administered the Oath of Office to the newly elected members nDistrict 3’s representative Richmond Boyd Jr.; District 8 board member Ronald Pere; Julie Breaux of District 9; District 10’s representative Dennis Jean Chiasson; and Lawrence Mounic of District 15; as well as 10 re-elected members.

District 1 board member Louis Thibodaux was unanimously elected to serve a second term as board president. District 2’s Rhoda Caldwell will remain the board’s vice president for another term after defeating District 5 board member Stella Lasseigne in a 10-5 vote.

District 1’s Roy Landry nominated Caldwell and Mounic nominated Lasseigne. The board appointed Pere, Landry and District 12’s Jon Callais to serve on the Advisory Committee.

In other news, the board hired 22 new school employees to various school systems throughout the parish. Out of the 22 new hires, 14 were certified teachers.

The board also agreed to purchase a $40,000 software program to help assist the transportation department with setting up bus routes, and to approve a change order allowance of $100,000 to cover the cost of repairs on the South Lafourche High School roof.

In Other Action

The following is a rundown of other action taken by the Lafourche Parish School Board. All board members were in attendance. All decisions were unanimous, unless otherwise noted.

• Approved a leave of absence for Amy Parfait, a paraprofessional at Larose Lower Elementary School.

• Approved five requests for extended sick leave, which includes Larose-Cut Off Middle School teachers Christy Autin and Andrea Breaux, Raceland Middle School teacher Sherry Bergeron, Thibodaux High School teacher Patricia Robichaux and South Thibodaux teacher Debbie Simon.

• Declared February 2007 as Black History Month for the Lafourche Parish School System.

• Adopted the revisions to the school board’s ethics code; building and grounds management; employee tobacco use; employment of personnel; assignment; employee conduct, professional leave; support personnel employment; suspension and student health services policies to comply with certain acts of the 2006 Louisiana Legislature.

• Agreed to maintain a six percent difference between elementary and middle school principals’ salary schedules.

• Approved the purchase of a new vehicle for the superintendent.

• Accepted a change order request in the amount of $2,009.69 for keying upgrades and an additional window in the band room at Larose Upper Elementary School.

• Authorized the maintenance department to receive three bids from lock manufactures for door locks and parts to be used for new buildings and classrooms.

• Accepted the cost to remove asbestos from Lockport Lower Elementary Administration building and Golden Meadow Middle School. The estimated cost is $29,000 for the total service.

• Authorized hiring an architect to waterproof Golden Meadow Middle, Lockport Middle and Thibodaux Elementary schools in the parish.

• Received and opened sealed bids for an oil, gas and mineral lease covering all of Section 16, Township 15 South, Range 14 East.

• Adopted the 2007-08 school year calendar.

• Accepted memorial resolutions for five-year-old Brayden Breaux, a student at Larose Lower Elementary School; retired teachers Veneda Eymard and Emma Toups; and retired cafeteria manager Doris Barbier.

• Agreed to continue holding school board meetings on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the school board office, with a 12-3 vote. Board members Pere, Mounic, and District 13 representative Al Archer voted no because they said they believe the school board meetings should be spread between the North, South and Central offices.

• Adopted revisions made to Policy EGAC, Health and Group Hospitalization Insurance, which clarify the board’s participation in the insurance plan, by an 11-4 vote. Board members Pere, Mounic, Archer and G.A. Rodrigue Jr. of District 6 voted no.

Sophia Ruffin can be reached at sophia@tri-parishtimes.com.