Jesus wept
January 16, 2019
Release of priest names draws varied responses
January 16, 2019
After long years of discussion and debate, the Lafourche Parish School Board voted last week to shrink its size from 15 to 9 members.
The dust settled during a Jan. 9 meeting, its first of the new year.
Board members Marian Fertitta, Ray Bernard, Brooke Huddleston, and Mary Breaud placed the item on the agenda.
Only 3 members remained voting to maintain the board size at 15: Al Archer, Clyde Duplantis III, and Valerie Bourgeois.
“Great!,” said Breaud, when asked for her response. “We finally got enough support.”
Breaud said the result will be sent to the state legislature to be written it into law. She expressed regret that the process — presuming the legislature passes a bill allowing it — will take some time. The 2020 census will determine how the new district lines will be drawn and by the time the 2023 election, the new district lines would be in effect.
Opponents of the change said they saw no reason or board reduction. Supporters said the downsizing will be more effective and cost less money.
Fertitta recalled that the idea of shrinking the board size first arose in 2010-2011 during redistricting. The idea was to have the School Board’s district match that of the Lafourche Parish Council.
The idea was raised by Ronald Pere, former board member and member of an advisory committee tasked with exploring the idea. Pere said he advocated for a smaller school board at that time because with federal and state budget cuts, the school board would have to rely more on the local public.
He said around 2010 the board was in the process of redistricting and reapportionment and this was an opportune time to propose the smaller school board.
The argument presented itself occasionally but became a constant issue in more recent years.
The constituents really wanted their voices heard and it was revealed in the last campaign, said Breaud. Candidates who ran on a platform for maintaining a 15 member board were defeated by those ran to shrink their size, she noted.
Change came to District 1 when voters elected Christine Naquin “Tina” Babin (no party) over Pamela McCann (no party).
In Republican Tyler Dufrene defeated Republican Barry Uzee and in District 9, independent Randy Schouest defeated Democratic incumbent Julie Breaux.
Valerie Bourgeois, newly elected member who opposed the reduction, said that she did so because she felt it was rushed, with it coming up on the agenda so quickly after the new board was seated.
“I’m not necessarily against it,” she said. “I just felt like it was the timing.”
Not liking that the issue was raised in the first meeting, Bourgeois said she would have preferred to see the census results which would allow all members to make a more informed judgement.
State Rep. Dee Richard, who said he would only vote to shrink the size if the school board successfully voted to do so themselves, said he would abide by their decision.
“I was hoping they’d stay with 15,” Richard said. “But I don’t think it’s up to me.”
He said he fears that there will be a loss of representation, and that if the issue is about cutting spending the existing 15 members could cut their pay.
“I’m not convinced that going to 9 members is helping people in this parish from having representation on that board,” said Richard. “But having said that, I will abide by what the new board wants.”
