Parish stumped over splash park
January 17, 2018MLK Day brought food for thought
January 17, 2018
Some supporters of a smaller Lafourche Parish school board are pinning their hopes on action during this year’s legislative session, through introduction of a bill by someone from the local delegation at this year’s legislative session.
But so far they haven’t determined who would carry the bill.
“Some of the others have talked to the legislative body,” said Raymond Toups, of district 8, “and they are pushing for the reduction of it (the school board) in the Spring.”
Debate has simmered for years over the size of Lafourche’s board. Critics say that with 15 members it is bloated, and should be reduced to nine members, like most school boards in Louisiana.
Last year’s failure of a try for a one cent sales tax for education has motivated Toups to start a discussion of the yearly battle over the size of the Lafourche Parish School board, January 4.
“The tax proposal failed. And when you ask the public, it was because they (the school board) didn’t reduce the members,” said Toups, “Cut the membership of the board to regain the confidence of the public by doing what it wants.”
Toups says that by regaining the public’s trust, the school board can then pass tax bills to alleviate the current deficit. He explained that an old law is what enforces the 15-member board size, but that Lafourche was one of only 3 who still had 15 members: the others being the St. Tammany and St. Charles areas. He asserts that they were much larger districts, and that the workload for Lafourche was such that 9 members could handle it.
Dr. Mary Breaud, schoolboard member of district 5, was also for reducing the Board’s size, although she prioritized different reasons, “In the years when Governor Jindal was in charge, he reduced the power of board members and gave them to superintendents,” she said, “There’s not a need for 15 paid board members.”
The Lafourche Parish school board members have the highest allowable compensation by law, $800 per month, said Breaud, and is more than what is necessary for a part time job.
Marian Fertitta, of District 4, echoed the other members in favor of shrinkage by declaring it was what the public desired, but felt that there were teachers who feared raising their opinion.
“I think that some teachers may not want to come forward,” she said, “because of a perception that their jobs are at stake.”
A board member in favor of maintaining fifteen members, Calvin Duet, of District 15, has another view on why the recent tax proposal failed. He blames the echo-chamber effect of Facebook, unused boats, the slumping oil sector, and that the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce urged people to vote no.
“The reason I don’t want to is because on the south end we have four voices,” Duet said, “When you have four voices people listen.”
His concerns arise because if the board were to shrink to 9 members, only two board members would represent the southern portion of the parish.
He explained that the reason that the idea of a reduction was proposed as nine – rather than say five – was to mirror the Parish Council. This would cause School board members to represent the same districts as the Council Members. “We run our own selves. We don’t want to mirror another entity,” Duet explained.
The Lafourche Parish School District is currently in a $6 million deficit, and all members spoken with agree that its budget must be balanced. Some librarians and guidance counselors have been cut to reduce costs. The librarians were being replaced by paraprofessional educators, but counselors who are still employed have had to cover more than one school, said Duet.
