Armato contract approved; salary at $135,000 a year

Leonard Armato officially begins his first day as superintendent of St. Mary Parish Schools today.
The school board unanimously approved his contract Thursday with a $135,000 annual salary. The two-year contract includes a $1,000 monthly in-parish travel allowance and reimbursement for out-of-parish travel.
Armato, 51, was selected from a field of five finalists that included James Gray, Vermilion Parish’s director of school leadership; Peter Boudreaux, St. Mary’s director of secondary instruction; Aubrey “Bubba” Orgeron Jr., director of secondary education in Lafourche Parish; and Ricky Armelin, the St. Mary school district’s human resources director.
The selection process began in May after former superintendent Dr. Don Aguillard was selected as the new superintendent of the Lafayette Parish Schools. Assistant superintendent Teresa Bagwell served in the interim.
Armato is a Patterson native with 29 years of experience in the St. Mary school system. He served for 10 years as a special education teacher at Patterson High School, and also was an assistant principal there for 4½ years. He was principal at Hattie Watts Elementary for 3½ years and has been special education supervisor for the past 12 years.
In other business the board:
—Heard the following superintendent appointments: West St. Mary head football coach – Clifton Armelin Jr.; custodian at M.D. Shannon – Jenna Gros; assistant principals – Elizabeth Douzart at Raintree Elementary, Brianna Comeaux at Berwick Elementary, Tammilee Kelly and Jared Ross at Centerville School, Kristian Barbay at H.A. Watts Elementary, Kent Landry at Patterson Junior High and Paul Broussard at Berwick High School.
—Approved advertisements to fill vacant principal and assistant principal positions at Franklin Junior High; computer technician I; and custodian positions at Foster Elementary, Patterson High and M.D. Shannon
—Approved consent agenda items that included award of bids for various food service items, custodial supplies and surplus equipment; designating two portable buildings at M.E. Norman Elementary School as surplus and for sale to the highest bidder; approval of the Louisiana Compliance Questionnaire; appointment of the Daily-Review as the official journal for one year beginning on July 1 and approval for that newspaper to provide the 28-page tabloid for the 2015-2016 school year; resolutions authorizing signatories for Centerville High and LaGrange Elementary as a result of recent administrative appointments.
—Approved a student accident policy with Union National Insurance for $73,682 and employee disability insurance with Aetna for $366,842 for the upcoming school year.
—Approved replacement of a 60-ton chiller at the Central Office Complex.
—Scheduled a budget workshop at 5 p.m. on June 23.
—Recognized Jacqueline Nguyen, 2015 Morgan City High School valedictorian, as the outstanding virtual learning student.
—Approved a field trip to Nashville by the Berwick Junior High Junior BETA club to attend the organization’s national convention.