Armato: No decision on Hernandez closure

The St. Mary Parish Schools Superintendent Leonard Armato says he doesn’t know whether J.A. Hernandez Elementary School in Franklin is going to close because of financial constraints.

“We have some agenda items that will be coming out Friday regarding certain issues with the financial picture,” Armato said. “At this point, I have nothing to say about that.”

The school board will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 to discuss 2016-17 budget concerns. A public hearing for comments begins at 6 p.m.

Pearl Rack is the board representative for District 4, where Hernandez is located.

Last week, during the board’s monthly meeting, Rack moved to push the special meeting back to May or June. The delay in meeting would provide the board adequate time for suggested changes if it was the decision of the board, Rack said.

The board did not approve it.

“There are many things financially that we will be looking at,” Armato said. “I can’t tell you whether something is closing or not closing.”

As to the possibility that the school could close, “No, I can’t make that comment because there are different agenda items and all kinds of things in regards to the budget that’s still being worked on,” Armato said.

“We don’t know exactly what’s going to be involved in that. It could be a number of things.”

Talk of possible closures seem to be centering on Hernandez, which had a 2014-15 enrollment of 231. The Louisiana Department of Education accountability website classifies at least 95 percent of Hernandez as economically disadvantaged, and one in nine is in need of special education.

In response to why there is uproar over the possible closure of Hernandez, “I guess the area’s economy,” Armato said. “The way things are going financially when you look at … schools with small numbers, that’s always a speculation.”

“Once the district has composed an agenda of items for the board to consider, the focus areas will become evident,” school board President Ginger Griffin said in a text message.

The district projected a deficit in 2016-17 of $4 million, Assistant Superintendent Teresa Bagwell said in a KWBJ news report.

However, “I would say it’s going to be more than that,” Armato said. “We can’t even put a number on it right now. We’re still waiting on the state and what happens with them.

“They’ve already let us know that there are some possible cuts to be made before the end of this year. We have no idea where that’s going to go.”

A drop in sales tax collections, often linked to the precipitous drop in the price of oil, also contributes to the reduction in income.

“There’s no end in sight of sales taxes,” Armato said. “They continue to decline month after month after month. It’s been 15 straight months now.”