School closure decison delayed

CENTERVILLE — The St. Mary Parish School Board decided at a special meeting Thursday to delay voting on plans to close Hernandez and Shannon elementary for three weeks.

On the consolidation plan that would close Franklin’s J.A. Hernandez Elementary, the board denied District 4 board member Pearl Rack’s initial motion to table the decision to consolidate the schools until parents, teachers, and community leaders can come together to make this decision.

Rack represents the district where Hernandez is located.

Joseph Foulcard Jr., District 1 representative, wanted to wait on voting in order to get a “clear picture of what we’re doing.”

After board President Ginger Griffin, District 5 representative, announced for Assistant Superintendent Teresa Bagwell to read the consolidation plan for Hernandez Elementary, Foulcard protested “I don’t want to hear the plan.” And he walked out.

After Foulcard left the special session, the board denied District 9 member William “Bill” McCarty’s motion to table the vote for two weeks.

Foulcard returned to the session after consulting with the board attorney. The board then voted for the three-week delay, 6-5.

McCarty moved to table the vote on Shannon’s consolidation plans for two weeks. It failed.

“I understand the reality of consolidation,” District 10 board member Anthony Streva said. “It will take place eventually and probably now, but why give us one option? You did not talk to any of the teachers.”

Streva moved to table Shannon’s consolidation for three weeks. It passed.

Streva represents the area where Shannon is located.

Kenneth Alfred, District 3 representative, voted no on all motions to table school consolidation plans.

“I heard a lot of good people come up here and say a bunch of things about their school,” Alfred said. “I appreciate their pride ... but we’ve got a problem in this parish.”

The following agenda items were also voted on at the meeting:

—The board eliminated the District Attorney Early Intervention Program. This will save the board $100,000.

“It peaked at $180,000 a couple of years ago,” Bagwell said.

Fourteen schools currently participate in the program.

—The board modified the virtual school program.

In order to cut costs, the full-time teaching position will become part-time. Stipends will decrease for teachers working at virtual school sites.

These modifications will save the board $75,000.

—The board consolidated four in-school suspension programs. Now there will be three sites.

A decision will be made to eliminate the in-school suspension program at West St. Mary High or Franklin High schools. The two schools have the lowest number of students enrolled in in-school suspension programs.

The board will save one teacher’s salary and a paraprofessional salary. Bagwell did not mention the amount of either salary amounts.

—The board decided not to allow Superintendent Leonard Armato to negotiate with Michael Hefner of Geographic Planning & Demographic Services for the purpose of redrawing attendance zones.

Over 30 requests were to speak at the special session meeting. Many concerned leaders and citizens attended the meeting to show support for decisions made either way.

Larry Guilbeaux spoke in support of both Hernandez and Shannon elementary schools. He’s been recognized as parent of the year for five years at Hernandez.

“I’ve never seen a school board member at Hernandez,” Guilbeaux said. “We shouldn’t be closing schools. … We spend more money on athletics than academics. It’s a shame.

“We’re buying baseball fields, football fields … but yet we don’t have money to put in this building called J.A. Hernandez.

“That school is our treasure, our community treasure. We love that school. … We could come up with something better than this.”

St. Mary Industrial Group board member Ken Perry read a resolution in support of the school board’s decision to close two schools if it saves more than $2 million per year that can go towards educating children.

The resolution was signed by the organization’s president, Greg Roussel .

“We congratulate the St. Mary Parish superintendent and school board members for considering consolidation, which we know is a painful choice for some but one that is better for the whole,” Perry said.

While many offered their sentiments, Franklin Mayor Raymond Harris offered solutions to help solve the board’s financial problems.

“If you want to save some money, why don’t you close down Centerville?” Harris said.

He suggests sending Centerville’s 191 high school students to Franklin High, 152 of its middle school students to Franklin Junior High.

“And lastly, send 240 of Centerville’s elementary students to J.A. Hernandez,” Harris said.

The board room and overflow area were filled to capacity with concerned citizens. Because of the large turnout, many were turned away at the door.

That didn’t deter supporters. Many waited outside the school board doors with picket signs. They also gathered around to listen to a live broadcast of the special session over car radios.

Citizens cheered and booed outside as they listened.

“My issue is closing the schools and not looking at other areas within our school system where we can cut,” said Monica Harding. “These children, who we have learned at J.A. Hernandez, are coming from low-income families where this is where their roots are, where their families live, and most of their families have legacies there. …”

“My uncle was one of the first African-American coaches there. So, I have roots there. My children went there. I went there.”

“I’m very irritated that we cannot get in,” said Leah Begley, the mother of Shannon third- and fifth-graders. “They should have known how many people were going to show up and have made a space that would accommodate everyone, instead of having everyone out here in the cold.

“We all pay taxes. We pay their salary. We voted them in. They need to recognize that we all should be heard and we should be able to hear and see all what’s going on in there, not stand out here.”

Begley is also worried about the Morgan City consolidation plan.

“As far as the school, closing and having our kids go to Norman and Wyandotte, it’s going to increase class sizes,” Begley said. “There’s been study after study after study that shows elementary school kids will do better throughout their whole school career if they’re in smaller classrooms in kindergarten through fourth grade. … Increasing class sizes isn’t fair to the kids. It isn’t fair to the teachers.”