Teachers: Two school closures may result from snap decision

FRANKLIN — A St. Mary Parish Association spokesman said the information it has received about possible school closures indicates that the board will be asked to make a hasty decision based on limited information.

The association conducted a forum Wednesday to give people a chance to speak about the possible closures of M.D. Shannon and J.A. Hernandez elementary schools.

At a 6 p.m. public hearing tonight in Centerville, the school board will limit the public to 3-minute comments.

The forum was to serve as another option for public comments without limiting speakers to three minutes.

“Nobody had a chance to raise questions,” St. Mary Parish Association of Educators Acting Vice President Brandan Trahan said. “Nobody had a chance to voice their concerns. So the purpose of this meeting is for the community to come in and share those concerns.”

Trahan teaches English at Morgan City High School.

“For the record, we did invite the superintendent on down to the school board members,” Trahan said. “As you can see, nobody showed up.”

After a public information request, the teachers group received a report that included information only for the district including Morgan City. Nothing was included about the schools in Franklin.

After requesting the information from the school board Monday on Franklin’s schools, it was discovered the architect’s report was not finished.

Trahan said he was told he would get the information in an email as soon as the central office received it.

“Keep in mind, the vote is possibly tomorrow night,” Trahan said. “I got the email yesterday (Tuesday).

“The school board members are expected, within two days, to look at these reports to make a decision that is going to hurt a community’s future.”

In a survey of 1,050 people, the St. Mary Parish Association of Educators found that 961 people were aware that two schools could close.

The responders were “very” split over whether the schools should close, Trahan said.

Approximately 48 percent are for the closing and merging of St. Mary Parish Schools. Forty-two percent are against closing and merging.

Nine percent of the people were not sure.

“There are a lot of people at the schools, this is my personal opinion, that they’re trying to divide and conquer,” Trahan said.

A little over 76 percent are aware that another option to fix the district’s potential budget deficit is to cut the salary of all St. Mary Parish employees.

Ten percent of respondents approve of cutting the salary of St. Mary Parish employees.

“These people probably never walked a day in the life of a teacher,” Trahan said.

Eight-two percent are against cutting salaries.

Fifty-six percent of people reported that St. Mary Parish School Board officials have not been open with all stakeholders in regards to the budget and possible outcomes. Forty-four people affirmed the school board has been transparent.

Lastly, most of the people surveyed would not be attending the special session meeting today.

Employees were also given a survey.

According to the survey results, 23 percent of teachers would leave if salaries are cut, positions lost, and classroom sizes increase. If this occurs, they plan to seek employment outside of the school system.

“It’s not just a building,” Shannon Principal Shantell Toups said. “It’s just a feeling that you feel when you walk through that door.”

For both Hernandez and Shannon Elementary schools, parents and other family members walk their children to school. Parent involvement is easily accessible for neighborhood students because parents live in close proximity.

If someone is without a car, it does not hinder a parent from showing up. They walk to the school.

“If the school shuts down, those relationships, those bridges, are shut down,” Hernandez Principal Charles Foulcard said.

Many of Foulcard’s family members attended Hernandez.

“It’s the tradition of a family school,” Foulcard said. “It would be a shame if the school was taken away from that community it sits in. Those bridges would not exist if we were separated.”

The same goes for Shannon Elementary.

“Our parents are footsteps away from the doors of our building,” Toups said.

Generations going as far back as grandparents attended Shannon.

“People have spent their entire careers teaching at Shannon. So when you talk about those relationships, they taught a lot of the parents.”

One parent expressed her sadness during Shannon’s family night on Monday. Due to the parent’s disability, she would no longer be able to walk her child to school if the school were to close, Toups said.

The other school is too far.

Toups, faculty and staff members have knocked on doors in the Shannon neighborhood to get support.

“I told the board members today and for the last few days,” Toups said. “If you expected me to lay down, shame on you, because I’m in this position for a reason. It’s about the kids.”