Ville Platte-     Superintendent of Schools Toni Hamlin, Parish Administrator Darwin Lazard and the Evangeline Parish School were praised by Ville Platte Mayor Jennifer Vidrine at the board’s meeting Wednesday.

                         Vidrine said she wanted to publicly thank the board and the central staff for their “hard work” in the renovation of Ville Platte High School and for achieving unitary status from the federal courts. “You have made Ville Platte High conducive to a learning environment. You have restored pride in our local schools,” she remarked.

                      The board has spent approximately six million dollars in renovating Ville Platte High School as part of its desegregation plan to the federal court and the U.S. Justice Department. The federal court last week granted unitary status after 47 years of federal oversight.

                         The school board showed their appreciation to Superintendent Hamlin by approving a two year extension of the superintendent’s contract. Her contract was due to expire in December. Boardmember Arthur Savoy commented “We want to thank the superintendent and her staff for doing a great job.”

                           Superintendent Hamlin thanked the board for their vote of confidence through the contract renewal.

                             The superintendent informed the school board that LEAP Test scores for 4^th and 8^th students showed parish test scores were the highest in the eight parish Acadiana region. The scores even exceeded the state average.

                             The test scores showed that 87 percent of 4^th graders met state promotional standard while 77 percent of the 8^th graders met state promotional standards.

                           Hamlin reported to the board on several changes in educational policy that begin in the new school year. One dealt with the role of principals in the selection of that school’s teaching staff. She commented that the new policy is already in place and has been in effect here. “Principals do the interviewing and make assignments at their respective schools so this law is already in effect in our parish schools,” said the superintendent.

                           In other action, the school board:

--appointed Troy Fontenot as new Mamou Elementary Principal;

--approved a two year contract renewal for Basile High Principal Georgeanna Courville and Basile High Assistant Principal Susan Bellon;