Evangeline School District Officials Speak at Rotary Club Meeting

October 31, 2017

     Evangeline Parish Superintendent of Schools Darwan Lazard and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Mike Lombas were the special guest speakers at today’s(Tuesday) meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club.

    Superintendent Lazard told club members that the Evangeline School District has a five year goal to move from textbooks to all electronic devices in the hands of all 6001 students. He said Vidrine Elementary is taking the lead in this effort as they have adopted the Google platform.

    He reported at Chicot Elementary, Health and Fitness is emphasized and teachers were able to secure over $25,000 in grant funding.

    The school board was able to secure funding without additional taxes to construct a Teacher Training and Technology Center adjacent to the school board office. He reported that French Immersion is going well at both Mamou and Ville Platte elementary schools.

   Assistant Superintendent Lombas reported that high school students can take advantage of dual enrollment courses to gain college credit. In fact, 26 students in the new LSU-E academy are working toward receiving their Associates college degree when they receive their high school diploma. A total of 168 parish students are participating in dual enrollment courses with LSUE earning college credit.

   Lombas also announced that the school district has begun a career academy to encourage students to go into education. “We need to grow our own teachers. There are not enough teachers to fill the vacancies,” he said.

   Lombas praised the local school district. He said he has worked in a number of school systems in the state but “the best school district I have ever worked for is here in Evangeline Parish. Our public schools are heading in the right direction.”