The Evangeline Parish School Board met Wednesday, September 05, 2018. During the meeting, CFO Amy LaFleur discussed the budget, which included the general fund, parish-wide maintenance, Basile maintenance, and the Basile High School athletic fund. The ending fund balance for the 2017-2018 school year is $13,005,388.54 (13 million, 5 thousand, 388 dollars and 54 cents). LaFleur said, "We closed with a good year." The board approved the proposed general fund budget for the 2018-2019 school year at $7,755,802.48 (7 million, 7 hundred 55 thousand, 8 hundred 2 dollars and 48 cents). Superintendent Darwan Lazard thanked LaFleur for a job well-done, year after year. Lazard said he toured 10 of the 12 schools around the parish and said the new track at the Basile High School "is truly a marvel." The Mamou High School gym floor is under construction, and the school is selling cutouts of the old gym floor. Construction should be finished by October. Lazard said the police brought drug-sniffing dogs to the schools, and there were no reports of drugs found. Hubert Mabe with First Student said buses ran smoothly for the first week of school, and they are committed to the safety of the students. The board approved the following: The Child Nutrition Program plans to advertise for bids for large food service equipment and to advertise to receive bids for a cafeteria redesign at Mamou High School and Ville Platte High School. Accept the low price quote for new auditorium seating at Mamou High School using the parish-wide maintenance fund. Agreed to spend $15,511.92 for smart panels for four new classrooms at W.W. Stewart Elementary School. In new business, the board approved the following: $17,145.40 for new IPads for teachers to access online curriculum. $11,395.00 for Chromebooks and cart for Pine Prairie High School Kindergarten classrooms.