EVANGELINE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

May  21, 2014

The Evangeline Parish School Board held its bi-monthly meeting Wednesday night in the Media Center.  The Board approved a Pine Prairie High School Parking Correction Plan that stems from a complaint filed in 2009.  The Board approved the bid from F. Phillips General Contractors in the amount of $129,394.00 to make the improvements at the high school.  Those improvements will include new handrails, raised sidewalks, extend or place canopies, repair parking lots, install appropriate signage in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and repairs to doors and entrance ways at the school.

There was much discussion on the importance of getting and keeping the schools in our parish up to speed in this age of technology.  The controversial, mandated PARC program and the funding of that project were also discussed.  The Board now awaits possible decisions from the governor’s office as to whether the program will or will not be implemented.  If it is not removed by the governor, the estimated cost for implementing the program in Evangeline Parish will be $2. 3 million dollars.  Vice President, Scott Limoges, expressed his disagreement with “unfunded mandates” that are pushed through to parishes who are already financially struggling.

Technology Supervisor Connie Guillory explained to the board that the district’s highest priority  services were approved for the 2014-2015 funding.  She explained that being part of the E-RATE program saves the parish $661,946.48 a year in necessary technological services such as email, internet access, webhosting and fiber.  Evangeline Parish receives the 85% discount rate based upon the district’s free/reduced lunch count as of February 1, 2014.

Superintendent, Toni Hamlin announced:

• Payday for all school board employees will be this Friday, May 23rd instead of Monday, Memorial Day.

• All schools in the parish will have classes on Memorial Day .

• There will be early dismissal/half day at all schools in the parish on Thursday, May 28th and Friday, May 29th (last day of school).  Lunch will still be provided on those days.

• The Media Center and School Board will stay open all day on the 28th and 29th.

• Tests scores for Spring Testing have not been compiled yet, since they have only received the individual, student test scores.  EOC testing is still underway, and summer school scores will need to be included in the results.