Ville Platte- The Evangeline Parish School Board, Wednesday, approved a resolution authorizing demographer Mike Heffner of Lafayette to prepare a proposed reapportionment plan based on 2010 census figures for the parish.
Heffner told the board that the ideal population for each of the 13 school board districts based on the most current population figures is 2614. There are seven districts where the district lines will have to be adjusted since their population figures are more than the + or – five percent deviation allowance, according to the demographer.
A workshop will be scheduled in the near future where the board members will be able to review the first plan. The public will also be invited to attend. Once a plan is finally approved, it must be approved by the Justice Department. The board’s next scheduled election using the new redistricting map is in 2014.
In other business, the school board approved the audit report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2011. Business Manager Amy Lafleur said the board received a clean audit.
The only deficiency in the audit report dealt with school activity funds at the school level. She reported that nearly all of the problems are in procedural paperwork and internal controls.
The school board has called for a special meeting of its executive committee on January 25 at 2:00pm to receive a mid- year budget report. Superintendent of Schools Toni Hamlin said central office staff and principals will be invited to attend the meeting.
“We want to be transparent with the board and with our principals. We will be prepared to make any needed adjustments to the budget because we know the financial problems some of our neighbors are having,” said Hamlin.
In other action, the school board:
--received news that sales tax collections for December was down $89,474 over the same period a year ago;
--nominated Board Member Peggy Forman for Louisiana School Board Association School Board Member of the Year.
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