The key facilities expert for the U.S. Justice Department  made a personal visit last week to inspect all of the work done at Ville Platte High School this past year, according to Superintendent of Schools Toni Hamlin.

       Hamlin told the Evangeline Parish School Board Wednesday, Frank Brewer, toured the renovated areas of Ville Platte High School and was impressed with the work. Accompanying Brewer on the tour was a representative of the architectural firm that oversaw the 3.3 million dollar project.

       The construction work was one of the final hurdles the Evangeline Parish School District was facing to end its 40 year old desegregation case.

       Hamlin said Brewer was very complimentary over the work done at the 80 year old school. In fact Brewer was heard to exclaim “Wow” when he viewed the gymnasium foyer area. He said “This is what a foyer should look like.” Brewer told the Superintendent that he plans to send a favorable written report to Justice Department Representative Franz Marshall.

      In other business, the superintendent announced that she will make a decision on school early this morning and will inform KVPI. She said “It’s hard for me to dismiss school because it impacts 6000 students”.  After speaking with an official with the board’s transportation provider, there will probably be several low lying areas in rural portions of the parish where buses will not be to reach because of the high water.    She expects that absenteeism will probably be high today should there be school because the buses will not be able to pick them up. However, in those cases, the absences will not count against the student.

      In a related matter, Mamou High students were sent home early Wednesday because there were  about three inches of water in the main building due to a drainage problem at the school campus. Today, maintenance workers will be using a backhoe on the school campus to try to alleviate the water problem.

     In other action:

--approved a request from District Two Police Juror Kenny Burgess to have the school board enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement to permit the parish do drainage work on the Basile High Football Field;

--received a report from Business Manager Amy Lafleur that showed Sales Tax Collections for December sales showed a decrease of $18,207 from December 2010;

--commended Cabot Corporation for their recent donation of $2000 to Ville Platte High