The Evangeline Parish School Board Wednesday recognized its teachers of the year in each of the parish schools. The parish wide teachers were also announced: Travis Fontenot from Pine Prairie High School, was selected as High School Teacher of the Year; Kelly Bellard, a teacher from Ville Platte High was selected as Junior High Teacher of the Year and Aleah West, from Bayou Chicot Elementary was selected as Elementary Teacher of the Year. The three finalists will advance and compete for State Teacher of the Year honors.
In other business, the school approved by a vote of 8-2 to approve an executive committee recommendation to spend $29,782 to begin paying assistant coaches. However they voted to keep the pay for head coaches at their current level and that every coache will coache two sports. Coaches will be compensated for the additional responsibility. Board members Scott Limoges and Jerry Thompson voted no.
In other action the school board voted to join a new cooperative of school districts headed up by Vermillion parish. The cooperative is being created to help save money through volume discount buying of such items as computer hardware and software courses.
Superintendent of Schools Toni Hamlin reported that the schools and offices will be closed March 25 through April 1 for the Easter holiday.