Board members leave school board with good grades

Three St. Mary Parish School Board members, each with at least 12 years on the board, attended their last meeting Thursday. They’re leaving with good grades on the school system’s annual audit.

The departing members are Mary Lockley of Franklin, and Anthony Streva and Bill McCarty of Morgan City.

They’ll be replaced by Sylvia Kay Lockett of Franklin; and Alaina L. Black and Dwight Barbier of Morgan City. Lockett was unopposed. Barber and Black won elections Nov. 6.

Lockley is the longest-serving of the three departing incumbents with 24 years on the board.

“I enjoyed every moment I served on the school board,” Lockley said.

McCarty finished 12 years on the board by thanking Superintendent Leonard Armato and other members of the administrative staff.
Streva, who served three four-year terms and one year of an unexpired term, called serving on the board an honor.

“We’ve disagreed,” he told board members. “But I never doubted your sincerity.”

They’re leaving after hearing about a nearly spotless audit from Chris Miller of Darnell, Sikes & Frederick of Lafayette.

Miller spoke after the distribution of plaques honoring district schools that got good marks last month under the state’s accountability system.
“We have very good news to report also,” Miller said.

The audit covered the fiscal year that ended June 30.

In the categories of Financial Statement Audit and Opinion on Internal Control & Compliance, the district got an Unmodified Opinion, “the best and highest opinion we, as auditors, can issue.”

The board also got top marks on test audits of two areas funded with federal money and subject to federal rules: special education and child nutrition.

Previously identified deficiencies in personnel record-keeping and internal financial controls have been fixed, according to the audit report.
The district took in $75.6 million in the last fiscal year and spent $75.3 million, adding about $341,000 to the accumulated fund balance.

It’s a happier picture than the board was looking at in the spring, when property tax collections and state Minimum Foundation Program funding appeared headed for reductions.

Property taxes, which make up about a third of the general fund, came in $1 million lower than budgeted, but the state funding held steady at $45.6 million. State funding accounts for a little less than half the district’s revenue.

A category labeled Other also received $2.5 million last year, about $1 million more than budgeted.

Chief Financial Officer Alton Perry said the excess resulted in part from recovery of money due from back rent on property the board leases.
On the expense side, the board spent $31.6 million on what are termed regular programs, down from $33.9 million two years ago.

School administration has been trimmed from $6.1 million in 2016 to $5.8 million in 2018.

But the cuts haven’t prevented the district from earning some praise for its standing in the state accountability system.

The board recognized three schools that have earned “A” grades under the system: Berwick, Morgan City and Patterson high schools.
These schools earned “B” grades: J.S. Aucoin, Bayou Vista, Berwick, Hattie Watts, M.E. Norman and Wyandotte elementary schools; Berwick Junior High; and Centerville, Franklin and West St. Mary high schools.

These schools were recognized for improving their scores: Aucoin, Boudreaux Middle, Bayou Vista, all three Berwick schools, Norman, Franklin Junior High, Hattie Watts, LaGrange Elementary, Patterson High and Wyandotte.

These schools won “Equity Honors” for their achievement in educating subgroups with educational challenges: Aucoin, Berwick High, Norman, Patterson High, West St. Mary and Wyandotte.

Two more schools won state honors for their work in early childhood education: Julia B. Maitland and Norman.