School Board introduced to appointees

The St. Mary School Board on Thursday was introduced to staffers who are taking new positions, both on the educational and administrative side.
Another staff member, Maintenance Director Brad Wiese, got a standing ovation as he prepares to begin his retirement.
Less popular was the impact a new drug is having on the School Board’s group health coverage.
New jobs
The newly appointed staff members are:
•Dwyla Jones, appointed to be the new English-language arts secondary specialist. She has been serving as assistant principal at Berwick Junior High since 2022.
Jones is a Morgan City High and Nicholls State grad. She also has a master’s degree in education leadership from LSU Shreveport. She began her teaching career at M.E. Norman Elementary.
“Together, I believe we can elevate instruction in all grades, inspire growth and ensure that every student finds their voice in reading and writing,” Jones told the board.
•Ingrid Cummings, appointed to be the Pre-K/interventions specialist.
A Franklin Senior High grad, she earned a master of arts in teaching in elementary education in 2017.
She began teaching in 2008 at Raintree Elementary as an intervention tutor and FastForWord Lab proctor.
Most recently she served as curriculum facilitator at J.B. Maitland Elementary.
“I just can’t wait to get started with the pre-K students and interventions,” she said Thursday.
•Alicia Morris, the new human resources manager.
Morris has a bachelor’s degree in human resource management. Since joining the district in 2014, she has worked as a pre-K paraprofessional, clerk typist and, the past four years, as human resource administrative assistant.
“I bring a strong understanding of school operations, state certification processes, and human resources best practices that align perfectly with the goals and responsibilities of this role and my commitment to St. Mary Parish schools,” she said in a Facebook post announcing her appointment.
Insurance
Insurance consultant James Perez has been warning the board about the rising cost of prescription medication and its impact on claims.
And in June, the district accounted for a record $608,000 in prescription drug claims.
Perez compared the January-June periods in 2024 and 2025. While medical claims are down $255,000 in 2025, prescription drug claims are up more than $330,000
"It all boils down to two drugs," Perez said.
The single costliest medication has been Mounjaro, one of the GLP-1 drugs that treat diabetes and facilitate weight loss.
The No. 2 drug was a surprise: Skyrizi, used to treat ulcerative coliti and approved for use in the U.S. only last year.
“These drugs are wonderful. They solve a lot of problems,” Perez said. “But the bottom line is we can’t afford these costs.”
The news comes as data from the next two months will complete the 12-month period that will be used to determine how much it will cost to renew coverage from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana for the coming year.
“We may have to get creative or more aggressive” on drug costs, Perez said.
The news for a different kind of insurance was rosier.
The board voted to renew its coverage of student athletes, including summer workouts and travel to and from sporting events, for another year. The premium will be $38,500, the same as for the 2024-25 school year.