School Board meets without a quorum; kudos but no votes

CENTERVILLE — The St. Mary Parish School Board had a long agenda for Thursday’s regular monthly meeting, but class was dismissed early because only five of 11 board members were present.
So, in a brisk 50 minutes, the board did the things it could do without a quorum: thanking voters for passing the new sales tax for staff pay March 20, recognizing its Students and Employees of the Month, and honoring its Louisiana Principal of the Year semifinalist.
St. Mary voters approved the 0.45% sales tax March 20 by a 62%-38% margin. The tax is expected to raise about $3.9 million a year to give certified employees, mostly teachers, a $3,000 annual raise, and other employees a $1,500 yearly raise.
Passage of the tax came at the end of 16 months of campaigning in which the board had to overcome opposition from local elected officials who said the timing was wrong for St. Mary’s uncertain economy. Tax proponents said the raises are needed to keep St. Mary competitive in recruiting and retaining talented employees.
On Thursday, Superintendent Teresa Bagwell thanked voters for supporting the tax proposal.
Board President Kenneth Alfred thanked Bagwell for her work on behalf of the tax proposition. He also expressed gratitude to local officials, including St. Mary Parish Council Chairman Dean Adams and Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna, for their support.
The lack of a quorum prevented the board from voting on an ordinance officially enacting the tax. The proposed ordinance calls for the tax to go into effect July 1. Certification of the election results will also have to wait for a future meeting.
Also delayed was the call for an Oct. 9 election on renewal of the board’s 11.82-mill property tax. The tax, which raises about $6.8 million a year, would be renewed for 10 years beginning in 2022. The State Bond Commission must approve the renewal proposition before it goes on the ballot.
The board also put off discussion of Bagwell’s contract.
But the lack of a quorum didn’t prevent the board from giving certificates to its Students of the Month: fourth-grader Evelyn Jimenez of Centerville Elementary; fifth-grader Madeline Guillot and eighth-grader Vincent Byrd Jr. of Patterson Junior High; and senior Chloe Dupre of West St. Mary High.
The Employee of the Month honorees were Kasey Trahan, a third-grade math and science teacher at Centerville Elementary; Patterson Junior High Cafeteria Manager Chakela Hartman; and Laura Metz, a math and business teacher at West St. Mary High.
J.S. Aucoin Principal Shantell Toups walked away from the meeting with a plaque and a bouquet of flowers in honor of her selection as a semifinalist for Louisiana Principal of the Year.
Toups is in her fifth year as principal at the Amelia-area elementary school. She is one of 24 semifinalists, one of whom will be named elementary Principal of the Year on May 25 in New Orleans.
In a story on Toups’ selection, Bagwell described Toups as “tireless and steadfast proponent of public education.”
Also Thursday:
—Bagwell announced Berwick High will host a Special Olympics event May 7.
—LEAP testing will begin next week. Bagwell said the testing is expected to take two weeks. Student laptops make it possible for the testing to be conducted in classrooms rather than in computer labs.