School board sets meeting to discuss superintendent search

CENTERVILLE-- The St. Mary Parish School Board will have a special meeting at 5 p.m. Feb. 21 to talk about the search for a new superintendent. Despite an impassioned plea from a parish council member Thursday, the St. Mary Principal's Association is no closer to getting a seat at the interview table.
Also at the school board's Thursday meeting, the architect for the new Patterson Junior High gave a final report on the $18 million project, and members approved a school calendar for the 2019-20 year.
The board has advertised for candidates to succeed third-year Superintendent Leonard Armato, who announced in December that he will retire June 30. Members still have to decide who to interview and when.
At the January meeting, the first for three new board members, principals association officers Mickey Fabre and J Ina asked the board to allow their organization to participate in the interview process.
The association asked to be allowed to submit questions for board members to ask the candidates; to have a representative at the interviews to observe but not participate; and to recommend a choice to the board.
But board members were leery. One wondered whether there would be friction between principals and a superintendent whom the association didn't recommend. And members thought granting the principals' request might open the door for demands from other groups.
A motion to agree to the principals' request failed 7-4.
On Thursday, parish council member Craig Mathews asked the board to reconsider.
Mathews, a product of St. Mary schools who represents a west end council district, referred repeatedly to a "segregated parish" and said the school system lacks inclusiveness and transparency. He said the result has been complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that investigates workplace bias complaints.
The board should listen to the people who are charged with overseeing the education of the parish's young people.
"How could you not welcome their input in this critical decision?" Mathews said.
Board member Pearl Rack seemed ready to make a motion to reconsider the principals' request. But legal adviser Eric Duplantis said the board couldn't consider the question because it wasn't on the published agenda.
Also Thursday:
--Jim Firmin of Firmin & Laiche Architects Ltd. said the punch list, the kinks that are worked out after a construction project, has been completed for Patterson Junior High.
The school, which handles more than 500 students in grades five through eight, has more than 95,000 square feet, or 2.2 acres, under roof. The Catherine Street building includes accommodations for the latest technology, teacher collaboration rooms, art work and more.
The project was financed with a bond issue that also included a new student assembly area for Hattie Watts Elementary. After problems developed with the foundation for the new St. Mary Welcome Center, Firmin said, another $2 million in piling and foundation work was performed.
Firmin thanked the board, Patterson Junior High administrators, contractor Thompson Construction Co. of Thibodaux and the fifth-graders who were moved around during the construction.
"It is a very special building," board President Michael Taylor said.
--The board approved the proposed 2019-20 calendar presented by Assistant Superintendent Teresa Bagwell.
Students will go back to school Aug. 8. The last day will be May 25.
Report cards go out Oct. 16, Jan. 7, March 18 and May 26. LEAP tests will be administered sometime between March 30 and May 1.
The designated emergency days, when students are scheduled to be off but may be called back if the schools need to make up lost days, are Oct. 15, Jan. 6, Jan. 3, Feb. 28 and Feb. 27.
A link to a .pdf version of the new calendar appears below.