St. Mary school board recognizes achievers

CENTERVILLE — The St. Mary Parish School Board had a quick meeting Thursday, finishing in time to get to the Centerville High and Berwick High graduation ceremonies. Members devoted most of their time to praising accomplished principals, students and staff members.
But the board did take a quick time out to re-approve property tax rates. The board raised a couple of those tax rates.
The changes came in bond retirement funds. Chief Financial Officer Alton Perry said increases in two funds were needed to maintain adequate balances.
The Consolidated District 1 tax for the parish’s west end will be 16 mills after standing at 10 mills for six years, Perry said. That will add $15 a year to the tax bill for the owner of a $100,000 primary home and $75 for the owner of a $200,000 home.
The Special School District 4 tax for the Centerville area, which had been at 6 mills for six years, will go up to 8 mills. That’s another $5 a year on a $100,000 home and $25 on a $200,000 home.
Other rates will remain as they were last year:
—The 5th Ward Special School District 1 bond fund, 15 mills.
—The constitutional school tax (8.35 mills) and Consolidated School District 5 (11.17 mills), both for the board’s general fund.
—The maintenance taxes for Consolidated School District 3 (12 mills), Consolidated School District 2 (12.17 mills) and the 6th Ward School District 3 (11.75 mills).
The tax issues didn’t attract much applause. But the recognition of special accomplishments did. The board:
—Recognized Laine Mayon for winning the 2017-18 Horace Mann/Louisiana Association of Principals Aspiring Principal Scholarship. The scholarship is worth $1,000.
Mayon is a curriculum facilitator at Berwick Elementary. She has also worked at Wyandotte Elementary and Patterson Junior High during a 14-year career in education.
“Mrs. Mayon believes that school leaders must be role models and lead by example, have high expectations and collaborate effectively with all members of the school and community,” said Debbie Shrum of the Louisiana Association of Principals in her presentation to the board.
—Recognized more than 200 “word millionaires” who have read books containing a total of at least 1 million words. Student Eli Schmidt was the overall champion for reading more than 7 million words.
—Recognized the Principals of the Year. They are M.E. Norman’s Shannon Hoffpauir, who led the school from a C grade to an A in five years there; Tim Hymel of Berwick Junior High, whose roles have included math teacher, coach and administrator; and Ty Burdett of Franklin High, who has led an effort to raise the school’s grade to B.
—Recognized Students of the Month Mallory Menard, a fifth-grader at Berwick Elementary, and Riley Jackson, a fifth-grader at M.E. Norman.
—Recognized Employees of the Month Kathryn Taylor, a bookkeeper at Berwick Elementary, and Becky Wiggins, a pre-K teacher at M.E. Norman.
—Recognized the winners in the Blue Ribbon drawing contest.
Mia Crooks, a Berwick Junior High eighth-grader, came up with the campaign slogan, “The future is BRIGHT when you are doing things RIGHT!”
The Grand Champion in the drawing contest is Hanson Memorial sophomore Emily Rogers.
The other winners in the contest are Ryan Caruso, kindergarten, M.E. Norman; Paityn Bibbs, first grade, St. John; Zoe Hepler, second grade, Holy Cross; Astrid Sanchez, third grade, J.S. Aucoin; Danielle Hillebrandt, fourth grade, Berwick; Sherley Perez-Deleon, fifth grade, J.S. Aucoin; Caidynce Hebert, fifth grade, Wyandotte; Grace Faucheux, seventh grade, Hanson; Jaci Hebert, eighth grade, Berwick; Carlee Sinitiere, 10th grade, Hanson; Amanda Turner, second-grade teacher, Berwick; and Allison Burgess, third-grade teacher, Chitimacha Tribal School.