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Neither side would confirm the authenticity of a letter making the rounds on social media, purportedly from the St. Mary superintendent to Wyandotte Elementary’s principal over the controversial departmentalization issue.
The letter appears to show Superintendent Teresa Bagwell ordering Wyandotte Principal Barbara Leleux to implement a districtwide initiative in which students in kindergarten and first grade would receive teaching in their core subjects from different teachers, rather than staying in one homeroom with one teacher. Wyandotte did not institute departmentalization for students in those grades when the district initiative came down for all parish schools.
Some parents have objected to departmentalization for the youngest students and have argued the decision should be the principal’s.
“I would like to answer your questions,” Bagwell said in an email response to a question about the letter’s authenticity, “but it is a personnel matter I am not at liberty to either confirm or deny.”
An attempt to contact Leleux was made, but she relayed a response saying that she “wouldn’t speak with The Daily Review because she believes it is biased.”
Departmentalization for kindergarten through fifth grade happened last school year to all elementary schools across the parish. The decision is a district initiative, not a state mandate. It was made after district administrators started a conversation on what they believe to be the best way for teachers to present a new, rigorous, Tier I curriculum that public schools have adopted in order to get students to master new state standards.
The idea was piloted in the 2017-18 school year, and after the positive feedback the district administrators received, it was decided that all schools in the parish would follow the model in the 2018-19 school year.
This information was passed from the district administrators to school administrators in a meeting. It was then the job of the school administrators to inform teachers and parents, as well as decide how it would be put into practice daily in a master schedule for the schools.
School administrators were able to decide how the daily schedule in their individual schools would work as well as which teachers would teach which subjects. They were not, however, able to opt out of it.
But at Wyandotte Elementary, that is exactly what happened.
At Wyandotte Elementary, Leleux went back to her school and discussed the district initiative with her teachers. They decided together that they would departmentalize second through fifth grades, but that 1st grade and kindergarten would remain self-contained with the argument that they believe this to be in the best interest of their students.
Coming into the 2019-20 school year, principals were required to submit a schedule consistent with departmentalization to the district administrators.
Parents and stakeholders at Wyandotte Elementary learning about the changes coming to their school requested a meeting with district administrators and Aug. 5. District administrators agreed to host a meeting at the Central Office Complex in Centerville.
Parents and other stakeholders were hoping to present their argument against departmentalization and get the ability to make the decision for their school. They provided proof to the district administrators from psychologists that departmentalization is developmentally inappropriate for very young children.
They also presented numbers showing how Wyandotte is one of the leading elementary schools according to state test scores in the parish without departmentalization.
They argued that Leleaux should be within her right to decide for her school according to Bulletin 741 in the Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators that states “the principal shall be responsible for coordinating and directing all activities of the school” on page 3.
“Part of our concern is we don’t have a say, and our teachers don’t,” Jean Paul Bourg said at the meeting.
The district administrators listened to the concerns of the stakeholders in attendance at the meeting, and then addressed as many concerns as they were able to, offering evidence that they both researched and piloted departmentalization before deciding to make it a district initiative. They offered the positive they found with the program and acknowledge that it is a scary change.
But they also informed those attending that this was happening.
Christina Bourg asked Bagwell, “So Barbara [Leleux] cannot make this decision?”
“No,” Bagwell said. “This is a district initiative.”
Bourg then asked, “What changed? How was this allowed last year, but this year it isn’t?”
“That is a good question.” Bagwell said.

Norman “Kitty Kitty” Polidore, 53, a resident of Centerville, died Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019, at 1:25 p.m. at his residence.
Visitation will be observed Tuesday, Aug. 13, at the Mount Zion Baptist Church, 307 Second St. in Franklin from 9 a.m. until funeral services at 11 a.m. Burial will follow funeral services in the Franklin Cemetery-Main Street in Franklin. Pastor Noah Smith will officiate the services.
He is survived by his mother, Oraline K. Polidore of Centerville; three brothers, Malcolm Polidore and Roman Polidore, both of Centerville, and Floyd Polidore Sr. of Morgan City; two sisters, Wanda Polidore and Gayle Cooks both of Franklin; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by his father and one brother.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A project involving Morgan City businessman Greg Hamer moved ahead recently when Louisiana’s congressional delegation and both chambers of the Louisiana Legislature urged the Trump administration to provide a state funeral in Washington for the last World War II Medal of Honor recipient when he passes away.
In all, 473 Americans received the medal, the nation’s highest military honor, for actions during World War II. Three survive, all over 90: Hershel “Woody” Williams of West Virginia, Francis (Frank) Currey of New York and Charles Coolidge of Tennessee.
Joining the effort were U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, both Republicans, and U.S. Reps. Clay Higgins, Steve Scalise, Ralph Abraham, Garrett Graves, Mike Johnson and Cedric Richmond, a Democrat. The other representatives are Republicans. Higgins represents St. Mary and St. Martin parishes in Congress.
Concurrent Resolution No. 112 was shepherded through the Legislature by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and signed by Speaker of the House Taylor Francis Barras and the Senate President Johnn Alario.
The nationwide, bipartisan initiative is led by the nonprofit State Funeral for World War II Veterans, chaired by Lee William (Bill) McNutt.
“I spoke with Governor Edwards in late May in New Orleans,” said Bill McNutt “As a former parachute regiment commander of the famous 82nd airborne, the governor immediately grasped the importance of our mission. He said he could get it done and he did!”
National board member Hamer of Morgan was responsible for getting the Congressional Letter created and signed.
“Every Democrat and Republican that represents us in the Congress in our nation’s capital has happy to sign,” Hamer said.
“The approximate 400,000 remaining veterans of the Second World War will benefit from a State Funeral in Washington DC for the final Medal of Honor recipient from World War II,” said McNutt. “This will be a final salute to the greatest generation, and we’re grateful for the entire Louisiana Congressional delegation and both houses of the State legislatures’ support. They are all in on this initiative. We need as many elected voices as possible from across the county to join this cause if we are to ensure this happens.”
The State Funeral for World War II Veterans’ nationwide campaign calls for the President of the United States to designate a state funeral for the last Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, as a final salute to the 16 million men and women of the greatest generation who served in our armed forces from 1941 to 1945.
The White House holds sole authority to do so and does not require approval from the U.S. Congress to enact. A State Funeral is a seven to 10-day national event and consists of ceremonies within the state where the honoree was in residence. Ceremonies within Washington, D.C., and in the state (or at Arlington National Cemetery) where the authorized individual has chosen to be interred.
All funeral arrangements are made by the U.S. Military District of Washington, D.C., and involve Armed Forces honor guards, elite military bands, and/or guns support (source White House.gov website).
The last two State Funerals were Ronald Reagan in 2004 and George Bush in 2018. The last non-Presidential State Funeral was General Douglas MacArthur in 1964.
This effort is the brainchild of McNutt’s 10-year-old daughter, Rabel, a public school student, in honor of her godfather, Walter Ehlers, the oldest holder of the Congressional Medal of Honor when he died in 2014. He received the honor for his efforts at The Battle for Normandy in June 1944.
Louisiana’s Congressional delegation is one of six state delegations to call for a state funeral for the World War II resolution. The state is also one of five to pass a joint resolution supporting the initiative.