Harlan Kirgan
Help is on the way for Eunice Junior High School, said St. Landry Parish School Superintendent Patrick Jenkins. That comment came as Casey Comeaux was introduced as the new assistant principal at the school at Thursday’s School Board meeting.
But the school does not have a principal. Lakesha Miller resigned as principal to take a job as network representative for the state Department of Education, Jenkins said. Comeaux became assistant principal the first of November.
“She has been doing a great job for us in a tough position,” Jenkins said of Comeaux. “Help is on the way,” he added.
After the meeting, Jenkins said he expects the position will be filled before the end of the semester, which is in the next three weeks.
“We don’t want them to go without a leader too much longer,” he said.
Eunice Junior High School, with an enrollment of about 380 students, is one of 11 schools in the parish receiving a B grade in the recently released School Performance Score program results. St. Landry Parish’s public schools ranked 63rd overall in the state, but it was noted by Jenkins the parish district scored, a C, moved from 71.1 to 73.1.
“We have over 22 scores showing improvement in our district, so that is outstanding performance,” he said.
Jenkins was hired as superintendent in October by a School Board seeking academic growth.
Angela Cassimere, supervisor of Instruction, School Choice and School Improvement, broke down the parish public schools scores:
— A school:, Magnet Academy of Cultural Arts.
— 11 B schools: East Elementary, Leonville Elementary, Glendale Elementary, Eunice Elementary, Arnaudville Elementary, Palmetto Elementary, Grand Prairie Elementary, Port Barre Elementary, Port Barre High, Krotz Springs Elementary and Eunice Junior High.
— 10 C schools: Beau Chene High, Eunice High, Northwest High, Central Middle, Port Barre Middle, Park Vista Elementary, North Central High, Cankton Elementary, Grand Coteau Elementary and Lawtell Elementary.
— 9 D schools: Sunset Elementary, Highland Elementary, Plaisance Elementary, Opelousas High, Grolee Elementary, North Elementary, South Street Elementary, Opelousas Junior High and Northeast Elementary.
—Two F schools: Washington Elementary and Southeast Elementary.
The board scheduled a special meeting at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 14 to approve a restoration project at flood-damaged Plaisance Elementary and a mandatory two-hour training session for board members. The training session is to include strategies to improve schools identified as “failing schools” by the state Board of Education.
Other action included appointing board members Mary Ellen Donatto, Hazel Sias, Randy Wagley and Raymond Cassimere to a committee to develop procedures to evaluate the superintendent.