Steve Bandy /Crowley Post-Signal
By a 5-3 vote, the Acadia Parish School board approved a three-year extension of Superintendent Scott Richard’s contract.
The vote followed an hour-long executive session and was preceded by an attempt to put the vote off for a month.
After James Proctor made the motion to extend the contract, Steve Jones offered a substitute motion to table.
“I think we should put this off for one month to get more ideas, more information from our schools,” he said. Becky Atkinson seconded.
But the vote to table failed 5-3, with only Milton Simar joining Jones and Atkinson.
The vote on Proctor’s original motion passed by the same tally, with Doug LaCombe, Delo Hebert, Ike Richard and James Higginbotham joining Proctor in voting for the extension.
Simar, who was last to vote, prefaced his “nay” vote by saying, “I cannot go with this. There is a lot of frustration out there. Morale is low and frustration is high.
“Maybe I’m hearing wrong because five other board members have said they have had no problems.”
At that point, attorney Jon Guice interrupted and pointed out that Simar’s comments “would have been better suited” during the executive session.
Richard was hired — by unanimous vote — as superintendent of Acadia Parish schools at a special meeting of the board on May 14, 2018. His appointment became effective July 1, 2018. He replaced long-time Superintendent John E. Bourque, who retired from the post.
His contract is now extended through June, 2023.
In his comments at the close of the meeting, Richard said he feels “Acadia Parish schools are moving in the right direction and I respect each and every school board member’s opinion.”
In other action during the regular monthly meeting, the board approved a four-year contract with Conterra Networks for internet access for the school system.
Richard explained that 90 percent of the $2.057 million contract will be paid by federal funds. The out-of-pocket expense for the parish system will be $205,761.
“As an added bonus, we will be able to add the four Head Start sites to the system at no additional cost,” Richard explained.
The board also approved the low bid of $394,000 submitted by LK Breaux and Associates of Crowley for renovations to the Iota High School Field House.
Continuing its program of repairing/replacing roofs at properties across the parish, the board authorized the superintendent to advertise for bids for the replacement of the roof at Iota High School.
Richard explained that the district started the program of repairs and replacement of roofs in the district because many have reached or surpassed their 15-year warranty.
“I’m recommending Iota High School because, based on square footage, it is one of the largest in the parish,” he said.
Richard went on to say that the district has addressed roofing issues at Crowley Middle, the Alternative School, Church Point Middle and on the main building at Rayne High.
“We still need to address situations at Church Point High, Mermentau Elementary, the Church Point Elementary cafeteria, Richard Elementary and the English wing at Rayne High,” he said.
Justin Carrier, chief financial officer, said the district has a little over $144,000 remaining in its roof replacement budget at this time, not enough to re-roof Iota High.
He added that he believes funds can be found for the Iota High project.
The board, by policy, places $300,000 per year in that fund “but we use or exceed that amount every year,” Carrier said.
In final action, the board approved the disposal of Bus 106, which was involved in a traffic accident in November and “totaled” by the insurance company, according to the superintendent.
Richard explained that, by applying the highest insurance appraisal of $16,383 to the $78,730 cost of a replacement bus, the district will spend $67,347 for a new vehicle.
The district can then cannibalize the wrecked bus, a 2009 model with more than 150,000 miles on it, for parts, according to Richard.