St. Landry Parish School Superintendent Patrick Jenkins was voted an 18-month contract extension during a virtual meeting of the School Board on Thursday.
The vote is for Jenkins and School Board President Donnie Perron to negotiate, but it settles the contract issue that has been before the Board for months.
The issue had stalled as several Board members wanted to evaluate Jenkins’ performance before considering extending his contract, which expires Dec. 31.
Board member Denise Rose said, “I think it is imperative that everyone knows, the public included, our constituents and everyone, that it is the feeling of the Board that at this time more than any other time that our system needs stability and we don’t want to be replacing the superintendent in December 2020.”
Rose also said, “I want to thank Mr. Jenkins for doing an excellent job during this pandemic, he and his staff.”
Board member Hazel Sias insisted that Jenkins agree to an evaluation when it can be done in person.
Thursday’s meeting was conducted using Zoom, an application allowing electronic participation.
The Board held a committee meeting that included the entire Board before its regular meeting.
Two comments were read before taking up the contract extension.
One from Elbert Guillory said, “Given our present circumstances and past leadership on items such as the failed consolidation plan and the failed tax plan it would be premature to extend withtout much pubic input.”
The other, identified as from Ryan Dupe, stated, I would like for the board to release the contract of Mr. Jenkins. All St. Landry Parish schools need a new direction and he is not the man to lead into the future.
After a motion by Board members Anthony Standberry, seconded by Myron Guillory, to extend the contract, Board member Randy Wagley presented a substitute motion to wait until an evaluation is conducted.
“We’ve talked about it since this pandemic started. We at one point, the majority of us, agreed we needed to do an evaluation,” he said.
“We are doing it in a such a way there is not a lot of opportunity for public input. One of the last in-person meetings we had there was a bunch of people that came, outside people,who said what a good job the superintendent was doing, yet we have teachers’ unions in the parish that have a problem extending his contract,” Wagley said.
But only Board members Wagley, Josh Boudreaux and Kyle Boss voted against allowing the contract extension.
After the vote, Board member Albert Hayes Jr. said, “I want to congratulate Mr. Jenkins for a job well done and his work on a situation where we were in terrible shape when we hired a new superintendent two years ago
“We are going through a very difficult time right now. I’m going to applaud his leadership and his ability and hopefully we will all get through this together,” he said.
Jenkins said, “I want to thank board members for a vote confidence extending me for 18 months. I areally appreciate it and it is very humbling. I want to continue the work that we have been doing for St. Landry Parish, for our students and staff and I look forward to working with each you side by side getting through Covid-19 and also reaching to new highs in St. Landry Parish academically as well as continue to heal our community.”
Jenkins was hired in November 2016. The last audit shows he is paid $157,700 a year plus benefits and other compensation for a total of $207,503.
In February, Jenkins noted the district has not had a deficit and has grown academically during his tenure.
