Harlan Kirgan
Two Eunice principals, Mitch Fontenot and Dwanetta Scott, were among St. Landry Parish principals honored at the parish School Board meeting Thursday.
Fontenot was honored as High School Principal of the Year and Scott was recognized as Middle School Principal of the Year.
Also recognized were Kellie Rabalais, Palmetto Elementary principal, as 5-8 Principal of the Year; Gregory Campbell, Northwest High, 6-12 Principal of the Year; and Tiffany Perry, Port Barre Elementary, Elementary Principal of the Year.
Scott Champagne, Title I director, said, “The hardest job in our system with the exception of superintendent is what our principals do. It is a tremendous job.”
Scott, of Eunice Junior High School, said, “There are so many moments where you just don’t know what will happen and when it does happen you have to say, ‘Is this real?’”
Scott is in her 23rd year as an educator and seventh year as a principal. She served three and half years as principal at East Elementary in Eunice and three and half years as principal at the junior high school.
The school’s 2018-2019 performance score was 75.7 for a letter grade of B. The school had 5.3 points of growth and it was the second consecutive year of growth.
Fontenot said he is not big on individual awards.
“I look on it as my school, my faculty, my students as being the best in the parish,” he said.
Fontenot has 30 years experience as an educator and 10 years as principal at Eunice High School where the 2018-2019 performance score was 93.6 for a letter grade of A.
The school has had five consecutive years of growth and its latest growth number is 3.9.
Superintendent Patrick Jenkins said Eunice High School is the first traditional high school in the parish to earn an A letter grade in the school performance scores.
The recognition of the parish’s top principals was a major item during the meeting that included election of Donnie Perron as the School Board president.
Perron, of Port Barre, succeeds Eunice Board member Mary Ellen Donatto as president for a one-year term.
Opelousas Board member Hazel Sias was elected vice president.
Perron said he has been on the Board for six years and Sias said she has served five years. Perron said he served an interim superintendent in 2011.
Perron thanked Donatto for her service.
Jenkins also thanked Donatto for her hard work as Board president. He emphasized that the Board president includes nearly daily responsibilities.
Other business included:
— Approving the carryover of Head Start funds from last year to the current year. The money is earmarked for playground improvements.
— Approving quarterly feedback to the superintendent in March, June, September and December.
— Rescheduled February committee meetings from Feb. 17 and 18 to Feb. 19 and 20.
— Approved linking the Board’s mileage reimbursement to that allowed by the Internal Revenue Service.