Harlan Kirgan
Faced with a $1,125 monthly charge to use St. Landry Parish property in Opelousas, two School Board officials were back in front of the Parish Council requesting a price cut.
The St. Landry Parish School Board began administering the Head Start program in September 2018.
The School Board began administering the Head Start program in the parish in September with a $6.8 million budget for the 10 months remaining in the fiscal year.
The site, owned by the parish, is on West Martin Luther King Extension, adjoining the parish airport, in Opelousas.
The School Board had been paying $60 a year to lease the site.
The previous Head Start operator had paid $60 a year for about 15 years to use the site.
In December the Council decided to put the $1,125 on the Jan. 2 committee agenda. In the interim, the price was to be renegotiated.
The Council’s Adminstrative-Finance Committee on Wednesday voted 2-1 to send a $500 a month price to the full Council meeting on Jan. 16.
Donnie Perron, District 6 School Board member, said, “When we got the grant to run Head Start it was something that we chose to do not because we wanted more employees and more buildings and more headaches, we did it because we think it is very important to the education system.”
The district’s goal is to become an A or B district and the adding Head Start will help achieve that goal, he said.
Perron said the School Board has arrangements with several municipalities for no-cost use of property.
“What we are asking is to be treated the same way the other boards are treated,” he said.
In December, Patrick Jenkins, school superintendent, submitted a proposal to pay $350 a month for the property. After negotiations a $525 a month cost was agreed to adding he would like to see it lower.
Councilman Dexter Brown offered a motion for a $100 a month fee, but there was no second to his action.
In the vote on the $500 fee, Councilman Timmy Lejeune abstained saying his wife works for the School Board.
Eunice Council member Coby Clavier voted for placing the $500 fee on the Jan. 16 meeting agenda. Challenged by Brown about his wife working for the School Board, Clavier said it did not affect his vote.
Legal counsel Garret Duplechain said abstaining is a judgement call to be made by each Council member. He also pointed out that the final decision is up to the full Council.
In the Council’s Public Works Committee meeting, Parish President Bill Fontenot said he would contact the St. Landry Parish Solid Waste Commission about garbage trucks using netting to keep loose trash from flying out of trucks.
Also in the finance committee meeting, Fontenot said there is not cost of living increase in the budget that is up for adoption on Jan. 16.
A 3 percent cost of living raise would cost about $150,000, he said. There are about 75 employees in the parish budget, he said in an email.