Jeannine Lejeune
In a much more laid back meeting, the Acadia Parish School Board’s Personnel, Insurance and Curriculum Committee heard reports regarding student transportation, school and district scores and Child Nutrition on Nov. 28.
The meeting’s agenda started with possibly the best news it could have with a report from Dianna Guidry, supervisor of testing and evaluation for the parish.
“Just before Thanksgiving, we were extremely thankful because the state department released the district and school performance scores,” she said.
The parish, as previously reported, saw a more than 10 point jump up district wide to a 97.3 B, hovering ever-so-close to that A status, and now boasts 11 A schools and had eight Top Gains school this year. Those numbers are also up from their 2015 predecessors of seven and one, respectively.
Guidry also provided a look at the district compared to its neighboring districts and the state. In regard to the “friendly competition” between Acadia and its neighbors, the high B is second to only Vermilion in overall score, which had a 106.8 A this year. It is also well above the state average of an 83 C.
Superintendent John Bourque also stated that the Top Gains and A schools were sent to be invited to the Dec. 5 meeting to be recognized for their achievements. Roughly 15 schools in total will receive the recognition that night, so, Bourque warned that a packed house should be on hand.
Armstrong Middle School, Central Rayne Kindergarten, Crowley Middle School and Martin Petitjean Elementary will be recognized as Top Gains schools.
Branch Elementary, Egan Elementary, Estherwood Elementary, Iota High, Mermentau Elementary, Mire Elementary and Richard Elementary will all be applauded for being designated as A schools this year.
Evangeline Elementary, Midland High, Morse Elementary and South Crowley Elementary, meanwhile, will be recognized as both Top Gains and A schools for the 2015-16 school year.
The second report came from Acadia Parish’s new transportation manager Russell Lanclos.
Brief with his report, Lanclos advised the board that the changes to the special education routes appear to be going very well. While some of the children on these routes were on buses for well over an hour previously, changes have seen those numbers change to roughly 45 minutes maximum.
He also added that Student Transportation Specialists continues to search for bus drivers and aides as well as substitute drivers and aides.
Finally, Child Nutrition Program Supervisor Adrianne Vidrine shared a few numbers with the school board members about breakfast, lunch and after school feeding program participation. Of note, board members recognized that the high schools all showed lesser participation in breakfast and lunch – a common trend for several years in the school system.
With more and more schools becoming eligible for the Community Eligibility Program participation, the district may continue to look at implementing programs like brown bag breakfast-on-the-go and more at the high schools to try increase those numbers.
As for nutritional guidelines changes, well those may take some time, even with a new philosophy and president entering the White House in January.