News Editor

LULING—The St. Charles Parish School Board held its first official meeting since Hurricane Gustav on the same day that classes resumed in the parish.

Accordingly, much of the night’s proceeding dealt with the impact of the storm and its aftermath. Superintendent Rodney Lafon had a positive outlook on the situation, saying, “We are in very good shape.”

According to Lafon, nearly all teachers and students were present for the first day back following the storm.

He noted, “This is not possible without the support of the board,” and went on to cite lessons learned from Katrina as well as teamwork from everyone involved as factors in a smooth evacuation and recovery.

A video presentation then highlighted the system’s response to the storm and its aftermath.

The use of school buses to evacuate 1,140 residents of the parish was among the events featured in the presentation.

After the video, Supervisor of Physical Plant Services John Rome Jr. gave an oral account of the storm’s damage and his team’s response to it.

According to Rome, most school structures in the parish received only light to moderate damage, including fallen trees, signs, ceilings tiles and fences.

A couple of buildings did receive more severe damage, however, including the newly opened Professional Learning Center, which sustained roof and subsequent water damage. Luckily, most of the expensive equipment inside was either removed or moved to safer ground before it was ruined.

Rome also noted that all schools had power in time for Wednesday’s reopening, with Allemands Elementary getting its power restored on Monday evening. Additionally, all public schools in the district received a clear bill of health prior to Wednesday.

The parish was also able to keep damage cost down, said Rome, with its current food policy. Now only one week of food is kept on hand instead of the two-week quantity utilized pre-Katrina.

Finally, he noted the Connect-ED system used to keep parents, teachers, students and staff informed in the event of an emergency had an almost 90 percent success rate. It was the first real test of the system since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita crippled southern Louisiana three years ago.

The meeting ended with a plea from a Destrehan bus driver for emergency funds from the parish, similar to the one given St. John employees. She explained to the board that she had to dip into her Christmas fund to pay her mortgage this month.

Board President John Smith promised he would look into the matter.

“We do understand the dramatic impact of hurricanes like this,” he said. “If there is any way we can provide some kind of assistance that is within the limit of the law, we will certainly do so.”

The evening had begun on a much lighter note, as the St. Charles School Board presented employees with their Service Awards. The awards are presented to employees of the school system who have reached 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service.

The 58 honorees, including 35-year employee Shirl Cook, adult education teacher at the Norco Adult Learning Center, and Larry Sesser, central office assistant superintendent, who retired after 40 years of service, were treated to a reception before the meeting and presented with certificates during the meeting. The honorees also were to have received pins, but, in one final blow from Hurricane Gustav, they were misplaced by UPS and would have to be presented at a later date.

The superintendent said of the honorees, “We do very much appreciate what our employees do…Whatever you’ve done makes a big difference for the people, for the children, of St. Charles Parish.”

He stressed the importance of every job within the system, ending with, “That’s why we are St. Charles Parish Public Schools.”