By STACEY PLAISANCE / L’Observateur / January 18, 1999

LUTCHER – Charles Nailor was elected vice-president of the St. JamesParish School Board at the start of his first school board meeting Tuesday, and Kenneth Foret was elected president.

Kathleen Becnel also served at her first meeting Tuesday, and Foret said he has confidence the board will come together and address the challenges of 1999 and beyond.

During the meeting, Superintendent Walter Landry’s recent raise of $1,557 was deliberated, and board members voted to readjust Landry’s salary to its original amount. With four of the seven board members in support ofthe salary adjustment, the vote did not pass. Five votes were required forthe implementation of a salary adjustment.

Landry said the superintendent should be the highest paid position in the school system, and his salary was only parallel to that of the assistant superintendent. Board Member Lloyd LeBlanc said because Landry is not apermanent superintendent, he should receive the original salary amount that was set by the board.

“He’s an interim superintendent, and I think our decision to give him a raise was too rash,” LeBlanc said. With Landry’s contract renewalapproaching, LeBlanc made a request for a search committee to find a “permanent, qualified superintendent.”Board member Willis Octave said the superintendent’s salary should reflect a respect for the responsibility affiliated with the position.

“We should pay more for the person in that position,” Octave said. “Ourdecision to give him a raise was based on sound, ethical principles.”In other business, the board: Granted release time for four Lutcher High School coaches to attend the World’s Gulf Coast Coaching Clinic in Biloxi, Miss., later this month toimprove their knowledge of football at one of the top clinics in this part of the country. The coaches will miss one day of school to attend theprogram, which will be of no cost to the school.

Permitted Coach Rick Gaille of St. James High School to serve as apresenter for an athletic program at the Football Coaches Professional Growth Association Clinic in Fowler, Calif. from Jan. 14-17, 1999. Approved the updated personnel list, which included the opening of a cafeteria technician position at Vacherie Primary.

Made a request for the development of a greenhouse for St. James HighSchool. Further discussion on the project will resume at the board’s nextregular meeting.

Made request to pilot the A/B Block Schedule system in area schools, similar to the system currently implemented in St. Charles Parish. Furtherdiscussion on the block scheduling will resume at the board’s next regular meeting.

Was encouraged to attend programs scheduled for Jan. 19, StaffDevelopment Day, for the parish.

Recognized school system employees who were selected as Outstanding School Support Employees. Parish winners were Joyce Bourgeois ofLutcher High School, Sandra Gros of St. James Junior High School andBrenda Jackson of Gramercy Elementary. School winners were StaceyWhittington of Fifth Ward Elementary, Elaine Young of Lutcher Elementary, Debora Thompson of Lutcher Junior High, Janice Boudreaux of Paulina Elementary, Joann Picou of Romeville Elementary, Deidra Simoneaux of St.

James High, Lydia Gloster of Sixth Ward Elementary, Linda Stein of Vacherie Elementary and Judith Bourgeois of Vacherie Primary.

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