By STACEY PLAISANCE / L’Observateur / February 22, 1999

RESERVE – The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board wants a superintendent who already works in the school system.Thursday, the board voted to keep advertisement for the superintendent job position strictly within the parish, and President Richard DeLong said advertising will commence immediately.

The board said only local newspapers, L’Observateur and The Times-Picayune, will display advertisements for the open position, and ads will also be posted in educational facilities throughout the school system.

A substitute motion to limit the advertising solely within the confines of the parish school system failed, and there was no discussion to renew the contract of current superintendent Cleveland Farlough. The board recently denied a request to extend FarloCharles Watkins voted against advertising the job position on both counts, claiming the board currently has enough votes to hire an insider. He said advertising is a waste of time and money.”This system is very political, and I don’t want to deceive the public,” Watkins said. “The majority of the board has someone selected, and advertising is not necessary.”Board member Gerald Keller submitted a suggested course of action in hiring the new superintendent, a plan that includes advertising, application deadlines, screening and interview dates. Keller suggests having the new superintendent selected by May 6, alKeller’s plan also proposes upgrading the superintendent’s salary to an even $80,000, a $600 increase from the current $79,400 annual salary paid to Farlough. DeLong requested that the board act as a committee in deciding details of the job position and tIn other business, the board deliberated over the clarity of its admittance policy for expelled students with the system’s new Redirection Center, a rehabilitation program for expelled or at-risk students who were unable to conform and progress in the traAssociate Superintendent Chris Donaldson said if an expelled student is assigned to the Redirection Center, that student is still maneuvering through the school system. The redirection program is an attempt to prepare at-risk students for traditional clasThe board heard a presentation on the purpose and status of the Redirection Center, a program which was partially funded by a $200,000 grant from the Louisiana Department of Education.

The program was designed to create a setting for students with evident disciplinary challenges in the traditional school setting. Many of these students have committed violent/illegal acts such as battery, drug possession and/or weapon possession. The RedApproximately 70 parish students are currently assigned to the Redirection Center, although attendance has been a problem, a spokesperson said. Action has been taken to contact parents when students are not present, but other action is being explored.While the grant provided some funding for the program, the estimated cost for the school term is $600,000, and public support is needed to generate sufficient funds to continue the program.

East St. John High School Principal Debbie Schum said at the board meeting that the new mandatory arrest policy for fighting and the new block schedule system have greatly decreased the amount of violent and/or criminal activity on school grounds.”The number of fights are down from last year because the students know the arrest policy will be enforced,” Schum said. “They don’t want to risk getting arrested by engaging in criminal activity, and that threat has had an impact.”Schum said the block schedule system also decreases opportunity for confrontations to arise among students, which in turn decreases the number of disciplinary problems.

“With the block schedule, there’s less exchange time between classes, and there’s fewer chances for altercations,” she said. “That has really helped.”The board also: Discussed concerns with funds being spent by the maintenance department in the past three years. Further discussion will take place at the next regular board meeting. Declared March 18 Retired Teacher’s Day at the request of Gov. Mike Foster. Received information on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Test Security Policy which was approved by BESE in December 1998. The board will take action on the policy at its next regular meeting. Tabled a motion to change the policy for selection members to standing committees. The present policy only entitles teachers to serve on the finance, academic, pupil services and personnel committees of the school board. Further discussion of the policy.

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