By SANDY SEAL / L’Observateur / April 20, 1999

LUTCHER – The list of candidates for the school superintendent job in St.

James Parish has been narrowed to three.

The Superintendent Selection Committee recently reviewed submitted resumes and chose three finalists for the job.

The St. James Parish School Board will interview the candidates Thursday,and the group is expect to name a superintendent next week.

Finalists for the job are Walter Landry, acting superintendent of St. JamesParish Schools; Alfred Donaldson, personnel director for St. John theBaptist Parish Schools; and Dr. P. Edward Cancienne, superintendent ofschools in Assumption Parish.

A special School Board meeting will be held Thursday in order to conduct the interviews. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the School Board office inLutcher.

Board President Kenneth Foret said the interviews will be conducted in open session unless candidates request a closed meeting.

The three finalists were selected from a field of 12 candidates by the Superintendent Selection Committee, comprised of a cross-section of St.

James residents and business leaders. Committee members includedDerald Bourgeois, representing the St. James Business Association; LloydEdwards, representing Louisiana Alliance for Education Reform; Foret, representing the School Board; the Rev. Lucien Garrett, representing theministry; Gufielle Keller, representing parish government; Millie Matherne, representing the school system staff; and Gary Miller, representing the industrial management group.

Landry was appointed to a one-year term as interim superintendent last summer when John Boughton retired. The School Board voted earlier thisyear to conduct a statewide search for Boughton’s permanent successor.

Following interviews Thursday, the School Board is expected to name a superintendent at its regular meeting next Tuesday at Fifth Ward Elementary School on the west bank of the parish.

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