ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / June 10, 2000

LAPLACE – Citing health reasons and a desire to spend more time with his family, St. John Parish School Board President Richard DeLong said he willofficially announce his resignation at the June 22 meeting of the school board.

DeLong, who has been a board member for 9 1/2 years took everyone by surprise with his announcement.

“If I don’t do it now, I’ll never do it,” said DeLong, “You have to do what you have to.”DeLong said he has already informed Secretary of State Fox McKeithen about his decision so that an election can be called and that July 1 is the official date of his retirement from the board.

For the past several years, DeLong has been fighting heart and upper respiratory problems. He plans to move back to his home state of Illinois,hoping that a change in weather will help his health.

“I’m going to open up a little clock shop and just try and take it easy,” said DeLong. “Also visit family members that I haven’t seen in a long time.”First elected to the school board in 1990, DeLong was re-elected in 1994 and 1998. He has served as board president for the past five years.During his tenure on the school board, DeLong says that his biggest accomplishment has been the stability of the board.

“We are now fiscally responsible and we have business-like meetings,” said DeLong. “We aren’t a joke anymore, and people don’t laugh at us.”Changing the image of the school board was DeLong’s greatest legacy according to some board members.

“He did a very admirable job at professionlizing the meetings,” said Dr.

Gerald Keller. “In the past, the meetings were run very helter-skelter andhe changed all that.”Dowie Gendron, who is disappointed at DeLong’s retirement, said DeLong did his best job when he became president of the board.

“He shortened our meetings and made them more effective,” said Gendron.

Felix LeBoeuf agreed and said, “He brought the board together in the last two years.””I think he did a great job,” added C.J. Watkins.DeLong is also proud of the modernization of the school system that happened under his tenure. He cites the renovation of Joe Keller Stadiumand turning John L. Ory and Garyville/Mt. Airy into magnet schools. He saidthat getting the Louisiana National Guard to help build the athletic field at Glade School was also a high point of his career.

“But I still think stabilization of the system was the big accomplishment,” said DeLong.

DeLong has two and a half years remaining on his term, and he will recommend to the board a temporary replacement until the election in November.

“We will have to hand-pick someone who will not run in November,” said Keller.

At this time, DeLong did not say who he would recommend to the board, but he doesn’t think getting a new person will be a problem.

“We have an election coming up, so we don’t have to call a special election,” said DeLong. “There won’t be any extra cost to the taxpayer.”DeLong’s tenure as school board president will also be remembered as one of relative peace.

“Mr. Delong was always a very neutral party,” said Keller. “Before he waspresident, the board was very factionalized and he managed to bring some order and peace between the factions.”LeBoeuf lamented DeLong’s retirement, “I just wish his health was better so that he could stay with us.”

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