By Christopher Lenois

RESERVE – As the St. John School Board administration and board members continue to assess the circumstances of the fights between students at Glade School and Leon Godchaux Junior High that have led to 16 arrests, no one feels there is a simple resolution.

“The communities of Reserve and LaPlace have never gotten along, and probably will never get along,” said District 7 representative Howard Triche. “About eight to ten years ago, we had several little gang problems. The fights start in the streets and spills over into the schools.”

Triche said this has led to the institution of such policies as the Uniform Policy, making it easier to identify which schools the students are from; and the Clear Bag Policy that prevents kids from concealing weapons in their bookbags.

“We try to keep kids educated. But it’s difficult if they don’t want it. Expulsion is the only thing we can do,” said Triche.

Triche proposed levying a fine to the parents of the expelled student, to defray the costs of having the deputies coming to the schools and making the arrest.

“That might get (the parents) to pay more attention,” said Triche.

That the parents needed to be more involved was a near-unanimous sentiment. Lowell Bacas of District 9, is a former principal at LaPlace Elementary and he also suggested levying a fine might make parents take an active role.

“We might need more teeth in the policy. If students fight and all mom or dad has to do is go pick them up. Perhaps we need to look at it,” said Bacas.

The Louisiana state law calls for a mandatory one school year expulsion for students carrying weapons or drugs, according to state representative Bobby Fauchaux, but each parish school board has latitude on how to discipline fighting students.

Coburn instituted the “No-blink” policy last October. Students over the age of 12 are arrested on charges of Disturbing the Peace fighting on school campuses.

Then they have a hearing to determine if they are expelled or suspended.

If expelled, the student finishes the remainder of the school year at the Redirection Center, and can appeal to re-enter the public school system the following year.

District 6 representative Charles Watkins has been a probation officer under the 40th Judicial District Court for 26 years. Watkins said that if the student is deemed a danger to the community, they also face the possiblity of serving time in juvenile detention.

“The arrest is a law enforcement issue that goes to the judge. The arresting officer recommends if the child should be released to his parents or go to the detention center.”

St. Charles Parish involves the parents more by requiring them to make the appeal for reinstatement after expulsion on their child’s behalf at a school board meeting. A policy that St. James parish Superintendent, Dr. Ed Cancienne wants to institute in his school system.

“You got to start young, and you’ve got to bring the parents in. They have to want their children to behave well,” Cancienne said.

Cancienne said there is a similar rivalry between kids from Lutcher and Convent, which he attributes partly to the Convent kids having to matriculate to a new school on the East Bank beginning in the ninth grade.

Under a plan called Blueprint for Better Schools, Cancienne said this coming fall they will begin matriculating students in the seventh garde, believing this will improve the comfort level with being at a new school with new classmates. The St. James Parish expulsion policy follows a simlar process to St. John’s. Cancienne is also part of a Peace Initiative Executive Commitee, a group of 15 St. James citizen who review discipline policies, ensure their application is consistent, and communicate that information to the parents. Cancienne said it is ultimately up to the student.

“We need to teach kids how to live within their emotions,” said Cancienne.

If the policy is changed, most board members said they would obviously want to review it with the principals and administration, but would favor a stricter policy.

“The rules in the Student Handbook are strict and should be enforced,” said Dowie Gendron of District 5. “We need to be hard and firm, but not cruel. The kids are keeping themselves out of school. What else can we do?”