By MELISSA PEACOCK

RESERVE – Fifty-year-old LaPlace resident Phillip Johnson said he knows what is going on in St. John the Baptist Parish public schools. If he forgets, his wife, a teacher at East St. John Elementary School, and his son, a ninth-grader at East St. John High School, remind him.

Johnson, who was voted onto the School Board Thursday to fill the seat vacated by Clarence Triche, said his priorities as a board member will include increasing LEAP test scores, providing more physical education and recreational opportunities in St. John Parish elementary schools and implementing programs to keep qualified teachers in the public school system.

Johnson was voted in as the new District 7 representative out of five residents nominated for the post during a special session of the board. He said he found out about the opening by wor d of mouth.

“I know a lot of people in the district,” Johnson said. “I have known Mr. Triche and I know that he was a pretty good board member.”

After a preliminary vote, two candidates were left standing, Johnson and Herman Delatte. Deciding votes were tied in two votes and the board was facing a standstill when District 10 member Matthew Ory changed his vote.

“I’m still a little shaken,” Ory said. “I just felt that one thing we definitely need on the board is continued unity. I don’t like a divided board.”

Ory said he was a little disappointed, but believed he made the best choice for the school system.

“I am not questioning my decision,” Ory said. “It would have went to the governor and caused an even greater delay.”

Johnson, an airport security worker and an U.S. Air Force veteran, was voted into the seat by a 6-4 decision. He will finish out Triche’s term but he said he has not yet decided if he will run in the next election.

“Once I get my feet entrenched in this thing – then I will decide,” Johnson said. “Right now, I just want to do the best I can with the little bit of time I have.”

Johnson’s term could be a long one as the School Board is still waiting for the state to accept the new redistricting plan. If the plan is not accepted before the qualifying date Aug. 23, elections could be stalled.

Clarence Triche attended the meeting and was one of the first to congratulate the newly elected board member. Triche said he was happy for Johnson, but a little disappointed his son, Randall Triche, did not qualify for the position.

“If we had twisted the truth a little bit, he could have taken the seat,” Clarence Triche said. “He lived there for seven months, but he lived there for 20 years before that.”

Board President Gerald Keller said he knew Johnson socially and believes he will make a good addition to the board.

“I think they were all very good candidates,” Keller said. “They each carried their own experiences in. They each had a vested interest in the schools.”