By VICKIE JAMBON – Staff Reporter

ST. CHARLES PARISH – An introduction of new principals and the unveiling of school web sites were major highlights of the St. Charles Parish School board meeting.

New principals seated into St. Charles Parish schools are Lorel Gonzales-Destrehan High, Stephen Weber-Hurst Middle, Erin Raiford-J.B. Martin Middle and Anne Haydel-Norco Elementary. Also taking over as principal for Sarpy Kindergarten is Michele deBruler.

After the announcement of the new principals along with other new education employees, Superintendent Rodney R. Lafon said, “Expectations are high. I look forward to ya’ll doing a wonderful job.”

Earlier in the evening, a slide show was presented introducing a web site developed by students and two Destrehan High School teachers to promote student learning in a real world environment. The teachers, Raina Whitman and Debbie Bergeron lead a Web Development and Maintenance Enterprise known as Webquil. The site’s launching was scheduled for this week-end.

A child abuse and neglect policy developed to inform and train employees in reporting child abuse and neglect, and to hold these employees accountable to relative laws, was accepted and adopted.

Also approved and accepted was a summer food service program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture that will provide meals to children 18 and under during the months when school is not in session. Any child may eat at no charge regardless of economic status.

A revised budget was approved but not without comment. When projections were given for additional teacher retirement contributions Lafon asked where the new money would come from. He said, “The state should be picking this up. The board is going to have to say enough is enough. We can do this for a while but the school district, not just St. Charles Parish but all parishes will have to sue the state.” School board member Alfred Green said, “We need to file suit against the state to get this off our back.”

The board agreed to pay April’s bills and listened to a drainage update provided by Executive Director Larry Sesser.