By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

RESERVE – Current Assistant Superintendent Herbert Smith will act as interim superintendent when St. John the Baptist Parish schools Superintendent Courtney Millet officially steps down July 12.

The move came during a special meeting of the St. John School Board called Monday for that purpose.

Millet surprised many in the community last week when she announced she would be retiring from the school system to take a director job at St. Charles Catholic High School.

After accepting the appointment, Smith said, “I know it’s going to be a difficult time. (Millet) will truly be missed by the district. She has already drawn the blueprint. Hopefully we can have a good school year, and everybody can achieve more.”

Board member Lowell Bacas, who was principal of LaPlace Elementary School when Millet was a teacher there, echoed Smith’s sentiments, saying, “We will surely miss Dr. Millet. I know she did a better job (as principal) than I ever could do.”

For her parting words, Millet once again tipped her hat to the district’s administrators.

“I would just like to thank the administrators. You are awesome,” she said.

Millet also said she feels confident in the abilities of Smith and the school board to lead the district into the future.

“I hope they can continue to move forward,” she said. “I believe that everything is in place to make that happen.”

She added, “I’ve worked with (Smith) for four years hand in hand. He has more experience than I’ve ever had.”

Millet began her career with the St. John the Baptist Parish School System nearly 25 years ago as a teacher of the second and fourth grades. She then became an assistant principal at the Glade, which is now Lake Pontchartrain Elementary before being named principal at LaPlace Elementary School in 1998. She eventually moved to the central office, where she served as the director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for fourth through eighth grades. She became superintendent in April 2008.

In a strange twist of fate, Millet will be returning to familiar territory when she joins St. Charles Catholic.

“Mr. Cupit was my first principal at LaPlace Elementary School,” she said. “That’s where I did get to know him.”

Andrew Cupit is the current principal at St. Charles Catholic High School, and he will once again be the person to whom Millet reports.

Millet’s job at St. Charles Catholic begins Aug. 1.

쇓