By David Vitrano
L’Observateur

LUTCHER – Minutes before the St. James Parish School Board met in regular session Tuesday evening, Superintendent Alonzo Luce made a decision regarding the athletic director and head football coaching position at St. James High School.
During his administrative report, Luce announced he had offered the job to Dwayne Jenkins, the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Lutcher High School. Jenkins will replace James Bell, who in his two years as coach failed to notch a single win for the Wildcats. The School Board chose not to renew Bell’s contract at an earlier meeting.
While the board was generally congratulatory of Jenkins, who was present at the meeting, west bank representative Patricia Schexnayder warned Luce that many of her constituents would likely not be pleased by the announcement.
Although she declined to comment on the specifics of the complaints, she did say to Luce, “Are you quite aware of what this will stir up with the parents? You be prepared.”
For his part, Luce said, “The decisions that I make are not politically motivated. I feel very comfortable with the decision.”
According to Luce, Jenkins was chosen from a field of three finalists, which also included Daron Franklin and Derek Lamothe.
“I think any one of those three would have taken us to great heights,” said Luce.
Although the finalists were decided by a committee, the final decision was up to Luce as new legislation no longer requires board approval for such hires.
New legislation was also a cause for concern for many on the board as the new year brought numerous staffing changes.
“In a few years, we will be in trouble,” said board member Diana Cantillo, who said she read as much as 25 percent of teachers in Louisiana are leaving.
“Now is probably one of the most stressful times to be a teacher that I can remember,” said Luce. “We’ve got to lower the stress level for teachers.”
A new evaluation system and the virtual elimination of tenure for teachers has led many to seek employment elsewhere and has thinned the ranks of those seeking education degrees.
The board also approved a number of revised policies.
Lastly, the board agreed to grant permission and a $1,000 stipend to advanced ProStart students to visit the French Culinary Institute in New York on Feb. 28 through March 2.
“For many of these students this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said parish ProStart instructor Rachael Schexnayder. “That was my intention, to broaden their horizons in the culinary field.”
Also the board chose to delay the election of new officers until the next meeting because Vice President George Nassar was absent to attend the wake of his father-in-law, Curtis Caldarera Sr.