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East Feliciana School Board Confronts Funding ChallengesMembers of School Board say New Superintendent Candidates face dire financial situationBy Patricia Stallman
Interim East Feliciana Schools Super-intendent Edna Thomas opened the April 14 meeting by recognizing Food Service Coordinator Brenda Turner as Employee of the Month for March. Turner’s su-pervisor, James Bell, nominated Turner to recognize her dedication to her work, Thomas said, a dedication that provides a “vital link in the chain” that creates a productive learning environment for the students, faculty and staff.
“You come in early, stay late and even use your lunch break (to perform your work), and you do it all with a positive attitude,” Thomas said, as she congratu-lated Turner.
Next, Martin Macdiarmid presented the School Board with the Knights of Co-lumbus Council 7856 annual donation to the special education department.
Seeking a new superintendent of
District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla, left, signs the documents for the sale of timber to Good Hope Timber of Natchez, Mississippi, for $114,954. Also signing, among others, were East Feliciana Parish School Board President Michael Bradford, center, and Interim Superintendent Edna Thomas. Standing at left is Forester Brent Fazende; at right is Steve Fontenot of Good Hope Timber. Photograph by Patricia Stallman
schoolsSchool Board President Michael
Bradford announced the names of the three finalists for the position of super-intendent—Patrick D. Jenkins, Zachary; George Norflin, Jr., Ph.D., Bastrop; and Carlos J. Sam, Baton Rouge—whom the Superintendent Interview Commit-tee selected from a list of finalists during a Monday, March 30, meeting. Bradford set Tuesday, April 21, at 5:30 p.m. for a closed session of the Board during which it would further reduce the number of fi-nalists to two or one.
At that point, Board Member Derald Spears asked that the Board move to ex-ecutive session, saying that several other Board members and he think that one or more of the other candidates in the group “should have been considered” by the entire Board before elimination of their
It was another great day in Jackson, LA on April 11, 2015. The 7th W.R. McKowen High School Alumni was held at the old school gym. McKowen School was in existence from 1910 un-til 1962.
Approximately 200 former stu-dents, teachers, family members and friends from seven states, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas en-joyed fellowshipping together.
Charles and Jean Laneau catered the lunch. They are alumni of McKowen. The food was great and enjoyed by all. After lunch the program honored Mrs. Beryl McKowen Morris who graduat-ed in 1938 and later came back to teach. She is our oldest teacher and graduate. She and Mrs. Effie Sharkey Dawson were recognized as oldest teachers in attendance. Other teachers and grads in attendance were Mrs. Betty Worthy Zeigler and Dr. Charles W. Smith.
A special tribute was given to seven alumni who have made the list of “Hall of Distinction Award.” They are John D. Travis, class of 1959, John E. Jelks,
Over 200 Show for McKowen High School Reunion
Pearl McKowen Slaughter, a graduate of 1940, and her sister Beryl McKowen Morris, a graduate of 1938 and a teacher at McKowen. Photograph by Beth Dawson
class of 1958, Doyle F. Harrell, class of 1950, E. Scott Dawson, class of 1959, Dr. Sidney V. Worthy, class of 1954, deceased, Wade Morgan, class of 1956, and Don Lord, class of 1960.
At the end of the program, Mrs. Lucy Fluker Priddy who has headed this reunion for 35 years announced that she and Mrs. Barbara Gayle Thom-as would be “retiring” after this reunion and asked that Mrs. Barbara Schaubhut Odom become the next chairperson. “Bobbie” Odom then thanked both women for their years of service and gave Lucy a bouquet of roses. She then told everyone that Barbara Thomas has worked many hours to provide the addresses and the reunion books that each attendee received. Both women received standing ovations.
She also thanked Leroy Harvey, who could not attend, for his years of contribution to this event, and asked for the support to continue these events in the future. It has been suggested that the event be held every two years in-stead of every five. That is open for dis-cussion by the next board.
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Princess Trinity Visits Frozen Characters at Trabona’s Grocery in Clinton
Trinity Robinson, center, of Ethel, wears her own princess gown and tiara to meet her favorite "Frozen" characters, from left, Anna, Olaf and Elsa. Photograph by Kristoff.
By UrSUla Shaw
A month ago I poked fun at the movie "Frozen." I lamented on how an animated movie creates a hypnot-ic, repetitive "Frozen" state of mind (pun intended). I was ready, how-ever, to “Let it Go,” as Idina Minzel sings in the movie every little girl loves…yes, Disney’s Frozen.
Fast forward to now: At least once a day my niece, Trinity Robin-son, of Ethel, makes me either watch the movie or listen to the song…therefore, when she saw Trabona’s newspaper advertisement offering a photograph session with the “Fro-zen” characters, how I could deny her the opportunity of meeting Elsa, Anna, Olaf and Kristoff ? After all, kids from across the Parish came to the grocery store in Clinton to take pictures with their favorite charac-ters.
Trabona’s Office Supervisor, Ms. Gwen, said the event was a huge success. Robyn Krzykwa, owner of Once Upon A Time...Characters by Robyn, was pleased at the over-whelming turnout. She said that each event she presents is special and that seeing the kids’ smiles is the catalyst that motivated her to start her busi-ness, which offers characters at an affordable price for parties and con-ventions. (For more information, please visit her website at www.on-ceuponatimecharacters.com.)
And remember to thank the peo-ple at Trabona’s for all those smiles!
Tuesday, April 21, 2015 3
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CONTINUED on page 6
DIRE STRAITS continued from page 1candidacy.
Board Member Paul Kent agreed, noting that with the district’s financial situation “in dire straits,” he saw no need to “move too fast” on the choice of the su-perintendent. “We have time to take our time,” he said.
Though Board Member Richard Ter-rell counseled that the Board could “start over” should it fail to agree on a final candidate, and though President Brad-ford agreed, Spears again pleaded for an executive session. When Board Member Rhonda Matthews cautioned that such a move required “a valid reason” and Dis-trict Attorney Sam D’Aquilla said that the Board could go into executive session for “a personnel matter,” Member Melvin Hollins made the case for the Board’s going ahead with the interview process it had set in motion. Calling attention to the fast-approaching end of the school year, Hollins suggested that the Board act in time for the final candidate to “visit some of the many bright spots in the Parish” school system.
“It is important,” Hollins continued, “to have someone in place before the end of the school year to greet the students”
and to work toward reassuring and retain-ing the teachers and other staff.
To Kent’s question of whether the Board would “cut to two or one,” Brad-ford answered that the Board could “use its discretion.” Should one of the three fi-nalists stand out, he said, the Board could make its final determination at the April 21 interview session.
Board members noted that May 21 will end the school year for students, and that the last day for teachers is May 22.
Hunting club lease of Plank Road property
Receiving permission to speak from the audience, Jeff Farrar of the Crossbow Hunting Club reminded the Board that the group he represents has been leasing the Board’s Plank Road property for over 15 years.
“I put in a legitimate bid,” Farrar said, but he hasn’t “received a reason” why the Board appeared to be ready to re-advertise the lease. This year, Farrar said, another bidder put in what he termed a “bogus bid” that lacked proof of insurance and perhaps other required documents, while his application was “correct.”
And this year, Farrar said, like last, he put in two bids. Last year he withdrew the higher of the two. This year he “didn’t get a chance” to pull his higher bid. Mean-
time, he wondered whether “for some reason” the Bid Committee “thought maybe it would give the other guy a chance to re-apply.”
Kent countered strongly that nothing was amiss in the Bid Committee’s work.
At any rate, Farrar said, “I’m asking why my bid, which was the highest, was rejected.”
After D’Aquilla discussed an email he had received regarding Farrar’s with-drawing a bid—Farrar answered, “I didn’t withdraw”—and regarding Far-rar’s expired insurance—Farrar waved a copy of what he said was “valid in-surance”—and after Farrar asked to see the Bid Committee’s minutes, Board Member Broderick Brooks asked, “Why are we re-advertising?” Brooks said, “I wouldn’t re-advertise if Mr. Farrar bid correctly.”
Farrar asked whether the bid by Den-nis Aucoin, the other bidder, was “legiti-mate.”
Board Vice President Mitch Harrell asked, “Did the other person turn in a valid bid that met all our requirements?”
D.A. D’Aquilla asked Farrar wheth-er he had withdrawn the higher of his two bids. When Farrar answered “No,” D’Aquilla said, “Accept the (higher) bid.”
Farrar noted that as he had in the past, he had planned to withdraw the higher of his two bids “only if bidding against myself.” The question was, Was he, this year, in effect bidding against himself?
Still, though he said the acceptance of his higher bid, when he did not know whether the third bid by the other party was legitimate, meant “an extra thousand a year,” $5,000 over the five years of
the lease, he said, “I’ll take it.” Then, as he left, he said with a wry smile to those seated around him in the audience, “I’ve been railroaded.”
Aucoin, contacted after the meeting, said of Farrar, “We’re friends from way back.” He explained that he had been present to bid on timber when he “hap-pened to see” the notice for the hunting lease. Before the other bidder arrived, he said, he put down one bid for both the Pace property and the Plank Road prop-erty that is directly across the street from his home, not knowing whether that was the correct procedure. He had considered leasing the Plank Road property for tur-key and deer hunting, he said, for family and friends.
Finance Committee report After Tommy LeJeune’s comments
on the coming “problematic year” with regard to finances, Board Member Rich-ard Terrell remarked, “We seriously need a retreat,” a recommendation the Board will follow in its efforts to develop a stra-tegic financial plan.
LeJeune, of Faulk and Winkler, noted that the Board had been “looking at a def-icit of $800,000,” had taken some action that apparently had reduced that antici-pated deficit to “half a million.”
Still, LeJeune said, “We can’t go out and operate and incur that kind of deficit.”
LeJeune noted, as he has in the past, that 80 to 85 percent of the general fund is dedicated to personnel expenses.
The financial advisor pointed to an “expected decline of 9 percent or $300,000 in sales tax revenue and pos-sible State legislative action that could
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result in further revenue loss.“Where can we generate econo-
mies?” he asked the Board, apparently pointing to staff and to the consolidation of schools that the Board has discussed in previous meetings.
“We’re not where we need to be,” LeJeune continued. “We need answers by May so that we can introduce the changes at the June meting.”
Board Vice President Harrell took up Terrell’s earlier suggestion of a strategic planning session on buildings and other financial issues facing the board.
The Board secretary will poll the members to set a date for a half-day meeting, possibly on a Saturday.
Building Committee report: for-estry matters
Forester Brent Fazende of Timber-land Forestry south of Clinton manages timberland for the East Feliciana Parish School Board.
As far back as the 1800s, government officials across the nation set areas of 36 square miles, six miles by six miles, with each square mile a section, and desig-nated proceeds from the sixteenth sec-tion to public education. A state owns that sixteenth section, but the funds that come from it go to the school board in that sec-
tion. In a case that Forester Tom Manuel
called unusual, one area township in-cludes two school districts. Manuel man-ages that township for East Baton Rouge Parish schools, but while 77 percent of the funds goes to East Baton Rouge schools, 22 percent goes to East Feliciana schools.
Forester Fazende, who oversees East Feliciana’s school board proceeds from sales of timber or timberland, agreed, he said, with Manuel’s handing of East Fe-liciana’s 23 percent in the case of the two school boards in one township.
More important, Fazende oversaw the recent sale of timber to Good Hope, Inc. (Good Hope Timber of Natchez, Missis-sippi), which submitted the highest bid, $114,954, to purchase the timber off the Plank Road Tract.
That tract is five to six miles south of Clinton along Noel Thomas Lane and Plank Road behind the Hoppers’ property and joining the Bob Jones property in the back. The timber sale involves 71 acres of the 180-acre tract. Over 30 years, Fazende says, the property has been thinned three times; this final cut “will be regenerated with better stock.” Foresters left “a good bit of hardwood timber stock,” he notes, for hunting purposes and to insure water
quality along the creeks and drainages.Building Committee report: old
Clinton Middle SchoolTravis D’Aquilla addressed the Board
concerning his plan to lease the old Clin-ton Middle School building for Acadian ADAC, or Adult Day Health Care, his operation’s “very first central location,” where he hopes to serve adults ages 21 and older in both East and West Feliciana Parishes. Acadian, a non-profit agency “governed by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals,” has been in existence for nine months, he said, with a goal of keeping people out of nursing homes or, in the case of those already in nursing homes, of rehabilitating them “to get them back home."
Though Acadian, D’Aquilla says, serves those who have disabilities, most of its clients are seniors or veterans who need rehabilitation. Acadian transports clients to the site in the morning and re-
turns them home in the evening. During the day, Acadian provides “three good meals” and services such as occupational therapy and speech therapy, as well as ac-tivities that include field trips.
Acadian needs to be in its building by August, D’Aquilla told the board.
The Board considered the “customary $4 per square foot” rental price. Board Member Terrell, however, reminded the others that the Board had spent $3 mil-lion renovating the middle school build-ing, “the best renovated in the Parish.” He cautioned against making a “hasty” decision.
James Bell then reminded President Bradford that the school needs “$21,000 worth of sewer repair” and that that cost would fall to the renter of the property.
The Board voted unanimously to send the matter back to the Building Commit-tee for determination of an appropriate rental price.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015 7
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