St. Landry School Board OKs request for $10M bond issue

After approving $3.8 million in construction at Leonville Elementary, the St. Landry Parish School Board voted for a $10 million bond issue.
The bond would be used to pay for the Leonville project to build a new cafeteria and 18 classrooms, and other, as yet undecided, projects.
The request to the Louisiana Bond Commission follows months of discussions among board members and the Superintendent Edward Brown about the school system’s aging schools.
Tressa Miller, financial director, said the district could obtain up to $15 million on bond money, but “I feel safer going with $10 million.”
The bond issue would be for 20 years, she said.
Eric LaFleur, bond attorney, said the Louisiana Community Development Authority would be the conduit for the bond sale.
The board should decide by Oct. 15 how it will use the bond money, which should be available in November, LaFleur said.
Robert Mahtook, another bond attorney, said the district has a favorable bond rating and should expect to pay about 4 percent interest.
Brown said he wants to schedule “small pocket” meetings with board members to discuss plans to use the money. The meetings are with board members present, but not in a number to require a public meeting.
The board also approved a plan to employ a facilitator to guide it during a retreat to discuss buildings, lands and sites.
In other business Thursday at the School Board meeting in Opelousas, the board rejected an agenda item that included changing the Title I director position to a supervisor.
Board member Milton Ambres said the change should have gone through the personnel committee.
“This is another case of people putting something in front of our face the day of and wanting us to vote on it,” he said.
Brown said, “There is an existing job description that has not changed. The title and pay is the only difference.”
The district would save about $2,500 in changing the Title I head job from director to supervisor, Brown said.
Board members Randy Wagley and Donnie Perron spoke in favor of the change.
Wagley said other director positions have been downgraded to supervisor.
“It might be just $2,500 ... but little savings add up to big savings.”
And Perron noted that board members complain about not having enough money.
“Just to change the name of a position we can save money. Why would we object to doing that?” he asked.
The board voted to send the Title I issue back to the its personnel committee.
In another matter, Brown noted the first day of school for students is Aug. 13.
Port Barre High School and North Elementary in Opelousas are reopening without principals due to leaves, he said. There is a also a critical shortage of teachers, he said.