School board, superintendent clash over creating new administrative positions
Members of a St. Landry Parish School Board committee decided to discuss at a later date a central office re-organization plan that proposes the creation of six top-level administrative positions.
During discussions Tuesday, several personnel committee members criticized the timing of the job additions submitted for approval by Superintendent Patrick Jenkins, since the school district is asking voters on March 26 to approve a parish-wide referendum that would increase property taxes by 23.8 mills.
Committee members were presented for consideration with job descriptions for a hearing officer, nursing supervisor, truancy officer, supervisor of athletics and physical education, assistant superintendent and executive director.
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Board member Kyle Boss questioned why Jenkins would move forward with a plan that Boss estimated would cost the district an additional $500,000 in salaries and benefits annually shortly before asking voters to consider a large escalation in taxes.
“We are being asked to approve this 32 days before we are facing the public with a hot topic and asking them to vote for it,” Boss told committee members. “This is foolish and it should be tabled. All of these positions should be tabled right now.”
Boss added that elections for all 13 board members are scheduled in November and said it would be a decision resembling political suicide to craft job descriptions for new central office positions during an election year.
“You go on Facebook and social media or read the texts and see the public in the first place doesn’t trust (board members). Right now we are trying to pass a bond issue and we are being asked to start opening up new positions? Talk about a stupid decision,” Boss added.
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The board has the responsibility to approve job descriptions for all school personnel. State law, however, provides the superintendent with the power to hire District employees.
Board member Myron Guillory said re-examining the central office plan would be possibly more appropriate in April, following the property tax election.
Jenkins said he thinks that grant money could be used to fund a truancy officer position. Jenkins also pointed out that the district has been without an assistant superintendent for almost two years since the retirement of former assistant superintendent Joseph Cassimere.
The district also lost a hearing officer in 2021 after Jerome Robinson left that position to accept a similar job in another school system. Robinson acted additionally as parish coordinator of athletics and physical education, a job that Jenkins has filled for the last several months.
Board member Bianca Vedell said the committee should not have been surprised by the central office plan on the agenda.
Vedell pointed to discussions by board members about the central office situation during a school board retreat held earlier this month at LSU-Eunice.
Mary Ellen Donatto, another board member, said she isn’t ready to dismiss all the aspects of Jenkins’ reorganization proposal.
Donatto alluded to the problems with students’ behavior in district schools this year.
“We are having lots of problems in terms of the behavior, attendance. There are also a large number of suspensions and expulsions,” said Donatto. “It takes time, sometimes all day, for a student hearing. I will never be one to say (the central office) is overstaffed.”
This article originally appeared on Opelousas Daily World: St. Landry superintendent wants to create new jobs; board hesitates
