Pair of parish high schools earn NCCER accreditation

The Evangeline Parish School Board and the district’s Superintended Darwan Lazard continued their effort to showcase the “wonderful things happening in our schools and parish” at the board’s Wednesday meeting.
First in line to share good news with the board was Career & Technical Education and Transportation Supervisor Ted Soileau, who informed the board that Pine Prairie High School and Mamou High recently earned NCCER accreditation. Being accredited for NCCER training allows schools to offer classes like welding, electricity and carpentry when their campus is equipped to do so.
Soileau also shared that every high school in the parish is now accredited for NCCER training.
Following Soileau, Ville Platte Elementary Principal Sally Moreau highlighted the positive things taking place at VPE with a presentation she prepared.
When talking about her school, Moreau shared that their school performance score for the 2015-16 school year was 74.4, which is 15 percent higher than the 2014-15 school year.
She then informed the board of the impact she feels Core Knowledge Curriculum and teachers at VPE have had on their students.
Moreau said, “Team work is one reason why we are successful. We also have Core Knowledge for the very first time at VPE and our kids are actually reading. The words are flowing from their tongues.
“Our teachers don’t try to put anything in those lessons that are not printed from the guidebook and the state requirements. We do everything they tell us to do and we have seen great great results.”
Ville Platte High School and Ville Platte Elementary Cafeteria Manager Terryl Jackson then addressed the board to inform the board that the Summer Feeding Program will now be a part of the district’s Child Nutrition Program.
With Child Nutrition funding the program, Jackson said, “We won’t have to come to the board to ask to dig into the general fund to purchase equipment anymore.”
The Summer Feeding Program provides lunch to children 18 years and younger while school is out for summer break. Children are allowed to attend even if they are not from Evangeline Parish.
Items approved at the meeting were:
• A quote in the amount of $18,943.15 from Follett Library Resources for 1,788 school library books.
• Adoption of a resolution requesting Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) be delayed.