Report cards to be mailed

Henri C. Bienvenu

St. Martin Parish’s approximately 7,500 public school students won’t have to suit up in their school uniforms just to ride to school to pick up their year-end report cards on Friday, May 23.

The school board last week agreed to let the children stay home and receive their grades through the mail instead. The school system will absorb the estimated $3,250 cost of postage to mail the cards to the students’ homes.

In recent years children have been bused to school on the last day of the session to spend less than an hour picking up their final report cards.

Many area school systems have been mailing report cards and in recommending the switch, Supt. Richard Lavergne said he has surveyed principals and staff members about the practice and 15 of the 16 parish principals said they would prefer to mail report cards rather than have students being transported to school for such a short time.

Instead, the shortened school day would be used by principals to check out teachers after they had closed down their classrooms. Bus drivers will use the day to check in their buses and complete end-of-year reports.

CFO Emile Soulier estimated that even with the cost of postage, the system would end up saving about $700 by not operating bus routes on that last day.

In other business last week, the board:

•Began the process to receive bids for new roofs at Cecilia Jr. High, the Special Services building in Breaux Bridge, and the JCEP main building in St. Martinville; and playground equipment for St. Martinville Primary.

•Upon the advice of legal counsel, rejected a proposed contract with Henry A. Boudreaux, Architect, and Larry J. Devillier for architectural services for 2008. Although the firm has been working for the board for more than four years, the vote to reject the new contract carried 5-4, with Aaron Flegeance, Steve Fuselier, Mark Hebert, Rodney Ledoux and Frederic Stelly in favor and Floyd Knott, Barbara “T-Bob” Latiolais, Richard Potier and Wanda Babin opposed.

•Directed board attorney Greg Hardy to begin the legal procedures necessary for the board to eventually offer board-owned property in Arnaudville for sale at public auction.