EPSB hears homecoming court complaints

By: MICHAEL BORDELON
Managing Editor

The Evangeline Parish School Board heard complaints during its meeting Wednesday night, October 2, regarding the election of Ville Platte High School’s homecoming court.
One of the complaints came from one of the board’s own members, Wanda Skinner, who said the way the students were elected was not fair. Although the school sets its own policy on homecoming court elections, Superintendent Toni Hamlin said there were also complaints in the past, so to make it as fair as possible to all involved, the school decided to bring in voting machines, courtesy of Registrar of Voters Lucas Buller and his office, and have the students vote. The decision was between 18 candidates, but there was only room for 10 members on the homecoming court. Skinner went so far as to say that changing how the election was done, and including high school students rather than simply having the football team vote, was a failure.
Another complaint stated that some children did not vote or did not remember to vote, which left them without a voice in the selection of homecoming court.
Hamlin informed the complainants that the students were made aware of the voting during the entire week, with daily messages from the principal.
Board member Scott Limoges stated that no matter how the voting is done, some students will make it while others will not. “It’s not perfect and it never will be, but that’s just how the election process works,” Limoges said.
Skinner stated that the entire field of 18 qualified girls should have been included in the court, instead of limiting the number to 10. This way, she said, they all could have participated. She also cited that school like Mamou have 13 members on the homecoming court, so it would not be unreasonable to have 18 at Ville Platte, since it is a larger school.
The board took no action in the matter.