Photograph: Three of the newly elected St. Landry Parish School Board Members: (L-R) Tiffany Nolan, Tammakah Hardy and Robert Gautreaux (Photograph by Bobby Ardoiin)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Voters approved realigning the St. Landry Parish School Board by nearly one third on Tuesday, as four seated members were defeated.
The District 6 position however is still undecided as Renee Kaiser Aymond and Judy Williams compete in a December runoff.
Complete but official results provided by the Louisiana Office of Secretary of State indicate that Robert Gautreaux, Tiffany Nolan and Timmakah Shanay Hardy won outright in other Tuesday elections launched against incumbent board members Josh Boudreaux, Myron Guillory and current board president Albert Hayes, Jr.
Six board members – Anthony Standberry, Joyce Haynes, Raymond Cassimere, Bianca Vedell, Hazel Sias and Mary Ellen Donatto – were unopposed on Tuesday, while Milton Ambres, Kyle Boss and Randy Wagley were reelected.
The current composition of the 13-member board still includes those who will currently serve until January. Each of them is scheduled next month to individually perform an annual evaluation for Superintendent Patrick Jenkins.
Incumbent District 6 board member Donnie Perron, who has served as parish athletic director and interim superintendent, finished third in the three candidate race conducted Tuesday.
Aymond received 48 percent (1,086) of the votes. Williams obtained 647 (29.08 percent), while Perron had 492 (22.11 percent).
Gautreaux defeated Boudreaux substantially in a District 7 race after receiving 1,733 votes compared to 560 for Boudreaux, who was first elected in 2018.
Guillory also became a one-term board member after losing to Nolan in District 11. Nolan received 1,761 votes (70.78 percent). Guillory had 609 votes.
The race between Hardy and Hayes was the tightest of seven school board races on Tuesday.
Hardy won by 25 votes (786-761) over Hayes, who became board president in 2022.
Ambres, Wagley and Boss all won handily.
Wagley defeated Phyllis Fisher after 70.87 percent of the voters cast ballots for Wagley.
Ambres received a second consecutive term after beating Matthew Tate in the District 2 election. Ambres collected 63.82 percent of the vote.
Boss won for a second straight time over Darrell Guilbeau, Jr., who opposed Boss in 2018. Boss received 62 percent of the District 8 votes.
