School Employees Receive Raises
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
The July paychecks for over 1,800 school employees is expected to contain a $1,000 annual pay raise that was passed on Thursday night by St. Landry Parish School Board members.
Board members voted 6-2-with Milton Ambres abstaining, to create the raises, after a series of final discussions.
Funding for the raise which is scheduled to cost about $2.5 million annually, will originate from the Employee Compensation And Benefits (ECBF) parishwide sales tax which will also be used later this year to provide a separate $1,500 employee bonus.
In other board matters, Superintendent Milton Batiste III was given increased authority to decide which schools should receive more administrative help, while a new job description was approved for administrative assistants.
Also the Board created new guidelines for handling aspects of student disciplinary action and increased pay for sales tax department personnel.
Pay Raises
The pay raise decision ended more than a month of committee and board deliberation.
Board member Randy Wagley, who along with Peggy Nolan, voted “no” to the pay raise, suggested that the Board delay any decision until more funding could be found for support workers.
“I think we need to look at this a little closer and do a little better for the (employees) at the bottom,” Wagley said prior to the vote.
Willie Singleton Guillory, who represents the parish chapter of the National Federation of Teachers, also requested delaying the raise in order to find more revenue for support employees.
However board member Joyce Haynes said it is time to provide all school workers with the raise from a sales tax-supported fund in order to improve employee morale.
“I’m ready to give (employees) the money that is really their money. There are going to be a lot of changes coming for this District in the near future. Why not give them the money that they have been hearing about?” Haynes said.
Haynes, Anthony Standberry, Raymond Cassimere, Kyle Boss, Mary Ellen Donatto and Timmakah Hardy voted “yes.”
Rober Gautreaux, Renee Aymond and Hazel Sias did not attend the meeting.
Administrative Assistants
The Board unanimously walked back some of the requirements for becoming an administrative assistant.
An initial requirement for administrative assistants to have a Master’s Degree was one of the 13 original responsibilities cut during final action of the Board.
Administrative Personnel
The Board without opposition also affirmed the authority of the school superintendent to provide at least two assistant principals for all District high schools. Junior high schools with seventh and eighth grades, will be assigned at least one assistant.
However the superintendent was also give the latitude to appoint administrative personnel as needed.
