BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Milton Batiste III has evidently succeeded in his one chance to make a first impression with St. Landry Parish school board members.
Batiste scored an overall grade of outstanding Thursday night during his initial evaluation by board members following a 50-minute closed session.
Numerically Batiste received an averaged 3.6 score from the 4.0 grading system instrument that board members approved in May.
Five board members – Anthony Standberry, Joyce Haynes, Milton Ambres, Robert Gautreaux and Kyle Boss assigned perfect 4.0 scores for Batiste, who was chosen superintendent in May, 2023.
Board members Randy Wagley, Tiffany Nolan and Mary Ellen Donatto rated the first year of performance by Batiste with a 3.9 score.
However not all board members provided Batiste with a resounding mandate.
Board members Raymond Cassimere (2.3), Bianca Vedell (2.9) Hazel Sias (2.9) and Timmakah Hardy (2.6) each felt that Batiste can evidently do better, according to their final scores.
Batiste said following the vote that much of the closed session discussion among him and board members included dialogue looking back on his first year as superintendent in addition to a glimpse of impending issues that face the school district during 2024-25.
“It was important to have that type of discussion. (The superintendent) has 13 bosses and during the discussions I was able to learn their concerns and obtain the feedback from each one of them that I am going to need,” Batiste said.
His first school year Batiste said, was challenging and there are significant decisions to be made financially during the upcoming school session.
The District is currently looking for a Chief Financial Officer after finance director Shaun Grantham leaves in July for a position with the Acadia Parish Police Jury.
Financially Grantham has indicated that the District is currently on target to record a surplus as the budgetary year for 2023-24 ends June 30.
Batiste said a key financial issue in 2024-25 facing the District is navigating through the end of federal funding financed by a four-year ESSER program attached to a COVID-19 relief initiative.
Board members will have to work with a budget that consists of revenue streams originating from local, state, and some federal funding.
Grantham stated before a Finance Committee recently that an increase in local sales taxes recently has been essential in providing the District with extra revenue.
The District has used ESSER revenues to provide a series of employee stipends, school building repairs and capital outlay projects that have included the construction of new classrooms and renovations at nearly every school.
Projects associated with ESSER money are scheduled for completion by the end of September.
