Photograph: Board attorneys Courtney Joiner and Robert Hammonds (at the microphone) explain the interview process. (Photograph by Bobby Ardoin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
The St. Landry Parish School Board is scheduled on Thursday to begin conducting two consecutive nights of interviews for hiring a new superintendent.
Board members voted during a special meeting last week to initially interview five applicants for the superintendent’s position that was vacated April 6 when the Board voted to place former Superintendent Patrick Jenkins on administrative leave during the final 90 days of his current contract.
The Board originally planned to interview three candidates on Thursday beginning at 4 p.m. and the remaining two applicants on Friday beginning at the same time.
However candidate Dr. Paul Nelson has requested that his interview be moved from the Thursday night round of interviews and placed on the Friday interview schedule instead, according to the current School Board agenda.
Board members will have the opportunity to consider the request by Nelson, the current superintendent of Tensas Parish, at the meeting on Thursday.
Other potential superintendent candidates set to be interviewed by board members in addition to Nelson, are Milton Batiste III, Curt Green, Michael Robinson, Jr. and Shirley Thibodeaux.
Green and Thibodeaux are scheduled to be interviewed on Thursday.
Board attorney Robert Hammonds told the board that unless there is a necessity that all of the superintendent interviews should be conducted in open session.
“The choosing of a superintendent is very popular and there is a need for everyone to have a chance to hear what the candidates say during their interviews,” Hammonds said.
Hammonds estimated that each interview would last an hour. The interviewees will have a chance to provide opening and closing statements before they are presented with questions from board members.
The involvement of the Board in steering the interview process is important, Hammonds pointed out.
Hammonds instructed board members to provide what he described as at least one “burning question” that they would like to have answered by each of the applicants.
That one significant question proffered by board members should represent an issue that each of them thinks is the most important matter facing the District, said Hammonds.
“The interviews should be considered to be a fact finding mission that will give you more information about the person you want to be the superintendent.” Hammonds added.
Hammonds suggested that board members take several days to consider the information that they gathered during the interviews before choosing any finalists for the position.
Also board members can request that applicants return to be interviewed a second time or decide to begin the application process again, Hammonds said.
What We Know About the Candidates
(Information Provided On Applications Provided By Each Candidate)
Milton Batiste III – Batiste is currently employed by the East Baton Rouge Parish School District as executive director of leadership. Batiste is also serving a second term as a member of the Opelousas Board of Aldermen and worked previously in the St. Landry School District as superintendent of transportation and school administration.
Curt Green – Green is currently the director of human resources for St. John the Baptist Parish. Green has also worked in the Mississippi Department of Education and was a principal for school systems in Louisiana, Alaska and Georgia.
Paul Nelson – Nelson was also superintendent of Concordia Parish schools from 2012-16. He was been the Tensas District superintendent since 2016.
Michael Robinson, Jr. – Robinson has been employed since 2021 as the CAO of the East Baton Rouge District. Prior to that Robinson was the superintendent of the Pine Bluff, Ark. School District from 2016-18. Robinson has also been a principal in the Maryland and Georgia school districts.
Shirley Thibodeaux – Thibodeaux has been either a principal or assistant principal in the St. Martin Parish school districts.
