EPSB hears from Superintendent Hamlin

By: CARISSA HEBERT
Managing Editor

Superintendent Toni Hamlin clarified a statement Wednesday evening, July 2, she made to the Evangeline Parish School Board at its last meeting in regards to a four-day school week.

At the last meeting, she discussed the fiscal responsibility of the district and how the staff had discussed the four-day work week as an option to the rising costs of gasoline and other products. At that meeting, she made the statement to board president Wayne Dardeau, who had discussed the efforts of another school district to find ways to cut costs and be more fiscally responsible with the funds available to them.

Hamlin said the staff was looking at several options, but it would not be going to a four-day school year next year. She said it would take a lot of preparation to do something like that and the district already has a full plate. She said she received several calls from employees. She wanted to clarify the district was not moving toward a four-day work week. She said her staff is exploring several options, but “we are not moving toward a four-day work week.”

John Warner Smith, CEO of Education’s Next Horizon, spoke to board members about his non-profit agency, whose mission is to help improve education by developing a collaboration of community, government, business and education leaders in support of pre-K to 12 school reform. He presented board members with a reference tool, a 17-page summary booklet geared toward assisting policymakers.

The board also:

•Approved a resolution for Evangeline and Acadia parishes’ millage rates for the new fiscal year.

•Approved the low bid of Interstate Brand Corporation for bread and bakery items and Borden’s for milk and other products for the 2008-2009 school year.