The Natchitoches Parish School Board approved two agenda items at its special called meeting July 2.
Send Cloutierville students (grades PreK – 6) to Provencal Elementary and students (grades 7-8) to Natchitoches Jr. High.
Relocate the Cloutierville Health Based Center to Provencal Elementary/Jr. High.
Superintendent Dale Skinner said when they’d originally thought about sending all Cloutierville students to schools in Natchitoches, he had no idea Provencal had room for them. He said they’ve since toured the school and there are eight new classrooms that were built after the passing of a bond issue.
This move would eliminate the need for younger children to be bussed long routes to the City schools. The Jr. High also has room for the students in grades 7-8.
“We’ll bring at least three teachers to Provencal instead of sending them to schools in Natchitoches,” said Skinner.
Board member Emile Metoyer said he feels like there’s changes here and there every month and he feels like no one knows what’s going on in the system.
Skinner disagreed and said that he’s had people calling him that are happy with this change. He also said that while they had to increase the teacher-student ration in the classrooms at Provencal for financial reasons, they’re well within the limit of what the state allows and nowhere near the max.
Metoyer also voiced concerns about the route busses would take on Hwy. 120 E, which according to him, is closed due to flooding about 2-3 months out of the year.
Board member Russ Danzy said the busses do have to detour sometimes to get children to school, but also said work is being done on that road.
This motion died for lack of a second, but Danzy made a motion to reconsider it, which was seconded by Eugene Garner. Rhonda Guidroz and Mike Hilton were absent. The vote was six for and three against (Katrina Willis, Harry Graham and Emile Metoyer).
Before the meeting was adjourned, Metoyer questioned what will happen to the students from the Natchez area that the board recently voted to transfer from Provencal to Cloutierville. Ralph Wilson said they will put this on the agenda for their July meeting to vote on returning these students to their domiciled schools.
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geese in a fog have more direction than this bunch of clueless minions–
this is not fare to the teachers in provencal either,now they have more students and more work.
Skinner DID NOT KNOW Provencal had 8 more classrooms???? Really? Wow! Talk about being out of touch. But then the NPSB and the whole parish system has suffered for decades with horrible leadership. Nepotism and favoritism has run rampant for decades. Unqualified teachers being hired over awesome teachers because of “who you know.” You will say, that happens everywhere. Yep, it does. Doesn’t make it any less disturbing though. The kids suffer first, and the community continues to wallow because of it too. 300 years in the making!
Vote out ALL incumbents. Start over.
Have to agree with your assessment–bunch of geese in a fog–
Dale Skinner publicly admits that he has NO IDEA what is going on in the very schools he is tasked with supervising, and that’s okay with the school board members who renew his contract or the public who keeps re-electing board members!? The article states, “when they’d originally thought about sending all Cloutierville students to schools in Natchitoches, he had no idea Provencal had room for them. He said they’ve since toured the school and there are eight new classrooms that were built after the passing of a bond issue.”
How does the top executive in a school district NOT KNOW what is going on in his schools? How was he allowed to strongarm a school closure under the guise of financial savings without knowing precisely and exactly what those savings (if any) would be? And to now admit that he doesn’t even know about school improvements, including EIGHT NEW CLASSROOMS, that would affect the students in C’ville?
What an absolute nightmare for students and an embarrassment for this community. How can we even pretend that NPSB does anything in its mission? Emile Metoyer is right: no one knows what’s going on in the system, which means there should be NO VOTES and a complete reorganization of NPSB toward effective, transparent leadership and decision-making. What would it take for that to happen NOW? Is there no process in place for a vote of no confidence in this leadership?
Exactly.
Don’t look like that guy reading the newspaper is interested in what is going on
Reading the newspaper and laughing and joking around – Shows us how serious some board members is taking all of this
Busing the students to Provencal is not closer. It 32 miles from my home to Provencal School. If Hwy 120 is flooded then we will have to take a longer route. They will not be saving money. This will cause and increase in fuel cost and pay for bus drivers. Then they gonna spend all this money on Goldonna school when Cloutierville school was in way better shape. Skinner has no idea what he is doing. Those who vote to extend he contract another 2 years needs to be voted out. We need a new superintendent.
All I can say is that I AGREE 100% with the three comments above…..Also I recall reading articles when the closing first came about about all the COST savings. There was mentioned the buildings from the late 1917’s that were in bad condition. Those buildings have been GONE for years. The savings from teachers and busing costs will not happen because they all have to be reassigned and fuel costs will not change.
I did some substitute teaching at C’ville a few years ago and there is now a state of the art cafeteria there and improvements have been made to the brick structure that makes it very sound. As far as those “fandom” 1917 buildings, they have been torn down years ago. I just wish someone had the Intelligence to stepper FACTS…
I also know some families who are planning to either homeschool or send their children to Northwood in Rapides Parish. They want their Children to receive an Education. They will not get one under the Current Leadership (and I use that word loosely.
What is going to happen when people begin to leave and the tax base begins to fall? Where a person with children decide to live has always been a priority when choosing a home so they can get the best education available. I certainly would not choose Natchitoches Parish for a School System has I any young children and was looking for a home with a good school system, especially with those running the asylum now.
We all know that a good education is key to helping build a solid foundation in becoming a good citizen. It’s troubling that your superintendent does not seem to understand all the factors that contribute to that good education. Perhaps he needs to pick up a few classes on current research in education. Or, perhaps you all need new leadership.
What do we think will happen with our schools leaving a racist redneck in charge of things?!?
this man and this board are all idiots !!
Not all are idiots just the ones siding with him.