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Assistant Superintendent Paul Hebert (left) and Superintendent Jerome Puyau present Gueydan’s Brandy Broussard with her award for Vermilion Parish Middle School Principal of the Year.

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On hand to announce North Vermilion High’s Tommy Byler as the Principal of the Year were School Board Members Chris Gautreaux and Laura LeBeouf, Jerome Puyau, Superintendent and Paul Hebert, Asst. Superintendent.

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Dozier Elementary students join Principal Karla Toups after she received her award for Vermilion Parish Elementary Principal of the Year.

Broussard, Byler, Toups honored as Vermilion Parish Principals of Year

That Vermilion Parish is an ‘A’ school district, selecting names for Principal of the Year allowed plenty of options, even if it created tough choices.
In the end, the selection committee landed on three worthy names.
Dozier Elementary’s Karla Toups, Gueydan’s Brandy Broussard and North Vermilion High’s Tommy Byler have been named Elementary, Middle and High School Principal of the Year, respectively.
“The three administrators chosen to be Principal of the Year have supported their teachers and staff to achieve high levels of success with our students,” Vermilion Parish Superintendent Jerome Puyau said. “The long hours, hard work and dedication to our students is evident in their schools.
“We applaud their commitment and are thankful for their leadership!”
Toups said the award means a great deal, given the other options.
“I am very honored to have been chosen as
Vermilion Parish’s Elementary Principal of the Year,” Toups said. “There are so many great principals in our parish.”
She thanked everyone around her for helping to give an opportunity for her to win this year.
“This honor represents a united effort from the top levels of the district to my staff and students,” Toups said. “We are fortunate to have a school culture where our parents and community are involved.”
Toups is happy to be involved exactly where she is.
“Every day I come to work to make a difference in my students’ lives,” Toups said. “I want them to have the best opportunities.
“I am so proud to be at Dozier Elementary and work in Vermilion Parish.”
For Broussard, the feeling is mutual to that of her colleague in Erath.
“It’s a wonderful feeling,” Broussard said. “I think it is truly a humbling experience to receive distinction from so many principals. We have some wonderful principals in the parish. It really is an honor to, in a way, represent them and what we stand for in Vermilion Parish.”
Broussard’s school has been abuzz. She said she is happy because this award is really for the school.
“Our faculty, staff and students are very excited,” Broussard said. “We are working to hold ourselves up to a high standard.”
Broussard is in a unique position because she is the principal of both middle and high school students.
“It is a little bit more challenging because we go from sixth to 12th and have a wide range of students,” Broussard said. “It is rewarding, as well, to see those kids grow up over the years.”
Byler found himself in a similar situation when he took over at North Vermilion a few years ago. North Vermilion Middle School has since opened, allowing Byler to shift focus to a traditional high school setup. However, his focus never shifted from what is important, what is best for the students and school. Byler said that is who and what his award represents.
“I am proud for the school,” Byler said. “This is an individual award that can’t be accomplished without the support and buy-in from everyone involved.”
Like the Toups and Broussard, Byler said this could have gone to any other principal.
“Our high schools are all succeeding,” Byler said. “I think we have a great team of high school administrators.
“To be recognized is a big honor.”
Never one to sit back and become too comfortable, Byler said new challenges are ready to be faced.
“There are always challenges and we are always looking to improve,” Byler said. “That is what we do.”

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