Vermilion Parish School Board approves superintendent's recommendation to do away with nine positions without laying off anyone

Where to find $1.3 million to cut in this year’s general fund budget without having to layoff any employees?
Vermilion Parish Superintendent Jerome Puyau told the school board members and the audience, full of teachers and parents, that no one will be laid off because of the projected shortfall.
The state education department is giving less MFP funding per student to Vermilion Parish this year because of extra money the local district received in oil and gas revenues two years ago. The parish received $3.8 million from oil and gas revenues on 16 Section land. The state gave the district $1.3 million less MFP funding this year.
Puyau said he and assistant superintendent Paul Hebert were able to shift teaching positions and uncertified personnel around, along with shifting funding to pay certain salaries, as a way to avoid layoffs.
Certain schools will lose a teacher while other schools will gain a half teacher or a para professional.
By moving and shifting employees, the school district will eliminate 9 salaries from the books for a total savings of $585,000. When the total cuts were made, it took $760,000 off the books.
Puyau handed a spread sheet to the school board members explaining what positions are being cut and who is moving where. It was on-line for board members to look at. Some saw it for the first time at Thursday’s meeting.
Not all board members wanted to vote on Puyau’s recommendations, because it was new to them.
“This is a major project,” said school board member Laura LeBeouf. “This should not be decided at one board meeting. This needs to go before a committee so we can study and look at it. In the past these copies were given to board members in advance to look at, not just in the spur of the moment.”
LeBeouf made a recommendation that Puyau’s spreadsheet be looked at in a committee meeting before voting on it.
“There are too many questions to ask,” LeBeouf said. “It is a long term project.”
School Board Member Luddy Herpin said, “I just saw this tonight. I need to look at it and study the list.”
The school board voted 5-3 against tabling the superintendent’s recommendation of cuts. Voting not to table it for study were: Anthony Fontana, Ricky Broussard, Chris Gautreaux, Stacy Landry and Charles Campbell.
Voting to table it were LeBeouf, Sara Duplechain and Herpin.
Before the school board voted to accept Puyau’s recommendation, members of the audience were able to voice their opinion.
Jennifer Meaux from the audience said she heard about the numbers, along with teachers and other employees being moved from schools as a way to save money.
“I never heard about cutting positions from the central office,” Meaux said. “Since Mr. Puyau has taken office, central office has increased a lot.”
Shanna Broussard added, “We talk about doing what is best for the kids. But the first thing I hear being cut are the teachers who deal directly with the students. I think cuts need to come from the top, also. “
Elizabeth Langlinais, from the audience, wanted to know why three board members did not have information about Puyau’s cuts before the meeting? “Is this ethical?,” she asked.
LeBeouf added, “If we had to vote on this, I would have to abide by the ethics that we were put on as board members. I would say we would have to cut from the top on down.”
Fontana explained, the school board is not cutting teachers or personnel. The school board is moving people around.
“This is the same procedure we have done in the 21 years I have been on the school board,” Fontana said. “It is a number’s game. It is the Superintendent’s job to recommend the numbers.”
The school board voted to approve Puyau’s recommendation 5-3 with LeBeouf, Herpin and Duplechain voting against it. Broussard, Fontana, Landry, Campbell and Gautreaux voted for the changes.