Vermilion Parish School Board discusses rezoning

Nothing has been decided on when it comes to rezoning in Vermilion Parish, and already, the school board members at odds amongst each other about rezoning.
School Board member Chris Gautreaux, who represents the northern part of the parish, updated someone in the audience about rezoning and Abbeville school member Kibbie Pillette was confused as to why one school board member is helping to decide what the new zoning lines will be instead of the entire school board.
At Thursday’s school board meeting, someone in the audience wanted an update about rezoning since
nothing has been said since the school board hired a stenographer to begin looking at redrawing the zoning lines in the parish. That was in November.
Four months later, nothing has been said about rezoning until someone asked Thursday night.
Gautreaux updated the individual about the northern part of the parish. Guatreaux said he met with the stenographer and looked at his early preliminary zoning lines in the northern part of the parish. Gautreaux has also spoken with principals at schools in the northern part of the parish and showed them the new preliminary zoning lines for their schools.
Zone line changes were made based on the principals’ suggestions, Gautreaux told the audience member.
“It is in the process,” said Gautreaux.
He said once the principals agree, a special meeting will be held at North Vermilion High School to let residents see the new preliminary lines and offer their suggestions next month. After that, the school board will make the final decision on where the lines will go.
Pillette did not like the idea that Gautreaux was meeting with principals and the stenographer about moving the boundary lines. He argued that it should be a school board decision and not principals or one school board member’s decision.
“I am finding out we are meeting in North Vermilion,” said Pillette. “When did you make a report to the school board? The stenographer was supposed to come back to the school board with the numbers. After that, we were going to set up committees to deal with the zoning. We should be dealing with the same thing at the same time. I am totally misinformed.”
Pillette has been questioned about zoning and he keeps telling people the school board has not heard from the stenographer. On Thursday, he learned school board members have been meeting with the stenographer and making decisions about where the lines should be drawn without the entire school board decision.
“When did the school board authorize that?” said Pillette. “I am upset, because I have been given bad information. An individual board member has no authority by himself. The board member can not change the zone lines. It has to be done by the entire school board.”
Gautreaux told Pillette that a school board member from the north Vermilion is better suited to help redraw the zone lines than a school board member from another part of the parish.