Protesters show St. Landry school board signs of support for bonuses, suspended principal
Silent protesters displaying posters expressing grievances helped to elevate the attendance that stretched beyond capacity at a three-hour St. Landry Parish School Board meeting Thursday night.
The demonstrators, who took their places long before the start of the Board's regular monthly meeting and remained until the end, raised concerns about the prolonged administrative leave for Park Vista Elementary principal Ulysses Joubert. Others continued petitioning board members for an increase in an already approved school employees' Christmas stipend.
Board members discussed the stipend issue, which proponents argued for boosting a $500 annual bonus amount to $1,000.
Many who sat in the audience held signs asking the board to reconsider and double the amount of the $500 bonus scheduled for December. After nearly an hour of debate, board members decided it would be more prudent to seek an Attorney General's opinion on whether the district can exhaust all the funds from a sales tax-dedicated account used for employees' salaries, bonuses and benefits.
Any action by the board to undo the previous decision to reallocate a larger amount would have been difficult, said Finance Committee chairman Raymond Cassimere, because a final vote on the matter had already been taken four months ago.
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Cassimere said an AG's opinion might help to settle the stipend issue.
"We want to see whether there is nothing that will legally prevent us from spending all (the revenues from the sales tax fund) or holding back on some of it. Good financial practices have told us that part of the money in that account is to sustain when there are shortfalls," said Cassimere.
Joubert, who was placed on administrative leave Sept. 9 and told to stay away from the Park Vista campus by Superintendent Patrick Jenkins, attended Thursday night's meeting, but he did not address the board.
During an interview with the Daily World, Joubert said he could not comment.
"I'm unable to do so, because this matter is not finished yet," he said.
Joubert's supporters appeared at the meeting wearing "Park Vista Strong" T-shirts and holding signs. Some of the signs read, "Save Park Vista," "Do Not Bully Mr. Joubert," and "We Stand With Joubert."
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Opelousas attorney Elbert Guillory, a spokesman for the Park Vista protesters, said the march to the board meeting was an effort "to demonstrate the treatment of (Joubert) and the concern that people, have along with the staff and students at the school."
Guillory added that Joubert's absence of 60 days has hurt Park Vista.
"It has been a best-performing school because of (Joubert), the captain of the ship, the man at the helm, and now he has been taken out for two months. Because of a stupid administrative decision, certainly a problem has been created in the operation of the school, putting pressure on everyone at every level on campus," Guillory said.
Jenkins placed Joubert on administrative leave after a pre-school student left the Park Vista campus and later returned to the school by an individual who said the boy was walking alone down the street.
Joubert has worked for the school district for nearly 50 years.
Among the administrative charges against Joubert are alleged willful neglect of duties by the school system, according to a letter that was obtained by the Daily World and addressed to director of personnel Matthew Scruggins.
In the same letter, Joubert is demanding his immediate reinstatement as Park Vista principal and that any discipline action taken against him has been unwarranted.
The board on Oct. 28 discussed the allegations against Joubert during a closed session meeting. No decision was reached at that meeting and the Park Vista item was not included on Thursday night's meeting agenda or discussed.
Board member Randy Wagley told those demonstrating in favor of Joubert that, "We have heard you. I know it's taken too long, but (a decision) is coming."
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