2008 a busy year for school system

The St. Tammany Parish School System completed many projects in 2008 that will affect the children of the parish for many years to come. New schools, redistricting of schools, better security, expanded course offerings in high school and the latest technological updates all will contribute to a prepared populace of better educated citizens in the coming years.

Superintendent Gayle Sloan has said the most important accomplishment of the year was the passage of the $167 million bond issue. Aside from committing $2 million to security cameras for all schools and $150 million for renovations and building of new facilities, it also included $15 million for technology updates.

Sloan has said the students of today will face a far different future that will require computer literacy and competency on a daily basis. For the first time, funding was approved and technology was acknowledged as a necessity to the education process in the classroom.

Renovations and maintenance of campuses help facilities keep pace with current needs and lessen future expenditures. The rebuilding of Salmen High School, the final project from Hurricane Katrina, is now under way, although completion of the school is not expected for a few years.

Plans for a combined campus, called University Square Learning Center, were unveiled. The facility will cluster advanced classes for high school students with college campus facilities on the Northshore for the University of New Orleans, Delgado, Southeastern Louisiana University and the Louisiana Technical College all on one campus. Parish President Kevin Davis said the ground-breaking concept is the first in the nation, and he expects it to be a model facility.

2008 brought many awards and milestones for schools and personnel.

The following are just a few of the outstanding accolades of the school system and its personnel:

• Sloan was named as Louisiana Superintendent of the Year;

• Teacher Debbie Tonguis was named Louisiana High School Teacher of the Year;

• U. S. News and World Report ranked Northshore High School as one of the best in the country;

• The district was ranked third in the state, the first inclusion of the district in the ranking since Katrina;

• The parish led the state in average ACT scores of 21.7;

• Kristin Hernandez of Carolyn Park Middle School was named one of “20 to Watch” Leaders in Education Technology nationally; and

• In April 20 schools received accountability awards from the state totaling $476,625 for meeting or surpassing academic growth targets.

Other important news for 2008 included the passing of Robert C. Brooks Jr., veteran educator and community leader in Slidell, at age 104. The Brooks Curriculum Center is named for him.

Redistricting of Fontainebleau High School’s attendance boundaries for the yet unnamed new high school north of Lacombe was accomplished through an arduous process that lasted for months. Monteleone Junior High School’s district will be the attendance basis for the new school, whose principal will be Brendan McCurley, former principal of Slidell Junior High School.

Another new elementary school will be built in Madisonville and named for Joseph B. Lancaster, first officially recorded school superintendent in St. Tammany Parish. Redistribution of grade levels in Madisonville will make redistricting of attendence boundaries unnecessary for now.

Bus owners/operators were faced with financial challenges due to rising costs of fuel and operating expenses. After much confusion and concern, an increase in operating expenses was given to cover costs such as tires and brakes. The fuel adjustment formulas were also explained to the drivers in detail to allay their fears they were not being properly compensated for fuel costs. A survey conducted by the school board showed that owners/operators’ pay ranked third in the state.

More than half of the state’s PTA membership comes from St. Tammany Parish. As a result, Julia Daniel, PTA president at Abita Middle School received the National PTA Parent Involvement Schools of Excellence Certification.

Another milestone in 2008 came when the Bureau of Governmental Research Keller Award was presented to deputy superintendent Trey Folse for his efforts in energy conservation. With a savings of $2 million for the system, $1 million was returned directly to benefiting students in the classroom.

Six teachers participated in the first NASA/LaSPACE Michoud Education Fellows Program led by Dr. Pam Blanchard of LSU. The teachers not only met returning Shuttle astronauts, but attended their debriefing at the Michoud facility. They were also present when the last shuttle engine was wheeled onto the floor.