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SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA, WEST FELICIANA AND ST. HELENA THEADVOCATE.COM
1st Year, No. 27
THURSDAY APRIL 16, 2015
Board to interview 3 finalists
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11 candidates to lead school district narrowed
BY JAMES MINTON
Special to The Advocate
Advocate staff photos by STEPHANIE WARREN
St. Helena Arts and Technology Academy third-grade student Chivaston Cornish planted a pepper plant in the school’s spring garden April 8 at the academy in Greensburg.
GROWING STUDENTS
Volunteers help St. Helena Arts and Technology Academy develop garden
CLINTON — The East Feliciana Parish School Board voted 7-5 Tuesday to interview three finalists for the position of schools superintendent after discussing opening the selection process to additional candidates. The board’s interviews on April 21 will be closed to the public, board President Michael Bradford said. A committee of out-ofparish educators and parish residents interviewed 11 applicants for the post on March 30, recommending that the
board accept Patrick D. Jenkins, George Norflin Jr. and Carlos J. Sam as finalists. The board is seeking a successor to Henderson Lewis Jr., who left last month to become superintendent of Orleans Parish schools. Board members Derald Spears Sr. and Paul Kent attempted to discuss the interview panel’s recommendations behind closed doors without naming the three people the committee recommended. The names already had been announced, however, in an äSee FINALISTS, page 2G
BY STEPHANIE WARREN
The design team assisted the elementary students with their garden, and Robertson talked Third- and fifth-grade science with the students about their experiences with home garand social studies enrichment dens. He also spoke with them class students and 4-H’ers at about the things needed to St. Helena Arts and Technolmake a garden grow properly: ogy Academy planted a spring tools, site, water, sun, plants garden April 8 at the academy and teamwork. in Greensburg with the help of The students brainstormed LSU and Southern universities’ a little about why someone Agricultural Center Assistant would grow a garden. The Agent Ahmad Robertson and young gardeners had a chance other volunteers. to share their favorite things Volunteers included local about gardens and gardening. farmer Warner Hall, Rachel The school has two raised Muse, Sank Paige and LSU/SU beds, and the youth planted AgCenter Youth Coordinator Toni Melton, who were on hand tomatoes, okra, hot peppers, to support and assist the youth hibiscus, marigolds, begonias, parsley, sweet basil and dill. with basic demonstration and The students grow their own best planting practices. Robertson said he visited the gardens September through May and are taught a gardengarden before planting day to ing curriculum, which emphaassist the students with bed preparation and weed control. sizes sustainable horticulture practices. St. Helena College and CaRobertson said that through reer Academy agriculture teacher Terry Guy and his stu- hands-on activity, the students learned about mapping and dents developed a landscape constructing a garden bed. and design team to beautify the St. Helena Parish school gardens and flower beds. äSee GROWING, page 2G
swarren@theadvocate.com
INSIDE East Feliciana............4G West Feliciana...........6G St. Helena .................8G Sports .......................1H Schools.....................2H
West Feliciana Council approves subdivision BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX Special to The Advocate
St. Helena Arts and Technology Academy student Demya Self helped plant the school’s spring garden April 8. The thirdgrader planted a begonia in the garden to add spring beauty to the crops.
ST. FRANCISVILLE — After a spirited and sometimes contentious public hearing Monday, the West Feliciana Council approved by a 4-3 vote the preliminary plan for the Oak Run subdivision. The preliminary plan for Oak Run, a proposed 27-lot subdivision on a 38-acre tract off La. 966, had been previously rejected by split votes of the council twice, despite unanimous recommendation of the parish’s Planning and Zoning Commission each time. Most recently, two minor requirements were specified as being needed to be addressed by developers Courtney and Brandon Tucker and engineer
Greg Ferries. The modifications were made in the plan that was presented Monday. However, during the public hearing discussion on the subdivision, council member Lea Williams brought up what she considered confusion about the parish’s ordinances pertaining to subdivisions, some of which were adopted in 1983 and others in 1994 and still others in 2005. She said that confusion was reason to consider delaying the subdivision’s approval. However, Parish President Kevin Couhig and Public Works Director Jim Ferguson explained that ordinances adopted in 2014 superseded those previously adopted. In äSee SUBDIVISION, page 2G
BRAC report: Area schools improve some BY STACY GILL
The report looks at data from the Louisiana Department of Education showing outcomes The Baton Rouge Area Cham- of public schools in the Baton ber published its annual educa- Rouge area and provides an tion report card April 6, ana- indication of overall regional lyzing kindergarten through performance. BRAC’s Capital Region in12th-grade performance in the Capital Region schools during cludes East and West Baton Rouge, East and West Felicithe 2013-14 school year. Zachary schools remained ana, Ascension, Iberville, Livat the top — both in the region ingston, Pointe Coupee and St. and in the state — for the 10th Helena parishes. BRAC produces the report consecutive year, the report annually to serve as a tool for states.
sgill@theadvocate.com
the business community, nonprofits, regional leaders and families to utilize in gauging the quality of educational options in the region, as well as to determine challenges that remain, BRAC officials said in a news release. “Public education is a critical part of growing the regional economy. Keeping track of and reporting this data publicly is important for families, newcomers and business leaders,” said Adam Knapp, president
and CEO of BRAC. “The data in the report card shows that there is still much work to do, but progress is being made. The sobering reality is that the jobs being created today cannot wait until workforce supply catches up.” The majority of the 13 school districts in the Capital Region achieved significant improvements in overall district performance scores, the release said. An average of those scores shows a four-point increase,
which equates to six percent growth overall compared to a one percent improvement for the state as a whole. The increase is largely in part to a big jump by the EBR Recovery School District. In 2013, the Capital Region had four school districts ranked in the top 10 in the state and five in the top 25, which means that in 2014, half of Louisiana’s top 10 school disäSee SCHOOLS, page 2G