DISTRICT DELIVERS VACCINATIONS TO EMPLOYEES
Lori Taylor, with the Live Oak High School staff, right, receives her first shot of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID vaccination from school nurse Jill Rome. Photo courtesy of The Advocate.
Livingston Parish Public Schools is one of the first school systems in the state to offer COVID-19 vaccinations in-house.
Neary 700 active employees received their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccination on March 10 during a special district event at the Suma Professional Development Center. The event was managed by the district’s team of 27 professional school nurses. The medical team streamlined the 15-minute process, administering the Prizer/BioNTech vaccine and scheduling follow-up appointments to get the second dose on March 31 or April 1.
Employees who did not sign up for the district’s vaccination event are encouraged to receive inoculations through their private health care provider or local pharmacy.
STATE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT VISITS LIVINGSTON PARISH
State Superintendent Cade Brumley, pictured second from right, visits the Walker High School Neighbors Federal Credit Union during his tour of the campus. Students at Walker High School can take course offerings that teach them money management and banking skills, and they can work with the credit union to gain “real world” experience. Assisting with the tour, from left to right, are high school curriculum coordinators Tracy McRae and Staci Polozola, and Walker High School Principal Jason St. Pierre.
State Superintendent Cade Brumley and members of the State Department of Education’s administrative team visited the Denham Springs High School STEM & Robotics Center and the Walker High School campus in March to learn about the district’s efforts to better connect students with career opportunities. The tour was organized by State Rep. Buddy Mincey, Jr.
Livingston Parish Public Schools was recently recognized as Louisiana’s most progressive district for providing course offerings on the state’s list of high-wage, high-demand occupations. The district has earned more than $1.3 million in funding to develop stronger career course offerings in fields that are currently underserved. School officials noted that students across the parish will earn 11,500 credit hours of career and technical education this school year, helping them better connect to post-graduation job opportunities.
LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST INFORMS ATTENDEES OF IMPORTANT ISSUES
State Sen. J. Rogers Pope speaks to Livingston Parish leaders and school officials about proposed legislation for the 2021 State Legislative Session. Also pictured, seated from left to right, are Livingston Parish Sales Tax Collector Mike Curtis, Denham Springs Mayor Gerard Landry, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard and Livingston Parish Assessor Jeff Taylor.
Local elected leaders and school officials gathered for a recent breakfast meeting at the Denham Springs High School STEM & Robotics Center to hear information on legislative issues that may impact local school and government funding that are being proposed for the 2021 Louisiana Legislative Session.
State Sen. J. Rogers Pope told those in attendance that the governor is proposing a modest pay increase for school employees in the budget. He said he believes there is much support for the increase among state legislators, but said he wished the governor would have proposed a more substantial increase. He also said he is very concerned about current discussions among state leaders to eliminate the state’s inventory tax as a cost-savings measure. He said elimination of the inventory tax could reduce public school funding.
Livingston Parish Assessor Jeff Taylor warned that elimination of the local inventory tax could cause property millages to increase for some districts, and Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said his office could see a reduction in funding if the inventory tax funds were eliminated.
State Rep. Buddy Mincey told attendees he had formed a committee to review the state’s shortage for certified teachers. Livingston Schools Human Resources Director Bruce Chaffin, who sits on that state committee, noted that the district has seen a tremendous downturn in the number of available certified teachers that are coming out of local colleges.
Mincey, who is in his first term as the representative for District 71, was recently named the Louisiana School Board Association’s 2020 Legislator of the Year.
THE YEAR’S TOP PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS HONORED
Livingston Parish Public Schools recently announced the Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year winners for the current school year.
The district’s top principals are: Elementary Principal of the Year Amy Savage from South Live Oak Elementary; Middle School Principal of the Year John Hill from Albany Middle School; and High School Principal of Year Beth Jones from Live Oak High School.
The top winning teachers include: Elementary Teacher of the Year Dana Baier from Eastside Elementary School; Middle School Teacher of the Year Lauren Gourney from Denham Springs Junior High; and High School Teacher of the Year Louis Sansovich from Albany High School.
The top three teachers were selected from nominees from schools across the parish. Those teachers earning the Teacher of the Year honors at their respective schools include:
High Schools – Louis Sansovich, Albany High; Courtney Richoux, Denham Springs High; Devin Dubois, Doyle High; Michele Yawn, Live Oak High; Shaunte’ Kraft, Maurepas; and Ellen Fort, Walker High.
Middle Schools – Josh Burton, Albany Middle; Lauren Gourney, Denham Springs Junior High; Erik Willie, French Settlement Junior High; Alice Taylor, Frost; Suzette Rabalais, Juban Parc Junior High; Christy Matthews, Live Oak Junior High; Misty Reynerson, Live Oak Middle; Jennifer Stewart, North Corbin Junior High; Shelli DuRousseau, Southside Junior High; and Nicole Savage, Springfield Middle.
Elementary Schools – Rebecca Scivique, Albany Lower Elementary; Kelli Satterfield, Albany Upper Elementary; Stephanie Fernon, Denham Springs Elementary; Amanda Robinson, Doyle Elementary; Dana Baier, Eastside Elementary; Amanda Thomas, French Settlement Elementary; Bette Jo Sibley, Freshwater Elementary; Helena Olson, Gray’s Creek Elementary; Brittany Rigsby, Holden; Kelly Price, Juban Parc Elementary; Crystal Gaubert, Levi Milton Elementary; Brandy Tullos, Lewis Vincent Elementary; Aimee Martin, Live Oak Elementary; Dana Perere, North Corbin Elementary; Amanda Gann, North Live Oak Elementary; Haley McDermitt, Northside Elementary; Sherry Wentzel, Seventh Ward Elementary; Eileen Jarman, South Fork Elementary; Kara Patterson, South Walker Elementary; Joni Lexia, Springfield Elementary; Leah Davis, Southside Elementary; and Carolyn Will, Walker Elementary.