KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana |New leaders at CPSB meeting

New leaders at CPSB meeting

January 10, 2006
Reported by Pam Dixon

The Calcasieu Parish School Board held its first regular board meeting of the new year with a new leader in place-- new superintendent, Wayne Savoy. Savoy says, "I'm going to pledge to each and everyone of you that I'm going to work very hard with each of you to make this system as great as it can be."

The board also has a new board president. Dr. Edward Stephens says he sees 2006 as a year for rebuilding, not only because of the hurricane, but in bringing a divided board together. Stephens says, "We need to remember that we are in the education business, and our primary task is to see that the children of Calcasieu Parish get the best education that they can get, and whatever we have to do to do that, that's what we need to do."

One of the first orders of business was filling the South Lake Charles district six seat of former Board Member Philip Tarver, who announced his resignation last month. Two people were hoping to fill the last year of the four year term-- Tom Hatfield, PPG Quality Coordinator and McNeese business teacher Mary Kaye Eason. The board voted nine to two in favor of Eason. Eason says, "All of my professional years, I've worked with students to help them succeed and that's what drives me. That's what motivates me is my interest in the students and my interest in the future of Calcasieu Parish." Eason says she has no interest in campaigning for the seat when the term is up. All 15 seats on the board are up for election this fall.

One issue that board members will address soon is the problem of students' cell phones in class. Louisiana law allows students to have cell phones at school as long as they are turned off, but principals say too often that's not the case. S.J. Welsh Principal Buzz Sarver says his teachers confiscate about 30 cell phones a day.