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North Vermilion’s Caleb Reese

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Mia Judge (left) agrees with Gabbie Bessard (right) that Caleb Reese’ idea to write to the School Board was “Crazy, but brave and needed.”

North Vermilion student pens letter to School Board

LEROY — North Vermilion High School student Caleb Reese recently arranged a letter to the Vermilion Parish School Board in hopes to make a difference in the ‘embarrassment’ it has caused for himself and potentially other students, parents, and teachers in the parish; a letter he decided to write after Parish Government Day.
Upon opening the letter addressed to all Vermilion Parish School Board members, it reads ‘I write this letter during a time of unrest, and complete chaos from our school board. Recently, all that the rest of the world, and myself have been seeing is how our school board cannot come together.’
Reese said that he; along with the rest of the world, has followed the downward spiral since the 2018 arrest of a Vermilion Parish teacher during a School Board meeting. “Its’ got to stop,” he said.
“Since the arrest of Ms. Hargrave, nothing ever got better,” he said “you keep waiting for it to end and it just doesn’t; it’s sad.” Reese also expresses his school and district pride; though he also stated his shame to attend school in the parish.
“In the letter, it states that there has been a news story on the school board for what seems like every time I watch the news,” Reese stated “The policy manual for the district clearly states that a board member has a duty to represent the School Board and the School system to the public by way of promoting both interest and support; something we haven’t seen in a very long time from any board member, and something that is also in the letter that I sent to them.”
Students in the parish are in agreement with Reese when he expressed his concern; even before penning the letter to the board.
“Those statements are true. Students like myself and so many others that I have spoken to previously thinks that it makes our parish look stupid; as if we are just a joke,” he said “Which leads us to my next statement in the letter.” It reads:
‘Policy states that a board member must act ethically in all matters at all times thereby representing the School District to the best of one’s’ ability’. Reese said that in his opinion, none of the board members have done so. Here is his closing argument as stated in the letter:
‘I would like to remind every one of you that you are elected to represent, not to promote yourselves, or to attempt to demote others.
“As I stated in the letter, I believe that the board can and will come together as one; together is more powerful, but things will have to change,” Reese said.

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