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School Board member Kibbie Pillette

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Greg Theriot, a former Vermilion Parish educator, now works for Charter Schools USA. Theriot spoke to the school board members about the charter school that will be built in the Maurice area, with or without school board approval.

Vermilion Parish chool Board hears pitch for new charter school

A 15-minute presentation by Charter Schools USA representatives did not convince one school board member as to why it is a good idea to allow a charter school build near Maurice.
Vermilion Parish School Board Member Kibbie Pillette and other board members listened to the presentation from four different members of the Charter Schools USA team. The charter representatives explained to the school board members that the charter school is being built to ease overcrowding in the Maurice area.
Charter Schools USA wants to build a K-8th grade elementary school that will house around 800 students.
The land has yet to be purchased for the school, but it will be in the Maurice area. By the start of the 2022 school year, Charter Schools USA could build a new elementary charter school at no extra cost to the Vermilion Parish taxpayer.
Pillette said he does not like the idea that if 800 students will be attending the charter school in Maurice, the Vermilion Parish public school system will be receiving less money from the state.
The state sends each parish around $10,000 to help educate each student. However, if a student attends a charter school, the state sends the same $10,000 to the charter school.
If 800 students are attending the charter school, that means the public school system would lose $8 million in MFP funding.
“I would still vote no because I am against this,” said Pillette after the presentation. “It is taking MFP dollars away from public schools and giving it to charter schools. No way is that going to fly.”
Charter Schools USA does not need the blessing of the local school board to build a charter school. Two different types of charter schools can be built. One is a Type 1, and the other is a Type 2.
A Type 1 is a charter school that has the local blessing of the school board. Parish zone lines can be drawn for the Type 1 Charter School.
A Type 2 charter school is one without the local school board’s blessing. If the Vermilion Parish School Board votes “no” against a charter school locating in the northern part of the parish, then the charter school representatives can apply to the state BESE Board for approval.
If BESE approves the charter school, it becomes a Type 2 charter school and can do whatever it wants without the school board’s approval. There would be no zone lines for the charter school, and students from throughout the parish and other parishes could attend.
Superintendent Tommy Byler gave his thoughts on the charter school locating in the parish. He did say that there is a need for an elementary school in the northern part of the parish. However, if the Vermilion Parish voters had to approve a special tax to build an elementary school near Maurice, it would not get built for another four years, Byler told the school board members. The other choice would be to jump on board the charter school being built, and there would be a new elementary school built within two years instead of four.
“We would be losing MFP dollars, but we would be getting a new school,” said Byler about going with the charter school idea. “I do not think we are ready to make a decision.”
Byler said he liked the idea of the new charter school being a Type 1 because the local school board would have a say in drawing the boundary lines for the charter school.
“This charter school organization wants to help with overcrowding,” said Byler. “If we can not ensure we are helping with overcrowding, then that is defeating the purpose.”
Byler said he wants to see only North Vermilion elementary students enrolling in the charter school and not students from other parish parts. Having only Maurice/North Vermilion students in the charter school would help with overcrowding at Cecil Picard Elementary.
“I do think a charter school is worth looking at as an alternative,” Byler said. “Tonight is a starting point.”

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