LAFAYETTE PARISH — The Lafayette Parish School Board voted in favor of re-organizing over 60 job positions and job descriptions within the Lafayette Parish School System's central office. The new changes will see 14 positions and 25 job descriptions eliminated to make way for new ones. Superintendent of Schools, Francis Touchet says the changes are in line with his vision for LPSS.
“There are positions that go into the schools and it needs to be aligned with meeting those needs, and I just felt there was an adjustment that need to be made in order for us to meet those need,” said Touchet.
Touchet explains that the restructuring is also in line with cost saving measures.
“There is going to be a two hundred-thousand-dollar difference that we will not have to spend in general fund, and it’s also monies we were able to capture and take away from our general fund, so it was a total of six hundred-thousand-dollar that we are looking at not having to spend in general fund,” said Touchet.
But despite the proposed savings, there were some concerns brought to the floor at tonight’s meeting. Julia Reed, President of the Lafayette Association of Educators raised objection to pay increases for several of the new positions listed within the restructuring considering teacher pay.
“There are three job positions that don’t require a college degree, yet pay more than a first-year teacher,” said Reed. Reed said the association was opposed to the proposal and called on LPSS to rethink their proposal. “ We would ask that you maybe consider revisiting at some future date or choosing to put those off to some other meeting in July,” said Reed.
The Department of Transportation will see all 11 positions eliminated and replaced with eight new positions. The Department of SPED (Special Education) will see all 21 positions and job descriptions eliminated for new ones.
“There will be some people that we will move over, but it's an opportunity for us to align with the vision for Lafayette parish as far as I see concerned,” said Touchet.
