The Lafayette Parish School Board met today to discuss the process of choosing a new superintendent.
Current superintendent Donald Aguillard plans to retire next month.
He tells KATC that he hopes the superintendent who follows him will continue the school district’s accomplishments.
To see the special version of the school system’s newsletter which outlines those accomplishments, please click here. You may have to download the PDF in order to view it.
From a biology teacher fresh out of college to the Lafayette Superintendent more than 40 years later, Aguillard’s career in education is coming to an end.
“We have been able to stabalize public education services in Lafayette, we have been able to make significant improvements in outcomes for students, we have also addressed some of the very glaring facility needs in Lafayette Parish,” Aguillard said.
After his first year as superintendent in 2016, Lafayette Parish went from 27th to 19th in the state. When Southside High opened a year later, it was the first public high school to be opened in the parish in more than four decades.
But Aguillard said he’s most proud of the robotics team at the WD Smith Career Center.
“The fact that kids in Lafayette today can compete in these international competitions with robots and win and place,” he said.
Assistant Superintendent Joe Craig said Aguillard’s diligence and hard work have improved the school district to where it is today.
“He’s always thinking way ahead,” Craig said of his boss. Craig is retiring this week from the school system, and starting a new career on Monday. Read about that here.
“When he was an assistant principal at Acadiana High, we were walking the halls that first day and you know you have a timesheet where you have to log so many hours. And I remember to this day, he said you can throw out that time sheet because we’re here every morning as early we need and we’re here every afternoon until as late we need to be here,” Craig said.
Aguillard said he is looking forward to a break.
“I want to relax a little bit, turn off the phone, stop answering calls texts and emails. But I also want to give back to the business and so I’m looking forward to this next chapter,” Aguillard said.
