By Stephen Hemelt
L’Observateur

LUTCHER — St. James Parish School Board members approved a clerical adjustment in the school district’s payroll process, but a major portion of this month’s meeting was conducted with an eye toward new leadership.

Nov. 18’s meeting was the first since St. James voters elected four new school board members to serve on the seven-person board.

District 1 voters will decide the board’s last open seat Dec. 6, when incumbent Diana Cantillo faces a runoff challenge from Paul D. Taylor.

Seated in the audience Nov. 18 was Tyler Jasmin, who won the seat left vacant by School Board President Charlie Nailor, who chose not to seek reelection.

Jasmin was joined by Sue Bienvenu Beier, who unseated Carol Lambert; Dianne Spencer, who defeated Patricia Schexnayder; and Raymond L. Gros Jr., who was voted into office over incumbent Ricky Reulet.

Incoming School Board members will take their seats in January.

Superintendent Lonnie Luce, in addressing current and future Board members, said outgoing Board members would have significant votes to make at the Dec. 6 meeting to keep district plans on track regarding a potential bond proposal for voters next May and plans to sell the current St. James High School property.

“There will be a company that will be here that will talk about (how) they want to purchase it,” Luce said. “(It’s) the same company that gave us the letter of intent.

“If things will happen the way that it is laid out, and if this Board so chooses and the new Board so chooses to follow it, we will potentially be able to be in the new St. James High about the same time the new methanol plant that will be right next door to the current St. James High will crank up.”

Luce said school officials are planning their transfer move so the new methanol plant won’t start before the new high school is built near the site of the recently constructed St. James High School football stadium located along Highways 3127 and 20 in Vacherie.

Luce stressed to future School Board members they would have the opportunity to weigh in on the decisions when they took office in 2015.

In other news, Jim Mitchell, administrative director of business operations for the School Board, received approval to combine district payrolls.

“For years and years, we paid three payrolls a month,” he said.

“On the fifth day, it was the substitute payroll. On the 15th, is the supplemental, which is your additional trainings, stipends, coaches’ pay. On the 25th is the full regular payroll.

“We now have the ability to combine the payrolls.”

Under the plan approved this week, Mitchell said the district would move the substitute payroll to approximately the 10th of the month and combine the supplemental and regular payroll.

“It will make it much more efficient on the business department and make it much more efficient on our accounting system,” he said.

The move will go into effect in January, Mitchell said.