LAPLACE — Through six days of the academic year, St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools is showing an increase of 170 students compared to this time last year.

Superintendent Kevin George made that announcement during Thursday’s School Board meeting, adding the District stands at 5,694 children before prekindergarten and head start children arrive on campus.

“We know that parents vote with their feet,” George said. “They are sending us their best kids. They are not keeping the good ones at home. They are sending them to us. We are proud to say we are 170 kids up from this time last year.”

George also announced that each parish principal has been charged with raising the number of students from basic to mastery level by 10 percent.

He said it’s a mandate they are ready to accomplish.

“Usually at this point in the year we’re talking about bus schedules and duty schedules,” George said. “Now, administrators are already, on day 6, talking about educating kids and asking how are we going to move a kid that was basic into mastery? What is going to be this child’s individual learning plan to move from basic to mastery or mastery to advanced? That is the expectation.”

Helping assist principals and students with that goal is longtime St. John educator Heidi Trosclair, who will be doing so in an expanded role.

“I have appointed Heidi Trosclair as our new assistant superintendent,” George said to applause Thursday night. “For those of you who don’t know Heidi Trosclair, she is an administrator, educator and lifelong resident of St. John the Baptist Parish and someone who commands the respect of every educator here. She is huge in the community and will be an asset.”

The East St. John High School graduate previously held the title as executive director of curriculum and assessment.

“My heart and soul is in St. John the Baptist Parish,” Trosclair said. “This is where my total focus is when I’m on the job and when I am not on the job. My goal is always to support and help our students grow.”

During his opening remarks to School Board members, George said sixth through 12th grade students would be allowed to view Monday’s total solar eclipse.

“We got emails from our insurance folks, emails from our attorneys, saying make sure you do A, B, and C with the kids,” George said. “We have glasses that were ordered and sent to the schools that meet the code that NASA said you needed. The kids will be told, taught and explained what to do and what not to do when looking up at the eclipse. We do feel in St. John the Baptist Parish that we don’t want to shelter our kids. I think our kids can understand what they can and can’t do.”