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Improving the Quality of Education in St. John the Baptist Parish

RESERVE — St. John the Baptist Parish School Board member Gerald J. Keller, Ph.D. has announced his candidacy for school board member for District 3 in the November 8, 2022 primary election.

A life-long resident of Reserve and former school board president, Dr. Keller is seeking re-election. The citizens of District 3 (Reserve) have been generous in the past school board elections as he was unopposed for the past six elections and he has not let them down as their representative.

Dr. Keller is a highly recognized and respected educator. He taught school administrative classes and coordinated the field experience site placement at Southeastern Louisiana University. He is the author of several state and international publications and authored Big Joe, Precious Gems from Faded Memories: A Pictorial History of St. John the Baptist Parish and Reserve. He is often referred to as the “Historian of St. John the Baptist Parish.”

“My efforts as a school board member will focus on quality education for all the students of St. John the Baptist Parish and monitor the multi-million dollars capital improvement projects approved by the citizens of St. John the Baptist Parish. We need to strengthen the educational programs in St. John the Baptist Parish so all students get a quality education and all become productive citizens,” said Dr. Keller, “I will work with all children in my district—public and non-public.”

Dr. Keller has led a public life focusing on the community. He formerly served as the parish’s school superintendent from 1988-1993. Before that he was a former assistant superintendent and federal program director. Dr. Keller served as principal of Edgard High School and served as a teacher at Leon Godchaux High School, Reserve Jr. High School and John L. Ory.

Dr. Keller holds a doctoral degree from the University of New Orleans and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree from Southeastern Louisiana University. He earned graduate credit hours at Tulane University and Louisiana State University.

Dr. Keller was invited by the Oxford University in England to attend an international “think tank” conference and participated as an international education panelist. He was the first Louisiana school board member to receive this distinction. He is a member of the Louisiana School Board Association and Phi Delta Kappa.

Dr. Keller served as a church lector and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at St. Peter Catholic Church in Reserve. He is a member of the Reserve-Godchaux restoration project and is married to Cheryl Michel of Garyville. They have four children: Lisa Watson, David Keller, Steven Keller and Gerald Keller, Jr. (all graduated from East St. John High School), six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.