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RESERVE — Retired St. John the Baptist Parish School Board employee, Patricia Triche formally certified to run in the election on November 8 for Reserve District 3, School Board Member. Mrs. Triche is the wife of Jesse Triche, and daughter-in-law of Penny and Barry Triche, who are lifelong residents of St. John the Baptist Parish.  Her two sons are Paydon and Tannor Triche, who attended private, parochial and public schools in St. John Parish.

Mrs. Triche has been a resident of Reserve for over 30 years, and has worked with her school level teams and school community and successfully transitioned three schools out of School Improvement Status, specifically Garyville Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet School, Lake Pontchartrain Elementary, and East St. John High School. Residents and former students affectionately adorned Mrs. Triche with the nickname “Momma Cat”, after being displaced from their school site at East St. John High School in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac. The students painted a wildcat over her office door with the endearing words, “Momma Cat!” at their temporary site located at the old Leon Godchaux School campus.

This is Mrs. Triche’s first run for any political office, as she devoted the last 30 years as an employee of St. John the Baptist Parish Schools. She has worked at every level of the school system throughout her career. Mrs. Triche attended Southeastern Louisiana University, where she attained a master’s degree in business administration, a master’s degree in educational leadership, and over 30 graduate hours in special education. Mrs. Triche feels that this extensive education and hands-on experience will allow her to make knowledgeable and informed decisions as a board member. Mrs. Triche also attended Harvard Graduate School of Education to participate in “Leading Change for School Improvement”, a course designed to equip school leaders with the needed skills to drive school change. Mrs. Triche states, “In the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac, the task of building a platoon schedule while maintaining all student and staff employment levels, is valuable experience that can be extremely useful if elected to serve on the school board.”

Mrs. Triche has vast experience in writing and managing millions of dollars in grants for the St. John School Board, including a Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Grant, Pre-School Expansion Grant, and the Head Start Grant, to name a few.

In the midst of the COVID pandemic in May 2020, Mrs. Triche worked tirelessly to collaborate with community leaders in an effort to offer our graduates a “Drive-through Graduation Extravaganza” at New Wine Christian Fellowship Church.  All high school seniors from East St. John, West S.t John, St. Charles Catholic High School, and Riverside Academy were invited to attend the celebration. In addition, she also coordinated the “Honor Roll Roundup” for the students of St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools for many years.

Mrs. Triche’s community involvement includes serving on the United Way Executive Committee, Early Childhood Care and Education Advisory Council (ECCE) and Workgroup, and is seeking membership in the Rotary Club of LaPlace. Mrs. Triche has presented locally in Louisiana, as well as nationally, on the following topics:  CLASS – Increasing PreK Performance, Over Representation of Minorities in Special Education, Success in School Improvement Using Federal Funding, Freshman Success Academy at East St. John High School – Exemplary Site, Making the Most of PreK Interactions, Advisory and Mentoring, to name a few.

Mrs. Triche states, “I am ready and equipped with the knowledge and experience necessary to serve the residents of District 3 in Reserve, Louisiana. All students of St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools need and deserve a School Board that will make sound decisions that will prepare them both academically and socially for a positive, impactful and successful future. If elected, I pledge to work with transparency and dedication for the benefit of successful student learning.  I humbly asked for your vote and support on November 8.  Our students deserve the best!”