By DAVID VITRANO

News Editor

RESERVE—After more than an hour of deliberation, members of the school board finally emerged from their chambers with a contract in-hand.

That contract, of course, was between Superintendent-elect Courtney Millet and the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board.

After months of meetings in which various points were hammered out and passed back and forth, it seems the two parties have come to an agreement.

Upon taking their seats in the public chamber, a motion was offered and passed by a vote of nine to one to buy out the remainder of Superintendent Michael Coburn’s contract with the assurance that he will be appointed to another position within the school system.

Hence, beginning Monday, April 21, Dr. Courtney Millet will finally take the post for which she was chosen months ago.

Millet took the decision with a sense of optimism, saying she was reminded of a quote that described her situation. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

She said she recognized that everyone in the room wants the same thing and that is what is best for St. John Parish schools.

The final agreement was for a duration of three years with room for extensions.

Her initial yearly salary was set at $128, 787.05, and she will receive appropriate annual increases.

Among the benefits in her contract is a monthly $930 allowance “to cover vehicle expenses, vehicle maintenance, vehicle fuel, and reimbursement of cellular phone expenses.”

In exchange for this, the superintendent’s performance shall be evaluated at least once yearly. The evaluation is to be completed at the end of every school year and must be completed no later than July 15.

The board also retained the right to remove the superintendent should she be found “incompetent, unworthy, or inefficient or is found to have failed to fulfill the terms of her contract or to comply with school board policy…”