ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / April 26, 2000

RESERVE – Magnet schools were the subject of two discussions last week at the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board meeting.Board member C. J. Watkins said he is concerned over the admissions policyused by magnet schools. At the present time there is a lottery system inplace that Watkins says is unfair to west bank students. He proposed thereshould be a certain number of magnet school slots set-aside for west bank students in proportion to the population of students on the west bank.

“The way it is now with the lottery,” said Watkins, “you can go 10 years without a child from the west bank getting into a magnet school.”On April 6 Watkins had asked Superintendent Chris Donaldson to come up with a selection process that would give all students in the parish a fair shot at attending John L. Ory Magnet and Garyville/Mt.Airy Magnet schools.Donaldson said after research and advice from school board attorney, John Diasselliss, and consultant Dr. David Lerch, he favors keeping the presentlottery system.

“It would be bad to change the admission system at this time,” said Donaldson. “This could delay the grant we are writing for a new magnetschool.”Watkins was not happy with the decision.

“I wanted a guarantee that students from opposite sides of the river would have a guaranteed set-aside at a magnet school,” said Watkins. “This is apolicy for all students, not just the west bank.”Assistant Superintendent Wilbert Ocmond asked the board to approve the contract with Dr. Lerch to begin writing a new grant proposal to get $2million in funding for a new magnet school that would be started on the west bank of the parish. The grant proposal, due in the spring of 2001, would askthe federal government for the money to develop a school that would emphasize music and the arts. John L. Ory focuses on communication arts,and Garyville/Mt. Airy emphasizes math and science.”We’ve been working on this since last year,” Ocmond said. “We would like toextend the program from elementary to senior high school.”The board approved the contract with a unanimous vote. Board memberGerald Keller was absent from the meeting.

Even with the proposed magnet school on the west bank, Watkins still wants the admission policy changed.

“It doesn’t matter where you build the school, ” said Watkins. “A magnetschool is a specialty school. Students on both sides of the river should havethe same opportunity.”

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