By Shantelle Breaux

LSN Staff Writer

CROWLEY – At the beginning of Monday evening’s meeting of the Acadia Parish School Board,  the board recognized Cleanest Kitchen/Cafeteria Contest winners from area schools. 

Rayne High School placed first in the Central Kitchen Category, with Crowley High School placing second and Crowley Middle School placing third.

Placing first in the Satellite Kitchen Category was Crowley Kindergarten, while Morse Elementary School claimed second place and Central Rayne Kindergarten claimed third. 

Also recognized at the meeting was the Iota High School cheerleading squad, who recently won the state championship title in competition in New Orleans. As a result of their win, the squad was awarded a plaque, trophy and banner that are on display at Iota High School, and the girls were all invited to attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York this year.

The board voted to purchase one defibrillator per high school in the parish. The cost of the equipment will be $1,700 per defibrillator, and $20 per person for training. 

Board member Gene Daigle opened discussion on the item by asking why defibrillators were only being purchased for the high schools, and the reason given was the many sporting events that take place at these schools.

According to School Board President Roland Boudreaux, the coaches at the high schools will be receiving training in order to use the defibrillators. 

 The board also approved an intra-agency loan agreement with Iota High School. The loan, from the Acadia Parish School Board General Fund, will be used in the school district to fund renovation and construction projects.

Payback of the loan will come from the Iota Maintenance Fund. 

The board voted to award Entergy Gulf States Louisiana a right-of-way to a piece of property the company wishes to put a utility pole. 

This vote was not made without controversy, however. At a previous meeting, Entergy had offered to pay the board $1 for right-of-way to property owned by Mark Hollier, an offer which the board rejected. At that time, the board requested that legal council negotiate a more favorable amount of compensation. Entergy, in a letter to Acadia Parish Superintendent John Bourque, said that any charges made by the board to the company would be passed along to the property owner. 

The board, while displeased with this, did not wish to bring any more costs to the landowner, and voted to accept Entergy’s original offer of $1.

The next meeting of the Parish School Board will be Sept. 8.