Last July, well before school was ready to start, teachers and administrators at Carencro Heights Elementary School got together on a Saturday to paint their building and restripe the school's parking lot.
Requests had been sent to have the work done, but it was never completed. Incoming Principal Nancy Cech decided the only way to get it done was for the staff to do it themselves.
At the same time, a flurry of requests — nearly 150 in all —were being sent to the system's maintenance staff for work at the Vermilion Conference Center, a former elementary school on Gauthier Road that serves as overflow office space for the growing central office staff as well as a meeting facility. According to public records requested by The Advertiser, in the past six months the facility received a $74,000 makeover, including fresh painting, parking lot striping and more than $50,000 in new lighting.
How maintenance money is being doled out is particularly crucial at a time when the schools are in vital need of improvement. The School Board felt so strongly that repairs could wait no longer that in October it asked voters to approve a large property tax increase, a measure that was soundly defeated, in part because of concerns about past financial decisions by the board and administration.
Now educators such as Cech and board members unaware of the VCC funding are left wondering how a facility that doesn't serve students could jump to the head of the line.
The requests for work at VCC were sent from Ken Douet, who has become something of a lightning rod in local education circles. Douet has a longstanding relationship with former schools superintendent Burnell Lemoine and Lawrence Lilly, deputy superintendent for human resources and operations, the man who recommends how maintenance money is allocated.
Douet was principal of N.P. Moss Middle School before that school was closed last year. Lemoine recommended Douet be appointed principal at the system's Early College Academy, a highly sought-after position, without giving others a chance to apply. The appointment became contentious, however, and ultimately the position went to someone else. Douet was then appointed to the VCC as a staff development specialist, a position he has held for six months. Because he is still under his principal's contract, Douet has retained his annual $84,835 salary, higher than the specialist position would normally pay.
Douet initially refused a request from a reporter for an interview, demanding instead that questions be emailed to him. He did not reply to any of the questions submitted, including one that asked if he felt it was fair that his facility had received work ahead of schools. Instead, he told the Advertiser he would forward the questions to Lilly. Not until Friday, after a last-chance call was placed to him for comment,What causes TMJ pain? did Douet relent.
When asked if his friendship with Lemoine influenced the processing of work orders for VCC after his arrival, Douet said he simply went through work orders that had been submitted but not completed over the past five or six years.
"I have a certain bulldog in me," Douet said. "It always annoyed me that you would submit a work order, then they would sit on crap for a year. Then when you submitted another work order, they would say it was a duplicate request.
"Maybe it isn't about my relationship with Burnell,Offers Art Reproductions Fine Art oil painting reproduction, or his relationship with me," Douet said of the sudden attention at VCC.Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet. "It just sounds like someone needs to stir the muck."
Lilly said he was "shocked" that anyone would think he played favorites in assigning maintenance priorities, but did say his priorities were in line with those of his boss, Lemoine.
"Every superintendent I've worked for, I was loyal to them," Lilly said. "It has nothing to do with friendship. We have a new superintendent and I will be loyal to him.I have just spent two weeks shopping for tile and have discovered China Porcelain tile. I've had many immediate supervisors, and I've been loyal."
Board member Mark Cockerham said he sought answers from Lilly after being approached by the newspaper. Cockerham said Lilly told him about a safety issue with a fallen light fixture and said that the main problem with the building was that the roof was old, leaking and causing mold and other issues throughout the building.
Whatever the reason, it's clear Douet's presence has been key to getting improvements made.
"If things get fixed, then there is an article in the paper saying Ken Douet is getting preferential treatment," Douet said. "If nothing happens, then the article says I am just sitting here drawing a check."
For the most part, details about the repairs and actual operations at the VCC are hazy, even for those who deal closely with the school system.
"I don't know much about it, but I can tell you, it's a very good question," said Pat Cooper, who is in the midst of assuming the role of Lafayette Parish School System superintendent.
Cockerham said he had only heard bits and pieces about the recent work at VCC. "I don't know that much about what's going on over there. They have not updated us on anything, but there are so many other issues that have been going on," Cockerham said Wednesday.
"I've been to some things over there before, but I've never been able to get a straight answer about what goes on there. But in truth, I've never really asked those questions."
Meanwhile, former state representative and former school board member Rickey Hardy said he was disheartened at the idea of an emphasis being placed on a facility other than schools.
"Certainly, you would focus on facilities where you have students. Adults can basically fend for themselves," Hardy said. "You can use gymnasiums and other facilities for meetings or other events. Whatever they use the conference center for, that's fine, but that's such a small issue when you have schools that are in deplorable condition."
According to Lilly, the center is used for technology maintenance services, professional staff development such as teacher training, testing, instruction and assessment and health and wellness. Because of a lack of space at the LPSS' central office complex, some personnel also have office space at VCC. It also houses a parish-wide media system.
Over the past few years, the building has been used for a variety of public purposes, including school registration, informational sessions and homeless outreach programs. Like schools and other public facilities, outside entities can also use space at the VCC for meetings, provided that they meet school system policies.
Lafayette Parish School Board member Mark Babineaux said the facility has been used for staff conference, committee meetings and at least one legislative breakfast.
"There are a number of programs that are there also," he said.Manufacturers and exporters of impact socket, "It's not just a conference facility, but they have a staff there and different programs that are there. It's a multi-use facility."
The maintenance of the school system's infrastructure is a burning issue both for the current and previous administrations. Cooper has already begun looking at the master plan that was associated with the tax proposal that parish voters rejected last fall.
As a model project, there are plans to make major renovations at Northside High School, which Cooper visited Friday and said has several serious problems, including non-working air conditioning units and mold in some ceiling tiles — two issues that have been addressed at VCC.
"One of the things we have to determine is how do we keep students and teachers in safe environments in light of the bond issue not passing. It's making us re-examine every way we do the business of maintaining, preparing and renovating equipment and schools," Cooper said.
If the Northside model is successful, Cooper said, he hopes it not only provides a better environment for students and teachers, but shows Lafayette Parish residents that the school system can successfully manage its money to make necessary repairs.
"Right now, we are just addressing Northside. It's the pilot project and we're going to do what we can to renovate it and make it habitable for kids," Cooper said.
Requests had been sent to have the work done, but it was never completed. Incoming Principal Nancy Cech decided the only way to get it done was for the staff to do it themselves.
At the same time, a flurry of requests — nearly 150 in all —were being sent to the system's maintenance staff for work at the Vermilion Conference Center, a former elementary school on Gauthier Road that serves as overflow office space for the growing central office staff as well as a meeting facility. According to public records requested by The Advertiser, in the past six months the facility received a $74,000 makeover, including fresh painting, parking lot striping and more than $50,000 in new lighting.
How maintenance money is being doled out is particularly crucial at a time when the schools are in vital need of improvement. The School Board felt so strongly that repairs could wait no longer that in October it asked voters to approve a large property tax increase, a measure that was soundly defeated, in part because of concerns about past financial decisions by the board and administration.
Now educators such as Cech and board members unaware of the VCC funding are left wondering how a facility that doesn't serve students could jump to the head of the line.
The requests for work at VCC were sent from Ken Douet, who has become something of a lightning rod in local education circles. Douet has a longstanding relationship with former schools superintendent Burnell Lemoine and Lawrence Lilly, deputy superintendent for human resources and operations, the man who recommends how maintenance money is allocated.
Douet was principal of N.P. Moss Middle School before that school was closed last year. Lemoine recommended Douet be appointed principal at the system's Early College Academy, a highly sought-after position, without giving others a chance to apply. The appointment became contentious, however, and ultimately the position went to someone else. Douet was then appointed to the VCC as a staff development specialist, a position he has held for six months. Because he is still under his principal's contract, Douet has retained his annual $84,835 salary, higher than the specialist position would normally pay.
Douet initially refused a request from a reporter for an interview, demanding instead that questions be emailed to him. He did not reply to any of the questions submitted, including one that asked if he felt it was fair that his facility had received work ahead of schools. Instead, he told the Advertiser he would forward the questions to Lilly. Not until Friday, after a last-chance call was placed to him for comment,What causes TMJ pain? did Douet relent.
When asked if his friendship with Lemoine influenced the processing of work orders for VCC after his arrival, Douet said he simply went through work orders that had been submitted but not completed over the past five or six years.
"I have a certain bulldog in me," Douet said. "It always annoyed me that you would submit a work order, then they would sit on crap for a year. Then when you submitted another work order, they would say it was a duplicate request.
"Maybe it isn't about my relationship with Burnell,Offers Art Reproductions Fine Art oil painting reproduction, or his relationship with me," Douet said of the sudden attention at VCC.Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet. "It just sounds like someone needs to stir the muck."
Lilly said he was "shocked" that anyone would think he played favorites in assigning maintenance priorities, but did say his priorities were in line with those of his boss, Lemoine.
"Every superintendent I've worked for, I was loyal to them," Lilly said. "It has nothing to do with friendship. We have a new superintendent and I will be loyal to him.I have just spent two weeks shopping for tile and have discovered China Porcelain tile. I've had many immediate supervisors, and I've been loyal."
Board member Mark Cockerham said he sought answers from Lilly after being approached by the newspaper. Cockerham said Lilly told him about a safety issue with a fallen light fixture and said that the main problem with the building was that the roof was old, leaking and causing mold and other issues throughout the building.
Whatever the reason, it's clear Douet's presence has been key to getting improvements made.
"If things get fixed, then there is an article in the paper saying Ken Douet is getting preferential treatment," Douet said. "If nothing happens, then the article says I am just sitting here drawing a check."
For the most part, details about the repairs and actual operations at the VCC are hazy, even for those who deal closely with the school system.
"I don't know much about it, but I can tell you, it's a very good question," said Pat Cooper, who is in the midst of assuming the role of Lafayette Parish School System superintendent.
Cockerham said he had only heard bits and pieces about the recent work at VCC. "I don't know that much about what's going on over there. They have not updated us on anything, but there are so many other issues that have been going on," Cockerham said Wednesday.
"I've been to some things over there before, but I've never been able to get a straight answer about what goes on there. But in truth, I've never really asked those questions."
Meanwhile, former state representative and former school board member Rickey Hardy said he was disheartened at the idea of an emphasis being placed on a facility other than schools.
"Certainly, you would focus on facilities where you have students. Adults can basically fend for themselves," Hardy said. "You can use gymnasiums and other facilities for meetings or other events. Whatever they use the conference center for, that's fine, but that's such a small issue when you have schools that are in deplorable condition."
According to Lilly, the center is used for technology maintenance services, professional staff development such as teacher training, testing, instruction and assessment and health and wellness. Because of a lack of space at the LPSS' central office complex, some personnel also have office space at VCC. It also houses a parish-wide media system.
Over the past few years, the building has been used for a variety of public purposes, including school registration, informational sessions and homeless outreach programs. Like schools and other public facilities, outside entities can also use space at the VCC for meetings, provided that they meet school system policies.
Lafayette Parish School Board member Mark Babineaux said the facility has been used for staff conference, committee meetings and at least one legislative breakfast.
"There are a number of programs that are there also," he said.Manufacturers and exporters of impact socket, "It's not just a conference facility, but they have a staff there and different programs that are there. It's a multi-use facility."
The maintenance of the school system's infrastructure is a burning issue both for the current and previous administrations. Cooper has already begun looking at the master plan that was associated with the tax proposal that parish voters rejected last fall.
As a model project, there are plans to make major renovations at Northside High School, which Cooper visited Friday and said has several serious problems, including non-working air conditioning units and mold in some ceiling tiles — two issues that have been addressed at VCC.
"One of the things we have to determine is how do we keep students and teachers in safe environments in light of the bond issue not passing. It's making us re-examine every way we do the business of maintaining, preparing and renovating equipment and schools," Cooper said.
If the Northside model is successful, Cooper said, he hopes it not only provides a better environment for students and teachers, but shows Lafayette Parish residents that the school system can successfully manage its money to make necessary repairs.
"Right now, we are just addressing Northside. It's the pilot project and we're going to do what we can to renovate it and make it habitable for kids," Cooper said.
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