Chief Financial Officer Amy Lafleur, during Tuesday’s meeting of the Evangeline Parish School Board’s executive committee, explained the operating budget for the fiscal year which just ended. The general fund had a surplus of $234,657 for 2018/2019. Revenues and other sources was $47,287,844. Expenditures and other uses was $47,053,187. Ending fund balance was $7,994,901.
Lafleur said the Childhood Nutrition Program revenue was $4,512,598, with expenditures of $4,232,704, giving that program a surplus of $279,894, and an overall fund balance of $2,464,664. She said, “They’ve never, ever had that high of a fund balance. It is one-hundred percent, totally for food service.”
All funds together for the 2018/2019 year was $65,050,901 in revenue and other sources, and $66,067,276 in expenditures and other uses. The overall year gave them deficit in all funds of $1,016,374, which Lafleur said is due to the construction in Basile.
Superintendent Darwan Lazard said of Lafleur, “I would just like to thank Miss Amy for her work to keep the finances straight. She certainly is invaluable to me as superintendent and to the staff, and I believe the board members and the committee members feel the same way. I want her to know publicly that I appreciate her.”
In the budget summary for the 2019/2020 school year, total revenues are $64,578,345, with projected total expenditures of $65,733,173. There is a current year beginning fund balance of $14,947,311, and an ending fund balance of $14,169,944.
The committee also discussed the Med Plus supplemental health insurance. Lafleur said it is a gap insurance. “In a nutshell, we currently have these savings accounts that may be offered through the office of group benefits. Traditionally, Magnolia Local Plus is the insurance that the bulk of our employees have, so if you’re an employee only in our district, you’re paying $168.88, and the district is going to pay $506.78. With this Pelican HRA 1000/MedPlus, the employee would pay $105.52, and the district would pay $444.65. Thereby showing a savings of $745.56, annually, for the district.” Lafleur added, “In this plan, we’re going to contribute to the HRA $1,000. Anybody who’s going to opt for this plan, we’re going to automatically contribute. The person can contribute some if they wish. Most of ours do. We do have a handful of people who have been utilizing this for the last three years now, and I haven’t heard anything negative from those people who use this particular insurance. It is voluntary.” If an employee would wish to take HRA, it would not be an option. The employee would get Med Plus at the same time. “It is like a married partnership of the two,” said Lafleur. Open enrollment is October 1 - November 15. Effective date is January 1. The committee approved the motion to allow employees the option for the supplemental insurance.
The committee heard from Special Education Director Kelli Lafleur, who proposed an early childhood learning center, which would be a reimbursable federal grant through IDEA funds. She said the center would be “designed to assist pupil appraisal in early identification of at-risk students. This, in turn, would lead to an increase in graduation rate and create successful, productive citizens. This building that we’re proposing would be used to evaluate three-to-five-year-old students, assist parents in finding resources to support their children, create a facility to accommodate professional development activities that support innovative intervention strategies to enhance early childhood development.”
Mike Holt, architect with Braddock Companies, said the new facility would be built next to the school board office and provide more parking to the campus, both on the street side and a large amount of parking behind. The new building is a little less than 5,000 feet. It would compliment existing multi-purpose building next door. The committee approved the proposal and gave their authorization to receive bids on the project.
Kelli Lafleur also proposed a new chateau apartment similar to the one at Ville Platte High, but this one would be at Mamou High. “It serves as a teaching facility for functional career skills to our students with disabilities, so that they can begin to earn those credentials to go towards a high school diploma,” she said. “It has been very successful at Ville Platte High.” There will be a washer and dryer and other equipment. Students will learn how to make coffee and prepare food. It will be in the back of Mamou High. Lafleur asked the committee to approve the apartment and start receiving bids. The committee approved the proposal.
July 12, 2026
