Erath Homecoming Parade time will remain the same

Erath School Board member Ricky Broussard explains his point about the parade time.

Chris Rosa

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By Chris Rosa

ERATH – The Erath Homecoming Parade will continue to roll at 12:30 p.m. and students will be able to watch it after a 4-2 vote by Vermilion Parish School Board members Thursday night.

Erath School Board Member Ricky Broussard brought back the issue of having all homecoming parades start after school hours instead of during school, like at Erath High.

The issue of changing starting times of homecoming parades was first brought to the Board by North Vermilion School Board member Angela Faulk last month, but no vote was taken.

Faulk wanted to change the starting times because of the liability issue. Erath High, Erath Middle and Dozier Elementary students watch the parade while still in school. Faulk was worried that an accident may occur to the students while watching the parade. The School Board would be liable if an accident would happen because the parade is during school hours.

Erath is the only school in the Parish that has its parade during school hours.

Abbeville School Board Member Anthony Fontana did not like the idea of forcing a student to attend the parade.
Last month the Board instructed School Board attorney Woody Woodruff to visit Erath after Erath High Principal Francis Touchet came up with a safer plan for students to watch the parade without leaving school property.
The students would remain on the grounds at three schools and watch the parade behind barricades. The parade would pass through Dozier Elementary, Erath High and the Erath Middle School.

Woodruff gave a presentation to the Board Thursday night about the new plan and then agreed that the plan was safe for students. He then recommended it to the Board.

“I still do not like it,” said Fontana. “It is a great improvement, but it still does not address anyone who has been drinking on the float. It is also wrong to force anyone to attend the parade.”
Touchet said each student is given permission by a parent to attend the parade. If anyone does not want to attend, they will remain in the classroom, he added.

Faulk wanted to make a second motion to have the Erath homecoming parade start at 3:30 p.m. and use the new plan that Touchet proposed. Woodruff shot it down and said school ends at 2:15 p.m. and the School Board has no authority to make students watch the parade from behind barricades after school hours. She withdrew her motion.

After that, the School Board voted on Broussard’s motion, and it passed. Faulk and Fontana voted against it. Abbeville School Board Charles Campbell abstained from voting on the issue. Board member Ricky LeBouef was not at the meeting.

LeBlanc Elementary School will let out early for homecoming but students from the school will not be able to attend the parade unless parents check them out during school.

At the end of the meeting during Board commentary, Faulk had something to say about the parade vote. She said the vote taken Thursday was not right because no one from the Parish was given a chance to voice their opinion about Erath homecoming starting at 12:30 p.m.

“It was thrown on the table. I don’t think everyone had chance to speak," she said. "I did not know it was being brought up tonight.”

Broussard threw his hands in the air and said, “Some people should let it die. It was voted on.”