Superintendent Byler gives ‘Vision 2024’ report to Vermilion Parish School Board

Superintendent Tommy Byler presented his “Vision 2024” report to the Vermilion Parish School Board during their meeting on Thursday night. He provided an overview of the board’s achievements in the past three years and outlined their aspirations for the school system in 2024.
During the first three years of Byler’s leadership, the school board has had to be reactive to challenges thrown at the school system, such as COVID, two hurricanes, lifting morale, and a new school board.
The new challenges that the school system faces in 2024, Byler explained, include the latest charter school effects, a certified teacher shortage, the ending of ESSER funding, upgrading facilities, and the safety of employees and students.
“We have had to be reactive and deal with hurricanes and COVID,” Byler said after the meeting. “The obstacles we have had to deal with, we have overcome them. We now have to begin moving forward into the new era.”
The new era could significantly change the statewide school system, Byler said. One of those changes could be the “School Choice Program,” which could be on the
horizon in the near future with the new governor, Jeff Landry. The program lets parents choose a school to allow their child to thrive. That choice could mean the child attending a private school or homeschool.
“We have to do the best we can and not worry about the changes around us,” said Byler. “We have done some great things but will not sit on our hands. We will continue to look for what is best for the district.”
He added that the “Vision 2024” report was to show the school board that, under Byler’s leadership, the school system has been fiscally responsible over the last three years. The school system’s pay scale has increased over the last three years, either with a 13th check or a change of the pay scale for everyone.
Byler explained that projects still need to be completed in 2024, such as hurricane projects at a few schools, upgrading school facilities, and finishing spending ESSER money.
Also, tops on the school board’s “to-do” list in 2024 is to figure out why the insurance fund is losing money. In 2023, the insurance fund finished with a $2 million deficit.