Article Image Alt Text

Search begins for new superintendent in Vermilion Parish

The search is officially underway for a new superintendent in Vermilion Parish.
School board attorney Bob Hammonds met with the school board members in a special meeting on Wednesday to go over the guidelines on how to hire a superintendent.
One of the first questions Hammonds said the board has to decide is when do they want to begin advertising for a superintendent.
The answer was immediately, as the process could take two months.
The requirements, by law, explained Hammonds is to advertise twice in the Abbeville Meridional and once in a larger newspaper like the Advertiser in Lafayette or the Advocate from Baton Rouge.
In today’s Meridional, the school board placed an ad about the job opening.
The ad will run today and next Sunday. The school board will take applications through July 31 and have an Aug. 3 meeting to study the applicants.
The next big question the school board had to decide on was how much to pay the new superintendent.
School board member Chris Gautreaux threw out the salary numbers of between $130,000 and $139,000.
Hammond told the board there should be a larger range in salary instead of only $9,000.
School board member David Dupuis then recommended a range of $125,000 to $140,000. It was approved 7-0. School board member Dale Stelly was absent from the meeting.
When former Superintendent Jerome Puyau was hired by the school board seven years ago, his starting salary was $110,000.
Hammonds said once the applications are submitted, the school board members will look them over and then decides who they want to interview. They can select as many as they want to interview, or they can select only one.
The attorney did recommend the school board interview the applicants in front of the public.
“I am a big fan of doing all you can do to get the public involved,” Hammonds told the board. “It makes the public feel comfortable with the process.”
The school board would like to name a new superintendent in August.

Vermilion Today

Abbeville Meridional

318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022

The Kaplan Herald

219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548

The Gueydan Journal

311 Main Street
Gueydan, LA 70542