Some Vermilion Parish School Board members being absent at meetings

If we missed half of our workdays, most of us would probably lose our jobs.
The school board consists of nine members; however, several members consistently struggle to attend public meetings.
The school board meets once a month to vote on key issues like finances, insurance, policies, and decisions about opening or closing schools. These choices directly affect our students.
When elected officials fail to attend school board meetings despite receiving a monthly stipend of $800, it raises questions about their commitment to serving the district and public schools.
None of the nine school board members achieved perfect attendance during the fiscal year.
That’s understandable to a point. But one board member has missed half of the meetings.
The school district’s fiscal year runs from July to June. This board member missed the last meeting of the year, ending up with only 50% attendance. Even though he missed the meeting, he still got his $800 paycheck, paid by Vermilion Parish taxpayers.
I understand that sometimes things come up and you might miss a meeting. But missing six out of 12 is a lot. This board member went to the January meeting, then missed three in a row, came back in May, and missed June again.
For the 2026 calender year (the last seven months), this same board member has missed five out of the seven meetings. He has a 28 percent attendance rating in 2026. No gold star for him. Again, we paid him $800 a month to be school board member.
In 12 months, there has been only been three board meetings where all school board members attended. That means only 25 percent of the time, has there been all nine board members at the board meetings.
At three out of the last seven school board meetings, there were four board members not in attendance.
At the last meeting in June, four out of nine members were absent and missed the vote on the 13th check for school employees. That was kind of an important vote.
Some board members did a great job by attending 11 out of 12 meetings. These include Nick Touchet, Dr. David Dupuis, who drives from Gueydan, and Charlotte Detraz. Give them a silver star.
Since January, Touchet, Dupuis and Dale Stelly have a perfect attendance. Give them a gold star.
There are no consequences for board members who miss meetings, nor are they required to provide an explanation for their absence.
The district also can’t reduce their pay for missing meetings.
Soon, the school board will face important decisions and votes on finances, insurance, staffing, and possibly school closures. It is important for school board members to be present to vote on these future items.
If board members do not attend once a month meetings, it calls into question the purpose of their service on the residents in their district.