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One school board member accused the school board president and the superintendent of allegedly breaking the law regarding to the start of the “grab and go” meal program this past week.
On Thursday a special board meeting was held to try and pass an emergency resolution. The emergency resolution lets the superintendent make decisions about the school system without getting school board approval during the coronavirus crises.
Thursday night, the emergency resolution was shot down, 4-3, because of specific verbage in the resolution. Another special meeting was called for Friday night, for after the wording has been changed in the emergency declaration, and it is expected to pass.
However, at Thursday’s meeting, school board member Chris Gautreaux, questioned who gave Superintendent Brad Prudhomme the authority to start the meals program and to promise lunchroom workers extra money for cooking the meals?
“First of all, I can not support this resolution, based on a few things,” said Gautreaux. “The reason I can not support this is that I have a trail of emails saying that most of this has already been decided without board approval. There is nowhere in the governor’s declaration of emergency that says the president or the superintendent has the right to make decisions for the board and or spend money for the board. Based on those reasons alone, I am taking these emails to the proper authorities because I think there is an abuse of power or malfeasance in office.”
What Gautreaux is referring to is the start-up of the “grab and go” meal program that began Wednesday morning. More than 500 students have been fed at six different schools. Gautreaux said School Board President Kibbie Pillette should have called a quick board meeting so the board could have approved spending the money for the meals program. Instead, Gautreaux said Pillette said all school board meetings were canceled.
“Why all of a sudden do we have a board meeting?” asked Gautreaux.
Pillette said state officials asked that all school boards in the state pass this resolution.
“So you passed a resolution after everything is implemented and after we started spending money?” Gautreaux replied. “Why did we not have a meeting on Monday or Tuesday like most school boards did? Good leaders rise to the top. They do not cancel everything.
“Now we are in a pickle. I am not going to be a part of a cover up. This is a cover up,” said Gautreaux. “This is a cover up; to cover up, you all spending money without board approval.”
Gautreaux also wanted to know who promised lunchroom workers “hazard pay” for cooking meals for the meals program?
“How can you promise hazard pay when it is not board approved?” asked Gautreaux. “What budget item is it going to come from? Do they deserve the pay? Yes. How can all of these decisions be made? They are made by the president who has no authority. Voting on the phone, which is illegal.”
Gautreaux reminded everyone that his questions are not directed towards stopping kids from eating in Vermilion Parish. It is about “possible abuse” of power, he said.
Gautreaux closed the meeting by saying, this is in the school board member commentary.
“You can continue to act unilaterally and politicize the students’ future, but as long as I am on this board, I will hold all of you accountable and never allow you to suppress the parents and kids’ voice,” Gautreaux said.
Prudhomme and Pillette did not respond to Gautreaux’s questions during Thursday’s meeting.
Prudhomme said the school district will continue to serve the meals as long as they are allowed. He thanked everyone for helping serve the meals.

America has changed very quickly.
In only a matter of days, what was once a generally stable, prosperous, independent nation filled with everyday people just grinding it out on a daily basis to raise their family and have a little fun in the process has turned into something much different.
Everyday people like you and me are now known as “potential carriers” and are being told to stay home. Everyday people are now educating their own children at home and avoiding contact with their neighbors, families, and friends. They are no longer visiting local restaurants, retailers, offices, governments, churches, or entertainment venues by governmental request and/or mandate. This could go on for two weeks, two months or even longer, and we are all now trained to keep hitting refresh on Twitter to find out the new rules we’ll be living under for the moment…until they all change again in the next moment.
Our leaders are trying their best to figure it all out also and are doing a good job, all things considered. Anyone playing politics or spreading partisan blame right now needs to get a life. These are unchartered waters and we all must lock arms and figure it out together until this life-altering ordeal is past us. The health of our citizens comes first and there is no asterisk on that statement. However, there is another crisis at hand and we also must be preparing for what comes next on that front.
Will there be any small businesses left when this is done? I know it sounds alarmist, but the question is absolutely legitimate.
Talk to any mom and pop restaurant or store owner and they will tell you we are in a crisis. The festivals and cultural events that drove their markets have been canceled. The students who used to be their customers have returned home. Their ability to serve customers inside their own establishments has been banned. Their employees are like family to them and they are desperately trying to do what is right by them, but profit margins for many of these entities average about one to two percent, and there is simply no cash flow available to pay bills and wages. The rent is due, and their supply chains are disrupted.
Oh, by the way, these small business owners are also parents, so their children are at home trying to abide by whatever rules their school is piecing together on the fly. They have elderly relatives they are worried about and are discouraged from visiting. Whatever savings they have in the market have tanked, and they are not the type of long-term investor who can just “ride this one out” and wait for things to get back to normal.
For many of these folks, they don’t see how normal ever returns. They are scared, they feel alone and they are not sure where to turn. Many more than you realize are contemplating closing their doors for good despite their strong desire to stay open at all costs.
These small business restaurant and retail owners are the backbone of every community in Louisiana. Over the years, their establishments are where you would gather to celebrate a family special occasion, propose to your girlfriend or simply enjoy some cold beer and crawfish on a beautiful Louisiana weather evening. These folks always are some of the first to step up when a storm hits and they go all over the state to feed folks first who are hungry and wonder about any payment after the fact, if ever.
It’s our turn to have their back after they have had our back time and time again over the years.
As a citizen, do your part by supporting them any way you can. If you can order takeout from your favorite local restaurant, do it as much as you can the next few weeks and tip generously to the workers. If you cannot make it there, go online and order gift cards from them to help provide them the cash flow they need to get by. Here at LABI, we are pushing folks to take the #giftcardchallenge. That means buy a gift card for a local restaurant or retailer, take a photo of yourself doing it and post it online to inspire others to follow suit. Use the #giftcardchallenge hashtag and spread it around.
As for our elected leaders, we at LABI are begging them to be just as bold and decisive on the small business recovery as you have been on preventing the spread of COVID-19. Do not hesitate to jump in and ensure these small businesses survive. Tax credits that can be used down the road are nice, but they don’t help much when cash flow is nonexistent since the government has shut down your business and banned your customers from coming to see you. Low-interest loans only help so much when the loans you already have to operate your low-margin business are overdue.
This is a crisis of epic proportions on multiple levels. The health crisis is one that leaders have taken bold steps to tackle. The economic ramifications of such bold actions require just as bold and immediate of a response.
Congress is currently debating legislation to help, and it appears they are hearing the cries of small business and resolving some of these issues best they can. When the state legislature returns, it is imperative that they immediately take steps to pass bills that target immediate relief for small businesses. That is all well and good, but today government can only do so much for this small business crisis.
Today, it is all on all of us, the consumers. If we want our unique Louisiana culture to continue…the one based around close-knit communities focused on food, fun, faith and family…we the people must do our part now.
Just don’t sit at home right now, social distancing your day away by binge-watching your favorite shows. Buy a gift card to your favorite local small business today and encourage your friends to do the same. Order takeout from a local restaurant, safely pick it up and tip generously. Find creative other ways to help these community pillars these next few weeks in a way that adheres to health guidelines.
We all want things to go back to normal soon and, if we follow governmental guidelines, it looks like we will get there from a health perspective. But that new normal may not include many of your favorite local small businesses on the back end if you don’t step up now to help. Do your part today, and if you do, continue to reap the benefits of these small businesses in your community for years to come.
Stephen Waguespack is president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

The Meridional would like to know what others are feeling or experiencing when it comes to the coronavirus and the what is going on in the World. Email your thoughts to abbnews@bellsouth.net
This is a letter written by Erath High senior Chloe Hardin.

Dear Erath Class of 2020,

In the years 2001 and 2002, many of us were born. Around this same time, two planes caused the collapse of the World Trade Center and a third struck the Pentagon. Whether we were crawling around or still in the womb, a universal question plagued our parents. “What kind of a world will our children grow up in?”
As years went by, the world of air travel was never the same.
Regardless, lives went on as usual. We took our first steps, learned to speak, and made our very first memories. Entering education proved to be just as tragic as entering the world as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita tore us apart and separated us into two schools.
We returned to our new learning environments and were ecstatic for middle school, but before we could get there, the world was expected to end in 2012. Our fifth grade year. The end of elementary school and the end of the world. Clearly, and thankfully, the Mayan calendar had it wrong.
Shortly after, middle school seemed to be looking up. We were finally reunited at Erath Middle School. After three short years, celebration turned to tragedy as we lost one of the most loved members of our class, Adontee Martin, in the middle of eighth grade LEAP testing.
Freshman year was rough without him and was made harder with the Flood of 2016. Nevertheless, we got our feet back on dry ground and were determined to make our high school experiences the best yet.
Finally, as our senior year comes to a close, a pandemic hits. Our last band assessments are canceled. Student Council, Beta, and 4-H are canceled. Cheer and dance are canceled. Track, softball, baseball, and powerlifting are all canceled. Essentially, every organization we’re a part of has come to an early close. Goodbyes are said early and the potential of a graduation ceremony also seems to slowly dwindle away.
We anticipated a month of our final memories together only to have it stripped away at the last moment. After experiencing all of this together, the lowest blow seems to be the conclusion of our senior year.
Luckily, it is not the last chapter of our lives. High school is only the beginning.
I have heard from many teachers that our class tends to complain less than others. I truly believe that this is due to the experiences and disappointments that have befallen us. We have been learning to persevere through tragedies and hard times since birth.
Our education has been constantly interrupted, yet we take it in stride and hold our heads high. We fiercely fight for what we believe in. Our relationships with one another have become incredibly strong. We build each other up after natural disasters, hold each other together through loss, and we now comfort each other through quarantine.
Looking back, some may call our life experience a tragedy. I choose to call it character-building.

Sincerely,

P.S. If there are zombies out there, I’m sure we’ll live through that, too.

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Health confirms the COVID-19 related death of an out-of-state resident from Mississippi at a facility in St. Tammany Parish. Mississippi officials are aware.
The LDH COVID-19 dashboard does not include data on out-of-state residents, as that information is included in other states’ case counts.
LDH will continue to report COVID-19 related deaths twice per day, at 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., as needed.
While older individuals and those with underlying medical conditions are at greater risk, everyone can become exposed to COVID-19 and must be vigilant to protect their health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the serious chronic health conditions include heart disease, diabetes and lung disease.
For updates on positive cases and deaths, visit the Louisiana Department of Health's COVID-19 webpage.
Everyone is warned to take the necessary precautions to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and stay safe and healthy.

These precautions include:
Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds and frequently
Covering your cough or sneeze with your arm
Avoiding touching your face
Routinely cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces
Avoiding close contact with others
And staying home if you are sick
About the Louisiana Department of Health