Louise Smith is new BCS superintendent

Louise Smith

Louise Smith, a veteran educator who has served as a teacher, coach, athletic director, principal, grant writer and most recently has been staff support specialist for the Poplarville (Miss.) School District, is the new superintendent of the Bogalusa City Schools.

Trustees met in executive session for 33 minutes before returning to the district media center to announce their decision. The vote was 5-2, with Raymond Mims and Paul Kates voting nay. The position, with base and incentives, will pay in the lox six-figures, although Kates said after adjourning the meeting that no pay rate was discussed.

Kates said he voted against Smith because he thought the other candidate, Lionel Jackson of Tangipahoa Parish, would have an easier transition period and because he was familiar with Louisiana laws and regulations.

Smith fills a vacancy created when Ruth Horne resigned in mid-March. Smith was a finalist when Horne was hired three years ago to replace Jerry Payne, whose contract was not renewed.

Smith said it had been her career dream and goal to become a superintendent. She said she felt she could relate with Bogalusa because she has spent a great deal of time in the community and the demographics between the two communities are similar.

Smith and Jackson were two of 15 applicants for the position. Jackson and Smith were initially announced as finalists with Dr. Daniel Slack, superintendent of the East Carter R-II District in Elsinore, Mo. Slack was eliminated from consideration after a series of interviews on June 20-22 and the board decided on Monday to re-interview Smith and Jackson and postpone the decision until today.

OPINION: Must we hire BCS super now?

As evidenced by its decision to re-interview two candidates and delay the possible selection of Bogalusa's next city schools superintendent until at least the day they wanted them on the job, it seems as if the BCS board has questions, concerns or reservations — or all three.

We would hope this board, elected by a majority of the people voting in the election in which they sought office, would be comfortable within themselves to say, "Wait. There has to be someone else."

One candidate has made it this far before — in this community. They have obvious qualifications, but, because they weren't selected in the first round, there are obvious concerns.

The other candidate has made it this far twice before this year, losing out in a larger district in north Louisiana, but also in a small district to the west of us that, quiet honestly, people snicker about when you name it. If they aren't good enough for St. Helena — which gave us Jerry Payne — why we would consider them?

And then, there's the "X" factor of the local person who says they wanted to be considered, but never heard from the search firm. The search firm says they made contact and follow-up calls, but has a fuzzy memory when it comes to just exactly who they talked with and when.

There are questions both ways on this one ... no phone log? ... no email? ... no answering device? ... how about this one ... no recorder from a national search firm to record such conversations for documentation?

Too many questions there to make us feel comfortable, whether the local candidate might be qualified or not.

And finally, a new concern has come up with us.

After the out-of-state candidate was eliminated, we sent a copy of our story to the editor of the El Dorado Springs Sun newspaper, only to receive a strange reply: "Don't have a clue what you're talking about?"

After sending an explanation, we got this email from Kimball Long, El Dorado Springs Sun newspaper publisher:  "I read with some surprise that someone named Dr. Daniel Slack, superintendent at the Carter R-II School in El Dorado Springs, MO, had been eliminated from consideration as the leader of the Bogalusa City Schools.

"Please check your facts. There has never been anyone by that name in El Dorado Springs, MO and we have no Carter R-II School district."

Both the local newspaper and wpnews got that information from the same source, the Bogalusa City Schools, who got it from McPherson & Jacobson, LLC.

For the record, the Missouri candidate is located about 250 miles away from the community we were told he was in and, while it may not be a big deal, it makes us wonder about everything else this search firm has done ... so, for the record, we would ask the board to table the hiring, up the salary to about $125,000 annually — which, as the local newspaper editor discussed with us Tuesday night, attracts a whole new level of candidate — thank Mac & Jack for a questionable job, at best, and start the search over with a new firm.

Interim Superintendent Stephanie Hoppen has obviously done a good enough job that you've left her in the position and she has worked through some difficult situations she inherited. In country folk jargon, she's keeping the district bus on the road and between the ditches.

Let's let her keep driving while you make sure you have the right firm finding the right candidate ... because if you don't and this turns out to be another bad hire, our district — and our community — will have had it.

                                                                                                 -John H. Walker

BCS board busy, but exec session dominates

A 59-minute executive session in which board members reviewed evaluations of Lionel Jackson and Louise Smith by participants in the superintendent interview process last week, dominated Tuesday regular meeting of the trustees of the Bogalusa City Schools.

"We want to thank everyone for their participation," board president Paul Kates said. "We particularly appreciate their input and want them to know we will take some of their input when we interview the two candidates tomorrow (Wednesday) night."

Board vice-president Adam Kemp said, "Some of the best questions came from the students. I was very impressed with their questions and their observations ... I'm going to steal some of the them (tomorrow)."

Board member Eleanor Duke was more to the point.

"Ya'll say a prayer for us. We're doing our best to find the best person for the students."

The board plans to convene in executive session at 5 p.m., meeting once again with Jackson and Smith in hopes of developing a consensus. On Monday, Kates said the board hoped to make a decision when it meets again at 5 p.m. Friday.

In other action:
   • Hired Bill Murray as a nine-month graduation coach
   • Rehired six instructors who had previously been terminated because of a reduction in force. Five of the six worked their last day on May 31 — Myra Galloway of Bogalusa Middle School, Jill Jeffers of Pleasant Hill, Clyde Terrell of Byrd Avenue, Christopher Loewe of Pleasant Hill and Irvin Deubler of Superior Avenue. The sixth was 12-month employee Hubert Little of Bogalusa High School.
   • Renewed Pam Ard's contract as principal at Bogalusa High School. Ard's termination had been recommended by former superintendent Ruth Horne.
   • Hired Bryan Stewart as principal of Bogalusa New Tech High School. Stewart has been serving as assistant principal at Bogalusa High School and has taken on the responsibility of athletic director.
   • Hired Peggy Sue Stewart as a bus driver.
   • Hired Ella Dupard as a summer school substitute.
   • Authorized hiring for four positions, including supervisor of special populations, two BHS custodians, one home economics teacher at BMS and one talented art teacher at BMS.
   • Granted permission to enter in a SmartFind Express Contract — the Substitute Employment Management System for Schools.
   • Approved a policy adopting parental responsibilities for Pre-K and K students riding buses.
   • Awarded bids for FY 2011-2012 frozen foods, kitchen supplies, bread, milk, produce and small equipment.
   • Granted permission for Joanie Miller (district representative) and Tonya Varnado-Seal,  Byrd Avenue Elementary principal, to travel to Washington, DC for the Healthier U.S. Challenge Gold Award of Distinction reception on July 29 on the East Lawn of the White House per invitation from First Lady Michelle Obama.
   • Granted permission to discard additional fixed assets district wide from General Fund, Title I and Special Ed.
   • Granted permission to enter into a contract with Washington Parish Schools to occupy a room at Long Avenue School for the Adult Education Program.
   • Grant permission for Joanna Dillman, supervisor of human resources and community relations, to attend the National School Public Relations Association Conference in San Antonio on July 10-13.