Meeting turns rowdy

• By KORAN ADDO
• Advocate Westside bureau
• Published: May 12, 2009 - Page: 1B

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PLAQUEMINE — Five Iberville Parish School Board members stormed out of a board meeting Monday night in a show of solidarity with hundreds of parish residents who tried to pack the board office and continue their protest of the planned closure of North Iberville High School.

Before the 6 p.m. meeting, a visibly angry crowd of people starting yelling and chanting when law enforcement authorities said that only 65 people — the building’s listed capacity — would be allowed inside.

Standing on a stage in the School Board office’s parking lot, the Rev. Reginald L. Pitcher questioned why, he said, the School Board had never before enforced the building’s capacity limitations, but did so Monday with the group calling itself the North Iberville Concerned Citizens — and wearing red “Save our Schools” T-shirts — trying to enter following a  march.

Iberville Parish Sheriff’s deputies and Plaquemine police stood outside the School Board office to prevent overcrowding as the meeting started.

The School Board voted 8 to 7 on April 21 to close the high school and have its 155 students in the seventh through 12th grades attend Plaquemine High School in the fall at the urging of Superintendent Ed Cancienne.

Cancienne has said North Iberville High lacks the resources to provide the quality education its 155 high school students need if they are to compete in the 21st century.

After recognizing parish students for academic achievements, Monday’s meeting turned chaotic and ground to a halt as board member Stanley Washington, who represents the Rosedale and Maringouin areas, challenged Cancienne.

Washington repeatedly questioned the validity of the board’s vote to close the high school portion of North Iberville.

He said the wording of the motion to close the school implied that the entire school was to be closed although students in kindergarten through sixth grade classes will remain on the campus.

Washington said the Louisiana Department of Education has only one school identification number for the school and not two separate codes, one for the high school and another code for the lower grade levels, therefore making last month’s vote invalid on a technicality.

Cancienne said Monday he has been in contact with state education officials and has been assured that the School Board’s vote to close the seventh through 12th grades at North Iberville High is valid.

Washington then demanded repeatedly that Cancienne provide written documentation that the vote was valid.

When School Board President Melvin Lodge tried to continue the meeting, saying Cancienne had answered the question, Washington said he was not going to stop talking until Cancienne gave written proof.