10 Avoyelles Parish public, four parochial schools start 2017-18 Thursday

All but two schools in Avoyelles Parish will begin the 2017-18 school year on Thursday (Aug. 10). The Avoyelles Public Charter School students get an extra day of summer vacation as they begin on Friday. Nazarene Christian Academy in Marksville will begin its school year Monday (Aug. 14). The four Catholic schools and 10 Avoyelles Parish School District schools will receive students Thursday.

“There are no major changes for the school year,” Avoyelles Superintendent Blaine Dauzat said. “We feel the current system is in place that will help the system improve in the years to come.”

Dauzat said preliminary estimates project the public school enrollment will be about the same as last year’s -- 5,414 students overall with 3,123 in the elementaries and 2,291 in the high schools. Schools will have a preliminary enrollment shortly after opening day, but the “count that counts” is the one on Oct. 1, which determines the district’s allocation of state Minimum Foundation funds.
As of this past Thursday, there were no vacant teaching positions in the parish.

ADMINISTRATORS

There are several new faces in the parish schools’ administrative offices. This year’s administrators in the 10 APSB schools are: Avoyelles High -- Mike Rachal, principal, Ashley Robinson and Scott Balius, assistant principals; Bunkie Elementary Learning Academy -- Liza Jacobs, principal, and Shalonda Berry, assistant principal; Bunkie High -- Chuck Normand, principal, and Contina Anderson, assistant principal; Cottonport Elementary -- Wendy Adams, principal, and Sara Venable, assistant principal; Lafargue Elementary -- Sharice Sullivan, principal, and Shaun Reynaud, administrative assistant; LaSAS -- Laura Hargis, principal, and Amy Volentine, assistant principal; Marksville Elementary -- Dawn Pitre, principal, and Nicole Gagnard, assistant principal; Marksville High -- Marvin Hall, principal, with Eric Dauzat, Joel Desselle, and Cindy Schaub, assistant principals; Plaucheville Elementary -- Toni Wilson, principal, and Kim Adams, assistant principal; and Riverside Elementary in Simmesport -- Jessica Gauthier, principal, and Monique Gaspard, assistant principal.

The administrators for the Catholic schools are: Sacred Heart Catholic School-Moreauville -- Sister Sandra Norsworthy, principal, and Darcy Bordelon, assistant principal; St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School-Bunkie -- Martha Coulon, principal; St. Joseph Catholic School-Plaucheville -- Billy Albritton, principal, and Gerard Jeansonne, assistant principal; and St. Mary’s Assumption Catholic School-Cottonport -- Nathan Laborde, principal.

The director of Avoyelles Public Charter School in Mansura is Julie Roy, the assistant director is Kim Gagnard and Lori Thames is the high school’s dean of students.

Nazarene Christian will be led by Bro. Gary Jones with Sis. Bobbie Jones as assistant principal.