Avoyelles Coalition to focus on truancy, bullying issues

For the past few years, the Avoyelles Community & Youth Coalition has been focusing on the important issue of suicide prevention in this parish. While stressing that they will still be involved in that campaign, the ACYC members have decided to focus their efforts this year on truancy/drop-out prevention and other education issues.

One of those education issues will be bullying -- which also made the organization’s radar in its suicide prevention project as a potential cause of suicide among adolescents.

The coalition is an umbrella group including several state and private entities, as well as interested individuals, dedicated to addressing health, education and social issues to help improve the community.

It meets at noon on the third Tuesday of the month at the Hampton Inn in Marksville. Anyone wishing more information on the organization or its programs may contact Kitty Wynn at 487-5189. Wynn, of the state’s Central Louisiana Human Services District, serves as staff liaison between the CLHSD and the coalition.

ACYC Co-Chairman John Gagnard said the group decided to focus on education issues because of their importance to the overall community.

“There is too much truancy in Avoyelles Parish,” Gagnard said. “Students are missing school for no reason. We will be looking for programs to encourage them to stay in school, but the most important thing is that they attend school.”

Gagnard is also on the Avoyelles Parish School Board, is a retired teacher and Central Office administrator, CASA advocate and on the board of directors of the Marksville Chamber of Commerce, Avoyelles Society for the Developmentally Disabled and Louisiana School Boards Association.

Gagnard said ACYC will also be sponsoring programs about bullying awareness and prevention.

“Bullying is wrong,” Gagnard asserted. “We have to teach children that there are other ways to solve their problems than being a bully.”

A Sub-Committee has been formed to include ACYC members and Avoyelles School District staff to address education issues on which the two groups can work together. Dr. Karen Williams, APSD special education director, is heading that sub-committee.