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11-18-16

STATE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT JOHN WHITE SAID SUCCESSES AND IMPROVEMENTS IN STATE SCHOOLS ARE UNDENIABLE AS THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELEASED A REPORT CARD ON SCHOOLS.  DESPITE THE GAINS, THE STATE’S LETTER GRADE AVERAGE IS A “C”, DOWN FROM A “B” LAST YEAR.  WHITE SAYS THAT IS BECAUSE LESS THAT HALF OF STRUGGLING STUDENTS MET ACADEMIC GROWTH GOALS.  MEANWHILE THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO ACHIEVED MASTERY IN MATH, ENGLISH, SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES ROSE SIX PERCENTAGE POINTS TO 33 PERCENT.

 

LAFAYETTE PARISH POSTED A 7-POINT-1 POINT GAIN, GOING FROM 27TH IN THE STATEWIDE RANKINGS TO 19TH.  THE GRADE FOR THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL DISTRICT REMAINS A “B”, BUT SUPERINTENDENT DONALD AGUILLARD TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT THEY ARE WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF AN “A”.  ONLY SIX SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT SAW THEIR PERFORMANCE SCORES DROP, INCLUDING ACADIAN MIDDLE, WHICH WENT FROM A “C” GRADE TO A “D”.  FOUR SCHOOLS ROSE FROM A “B” TO AN “A” GRADE:  MILTON, PLANTATION, AND ERNEST GALLET ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND THE DAVID THIBODAUX STEM MAGNET ACADEMY.

 

IN ACADIANA, THE ACADIA PARISH SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD THE BIGGEST INCREASE IN THE OVERALL SCORE, IMPROVING BY 10-POINT-3 POINTS.  VERMILLION PARISH HAS THE HIGHEST OVERALL SCORE IN THE REGION, GOING FROM A LETTER “B” GRADE TO AN “A”, MAKING IT ONE OF THE TOP TEN DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.  ERATH HIGH SCHOOL IN VERMILLION PARISH HAS THE HIGHEST OVERALL GRADE OF ANY ACADIANA SCHOOL.  THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN ST. MARTIN AND EVANGELINE PARISHES SAW A LETTER GRADE IMPROVEMENT, MOVING FROM A “C” UP TO A “B”.

 

THREE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA SCHOOL DISTRICTS RECEIVED AN “A” GRADE.  THEY ARE ALLEN, CAMERON AND VERNON PARISHES.  MEANWHILE CALCASIEU, JEFF DAVIS, AND BEAUREGARD PARISHES EARNED A “B” GRADE.  THE LAKE CHARLES CHARTER ACADEMY AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA CHARTER ACADEMY GOT “C’S”, WHILE LAKE CHARLES COLLEGE PREP RECIEVED A FAILING GRADE.

 

Louisiana officials are considering another state debt refinancing, hoping it may save the state some money as it struggles through repeated budget gaps.  Gov. John Bel Edwards’ chief budget adviser, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, asked staff of the Bond Commission to look into the idea. Dardenne said Thursday the Edwards administration hasn’t decided if it will seek a debt refinancing, but wants to investigate all possibilities as the state looks for ways to rebalance the budget.  The state has a more than $300 million deficit to close from the budget year that ended June 30, and another gap is expected in the current budget year.

 

A Duson business owner has pleaded guilty to evading taxes for three years.

U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley, in a news release Thursday, said 65-year-old Larry J. Thibodeaux pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to evade and defeat payment of tax.  Wednesday’s plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol B. Whitehurst will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter.  Finley’s office says Thibodeaux as president of Thib’s Trailers underreported taxes on IRS individual and corporate forms from 2012 to 2014 for a total loss to the U.S. Treasury of $248,777.

 

  1. LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICIALS ARRESTED ONE MAN AND ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR TWO OTHERS IN CONNECTION TO A DOUBLE MURDER INVESTIGATION. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.

 

VOICER I :23

 

State health and environmental officials are warning against eating catfish and crab fat from parts of Bayou D’Inde and the Calcasieu (KAL’-kah-shoo) Ship Channel in southwestern Louisiana.  The same warning, issued Thursday, also suggests limiting consumption of other fish and shellfish from those areas to two meals per month.  And it warns against eating fat from crabs in portions of the Calcasieu Estuary.  Thursday’s advisory was the result of recent sampling of finfish and shellfish from the area.