For the second time, the Lafayette Parish School Board will be considering a proposal to close Comeaux High School today.
But one of the board members who voted against closure of the school - and who also represents a district in which many Comeaux families live - is out of town at a conference. He says that's been known for months.
"I am currently out of state attending a conference that has been scheduled since October 2025, well before this agenda item was created and placed on the board's agenda," Jeremy Hidalgo wrote in a Facebook post. "Although I will not be physically present at tonight's meeting, my position on this issue remains the same."
He's not the only person posting about this situation; we've seen multiple posts from parents and alumni relating the same story.
Karon Boudreaux Davis, an almunae, sent this letter to board members and cc'ed KATC:
"I am writing as a concerned community member regarding the reported plan to bring the school closure issue to a vote while several board members are away at a conference this week. If this information is accurate, I respectfully ask that the board postpone any vote on this matter until all members are present and able to participate. Decisions of this magnitude deserve the full representation of the board so that every district’s voice can be heard," Davis wrote. "Holding a vote while multiple members are absent may create the perception that the process is being rushed and that the community is not receiving the fair and thoughtful consideration it deserves. A short delay would allow all members to return, review the issue together, and participate in a decision that will significantly affect students, families, and staff.
"Please consider rescheduling this item so the full board can be present and the community can have confidence that the decision was made with complete representation."
Back in 2024, David LeJeune, Joshua Edmond, Amy Trahan, Kate Labue, and Hidalgo voted against closing Comeaux.
In addition to Hidalgo, Edmond also is out of town. Trahan and LeJeune will be in town for the meeting. Labue is the board member who placed the item on the agenda, which would seem to indicate her position has changed.
To pass, a proposal must receive yes votes from the majority of the board members who attend; five members are required for a quorum. In other words, if only five board members attend, and three vote in favor of a proposal, it passes - even though it would not if all board members were there. If seven board members are there, only four votes would be required to pass the item.
Board member Britt Latiolais, who voted to close Comeaux in 2024, responded to Davis' email by saying that Hidalgo could have flown out to the conference tomorrow. We replied and asked if he wanted to address parents' concerns that the item was placed on the agenda deliberately when board members would be out of town. He replied "Board members know meetings are always 2nd Thursday. Don't blame the 7 that will attend tonight."
We spoke with Hidalgo, who told us the national school board conference he's attending starts tomorrow morning and he couldn't fly there tomorrow and attend. He also said he didn't believe that the timing was deliberate. He told us he did not know the item would be on Thursday's agenda until he saw the agenda, and that it wasn't discussed as an upcoming item until this week. He and Edmond were registered for the conference back in October.
Hidalgo also mentioned that board meetings have been moved to accommodate the schedules of board members in the past.
Some parents have asked why the board members couldn't attend virtually, as sometimes was done during COVID, and LPSS sent us a link to a board policy that states "School Board members may attend School Board meetings via video conferencing or other technological means. However, the member must be physically present at the meeting to vote."
Board member Chad Desormeaux also replied to Davis' email, saying that "there is a chance that any board member at tonight’s meeting can make a motion to postpone. Whether that gets through is a wait and see. We will be missing Edmund and Hildago."
We reached out LPSS to ask about the known absences of board members tonight, and for a comment on the decision to put this on the agenda when it is known that they would be out of town.
Here's what they sent us:
The Lafayette Parish School Board unanimously approved its 2026 meeting schedule in January. Board members may place items they sponsor on the agenda, and a draft agenda for tonight's meeting was sent to all members on Friday, March 6. After the draft is distributed, Superintendent Francis Touchet, Jr. contacts each member to answer questions about agenda items. All nine Board members were aware that the repurposing of Comeaux High would be considered at the March 12 meeting. We understand that two members will not be in attendance. The members who proposed the item believe a decision is needed now to give students, families, and schools adequate time to prepare for any potential changes before the next school year, particularly for extracurricular activities and seniors preparing to graduate. If approved by the Board, the district will work closely with affected students, families, and staff to support a smooth transition.
