Last night, a deal was reached with ousted St. Martin Parish School Superintendent Lottie Beebe.
Her attorney, Lane Roy tells KATC Beebe will be paid her contractual salary through June 2019 and will retire effective July 1, 2019. Roy said Beebe will be placed on administrative leave with pay. Beebe will still receive the benefits of her contract.
Roy said, “This whole charade cost taxpayers roughly $150,000.” According to Roy, the district will also pay an interim superintendent.
KATC reached out to board member Aaron Flegeance for comment and he would not confirm whether a settlement was reached.
Flegeance said, “It is better for me not to speak about this, because it is important to me for us to have a united board. Right now, the board is split six to four. Without a united board, no Superintendent can function effectively. The progress we have been making in the St. Martin Parish School district will plummet if we do not unite. The children of St. Martin Parish deserve a high quality education to survive and thrive in the 21st Century.”
As of this morning, board attorney Mark Boyer is unavailable for comment.
Friday Afternoon, the board released the following statement on Beebe’s termination.
“At its September 5, 2018 Board meeting, the St. Martin Parish School Board voted to terminate its employment with Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Lottie Beebe. Dr. Beebe had previously indicated she would retire at the expiration of her contract, which was June 30, 2018; however, there were some who requested her continued service. That request was partly because of an ongoing and active desegregation case and a myriad of bond projects to be completed. The vote executed on September 5, 2018 was not indicative or the result of any performance review or evaluation, and it certainly was not a termination of employment for cause.
During her tenure, Dr. Beebe was instrumental in implementing the Teacher Evaluation Program (TAP), the Leader in Me Program, District Leader Professional Learning Communities, monthly professional development academies, the St. Martin Parish Red Carpet Gala, STEM Academy, and other initiatives. The Spring 2017 assessment results achieved a district rating of 88.5/B. In 2016, the district letter grade was 89.3/B.
While the district is awaiting Spring 2018 assessment results, St. Martin Parish School District attained an estimated progress growth index of 100.1, indicating the educators across the district are meeting the individual needs of their students. There were also gains in graduation index (strength of diploma) and graduation cohort-students who are graduating on time. Nevertheless, the St. Martin Parish School Board had been at an impasse for nearly a year on whether or not to renew Dr. Beebe’s contract for an additional term.
The Board believed it was time to move forward with a successor and plans on naming a
permanent replacement that will continue the work and effort of Dr. Beebe. Dr. Beebe has had a long, successful and accomplished career as an educator and administrator. The St. Martin Parish School Board thanks her for her service, and apologizes to all involved for any confusion or miscommunication regarding the status of Dr. Beebe’s contract. We wish her the best in her future endeavors, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to provide the best education possible for our children of St. Martin Parish.”
