The superintendent in St. Landry Parish will stay on the job.
Despite objections from some educators, the board voted to extend Patrick Jenkins’ contract.
He wanted a three-year deal but didn't quite get that.
St. Landry Superintendent Patrick Jenkins will remain as superintendent for 12 months but some teachers say it shouldn't have been extended at all.
Shortly after the board voted to keep Jenkins for another year, dozens of teachers walked out.
They say under this administration, they have too much on their plate.
"I decided to stay for the kids in this parish and I'm continuously being lied to. When I'm counseling teachers more than students something is wrong. You can't put students first if you put teachers last and our teachers are tired. We've been fighting this fight for a long time,” said teacher, Lydia Soley.
Jenkins initially wanted a three-year deal, with a three-percent pay raise every year.
Amid outcry from teachers, Jenkins retracted the pay raise before going into executive session with board members.
"When you have this many positions to fill and you're not making the changes to correct the situation then the problem is within the district and higher up. It's not the teachers. The teachers are doing their jobs, they're doing what it takes to prepare these kids but we can't do it by ourselves and we have no support for the higher-ups,” said one SLP teacher.
One teacher questions whether she can continue the job under the current administration.
"I'm a product of this parish and I don't want to have to move away. I would like to stay here and would like for my kids to continue to have a great education but a change needs to take place in order for that to happen,” said Soley.
Superintendent Jenkins declined to comment.
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