St. Landry Superintendent Patrick Jenkins is on leave until his contract ends on June 30 - but that may not be a final decision.
At a board meeting last week, the School Board met in executive session to discuss the use of Act 292 of the 2020 legislature, which allows a board to place a superintendent on administrative leave if there are fewer than 90 days left in their contract.
In February, Jenkins announced that he would not be seeking a renewal of his contract with the board, which ends on June 30. The last time his contract was about to expire, in 2021, Jenkins wanted another three years but the board only approved an additional year. To read about that, click here.
At the meeting last week, Jenkins negotiated with the board to take administrative leave until June 30, said Board President Joyce Haynes.
Haynes said Jenkins negotiated with the board to take the leave until his contract expires so he could prepare for future jobs.
"Act 292 revised current law to allow superintendents to prepare for what's next," Haynes explained.
Tomorrow's meeting, which starts at 2 p.m., is to discuss the appointment of an interim superintendent, she said. Haynes added that several board members want Jenkins to serve out his term.
"He didn't want the board to fight about it, and I think he saw this as a way to resolve this issue," she said.
Haynes said the aim was to do "what is right" but also to come up with a solution that was palatable to everyone. The vote was taken, but not everyone is happy with the outcome, Haynes said.
The board is at the start of its search to replace Jenkins; applications have been received and are being vetted by a law firm hired for that process.
The Daily World was at the meeting and posted a story with details about what board members said during that meeting. To read that story, click here.
Jenkins has been superintendent since 2016. He was named Louisiana's Superintendent of the Year in December.
