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By David Jacobs |
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Louisiana’s state school board voted without objection Wednesday to ask the Louisiana Legislature to increase education spending by about $82 million.
The spending bump is more than twice what Gov. John Bel Edwards requested in his executive state budget proposal. Teachers’ groups hope lawmakers can find additional money to get Louisiana educators’ pay closer to the regional average.
The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) proposes each year a Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) formula, which lays out state spending for K-12 education. The Legislature can approve or reject the board’s proposed MFP, or send it back to BESE for reconsideration, but cannot change it.
If lawmakers don’t approve a new formula before their legislative session ends, the current formula stays in place for the next school year. Wednesday’s board action is the first step in what could be an extended negotiation between the BESE and the Legislature.
The proposed formula includes an additional $40 million to boost teacher pay by $400 annually and $200 for support staff, which mirrors Edwards’ proposal. It also adds $40 million to local districts’ base per-pupil allocation, raising it from $4,015 to $4,070, and $2 million to pay $2,000 stipends to certified mentor teachers, neither of which is included in the governor's budget.
Edwards, a Democrat, has pledged to raise teacher pay to the southern average by the time he leaves office.
The BESE is asking the Legislature to let the board alter its funding request if additional money becomes available during the state budgeting process.
"The approved MFP formula, developed with broad stakeholder input, represents a strong starting point in the process,” BESE President Sandy Holloway said. “We look forward to working with our partners in the Legislature in the weeks ahead to equitably and effectively meet the funding needs of all students, educators and schools."
The Legislature kicks off this year’s regular session April 12 and must adjourn by 6 p.m. June 10.

DELCAMBRE - The Delcambre Panthers jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the first two innings and then cruised to a 17-4 win over Livonia on Tuesday.
The Panthers secured the victory thanks to 11 runs in the second inning.
The offensive onslaught by Delcambre was led by Hayden Frederick, Kalob Moneaux, Luke Pacetti, Zeb Falgout, Kade Desormeaux, and Parker LeBlanc, all driving in runs in the inning.
In the first inning, Delcambre got their offense started when Frederick singled home a run.
Moneaux pitched Delcambre to victory. Moneaux surrendered zero runs on zero hits over two innings, striking out five and walking one. Cullen Bouton threw three innings in relief out of the bullpen.
Delcambre tallied 10 hits.
Bouton went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Delcambre. Rogan Saunier had two hits (1 double) for DHS. Moneaux had a triple and knocked in three runs.

Houma Christian....7
Lady Panthers........4

The Delcambre Lady Panthers dropped a 7-4 decision to Houma Christian in Delcambre on Tuesday.
After two scoreless innings, Delcambre jumped out to a 4-1 lead after three innings. Houma Christian stormed back and scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning and two in the fifth for a 6-4 lead.
Houma Christian had 13 hits and Delcambre had 8 in the game.
Madison Hyatt had two hits to lead DHS. Others with hits for DHS were Lauren Dooley, Madison Menard, Rhen Broussard, Emma Duhon, Kyana Gary and Jannell Stelly.
Broussard took the loss on the hill after throwing the first five innings and giving up six runs on 11 hits.
Ella Maggio and Paige Meyers pitched the final two frames for DHS.

Fans of the Louisiana Cattle Festival can once again mark their calendars for the first weekend in October.
Cattle Festival President Francis Plaisance announced that the festival will return in 2021, during the first weekend in October. This comes after organizers decided to cancel last year’s festival because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, Gov. John Bel Edwards moved Louisiana into Phase III, which allows for fairs and festivals to operate at 50% capacity. Plaisance said the Cattle Festival Board discussed and jumped at the opportunity to set a date.
“It’s going to be Oct. 1 and Oct. 2,” Plaisance said happily. “We want to get it out there so people can make plans.”
As for plans for how the festival will go, Plaisance said that remains in the works. For now, it’s simply a matter of making the festival happen in some way, shape or form.
“The events are to be determined,” Plaisance said. “We just feel like we want to allow the public to enjoy the festival.”
Plaisance said members of the Cattle Festival board would meet to iron out further details of this year’s festival.
“We are going to meet soon,” Plaisance said. “We are going to see how many events we are going to put in.
“We do want to bring it back.”
Bringing the festival back in any given year, even on the heels of a successful festival, presents plenty of work and some challenges.
“Not having it last year does make things tough,” Plaisance said. “We still have a lot of work to do.”
Last September, the community helped ease some of the burden of the festival not happening last year by supporting a fundraiser effort to “Save the Cattle Festival.”
“That helped us tremendously to be able to get to this point,” Plaisance said.
At this point last year, no one knew the incredible effect the pandemic would have, an effect that led to the cancelation of the festival. It would have been the 72nd Annual Louisiana Cattle Festival. Plaisance said he is satisfied to leave 72nd festival in the history books for having not been held.
“I think we will just keep things in order,” Plaisance said, “and this year will be the 73rd Annual Louisiana Cattle Festival.”
Whatever the label, the festival has a date, and that answers a question many have asked of Plaisance.
“People kept asking me,” Plaisance said of whether the festival would go on. “Everyone I have talked to is super excited that the festival is going to take place.
“That’s a good thing.”

The best passer in Vermilion Parish has found a place to continue his talent.
Drew Lege has thrown for 9,110 yards in four years at VC, which is more yards than anyone else in the parish.
On Monday, he signed a letter of intent to play for Ave Maria University, which is located in Naples, Florida (on the Gulf of Mexico side across from Miami).
The signing was held in the VC gymnasium surrounded by football players, family and friends.
Ave Maria University is a private Catholic institution that was founded in 2003. It has an undergraduate enrollment of 1,129,
Lege was glad he found a place to continue his education. Early in the 2020 football season, Yale offered to give him a scholarship and he accepted. However, things changed because of COVID-19. Due to COVID-19, the NCAA said seniors in all sports could return for an extra year. Yale and other universities found themselves having to keep their scholarships for seniors who returned for the fifth year.
Yale took back its scholarship offer.
Lege had two more scholarship offers. One was from Ave Maria and the other was from Louisiana College in Pineville, La.
The Lege family visited Ave Maria during the hard freeze last month and liked what they saw.
“The weather was beautiful during the freeze,” said Lege. “It was perfect timing.”
When Lege arrives, Ave Maria will have five quarterbacks on the roster. There will be two seniors, two redshirt freshmen and Lege.
Ave’s starting QB, Will Tale, a two-year starter at QB, will take advantage of the NCAA allowing seniors to return for another year. He will return one more year. He has thrown for an average of 1,100 yards a season.
One person who was all smiles with Lege signing was the VC quarterback coach, Bobby McDonald. McDonald coached Lege for the last three years. McDonald played quarterback for Nicholls State in 1987-88.
“Drew has developed into a smart young man,” said McDonald. “He picks the game up and is very coachable. He is a great kid.”
For four years, Lege never played behind a large offensive line. McDonald taught him the way to be successful at quarterback with limited protection is to get rid of the football quickly.
“In our scheme, we want him to get rid of the ball quick. He also has a great ability to read defenses, and see it, understand it and deliver it made him very successful,” McDonald added.
Lege and McDonald did have conversations about what was the best college for him to attend. Other universities wanted him to walk-on in hopes he could win a scholarship in a year or two.
“Wherever Drew needs to be happy, that is where he needs to go,” said McDonald. “Wherever he goes, it does not matter. It will be good for him. He will develop friendships and get a good education.
“Drew will then be set for life.”