Nov. vote set to fill vacancy
Vermilion Parish voters will decide on Nov. 6 who will replace retired Vermilion Parish School Board member Bill Searle.
The School Board approved the election date in a special board meeting on Tuesday.
Searle, a retired farmer from Gueydan, served on the board for 15 years and served District A in the northwest part of the parish.
In a message posted on the School Board’s website, Searle wrote: “It has been an honor to serve the people of my district and the Vermilion Parish School System.”
During his tenure as School Board member, Searle stated that several decisions make him proud. Among the decisions was construction of the new LeBlanc Elementary School. The $15 million school opened last year and serves students zoned for the old Dozier Elementary, which was heavily damaged during Hurricane Rita in 2005.
“There are a number of projects I would like to see become a reality, one of which is a new middle school at North Vermilion,” Searle stated.
Last year, the School Board approved $6.5 million in new construction at North Vermilion Middle to build new classroom wings and a gym.
That school also sustained damage from hurricanes dating back to Rita.
Searle was one of six board members who supported the selection of Jerome Puyau as the district’s next superintendent. Puyau assumes the superintendency in late January.
Qualifying for the Nov. 6 race is Aug. 15-17.
The deadline to submit applications with the state Bond Commission to place propositions on the Nov. 6 ballot is July 18.
Until the election, G.L. “Skip” Gardiner has been appointed as Searle’s replacement.