Despite recently learning he has Prostate Cancer, School Board member Anthony Fontana cleared the air by saying he was not dying and he had no plans to step down as a School Board member.

Fontana, 59, told other school board members and the audience attending Thursday’s School Board meeting about his health condition.

“As much as some people would like me to be going, I am not,” Fontana said told the school board members. “Ya’ll will have me around.”

Fontana said over the last two weeks, he said rumors about his health were flying. Some were saying he had Pancreatic Cancer and only had two weeks to live.

“I want to set the record straight,” he said. “I don’t have Pancreatic Cancer. I have Prostate Cancer and it is in its early stages.”

Fontana said the prognoses is good because it was caught early. He said no cancer was found anywhere else in his body.

“I am optimistic,” he said.

In other School Board action: the board named Dawn Amy as the new principal for LeBlanc Elementary School to be located north of Erath. By a vote of 5-3, Amy was selected by the School Board.

LeBlanc Elementary will be the new elementary school located north of Erath on North Road.

Until a new school is built, sometimes next year, the buildings on the Matte property will serve as LeBlanc Elementary.

LeBlanc Elementary’s zone lines will consist of anyone living north of La 14 (not counting the Erath city limits). Abbeville students who live north of the La. 14 Bypass, near Wal-Mart up the Vermilion River in Abbeville will also be zoned for LeBlanc Elementary.

Students who are zoned for Dozier Elementary next school year will attend the old Dozier Elementary that is located in Erath.