– The St. Martin Parish School Board approved the school calendar for the 2026-27 school year at its regular meeting on Jan. 7.
The board was presented three options by Supervisor of Child Welfare & Attendance Kevin Bonhomme.
The board voted to approve the second option, which was the one recommended by the Central Office staff and the one that had the greatest support in a vote by teachers and paraprofessionals in the school system. The vote saw 58 percent of professionals and paraprofessionals voting for option 2, 13.7 percent voting for option 1 and 27.9 percent voting for option 3.
The calendar approved most closely mirrors that of the Lafayette Parish school system, Bonhomme said, with break dates mostly lining up with Lafayette’s.
Under the calendar chosen, the first day for staff to work is Aug. 3, with professional development days from Aug. 3-7, Oct. 20 and Jan. 4.
Students’ first day to report is Aug. 10, with the students’ final day on May 24. Report card day is May 25, 2027, with teachers’ last day on May 25, 2027.
Holidays include Sept. 7 for Labor Day, Nov. 23-27 for Thanksgiving, Dec. 21-Jan. 1 for Christmas, Jan. 18 for MLK Day, Feb. 8-12 for Mardi Gras, March 26-April 2 for Easter and May 28 for Memorial Day.
Early dismissal for Crawfish Festival is at noon on May 7. Graduation day in the parish is set for May 14.
Sept. 16 is fall parent- teacher conference day and March 19 is spring parent-teacher conference day.
The reporting periods are Aug. 10-Oct. 8, Oct. 9-Dec. 18, Jan. 5-March 12 and March 15-May 21.
Option 1 would have started the year with staff reporting on Aug. 11 and Students reporting Aug. 18, and the year would end with graduation on May 21, and students’ last day on May 28 and report cards/teachers’ last day on June 1.
Option 3 was essentially similar to Option 2 but only three days off for Mardi Gras and the school year ending earlier(May 19 final day for students, May 20 for Report Card Day and teachers’ final day).
Supplement discussion The board discussed a $250 pay supplement for timesheet employees.
The school system provides a pay supplement to full-time employees, Chief Financial Officer Casey Broussard told the board, but board members Wanda Vital and Edna Johnson asked the board to consider giving a one-time $250 pay supplement to part-time employees.
Board member Russell Foti said the supplement is an incentive for timesheet employees to become full-time employees.
Vital plans to bring the issue to the board for a vote at the next board meeting.
Council officers
The board also voted in new officers for the 2026 calendar year, with Mark Hebert elected as board president and Edna Johnson voted in as board vicepresident.
Hebert also appointed Mike Clay as Finance and Insurance Committee chairman, Jimmy Durio as Education Committee chairman, Frederic Stelly as Maintenance Committee chairman and Steve Fuselier as Transportation Committee chairman.
Hebert had served as board vice-president for 2025. Clay, Stelly and Fuselier served as chairmen of those committees in 2025 as well.
Teachers of the Year Superintendent Frederick Wiltz recognized the parish’s Teachers of the Year for each school and the ones who will be district representatives in state competition.
Named teachers of the year were Christian Viator of Breaux Bridge Primary School, Joshua Trahan of Breaux Bridge Elementary, Britlynn Laviolette- Guidry of Breaux Bridge Junior High, Laurie Simon of Breaux Bridge High, Angelle Brasseaux of Cecilia Primary, Lorie Hutchins of Teche Elementary, Bhynty Charif of Parks Middle, Cala Hadley of St. Martin Early STEAM Academy, Malette Lewis of St. Martin STEAM Academy, Sandra Jackson of St. Martinville Junior High, Alli Douet of St. Martinville Senior High, Darian Stelly of the College and Career Readiness Center and Samantha Robicheaux of Stephensville Elementary.
District representatives were Nicole Thomas of Parks Primary, Jhansi Huval of Cecilia Junior High and Rainie Leger of Cecilia High School.
Wiltz also recognized Madison Anderson as the parish’s New Teacher of the Year.
Two of the parish’s Students of the Year — Landon Fenroy of Teche Elementary and Benjamin Ellender of Breaux Bridge High — also were recognized for advancing to regional competition honors.
Consent agenda
Among the items approved by the board in approving its consent agenda were a Memorandum of Understanding between the school board and the LSU School of Social Work; approving the highest rated bids as providers for E-Rate Category 1 Internet and WAN for the school board, dependent upon grant funding; and approving resolutions naming January as Louisiana School Board Recognition Month; a school board member training resolution; and certifying its president and vice-president to conduct transactions for and on behalf of the school board.
Other business
Wiltz also presented certificates to board members for National School Board Recognition Month, including Wanda Vital for completing 20 hours of voluntary training beyond what is required by the Louisiana School Board Association.
Wiltz also presented certificates to board members for “dedicated leadership in public education and continuing service to the children of this community.”
