Pointe Coupee Schools Superintendent Kevin Lemoine has officially submitted his retirement letter, marking his departure date 18 months prior to his current contract's end date.
The Pointe Coupee Parish School Board approved Lemoine’s resignation letter with regret during its Thursday night meeting, sparking discussion about how best to begin the search for a new district leader.
Lemoine will have been in the role four years by his retirement on July 1, and will be less than a year into his extended contract.
Lemoine entered into a three-year contract in 2015 with a $133,000 annual salary. The board offered Lemoine an early contract extension in 2016, at the time pointing to Lemoine’s early successes and the desire to provide structure and stability to the district.
His current contract is set to expire Dec. 31, 2020, but there is no consequence to departing early.
School board member Tom Nelson said at the meeting that he will accept Lemoine’s resignation letter, but is disappointed Lemoine is leaving.
“It is with regret, and I truly mean that, Mr. Lemoine,” Nelson said. “I think that you lived up to our expectations and you’ve exceeded them. I wish you’d have stayed longer and as you know I tried to get you to change your mind but it didn’t work, so I understand.”
Board member Frank Aguillard echoed Nelson’s statement, saying the board will more specifically and publicly address Lemoine’s successes in coming months. Aguillard moved to immediately begin the search for Lemoine’s replacement, introducing a successful motion to advertise the position over the next 30 days.
Lemoine said prior to the meeting that the decision to retire was not one made lightly, and it is something he and his wife prayed on for some time before initially announcing his plans in December. He said his wife retired last year, and the couple welcomed their first grandchild recently.
Lemoine has helped streamline central office business, and worked to improve student performance metrics, elements he said are highlights of his tenure with the district.
Opening the district’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics magnet school serves as the touchstone of Lemoine’s achievement, and something he discussed at Thursday’s meeting.
“By next year we’ll have more than 700 students in grades 3 through 12, so we’ve had a lot of success; it’s a good venture and it’s stable,” Lemoine said.
The school currently serves grades 4 through 11, and has expanded by one grade each at the top and bottom grade level each year since opening in 2016 with sixth- through ninth-graders.
He told the board that the district already has more than 200 applications for the 2019-20 year, which may trigger the need for a lottery system if all those students are deemed eligible for placement.
Though he’s given six months notice to find a replacement, Lemoine said, he understands his departure is somewhat of a surprise so he’s willing to work on the hiring process and with the incoming superintendent to transition before the summer.
That person will face challenges in continuing the district’s student and academic growth while battling issues with teacher pay. Pointe Coupee teachers start with a salary of $38,000 annually compared to neighboring districts’ offers in the mid-40s, he said. Lemoine introduced a 10-year property tax proposal in 2016 aiming to raise teacher salaries, but that measure failed on the ballot.
“It’s so difficult to find a workforce and maintain one in a rural district when we can’t compete with salaries,” he said. “Until we find teachers to fill those classrooms, success will be difficult despite all the growth we’re seeing.”
