We need relief from the escalating cost of school supplies
November 16, 1999
Mr. Robert Clouatre
Superintendent Ascension Parish Schools
With regards to our previous conversation concerning parent supplied school supplies, I wish to make the following suggestions.
 | A directive from your office to all principals and teachers requiring a
twenty five percent reduction in the cost of next years school supplies. |
| An end to specifying specific brand name folders, three ring binders,
etc., and allow the parent to decide what is best for his or her budget. |
| Forbid teachers from padding the quantities required to have a surplus for
those students not able to afford the supplies. |
| Some sort of document sent home at the beginning and end of each school
year, with each student, to advise the parents that there is assistance for
those who cannot afford the required school supplies. |
| A sincere effort by your office to have the state agencies responsible for the school system to allocate more revenue to purchase some of the school supplies required |
I believe these suggestions to be more than reasonable, and request that you and your staff aggressively pursue them and remove the financial burden being forced on the parents.
Chuck Le Mieux
Cc to:
Advocate
Ascension Citizen
Ascension Parish Council
Ascension Parish President
Ascension Parish TV
Gonzales Weekly
Louisiana Board of Education
Ms. Darlene Denstorff
I have been advised that there is an organization sponsored by Vulcan
Chemicals and private donations that will assist parents unable to afford school
supplies.
Parents need to contact their students teachers for further assistance.
Finally the school board takes action
June 29, 2000
After months of correspondence with the school board with no cooperation, our
school board representative Mr. George Valentine presented my proposal again to
the board to reduce the overall cost of back to school supplies. This time the
board agreed to do so. But, because of the late date, and the fact that the
school supply list had already been published for the up coming school year, you
will not see the reduction until the following school year.
