The Lafayette Parish Public Education Stakeholders Council is hosting a series of forums for school board candidates from Sept. 7 - 9. The Lafayette Parish Public Education Stakeholders Council is hosting three forums for school board candidates from Sept. 7 - 9. In a press release, LaPESC states its primary mission is "to support the improvement of the overall academic achievement of Lafayette Parish public schools while eliminating the achievement gap at every grade level for children living in poverty, especially African-American students, and to ensure that all students graduate from high school on time."
"The forums are a key strategy in ensuring that the community is provided an opportunity to hear from all candidates and unopposed incumbents on how they stand on key issues such as the achievement gap and high school graduation rates." The candidate forums will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the following days and locations:
Sept. 7: District 2 candidates Greg Davis and Tommy Angelle and District 4 candidates Tehmi Chassion and Gwen Harris at the Clifton Chenier Center, 220 W. Willow St.
Sept. 8: District 5 candidates Junius Andres, Kermit Bouillion and Dean Landry and District 8 incumbent Hunter Beasley and challenger Arlecia Hill at the Southside Regional Library, 6101 Johnston St.
Sept. 9: District 6 incumbent Greg Awbrey and challenger Dudley LaBauve III and District 7 incumbent Mark Cockerham and challenger Thomas Brown at South Louisiana Community College, 320 Devalcourt St.
All forums will begin at 5:30 pm. All candidates will receive an advanced copy of questions. Questions from the public may be submitted to LaPESC via e-mail to [email protected] no later than August 23rd.
LaPESC's member organizations are the 100 Black Men of Greater Lafayette, Citizens Action Council, Concerned Citizens for Good Government, the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, the State of Greater Black Lafayette, Southwest LA Black Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Acadiana and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.