Holy Rosary Institute was a beacon of education for black students during the days of segregation, students not only from Lafayette's northside, but from other segregated areas as well, making any public effort to save the now crumbling campus, no doubt, an effort that needs pursuing; but by taking money already going to 24 existing non-profits? One such effort involves HB 420, a pre-filed house bill by state Reps. Vincent Pierre and Terry Landry, both Lafayette dems, who are calling on a redirection of tourism dollars, namely the state's cut of Lafayette's hotel/motel tax. For years, however, that money has been going into the coffers of the Cajundome & Convention Center, and if taken, could prove problematic, says its director Greg Davis, a school alumnist.
"I most certainly see the value of its restoration; I went there through eighth grade, and my brother graduated high school from there," says Davis. "But for the Cajundome, what that money means is maintaining a 28-year-old building, and a convention center that's 12 years old. If the legislature says give that money to someone else, we would have to find a way to keep covering those costs."
One likely scenario for recouping the $200,000 involves 24 public non-profits from throughout Lafayette parish. Since 1998, the Cajundome has redirected that $200,000 from its total cut of the hotel/motel tax to the Lafayette Convention and Visitor's Commission.
"It still remains uncertain which portion of the money they're trying to capture, says LCVC executive director Ben Berthelot.
Since the money was first distributed 14 years ago, Berthelot says it has annually been given, through his office, to 38 non-profits, all public, from throughout the parish.
The following two graphs, provided by Berthelot, show the entities funded in 2012 (first) and prior (second):
Here's the remaining benefactors to have gotten a cut of the annual distribution between 1998 and 2011:
In an effort to find out more about :andry and Pierre's plans for using the money seek to take from the above institutions, The IND placed three phone calls to Pierre, the bill's author, one Thursday and two Tuesday, leaving two voice mails and one with a secretary at his office, who said she would text the legislator, adding at the moment he was busy with the first day of session.
Though we're still awaiting a call back, there's at least one question worth asking, at least for starters: Who will receive and be accountable for managing the $200,000 each year, since none is currently listed. More detail on the plans for the school's rehabilitation would be nice too.
After closing its doors in 1993, the school property was donated in December 2010 by the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette to the Holy Family Sisters.