The interim principal at Ville Platte High and the interim Child and Welfare and Attendance Supervisors were appointed to their respective positions at Wednesday’s meeting of the Evangeline Parish School Board meeting.

Superintendent Toni Hamlin said both positions were affirmative action appointments, and candidates were interviewed by a committee and tested, which was scored by faculty members of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Doris Durgin and Kelli Lafleur, interim principal, applied for Ville Platte High’s principal position. Lafleur received the recommendation of the committee and Hamlin and was appointed to the position.

Phillip Buller, interim supervisor, and Doris Durgin were candidates for child welfare and attendance. Buller also received the recommendation of the committee and Hamlin for this position.

Mercy Regional Hospital CEO Alan Daugherty briefly discussion on the merger of the hospital campuses in Ville Platte and Eunice. He said leaders at both sites discovered they were competing for pieces of the same health care market and providing as many services as they could to the public. By joining forces, he said the two hospitals can offer better heath care options to the public. He said the two hospitals employ approximately 600 people with an annual payroll in excess of $26 million. The two campuses paid in excess of $2 million in taxes last year and rendered uncompensated care in excess of $7 million. Daugherty said he was very proud of the hospital, which has recruited seven new physicians for Ville Platte and Eunice.

In the future, Daugherty said the hospital’s number one goal is to improve or enhance a patient’s experience.

Nine schools were presented with exemplary academic growth or recognized academic growth for the 2009 school year. Darwan Lazard, parish administrator, said 534 schools were recognized for this honor based on their 2008-2009 test scores. Nine in Evangeline Parish were recognized. He said no school in the parish lost ground during this period. They either stayed where they were or grew. Those receiving exemplary recognition met their target growth and grew two points in every subgroup. The academic award meant schools met their target growth but did not grow at least two points in every subgroup.

In her comments, Hamlin discussed roof repairs utilizing insurance monies the district gained as a result of Hurricane Gustav. She gave an overview of what would be done, and said if any other monies existed after roof repairs they would consider other projects.

In other business, the board:

•Tabled approving its policy committee minutes until the meeting on the 21st to allow Jackie Wyble to transcribe the minutes correctly. Hamlin explained the meeting was approximately three hours long and filled with lots of information. The board agreed.

She also said they were working on the transportation contract with legal representatives.

•Nicole Gil said District Attorney Trent Brignac believed in cross training his staff so Betsy Jackson would be representing the board as legal counsel. Gil said she would still be available and would attend meetings from time to time.