Sunday Morning Editorial

Let’s begin a timely discussion
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20090201/OPINION/902019966/1030?Title=Let_s_begin_a_timely_discussion
Published: Sunday, February 1, 2009 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, February 1, 2009 at 12:32 a.m.

When Terrebonne Parish Councilman Kevin Voisin brought up the issue of restricting further use of portable classrooms by the School Board, he was beginning an important conversation.

Some of his colleagues on the Parish Council tried to shoot down Voisin's attempt to regulate the buildings, saying that the matter is the concern of the School Board and that the council lacks the authority to influence board decisions.

We disagree, although we understand the political considerations that make public servants reluctant to step onto one another’s turf.

Because the parish’s Planning Commission and the Parish Council have to sign off on the portables, that arm of local government does have a vested interest in the issue.

Whether Voisin's proposal deserves to become law is a conversation for a later date, but he was certainly within his responsibility as a councilman to broach the topic.

More importantly, though, the issue at the root of the discussion is one that merits close attention by the School Board and the communities it serves.

Portable classrooms are widely used at schools throughout the parish and around the state — a fact that can lead to problems.

If portables become the de facto way the board deals with crowding and population issues, their presence affects the students at the schools, the neighborhoods around them and the larger communities.

We don’t think it would be wise to ban the use of portables. But neither do we accept that the portables are a suitable long-term solution.

As Councilwoman Teri Cavalier, a counselor at Evergreen Junior High, pointed out, use of portables for long periods of time can lead to other issues, such as rodents, poor ventilation and other undesirable effects.

School Board Member Roger Dale DeHart said the board must use the portable buildings because building new classroom space would cost too much and necessitate a tax election.

If a suitable solution to the School Board’s problems lies in spending more money on construction, that is an argument the board must take to the public. Or, it must find more-suitable solutions.

We aren’t offering an opinion on the larger issue, but we are glad that Voisin brought it up. We encourage the School Board to use the council’s meeting as a useful way to begin a discussion it should already be having.

We’re not taking sides in the debate over whether Voisin was treading on School Board turf. And we understand that needless wrangling between public bodies can be a disservice to everyone involved. But this is different.

The council can certainly discuss what it can do with an issue that affects its constituents as well as those of the School Board. Although a ban on portables isn’t an acceptable solution, neither is their continued widespread use. Population shifts must be addressed through additional classroom space or some other long-term solution.

But the Parish Council shouldn’t shy away from the issue because of nebulous concerns over whether it has any authority over approving land-use decisions. And the School Board shouldn’t shy away from it because it will be expensive to fix. Let’s get the conversation started and go from there. If Voisin’s proposal does nothing more than that, it will have been a welcome advancement.

The School Board has plans for building classrooms that have been hampered by costly storms.

But Voisin, who only recently campaigned among his constituents, is merely bringing forth a topic that was brought to him.

The Parish Council and the School Board will ignore it at their peril.

Editorials represent the opinions of the newspaper, not of any individual.