CHALMETTE, LA – The St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce held its first Annual Community Outlook Breakfast on Friday, March 18, 2016. The event took place at the newly renovated Maumus Center and focused on education.
The St. Bernard Parish School District is considered one of the top performing districts in the state in student achievement and teacher effectiveness, and it includes 11 state-of-the-art schools with a 12th opening in August of 2017. Many attribute this success to the leadership of Superintendent of Schools for St. Bernard Parish Doris Voitier. Stephen Reuther, CEO of the St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce, explained, “The vision that she and the School Board have pursued over the last decade, and their commitment to success, could not be more perfectly framed than in the newly completed Maumus Center.”
Voitier addressed the crowd of Chamber members, St. Bernard Parish Government officials, and school board members about the direction of the district and the challenges they face moving forward.
Since before the special session, discussions have been taking place throughout the state about how to address the current budget crisis and its impact on education. As a newly appointed Board Member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Voitier offered insight about the cuts education may be facing.
Reuther stated, “We are fortunate to have such strong leadership and first class facilities for our children, but it is our responsibility to protect those interests and understand the issues that might impact our district’s future performance and educational opportunities. I believe Ms. Voitier effectively communicated those concerns while recognizing that, with vision and effort, we’ve always been able to successfully address those concerns.”
Newly elected Louisiana State Senator Sharon Hewitt also attended the event and said, “I am looking forward to partnering with Ms. Voitier in Baton Rouge as we work to find funding to support our educational priorities in K-12 and higher education.”
The next St. Bernard Chamber event will be the State of the Parish Address on Wednesday, April 20. The luncheon will feature a recap by Parish President Guy McInnis who will discuss his first 100 days in office.
