DONALDSONVILLE • DUTCHTOWN • GEISMAR • GONZALES • PRAIRIEVILLE • ST. AMANT
THE ASCENSION
ADVOCATE T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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W e d n e s d ay, J u ly 22, 2026
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Plans for permanent raises for teachers, staff on pause ASCENSION PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
BY ANNAKATE FREELAND
Staff writer
The Ascension Parish School Board approved one-time stipends Tuesday July 14 comply with an executive order from Gov. Jeff Landry, halting the district’s planned $1,500 permanent pay raises for teachers and support staff. Landry’s order requires school districts to provide a $2,000 one-time stipend for teachers and a $1,000 stipend for support staff for the 2026-27 school year, a stipend that the state has paid
for the past three years. The ordered stipend replaces a proposed acrossthe-board $1,500 permanent salary increase that district leaders had hoped to implement this year. Ascension Parish planned to vote on the permanent raises at its June 23 meeting but postponed the decision pending the outcome of a legal challenge to Landry’s stipend plan. District officials said Tuesday they are legally
required to comply with the governor’s executive order to provide stipends before moving forward with their own raise proposal. Because of the state mandate, officials said they are not able to afford the planned raises. “Given that it is an executive order from the governor, we are legally mandated that obligation first, then the raise that we had proposed will come after that,” Chief Administrative Director Darby Lambert said.
Lambert cautioned that complying with the executive order could affect the district’s general fund balance. “Because of this executive order, there is a chance in November or December of us coming back saying, ‘We may have gone into the fund balance,’ ” he said. The board said it still plans to provide an additional $1,500 one-time stipend to all employees by Christmas, similar to the bonus distributed last November. Last year’s stipend was $1,500 for teachers and $750 for
support employees. About 50 teachers from across the parish attended Tuesday’s meeting, many wearing blue to show support for permanent raises rather than one-time payments. During public comment, East Ascension teacher Valerie Comeaux said she has remained in the same condominium she purchased more than 20 years ago because her salary has not kept pace with rising costs. “Every year that I stay in Ascension and continue doing what I truly love, my
family falls another year behind financially,” she said. “My oldest daughter could graduate from high school having never lived in a house that sits on the ground, and that makes me feel like a failure.” Comeaux told the board that while teachers have received raises over the years, their purchasing power has declined. She noted that according to the Louisiana Department of Education, the average teacher salary in Ascension Parish during
ä See RAISES, page 3G
Darlene Denstorff AROUND ASCENSION
Visit the library for stories, events Story times from various ages are held at Ascension Parish library branches on Wednesdays. Check with the individual branches for specifics and for other events.
St. Amant 1991 reunion The St. Amant High School Class of 1991’s reunion for classmates and faculty is Saturday. A return to the Diversion Canal, 14468 Bayou Terrace Dr., St. Amant, starts at 7 p.m. Boat slots are available. Visit www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072659431445 for information. Buy tickets through Eventbrite or a Venmo QR code on the Facebook page. Contact Missy Jandura at (225) 936-2473 for information. Dress theme is Gen X. Wear what you whatever you please. Tickets are $50 each for classmates and complimentary for any past educators of the class. The next reunion will be in 2041.
PHOTOS BY WENDY LOUP
Pete Freeman, owner of Paw Paw’s Quail Farm, sold his seasoned quail eggs July 11 during the Small Town Summer Nights event at Duplessis Park in Gonzales.
Market highlights small businesses
BY WENDY LOUP
A Taste of Donaldsonville
Contributing writer
The Donaldsonville Lions Club is hosting A Taste of Donaldsonville from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 8 at Lemann Community Center, 1100 Clay St., Donaldsonville. Tickets purchased before July 31 are $30. Tickets will be $35 at the door. The menu includes SmokeShack Park Street Tacos, crawfish fettuccine, pastalaya, toffee cheesecake and sweet potato Ooey Gooey dessert.
The high July temperatures and scattered thunderstorms did not keep crowds from enjoying July 11’s Small Town Summer Nights event at the Youth Legacy Duplessis Park in Gonzales. The event, hosted by Ascension Parish Recreation and Bearded Events, featured more than 80 food, arts and crafts vendors, as well as family-friendly games and activities. Festivities began in the afternoon and were scheduled to last into the evening, concluding with a Movie in the Park. While the movie portion of the night was canceled due to rain, the afternoon showcased small local business owners ready to greet Ascension Parish. A half dozen food trucks were also on-hand, including Southern Kreole and Smalls Sliders. Books for Boots hosted a dunking booth to raise funds for its organization,
Highway 621 Outdoor Market The Highway 621 Outdoor Market, 39275 La. 621, in Gonzales, opens at 8 a.m. every Saturday through July 25. Shop vendors’ booths and purchase locally grown produce.
Food distributions set Ascension Parish’s commodity distribution is set for the second Tuesday of each month in Donaldsonville and the second Wednesday of the month in Gonzales. Distributions are from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Frank Sotile Jr. Pavilion in Donaldsonville and the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. All recipients must be prequalified by visiting the Ascension Parish Health Unit, 1024 E. Ascension Complex Blvd., in Gonzales or the Donaldsonville courthouse, 300 Houmas St. Contact Layne Melancon at (225) 450-1006 or layne.melancon@fmolhs.org. Contact Darlene Denstorff by phone, (225) 388-0215 or (225) 603-1998; or email, ascension@theadvocate.com or ddenstorff@theadvocate. com. Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday.
Miss Kitty’s Yard Pieces on display which provides free books to military members and their families. Duplessis Park has been the site of multiple Bearded Events and Ascension Parish Recreation for both Christmas and Easter family-friendly gatherings. For small-business owners, these events are coveted opportunities to sell their products.
Pete Freeman, owner of Paw Paw’s Quail Farm in Livingston, sold his seasoned quail eggs and introduced his new Cajun fish fry and crab boil. Freeman, who retired from the Louisiana State Police, started his quail farm business a year ago.
ä See MARKET, page 3G
Prairieville teen to be featured in ESPN ‘My Wish’ series She gets to meet WNBA star A’ja Williams
BY ANNAKATE FREELAND Staff writer
A Prairieville teen’s wish to meet one of the WNBA’s biggest stars was featured on national television this weekend as part of ESPN’s long-running “My Wish” series. Khloe C., 18, is one of five children and PROVIDED PHOTO young adults featured in ESPN’s 20th anniKhloe C. in one of the Las Vegas Aces facilities for her versary “My Wish” special, which partners with Make-A-Wish to grant sports-themed ESPN “My Wish” special. wishes for children with critical illnesses.
An avid basketball fan who enjoys playing with her family, Khloe underwent a liver and kidney transplant after being diagnosed with a genetic disorder, leaving her unable to compete in the sport she loves. Her wish was to meet four-time WNBA Most Valuable Player and three-time champion A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces. The segment follows Wilson as she gives Khloe a behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to be a professional basketball player, creating what ESPN describes as a once-ina-lifetime experience. Khloe’s story premiered during
ä See WISH, page 3G