re: Derrick Dillon article about his dad - get the tissues out

There are even kids I know that live close to Bogalusa that attend Hannan and elementary kids that go to 5th ward. But most of these kids, ie those that go to bowling Green, Ben's Ford, PJP, and St Pauls were never going to Bogalusa anyway. As far as the merger, it would likely come down to a vote and I can tell you no one who has worked and volunteered to help get the parish schools in shape want to pay to get those decrepit Bogalusa schools fixed. Bogalusa can find a solution elsewhere. Hell, the people of the parish are do stingy with their money a proposal just failed that would build a new Franklinton Jr high and make some improvements to other schools in the Pine area.

And as far as a black superintendent being the reason for the kids leaving. That's not really what caused that. People in Bogalusa who pay Parish taxes were told their kids could not attend a parish school. The case went to court and it was ruled they could, they just had to provide transportation. when it first started it was only a couple buses taking kids from Bogalusa, but the Bogalusa school system got worse and the Washington parish system got better. It didn't take long before the kids flocked to Franklinton. I can still remember when Pine was a small 2A, Franklinton was a decent 3A and Bogalusa was 5A. How things have changed.