UPDATED
The Washington Parish School Board has decided not to renew the contract of Superintendent of Schools Frances Varnado.
Meeting this week at the School Board offices in Franklinton, the board appointed assistant Superintendent Jennifer Thomas as the acting superintendent.
Without spelling out any specifics, it was indicated that Mrs. Varnado would remain with the school system in another capacity.
Asked directly about Mrs. Varnado’s removal from the superintendent’s post, school board attorney Wayne Kuhn said only, "Mrs. Varnado's contract is set to expire this year. The board and Mrs. Varnado mutually agreed to a new employment agreement that is satisfactory to both her and the board."
Mrs. Varnado released the following statement on Friday:
“I was called in on November 30, 2023 by John Wyble and two other Board Members. I was told in that meeting that the Board wishes to go in a different direction with leadership. The Board went into executive session in December and it was decided by all the Board Members for them to go in a different direction of leadership in the Superintendent position. My resignation as Superintendent was turned in on January 11, 2024. I only resigned as Superintendent at the request of the Board. I then took the position of Consultant for the Washington Parish School System which was offered by John Wyble and the other two Board Members.”
She added, “I have worked my entire career in Washington Parish and love all the staff and students. “
John Wyble is the former president of the school board. He recently resigned from the board because he was elected as state representative in November.
Mrs. Varnado replaced former superintendent Darrell Fairburn when he retired four years ago. Before becoming superintendent she served as an administrator in the school system’s central office. Before that she was principal at Enon Elementary and assistant principal at Franklinton High School. Earlier, she had been a classroom teacher.
During her tenure as superintendent, she faced several major challenges. Chief of them was steering the parish schools through the pandemic. She also was faced with an employee walk-out last year over salaries. Positive points of her tenure included the implementation of an Early Learning Center at Thomas and the renovation of the historic Franklinton Junior High School.
The school board will next decide on how it will go about seeking and hiring a new superintendent of schools.
In other recent action, the school board has appointed Franklinton resident Marsha Newman as the temporary school board member for District 2. That seat became vacant when John Wyble resigned from the board after being elected as state representative. Mrs. Newman is a former school system administrator, where she oversaw all of the school cafeterias in the system. The District 2 seat will be on the ballot later this year.
