A state mandate giving those students who misbehave a second chance at academics has pitted members of the St Landry School Board against one another when it comes to how much credit students can receive.

 "We in the business of educating, not in the business of failing kids."

Anthony Standberry is upset at the double-standard he says will soon be in place for students throughout St Landry Parish. When students are suspended for minor offenses they will now be given the chance to make up the work with partial credit, whereas if a student is expelled from the campus for good they can manage better academically.

 "A child that is expelled can receive 100% credit."

A new state resolution says that students who are suspended must be given the opportunity to make up the work for partial credit, leaving it up to individual districts to decide how much partial credit.

 "I feel punishing a child through academics is not the way to go."

St Landry Parish voted partial credit at 50% for the first suspension, and only 25% for any other suspensions. Standberry felt that number was too low, and proposed 67%, a move voted down by the board.

 "A child that's academically conscious has opportunity to with a low D and bring it up, without really affecting the GPA."

While Standberry says new addendum to the resolution is too strict, the man who proposed the addendum disagrees and says it's actually more lenient than before.

Board member Dillard Deville says previously, suspended students were not able to receive any credit for missed work, and that low partial credit is a way to make sure students don't take advantage of suspensions.

Standberry plans on bringing the issue up during an upcoming board committee meeting, in hopes of overturning the partial credit vote.

Jason Newton