Southeastern NEWS
                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           SLU 10880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504-549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
                                           
    Date: May 25, 2000
      Contact:                           Rene Abadie       1

BOARD OF REGENTS UPDATED ON LIVINGSTON LITERACY CENTER

     BATON ROUGE -- Leaders of the state's higher education system today (Thursday, May 25)
praised U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik Sr. for using a precedent-setting lawsuit to fund a
cooperative agreement between Southeastern Louisiana University and the Livingston Parish
School System.
     Haik and others involved in the litigation and the project explained to the Louisiana Board of
Regents how $4.5 million stemming from settlements in an environmental class action suit will
be used to build the Livingston Literacy and Technology Center designed to benefit all the
residents of Livingston Parish who were included in the class definition in the lawsuit. The case,
involving a hazardous waste dump site operated by Combustion, Inc. near Walker, La., was
resolved after nearly 20 years of litigation with more than $131 million being distributed to
plaintiffs. 
     Looking to find a way to benefit those residents not receiving individual allocations, Haik, of
the Lafayette-Opelousas Division of the Western District of Louisiana, requested project
proposals and received a number suggestions, including one from Southeastern to establish a
literacy and technology center to be operated in Livingston Parish and in cooperation with the
Livingston Parish School Board. 
     After reviewing the proposal in detail, Haik in his court order said, "The Livingston Parish
Literacy Center represents a fundamental step in the improvement of the quality of life for all
residents and businesses in Livingston Parish. This full and final distribution will close the door
to almost 20 years of litigation while opening many doors to the 21st century."
     Haik stipulated that the center commemorate the members of the class affected by the suit and
explain the source of the fund. The fund and all interest and earnings accrued from it will be used
exclusively to build and maintain the facility.
     Bobby Jindal, president of the University of Louisiana System, of which Southeastern is a
member institution, praised Haik and Southeastern for finding new ways to fund education. He
said the Southeastern-Livingston Parish project bolsters the ULS concept of a "seamless
education experience" where bonds are strengthened between higher education and the K-12
system. 
     "Thanks to the creative thinking of Judge Haik and Southeastern," Jindal said, "the University
of Louisiana System will soon have another program in place that strengthens our ties with the
K-12 system and the community. We have been working to create a seamless education
experience where our universities work with local schools, help train teachers in the latest
teaching techniques and help prepare students to succeed in college. This innovative funding
source is an excellent example of what we can achieve when we work together and explore all
options for education support."   
     Rogers Pope, superintendent of Livingston Parish Schools, told the regents that the
Livingston Parish School Board has dedicated $1 million to assist in construction and to develop
its programs, which may include a career center and an alternative education program.
     "The Board is excited about the center and its potential to help the residents of the parish,"
said Pope. "It will help us move forward on our work to improve success in the early grades,
improve our graduation rates, and increase the number of students entering higher education or
simply being better prepared for the work force."
     He added that the center represents a strengthening of an already-strong partnership with
Southeastern that has extended over many years. The university trains many of its student
teachers at Livingston Parish schools and operates other cooperative educational programs.
     A 24-acre site in Walker has been selected for the center and is now undergoing engineering
evaluation and a wetlands impact determination. Architects are expected to be selected in the
near future to design the structure, which could cover 25,000 to 30,000 square feet and could take
a year to 18 months to complete. The building is expected to cost approximately $2.5 million,
with construction costs shared proportionately by the school system and Southeastern.
"Both the school system and Southeastern are committed to putting the project on the fast track,"
Pope said. "Both parties have worked cooperatively in the past and we expect this project to
move forward smoothly."
     "We plan to build a center that will accommodate the needs of both the university and the
school system, while capitalizing on shared facilities whenever possible," explained Randy
Moffett, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Southeastern. He said the new center
will allow the university and school system to offer programs for young children and families in
the areas of literacy, math, science, technology education, and environmental education.
     Statistics indicate that Livingston Parish, with an estimated population of 90,000, falls
below many state and federal levels in the areas of college attendance and high school
graduation. In addition, the parish has a significantly higher than average teen pregnancy rate.
"We also recognize that Livingston Parish has suffered environmental concerns," Moffett added.
"We hope that by offering specific programs to the young people of the parish as well as other
citizens that we can create a better understanding of the impact environmental issues have on our
daily lives and perhaps ensure that environmental crises such as this do not occur again in the
future."
                             -SLU-