History of Mermentau Elementary Schools
(Note- This history of the Mermentau educational system was written by Mr. Melvyn Smith, principal of Mermentau Elementary (1978- 2014 ). It was researched and written by him in the 1980's. Below is his research, used with his permission, in its entirety. No part of this research can be used without his permission.)
In the late 1800's and early 1900's several schools provided for the educational needs of the people of Mermentau area.
The John Henry School, located in the Mermentau cove about five miles south of Mermentau, was in existence in 1899. The original building included two classrooms, with a third room added in the early 1900's, which served grades one through seven. As with most other early schools, it was heated by coal.
Between the years of 1899-1904 classes at the John Henry School were taught by Mrs. Stella Glass, Lee Hereford, and L. P. LeBesque. Later teachers at the school were Walter J. Armentor Sr., Genieva Spell, and Emma Sarver Smith. The first bus drivers were Oneal Stutes and Armand Smith.
The three room school, housing only first and second grades at the time, was closed in May, 1928. The only teacher during the 1925-27 school years was Mrs. Ory Kobleur Stutes. Although Mrs. Stutes didn't continue her teaching career at the time, she taught at Mermentau Elementary in the early 1970's.
The Henry-LeBlanc School, a one room building, located in Mermentau Cove about two miles south of Mermentau, also helped educate youth in the area. In its early years, the school housed grades one through five, but in its final year, 1925, only grades one and two were provided for. The last teacher was Mrs. Verdie Harrington Tubbs. Once the school was closed, Mrs. Verdie taught at Mermentau Elementary until the mid 1950's.
New Hope Baptist Church, on the corner of 4th and Church Street, served as the first school for black children in the early 1900's. A few years later, land was purchased on the eastern part of 11th Street where the Mermentau Negro School, a one room building, was built. This building was destroyed in a 1915 storm but another large one room school was built. The building included a stage used for programs and had outdoor toilets.
This building housed grades one through seven and only had one teacher at the time. A partial list of teachers serving the school was H. C. Ross, Mrs. Ford, Mrs. Pierce, Mrs. Irma Burnette, and Mrs. M. Byers. In 1951 the school closed and Mrs. Byers, the last teacher at this school, was transferred, along with her students, to Ross High School in Crowley.
From 1899-1904 a school existed in Mermentau but little information is known about it. Teachers included Maud Coffin, Cornelius Scully, Orion Kirkpatrick and Ella M. Cutler.
In 1906 a two year, five mill tax was passed by a vote of 12-0 for the purpose of purchasing lots and erecting a school building. A two room building located on 3rd Street and owned by the Methodist Episcopal Church was sold to the City of Mermentau for $400.00. A few years later two classrooms were added to the original building. An auditorium owned by a church was donated and moved to the school site. The T-shaped school building also had a coal house, two outdoor toilets, and a cistern for water. Each student was required to bring his own cup for drinking.
Single teachers boarded in a large home owned by Ramsy Harrington located across the tracks in Mermentau. After Mr. Harrington's first wife died, he married one of the earlier principals, Miss Hazel Walker.
In 1938 the new Mermentau Elementary School was completed by E. E. Rabalais & Sons for $51,029.00. The building contained seven elementary classrooms, gymnasium-auditorium, health room, teachers' room, principal's office, storage room and sanitary type toilets. In 1983 three additional classrooms and two bathrooms were added to the school building. During this construction time, the entire school was given a face lift.
In 1938 the enrollment at Mermentau Elementary was approximately 175 students. Grades one through seven were housed on this 8.32 acre site. The faculty included five teachers and a principal that also taught full-time. A partial list of the principals serving the Mermentau Educational System are the following:
1924-1929 Mrs. Hoffpauir Story
1929-1933 Mrs. Hazel Walker Harrington
1933-1949 Sidney Thibodeaux
1949-1954 Linton L. Sarver
1954-1964 Milton Seilhan
1964-1966 Andrew Pousson
1966-1976 Harold Lachaussee
1976-1978 Herschel McDonald
1978- 2014 Melvyn Smith
2014- 2017 Louis Mire
2017- 2019 Marie Broussard
2019- Christina Regan
In 1982 the Mermentau School district was rezoned to include the Mermentau Cove area. This rezoning meant more students would attend the school and two firsts would occur--no combined classes and the principal would be full-time.
As stated in the school's philosophy, Mermentau Elementary exists to provide for sound academic instruction, good moral values and strong commitment to the social order through classroom presentation, example and counsel.