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How many signatures are needed in proposed recall of EBR school board members? Details here
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BATON ROUGE — The people seeking to recall five members of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board now know how many signatures they'll need to place an election on the ballot.
A group of parents and teachers filed recall petitions Friday, the day after the board failed to hire a new superintendent. Those targeted in paperwork filed with the Secretary of State's office are:
- Mark Bellue (District 1)
- Nathan Rust (District 6)
- Michael Gaudet (District 7)
- Emily Soulé (District 8)
- Patrick Martin (District 9)
Each petition said the board member involved was "not listening to the concerns of the voters of the district."
Andrea Broussard, a school district employee, filed the petition against Soule', saying the board member didn't listen to her community when voting.
"Your constituents matter. We voted you in to the position you're in to be the voice of the people," Broussard said.
The petitioners have 180 days after filing to collect signatures to trigger a recall election — a period that ends in mid-January 2025. The final figures needed were certified with WBRZ Monday through the East Baton Rouge Registrar of Voters office.
- Bellue: 7,514 signatures
- Rust: 7,010 signatures
- Gaudet: 6,689 signatures
- Soulé: 7,609 signatures
- Martin: 7,501 signatures
Broussard believes these numbers won't be difficult to obtain.
"I don't feel it's going to be difficult because we are up for the task," Broussard said.
All members who petitioned for recall voted for Kevin George as a replacement for Sito Narcisse — except Gaudet, who abstained. Some said the petition wasn't about forcing board members to choose interim superintendent Adam Smith, but about showing the school board, the community has a voice.
"You should not sit up there for your own selfish reason and say I know what I want, we heard a lot of I's and we heard a lot of I don't care," Broussard said.
All signatures on recall petitions must be handwritten. The number of signatures required on the recall petitions is different for each member, and based on how many voters are in each district.
"We're going to get those signatures and we're going to do whatever it takes to get those signatures," Broussard said.
Another vote on the superintendent is set for this Thursday. Smith's term as interim superintendent ends next week.
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