Board approves solicitation for exclusive graduation photographer, exempts schools with signed contracts

The Lafayette Parish School Board voted on Jan. 8 to authorize the superintendent to solicit quotations from qualified vendors to serve as the exclusive photographer for all high school graduation ceremonies, excluding Early College Academy and any high school that already has a signed, binding contract dated prior to Jan. 8, 2025.

The motion that passed (second substitute motion) instructed the superintendent to select the vendor that best meets district requirements. Board members debated whether to also exempt schools with verbal or unsigned agreements; several members cautioned that a verbal agreement could be created quickly and said the district would require evidence of an existing agreement if an exemption were claimed. The superintendent said no schools had submitted written, signed contracts for graduation photography for 2025 when staff checked.

Nut graf: The action responds to repeated concerns from vendors and community members that past procurement practices for graduation photography gave some providers exclusivity without open competition. Supporters said the solicitation will create a transparent opportunity for vendors; opponents worried about honoring prior commitments and about schools that bundle photography into class fees.

Board member Miss Labou offered a substitute motion that would have permitted schools with an existing verbal or written agreement to be exempt; other members countered that a verbal agreement could be quickly fabricated. A second substitute motion added the narrower exemption — only schools with a signed binding contract dated before Jan. 8, 2025 — and that motion carried. The secretary announced, “84 none against.”

Ending: The superintendent’s office will issue solicitation documents and evaluate quotations; the board instructed staff to determine whether any school can produce a signed contract predating Jan. 8, 2025 and to honor those contracts if verified.