Read Online Forever With You (Bayou Dreams Book 5) by Farrah Rochon - Free Book Online Page A

into one state-of-the-art campus.”
    “What about the elementary-school students?” Williams asked.
    “They would remain here.”
    “They want to break up GEMS?” Gabe asked.
    Williams straightened in his chair. “The elementary and middle schools have always been together.”
    “That’s because the student population has never been large enough to justify having a separate elementary and middle school,” Superintendent McCabe said. “But if the student body is combined with that of Maplesville Middle School, we would have over six hundred students. The campus is currently designed to accommodate just over eight hundred, and it sits on enough acreage that there’s room for growth for years to come. This is a golden opportunity, John,” McCabe said. “This school would be a model for schools around the country.”
    Gabe was still trying to figure out how this affected him. “What grades would attend the middle school?” he asked.
    “Sixth, seventh and eighth grades.”
    “Our eighth graders go to the high school,” Williams pointed out. “You know how the kids are here, Patrick. They look forward to attending high school in eighth grade. It’s one of the things that makes Gauthier unique.”
    “Again, it’s because of the low student-body count. We could combine both schools in Gauthier and make it a K-through-twelfth-grade campus and there still wouldn’t be enough students to fill an entire school. It’s a miracle we’re able to keep them both open.”
    “Don’t start that,” Principal Williams said.
    “I know, I know.” The superintendent raised his hands. “Don’t worry. The schools in Gauthier are safe.”
    Safe? What were they talking about?
    “A merger will be a hard sell to the community,” Williams said. “And, technically, that campus is within Maplesville city limits. You know darn well how the people around here will react to that.”
    “John, we cannot allow small-town politics to get in the way of this. If we agree to take part in this pilot program, it would mean more federal dollars into this school system than we’ve seen in the twenty years I’ve been a part of it. And it’s not just the school system’s bank account that would benefit. This is good news for both of you, too.”
    Finally
.
    School politics had never interested him, although Gabe knew eventually he would have to play the game if he was going to make it in school administration. Right now he didn’t care about the politics behind this new merger; he was more concerned with how it would affect his career.
    “John, you’re number one in line for taking over as principal at the new merged school,” the superintendent said. “You have seniority, and I think you’re better equipped to handle a school of that size. Shelia Melancon would move over from her assistant principal position at Maplesville Middle.”
    “What about Grayson?” Principal Williams asked of the principal at Maplesville Middle School. “Where does he fit in?”
    Gabe had yet to hear his name mentioned. He was more worried about where
he
would fit in.
    “Grayson will move into your position here.” The superintendent turned to Gabe. “Mr. Franklin, with all the personnel swaps that would have to take place, the school board has decided that bringing in someone from outside of the school system to take over the assistant principal position here at GEMS would just disrupt things. It makes more sense to have you take over the position permanently.”
    Excitement began to pump through Gabe’s bloodstream like a locomotive on speed.
    “That...ah...that would be fantastic,” he said.
    “Even though you’ve been here less than a year, you would still have seniority over whomever we bring in,” the superintendent continued. “You have the academic credentials,
and
you already have a relationship with the community, which is vitally important.”
    Gabe had never been one to hyperventilate, but for the first time in his life he felt