With a total of 10 out of 13 votes, the Iberia Parish School Board voted to elect Heath Hulin as the new superintendent of schools for the Iberia Parish School District.

A round of applause rang out in the packed meeting room of the Iberia Parish School Board following the results of the IPSB vote during Wednesday’s meeting.

After each board member submitted their vote, Hulin came out as the new superintendent, with James Russell III receiving the three remaining votes.

Hulin, who currently serves as assistant superintendent, thanked the board for their overwhelming support and said he was excited to lead the school system into the future.

“The past 21 years in my career have led me to this point, with lots of training and experiences along the way that have prepared me to step into this position,” Hulin said.

Hulin has worked under current Superintendent Carey Laviolette and previous Superintendent Dale Henderson, and said he plans to carry their legacy forward in making the Iberia Parish School District “the forefront of innovation.”

“I hope to continue their legacy and work to restore the ideals and values that COVID has tried to take away from our school system,” Hulin said.

Recapturing parental and community trust, restoring morale to teachers and stopping the system’s student population loss were all things listed as part of Hulin’s plan as he heads into the new role.

More than anything, Hulin said he plans to be the voice for the school system locally and statewide going into the future.

“I promise to be a voice for this school district in our community, at the Department of Education and in Baton Rouge where legislators make decisions everyday that affect Iberia Parish,” he said.

Hulin is taking the role following the resignation of Laviolette, who announced her retirement from the position in January.

After the Iberia Parish School Board solicited applications for a new superintendent, Hulin was one of four in-house applicants who expressed interest in taking up the position. Those names included Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Joseph, New Iberia Senior High Principal Curt Landry and Supervisor of Student Services James Russell III.