Professor R.P. Lowry wrote his thesis on "The History of Public Schools of St James Parish from 1865 to the present day " in 1928. He researched the paper from whatever sources were available, depending on "The Interim" newspaper for alot of the data. A fire of mysterious origin at the old courthouse destroyed the old school records. One thing he made very clear was that there was alot of politics involved. Appointments were made based on one's political clout, rather than one one's educational ability.

Money to run the schools was always short. In the years following the Civil War, there was one school in each ward of the parish. The superintendent was paid an extra $30.00 a month above his teaching duties to supervise the schools.

One very serious point he made was in regards to the many acres of swamplands which the school board owned. The lands were sold to Lutcher and Moore for an estimated 1% to 10% of their actual value. He felt that the board did a serious injustice to the people of the parish and the school system. This was done in 1880. He had the foresight to state that the board retained no mineral interest in the lands and any future revenues that could have been gained were forfeited.

He wrote: "When it is borne in mind that there was no attempt to tax any of these lands for the benefit of the schools while the timber was being cut, and that section after section of these lands were school property sold for almost one to ten per cent of their worth, we wonder what the people and their leaders were thinking about during all these years."

He also wrote : "It was asserted by some lawyers that the sixteenth section property of the school board in the parish of St. James was illegally in the possession of some lumber companies, specifically a section on the west bank of the river held by Vacherie Cypress Lumber Company. Mr. William LeBourgeois, Mr. D.B. Daussan, and Mr. Louis LeBourgeois formally asked for contracts from the school board to recover said property. They stipulated that a fee of twenty-five per cent of all the lands recovered be paid them, the board being put to no expense. After some modifications by the attorney general, the contract was entered into by a committee authorized by the board. It was found, however, at the last moment, that the Miles Painting Company was legally in possession of this property. Valcour Aime had purchased the land from the state in 1854.

from Stories from the River Road by Leonce Haydel