Vermilion Parish has a School Board member who was sitting in its classrooms not long ago.
Coeyn Wise won the District C seat on the Vermilion Parish School Board on Nov. 3, defeating Harry “Gregg” Meaux 902 votes to 688, or 56.7% to 43.3%, with all eight of the district’s precincts counted, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s results. Both candidates ran without a party label.
Wise is 20, a 2025 graduate of Kaplan High School and now a political science major at LSU, according to his Facebook page. KLFY reported that he is the youngest person ever elected to the board.
“A product of the school system”
Wise told KLFY that his recent time as a student is the most valuable thing he brings to the board. “I know what works and doesn’t work on the ground,” he said.
He said he ran on four priorities: support for teachers, support for special education, transparency, and more career and technical education.
Winning, he said, came with “a huge sense of responsibility.” He added that he wants no special treatment because of his age: “I expect to be held to the exact same standard as any other board member.”
Wise also said he was encouraged to see other young people win office this year, a sign, in his words, that voters are “willing to give someone in my generation a shot.”
The Vermilion Times would like to hear from District C parents, teachers and students: what do you want your new board member to take on first? Tell us in the comments on Facebook.