St. Tammany Parish Public Schools Superintendent Frank Jabbia has announced his retirement after 32 years with the school system, ending a career that began in the classroom and eventually led to the district’s top administrative position.
Jabbia was named superintendent in October 2020. Before that, he spent 10 years as a teacher and coach and another 16 years in school administration, including serving as principal of Northshore High School.
The timing of the announcement is notable.
Jabbia’s retirement comes just days after a lengthy special School Board meeting focused on the handling of child abuse reporting concerns connected to E.E. Lyon Elementary and broader questions about district procedures.
Following that meeting, School Board President Amanda Martin said the board was considering an independent outside investigation of every school site and the central office, including compliance with administrative procedures, communication and mandatory reporting requirements. A vote on that investigation is expected October 8.
During the same meeting, Board Member Michelle Hirstius publicly raised the possibility of placing Jabbia on paid leave for approximately 45 days while the matter was examined. The board did not take action on that suggestion at the meeting.
Martin later told WDSU that she was personally unhappy with recent decisions made by district leadership and said a separate board discussion could be required to determine how the superintendent should be held accountable.
Those developments followed guilty pleas earlier this month by former E.E. Lyon Elementary administrators Lauryn Faciane and Tanya Barth on charges involving failure to report child abuse.
That sequence of events makes the timing of Jabbia’s retirement announcement impossible to ignore. However, there is currently no public evidence establishing that his decision to retire was caused by the Lyon controversy, the proposed independent investigation, or the discussion of placing him on leave.
Jabbia’s departure now creates another major question for the School Board: who will lead St. Tammany Parish Public Schools while the district is facing increased public scrutiny and the possibility of a system wide outside review.
