ST. MARTINVILLE — Coordinators of the Buddies Program in Iberia Parish schools say one-on-one student mentoring has been a huge success to at-risk students over the past three years.

With 75 percent fewer discipline referrals and 100 percent improved academics in at least one subject for the students being mentored, Program Director the Rev. Darren Sophus urged the St. Martin Parish Council at its Wed-nesday meeting to adopt the program in St. Martin Parish.

“These kids have been totally redirected through one-on-one interaction and volunteer mentors,” Sophus said.

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“Through consistency and a bit of care, it makes a world of difference to a kid.”

The program connects students who have been referred because of re-peated disciplinary prob-lems with a volunteer mentor for one hour a week during school hours, Sophus said.

The mentors undergo extensive training and background checks, and the students get one-on-one time with mentors as well as lectures from Sophus on various topics including punctuality, peer pressure and drugs.

St. Martin Parish President Guy Cormier said members of the Youth Planning Board, a division of the 16th Judicial District, are looking at using St. Martinville Ju-nior High School as a test site for implementing the program.

“We have seen an escalation in our juvenile costs here in St. Martin Parish,” Cormier said.

“We are responsible for housing and clothing them when they get in trouble, and it has progressed rapidly over the last four or five years.

“We need to try and wrap our arms around it, and programs like this are proven to help.”

Sophus said the Buddies Program was originally targeted for black students because of alarming drop-out statistics among black students, but has since reached out its work to all races.

“We realized the need is across the board,” said Sophus, who said he is also the product of mentoring as a child. “Conflict and trouble are not racially biased.”

When asked by Councilwoman Jill Hebert about parent participation in the program, Sophus said it has improved since the program’s start, but is still “minimal.”

“Parent participation has grown a little, but not as much as it should,” Sophus said.

“We can’t change their home environment, but we can try to make them able to cope with that environment.”

The council agreed to support any future measures it can take to implement the program in St. Martin Parish.

In other business, the council reselected Coun-cilman Mike Huval to serve as chairman of the council and Councilman Lloyd “Red” Higginboth-am to serve as vice chairman of the council.