Minutes: June 10, 2010
The Beauregard Parish School Board met in regular session Thursday, June 10, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. in the Central Office Board Room. The following board members were present: Marvin Simmons, Jerry Cooley, Jimmy Barrett, Don Gray, Gene Maddox, David Vidrine, Anthony Carlson, Russell Havens, Darrin Manuel and Stuart Hayes. Virginia Brown was absent, and Carli Graham, Alternate, was present and served as Student Representative.
Ms. Rita Mann, Superintendent, was present and acted as secretary.
The Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance were led by Barbara Rutherford.
Mr. Simmons informed board members that, due to circumstances beyond control of the board, agenda items 4, 5, & 6 would need to be considered immediately. Hearing no objection, Mr. Simmons asked Mr. Grant Schlueter to explain the urgency with which these items must be addressed. Mr. Schlueter advised board members that the national bidding platform for this issue was shutting down at 6:30, and that it was remaining open an extra half hour to allow this board time to consider the bids, make an award or not make an award, and notify the bidding platform before they close down for nightly maintenance. Darrin Manuel offered the following motion on agenda item # 4, which was seconded by Russell Havens:
To adopt a resolution providing for the opening and tabulation of the sealed and electronic bids received for the purchase of $10,000,000 of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2010 of the Parishwide School District of the Parish of Beauregard, State of Louisiana.
The motion carried unanimously. Next, Mr. Schlueter informed the board that at 6:00 the bond platform opened revealing that three syndicates had submitted bids. Mr. Schlueter reviewed the outcomes of the previous bond sales, and noted that prior to each bond sale, Standard & Poor’s issued a rating which had a direct impact on the interest rates offered. Prior to this issuance, Standard & Poor’s rated the BPSB as A+, largely due to the history of good financial management and low debt burden to the taxpayers. In addition, Standard & Poor’s classified the board as eligible for bond insurance, meaning that bidders could upgrade the board’s rating to AAA+, should the bidders wish to purchase the insurance at their cost. Mr. Schlueter advised the board that the low bid had been submitted by Morgan Keegan, at 3.81%. The other bids were 4.02%, by Duncan Williams and 4.19% by Southwest Securities. Mr. Schlueter recommended awarding the bid to Morgan Keegan. The following motion concerning agenda item #5, was offered by Darrin Manuel and seconded by Jerry Cooley:
To adopt a resolution accepting the best bid received, 3.81% from Morgan Keegan, for the purchase of $10,000,000 of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2010 of the Parishwide School District of the Parish of Beauregard, State of Louisiana.
The motion carried unanimously. Finally, Mr. Schlueter explained that the final action would be to adopt a resolution incurring debt and issuance of $10,000,000 General Obligation School Bonds. On agenda item #6, Jerry Cooley offered the following motion:
To adopt a resolution authorizing the incurring of debt and issuance of $10,000,000 of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2010, of the Parishwide School District of the Parish of Beauregard, State of Louisiana; and providing for other matters in connection therewith.
The motion was seconded by Darrin Manuel and approved by unanimous vote. Mr. Schlueter indicated that the funds would be deposited in the bank by July 20, 2010. Mr. Schlueter provided additional details concerning construction funds which may be available from the State of Louisiana in the future, but noted that the Department of Education has made no decision on the process for the allocation of these funds to local school boards.
At this point, Mr. Simmons stated that the board would return to the first item on the agenda. Upon motion of Stuart Hayes, seconded by Jimmy Barrett, the board voted to approve the minutes of the May 13, 2010 regular school board meeting as published in the official journal.
Upon motion of Don Gray, seconded by Russell Havens, the board unanimously approved the minutes of the May 28, 2010 special school board meeting as published in the official journal.
Kari Ifland, Partners in Education Program Coordinator, spoke to the board regarding the Partners in Education program and described many services businesses provide when they become a Partner in Education. Ms. Ifland announced that Beauregard Memorial Hospital has been recognized by the State of Louisiana as a 2010 Distinguished Partner in Education, one of only eight businesses in the state to earn this designation. On hand to accept this award were Ted Badger, Administrator, and Kelli Brooks, Human Resources Department. Mr. Badger spoke briefly and expressed his appreciation for the nomination.
Kim Hayes distributed information to Board members which summarized attendance statistics for Beauregard Parish and compared these statistics to those of other parishes around the state. In addition, Ms. Hayes noted that five schools (Carver Elementary, DeRidder High School, DeRidder Junior High School, K. R. Hanchey, and Pinewood Elementary) have shown increased attendance for each of the last three years. She introduced David Burton, Beauregard Parish District Attorney, who shared information regarding the Truancy Assessment and Service Center (TASC), which is administered by the Beauregard Parish District Attorney’s office. Mr. Burton summarized the details of the program, noting that it is a research-based program and includes periodic audits of files, school visits, and monitoring statistics to ensure adherence to program guidelines. Mr. Burton also stated that it is primarily a K-5 program, since attendance problems in that age group can be attributed to parental issues a majority of the time. In addition, Mr. Burton emphasized that TASC is viewed as a crime prevention program, since statistics show that persons who complete school commit fewer crimes. Debbie Habetz, Principal, South Beauregard Elementary and Lynne Boggs, Principal, East Beauregard Elementary, both spoke regarding how the TASC program had helped improve attendance rates at their respective schools and expressed their appreciation.
Ms. Casanovas presented the budget for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 and informed Board members that it would be placed on the July 2010 agenda. She reminded board members that in an earlier budget meeting, several items had been identified which–if not included in the budget–would allow the budget to be reduced sufficiently to meet the anticipated increase in costs. Nineteen of these items were implemented, among them discontinuing the Watt Watchers program, delaying textbook adoption, not including the early signing incentive/performance supplement for the 2010-2011 school year, moving the salary for a nurse to Medicaid for reimbursement, and several others. Ms. Casanovas noted that board members had selected Scholars’ Banquet to remain in the budget and that no decision had been made to raise meal prices. Regarding grant funds that had been reduced and/or eliminated, board members asked several questions about the grant-funded teaching positions and were advised that those teachers would go back into regular classrooms into positions which had been made available through attrition.
In her Superintendent’s Report, Ms. Mann stated that the 2009-2010 school year had been a tremendously rewarding one. Ms. Mann announced that The American College Testing (ACT) program contacted the school board and five schools were recognized for their outstanding ACT scores: DHS, EBHS, SHS, MHS, and SBHS. In addition, SBHS had two 2010 Robert C. Byrd Honors scholarship recipients, while DeRidder High School had one student receive the Byrd Honors Scholarship. Ms. Mann summarized the total amount of scholarship funds distributed to students in Beauregard Parish, which was in excess of $4.7 million. Ms. Mann expressed that the past 39 years have been extremely rewarding and stated that she felt confident that she was leaving the system in capable hands.
At this point, Ms. Mann asked Mr. Shirley to recognize schools which had received recognition in the Positive Behavior Support program. Mr. Shirley announced that the name of the Positive Behavior Support program will become Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS), in response to a request from the Public Broadcasting System to discontinue the use the acronym PBS. Mr. Shirley commended DeRidder Junior High School for earning Demonstration Site Status for the second consecutive year and recognized Ms. Paula Tague from DJHS, who was present to accept the award. Mr. Shirley also recognized SBHS for earning Demonstration Site Status. Marlin Ramsey was present to accept the award, as were PBS Team Members Wesley Henry and Deanna Guidry. Mr. Ramsey also expressed his gratitude for the effort of the team members who were unable to attend (Debbie Reeves, Debbie Lang, Sharon Chaumont, and Barbara Gribble). Mr. Ramsey noted that 547 students finished the 2009-2010 school year without a single office referral.
Mr. Tim Cooley advised board members that during the classroom construction at Singer, a storm drain pipe was uncovered. It was not in good condition and replacement of the drain and 185 feet of the pipe was advised. The cost of the change order would come to $6,592.65, and Mr. Cooley recommended allowing this change. Board members questioned whether the construction project was still within budget and were informed that it was. In addition, there was a question of whether the relocation of this storm drain would interfere in any way with future expansion. Mr. Cooley assured board members that future growth had been taken into consideration and that moving the storm drain would not interfere. Board members also expressed concern change orders might eventually impact whether enough funds remained to finish subsequent construction projects at other schools. Mr. Cooley responded that he would continue to keep them updated, and emphasized that he would bring any major changes to them for consideration.
The next agenda item concerned holding committee meetings on Monday, July 5, 2010, which is the Independence Day holiday for all 12-month employees. Don Gray offered a motion to combine the committee and board meetings for July, meeting only on Thursday, July 8, 2010. Clarification was requested regarding whether Mr. Gray meant that both committees and board would meet separately, on the same night, or whether it meant that all of the business conducted would be the business of the full board, and Mr. Gray indicated that he meant the latter. The motion was seconded by Gene Maddox and passed unanimously.
The following recommendations from the Finance Committee were approved unanimously:
Motion to approve fiscal agency agreement for FY2011.
Motion to renew contract with Forethought Consulting/Policy 360 (formerly CAPS) from July 2010 through June 2011 for $7,600.00.
Motion to renew catastrophic athletic insurance with Regions Insurance for one year at $3,795.
Motion to renew workers’ compensation insurance with The Insurance Center (Safety National) for one year at $41,283.
Motion to authorize advertising for bids for construction of K-3 school, with cafeteria, gym, and auditorium at South Beauregard Elementary, project to be paid from bond funds.
Motion to authorize advertising for bids for new gym, band hall, Ag shop, and drainage and parking at East Beauregard High School, project to be paid from bond funds.
Motion to authorize advertising for bids for drainage improvements on the South Beauregard campus, project to be paid from bond funds.
Motion authorizing advertising for bids for eight (8) classroom addition and renovation projects and improvements at East Beauregard elementary, project to be paid from bond funds.
Motion to approve personnel changes for June as listed was approved unanimously:
RESIGNATIONS:
Gribble, Barbara, Teacher, South Beauregard High School, effective May 26, 2010.
Huff, Mary, Teacher, DeRidder Junior High School, effective May 26, 2010.
NEW EMPLOYEES:
Campbell, Ashley, School Social Worker, Pupil Appraisal, effective July 28, 2010.
Cobb, Melissa, Counselor, Pine Wood Elementary effective July 28, 2010.
Ford, Brad, Maintenance II, Central Office, effective June 8, 2010.
Pace, Virginia, Teacher, Pine Wood Elementary School, effective August 11, 2010.
LEAVES:
Atchison, Andrea, Teacher, South Beauregard Elementary School, extended sick leave, to begin 2010-2011 school year, after all regular sick leave is exhausted and ending 90 school calendar days after extended sick leave begins.
Collins, Samantha, Teacher, East Beauregard High School, extended sick leave, April 29, 2010 through May 3, 2010 and May 13, 2010.
Crouch, Valerie, Teacher, K. R. Hanchey Elementary School, extended sick leave, May 18 - 19, 2010.
Davis, Staci, Teacher, Merryville High School, extended sick leave, May 11, 2010 through May 13, 2010.
Fontenot, Alanna, Teacher, South Beauregard Elementary School, extended sick leave, May 18, 2010.
Fontenot, Alanna, Teacher, South Beauregard Elementary School, leave w/o pay, August 11, 2010 through December 17, 2010.
Fontenot, Alanna, Teacher, South Beauregard Elementary School, sabbatical medical leave, January 3, 2011
May 27, 2011.
Harris, Roy, Teacher, South Beauregard Elementary School, extended sick leave, May 14, 2010.
Kohlweiss, Michelle, Counselor, K. R. Hanchey Elementary School, extended sick leave, May 6, 2010.
Langley, Sherry, Custodian, South Beauregard Elementary School, extended sick leave, June 1, 2010 through June 30, 2010.
Langstaff, Crystal, Secretary/Clerk, East Beauregard High School, extended sick leave, May 21, 2010 through June 10, 2010.
Leidig, Sue, Teacher, DeRidder Junior High School, extended sick leave, April 12, 13, 14 & 15, 2010.
McDaniel, Nina, Counselor, Merryville High School, sabbatical medical leave, August 9, 2010 through May 27, 2011.
Moore, Joey, Teacher, Singer High School, extended sick leave, May 6, 2010.
Moses, Shannon, Reading Interventionist, South Beauregard Elementary School, extended sick leave, April 28, May 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 2010.
Rabalais, Mary, Teacher, DeRidder Junior High School, extended sick leave, May 10, 11 & 12, 2010
Robinson, Patricia, Bookkeeper, South Beauregard Elementary School, extended sick leave, May 10, 2010.
Stinson, Patricia, Bus Operator, South Beauregard High School, extended sick leave, May 18, 2010.
Whiddon, Renee, Librarian, Merryville High School, extended sick leave, April 27 & 29, 2010 and May 4, 5, 11, & 12, 2010.
Wilber, Tammy, Teacher, K. R. Hanchey Elementary School, extended sick leave, April 26, 2010.
Wiley, Linda, Teacher, Carver Elementary School, leave w/o pay, August 11, 2010 through December 17, 2010.
Wilson, Sheree L., Teacher, Pine Wood Elementary School, sabbatical medical leave, August 11, 2010 through May 27, 2011.
RETIREMENTS:
Alston, Venita, Paraprofessional, Singer High School, effective May 27, 2010.
Goins, Sue, Secretary/Clerk, Pine Wood Elementary School, effective July 1, 2010.
Mendez, Alicia, Teacher, Singer High School, effective May 27, 2010.
TRANSFERS:
Daughety, Dana, to DeRidder High School from DeRidder Junior High School, August 11, 2010.
Zito, Wade, Teacher, to South Beauregard High School, effective August 11, 2010.
OTHER:
Martin, Amy, Teacher, Singer High School, to regular teaching position, effective August 9, 2010.
Thornton, Roxanne, to Secretary/Clerk from Clerk/Typist, ½ day at DeRidder High School and ½ day at Pine Wood Elementary School, effective July 28, 2010.
Motion to approve 2010-2011 Contracted Services for Special Education was unanimously approved
Motion to accept revision of File:ID, Curriculum with final adoption in July 2010 was approved unanimously.
The next agenda item was to consider approving the minutes of the May 2010 Policy Committee meeting as written. The actions of the May 2010 Policy Committee meeting were rescinded in earlier action, due to concerns over conducting committee business in the absence of committee members. There being no motion to approve the minutes of the May 2010 Policy Committee meeting as written, this item was removed from any further consideration.
Next on the agenda was to hear the Superintendent’s recommendation for principal at Singer High School and take appropriate action. Ms. Mann stated that the decision had been a difficult one, as all of the candidates were well qualified. She thanked all of them for applying for the position and urged them not to become discouraged. Ms. Mann informed the board that it was her recommendation that Dwain Ducote be appointed principal at SHS. Upon motion of Russell Havens, seconded by Jerry Cooley, the board voted to accept the Superintendent’s recommendation of Dwain Ducote as principal of Singer High School by a margin of 9 yeas to one nay (Vidrine).
At this time, upon motion of Don Gray, seconded by Stuart Hayes the board voted to go into Executive Session under R.S. 42:6.1(A)(2) to receive an update on Docket #20040138, BPSB vs Priola Construction.
Upon motion of David Vidrine, seconded by Stuart Hayes, the board voted to come out of Executive Session under R.S. 42:6.1(A)(2) to receive an update on Docket #20040138, BPSB vs Priola Construction. No motion came out of the Executive Session.
There being no further business the meeting was adjourned.
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President
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Secretary