JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES
February 16, 2006 - Jennings, Louisiana
The Jefferson Davis Parish School Board met in regular session at the School Board Central Office, 203 East Plaquemine Street, Jennings, Louisiana, on Thursday, February 16, 2006, at 6:00 p.m., with the following School Board members in attendance: President Richard R. McNabb, Vice-President Julius G. Caraway, Darryl W. Bertrand, Jason Bouley, David S. Capdeville, Malon U. Dobson, Harry D. Gilbeaux, Ronald L. Hayes, Michael J. Heinen, Robert W. Menard, and Joel C. Richert. Absent: Charles R. Bruchhaus and James E. Segura.
The meeting was opened with a prayer, followed by the pledge of allegiance to the U.S. Flag.
Upon motion by Mr. Dobson, seconded by Mr. Menard and carried, the minutes of the January 19, 2006 regular School Board meeting were approved as submitted.
It was moved by Mr. Capdeville and seconded by Mr. Bouley that the Board call for a 2/3 vote to take care of items of business not listed on the original agenda. The motion carried unanimously.
NEW BUSINESS:
The Board presented Brian LeJeune, Principal of Lacassine High School, with a plaque and commended him for recently being named the 2006 State Secondary School Principal of the Year.
The Sales Tax report was given by J. C. Blank, Tax Collector/Auditor, and accepted by the Board.
It was moved by Mr. Gilbeaux, seconded by Mr. Richert and carried, to give permission to Harvey LaSage, Curriculum Supervisor, to appoint a committee of educators and parents to serve on the 2006-2007 Pupil Progression Plan Committee.
It was moved by Mr. Heinen, seconded by Mr. Richert and carried to approve the out-of-state travel for:
a. Hathaway High 8th grade, with their sponsors, Rhonda Talley and Nancy Allbritton, to visit the Natural Science Museum in Houston, TX on 4/7/06.
b. J. C. Blank, to travel to Memphis, TN to attend the Southeast Association of Tax Administrators Conference on July 15, 2006 through July 20, 2006, and to be reimbursed according to Board policy. The conference will provide vital information to both state and local tax collectors to assist in making our tax collection procedures more helpful to both taxpayers and governments for whom we collect.
c. The Lake Arthur High band, Mary Herpin, band director, and sponsors, to attend the American Classic Music Festival, from May 5-7, 2006, in San Antonio, TX.
It was moved by Mr. Heinen, seconded by Mr. Hayes and carried to give the Superintendent permission to fill vacancies and write letters of assurance for the 2006-2007 school year.
INFORMATION:
1. The Board extends condolences to the following:
a. The family of Charles F. Groth, a retired principal at Hathaway High, with 36 years of service.
b. The family of Mamie Fox, a retired Lacassine School teacher, with 30 years of service.
c. The family of Dedrick Julian, who was an active Jennings High custodian, with 7 years of service.
d. The family of Ivan L. Baker, a retired vocational agriculture teacher at Fenton High, with 21 years of service.
e. The family of Hazel Conner, a retired Lake Arthur cafeteria technician, with 36 years of service.
2. Beginning this summer, the Leap Remediation Program hours have been cut from fifty hours to forty hours.
FINANCE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. The following resolution was offered by Mr. Bouley and seconded by Mr. Dobson and carried:
PARISH SCHOOL BOARD SALES AND USE TAX
RENEWAL PROPOSITION
Adopt a resolution ordering and calling a special election to be held in the Parish of Jefferson Davis, State of Louisiana, to authorize the levy of a sales and use tax therein, making application to the State Bond Commission in connection therewith and providing for other matters in connection therewith. The special election is to be held Saturday, April 29, 2006.
SUMMARY: 10 year, 1% Sales and Use Tax renewal to supplement other revenues available to the School Board for the payment of salaries of teachers in the public elementary and secondary schools of the parish, including the payment of teachers' benefits; for the payment of salaries of other personnel employed by the School Board in addition to teachers, including the payment of employees' benefits; and for paying the expenses of operating and maintaining public schools. (The entire resolution can be seen at the School Board Office during normal business hours.)
2. It was moved by Mr. Hayes, seconded by Mr. Gilbeaux and carried, to adopt Budget Revision #1 to the 2005-2006 fiscal year budgets for the general fund and all special revenue-maintenance funds, as recommended by the Director of Finance.
3. It was moved by Mr. Heinen, seconded by Mr. Menard and carried, to renew the annual Policy Updating Service Contract with Forethought Consulting, Inc., to cost $2,300. The contract will run from March 1, 2006 to February 28, 2007 and is a General Fund expenditure.
4. It was moved by Mr. Caraway, seconded by Mr. Menard and carried, to approve the continuation of the new teacher induction program held 3 days before the start of the 2006-2007 school year, to cost approximately $7,500, to be paid from the General Fund.
5. It was moved by Mr Caraway, seconded by Mr. Bouley and carried, to approve Tech Prep Grant Funds of $2,743.28 for 4 Dell 1100MP projectors. The projectors are for the following Family and Consumer Science classes that did not receive a projector last year: Welsh High, Lacassine High, Jennings High, and the West End Instructional Center.
6. It was moved by Mr. Caraway, seconded by Mr. Bertrand, and carried to approve a request from Lake Arthur High, to purchase one Scotsman Ice-Machine with a storage bin from Acme Refrigeration, to cost $3,835.00, to be paid from Maintenance #1.
7. It was moved by Mr. Caraway, seconded by Mr. Capdeville, and carried to approve the best quotes received for asbestos abatement at Northside Jr. High, to be paid from 2005 Renovation Funds, from Asbestos Tech., Inc.:
a. The removal, third party air monitoring, disposal, transporting, and all necessary permits for the asbestos abatement in all the classrooms, offices, hallway, and the foyer area, the first area, to cost $20,388.00.
b. The removal, disposal transporting of floor tile, and adhesive in the library areas, classrooms, and hallway, the second area, to cost $8,944.00.
8. It was moved by Mr. Caraway, seconded by Mr. Hayes and carried, to approve the one-way mileage increase of .55 miles to Peter LeBlanc's Hathaway bus route, effective 1/24/06.
9. It was moved by Mr. Caraway, seconded by Mr. Menard and carried, to declare as surplus property and give permission to salvage a storage shed at West End Instructional Center that is no longer useable.
10. It was moved by Mr. Caraway, seconded by Mr. Gilbeaux and carried, to approve the continuation of the following vocational programs held at the Jefferson Davis Technical College Morgan Smith Campus for the 2006-2007 fiscal year costing approximately $147,400, which includes bus drivers= and student transportation fuel cost. The General Fund cost of the budgeted programs will be as follows:
a. Nursing Assistant Class - teacher and supplies
b. Auto Tech I - supplies
c. Welding I - supplies
d. Construction Electricity - supplies
e. Computer Electronics Course, held at the West End Instructional Center - teacher and supplies
11. It was moved by Mr. Caraway, seconded by Mr. Menard and carried, to approve the continuation of the AHEC 2006 Summer Program related to health careers available to participating students.
12. It was moved by Mr. Caraway, seconded by Mr. Bouley and carried, to approve continuing the English 101 and 102 class in the Parish, for 2006-2007 and adopt any other appropriate course offerings made available by McNeese State University, pay the $115 tuition fee, and purchase textbooks for students in each course offering.
13. It was moved by Mr. Caraway, seconded by Mr. Dobson and carried, to approve the purchase of four FastForWord licenses for Lake Arthur Elementary School, to cost approximately $21,000. One-half of the cost is to be paid by the Lake Arthur Elementary General Fund, and the other one-half paid by Title I.
14. It was moved by Mr. Hayes, seconded by Mr. Bouley and carried to approve a quote received from Canija Spirit, Inc., Jennings, for $5,000, to hook up 12" water lines from the new well to existing underground irrigation lines and capping off the connections to the old well, a General Fund expenditure.
15. It was moved by Mr. Hayes, seconded by Mr. Menard to grant permission to EF Foundation for Foreign Study to pre-enroll foreign exchange students in the J.D Parish School System for the 2006-2007 school year. The company will be required to comply with the guidelines established in the J.D.P.S.B. Policy File JQK, Foreign Exchange Students.
Consider the Superintendent's recommendations for the hiring of the following personnel to fill vacated positions, effective 2/17/06, unless noted otherwise:
1. Motion by Mr. Capdeville, seconded by Mr. Menard and carried, to name Mr. Bobby Mclean as a Jennings Elementary sweeper, re: Kevin Stewart termination.
2. Motion by Mr. Richert, seconded by Mr. Dobson and carried, to name Jerra Williams as a Jennings High sweeper, re: Douglas Amie resignation.
3. Motion by Mr. Capdeville, seconded by Mr. Heinen and carried, to name Flora Mixon as a Jennings High full-time custodian, re: Edward Nixon termination.
4. Motion by Mr. Bertrand, second by Mr. Dobson and carried, to name Ms. Maxine Hoffpauir as a Lake Arthur Elementary secretary, re: Cheryl Ogea resignation, effective 2/17/06 or as soon as possible.
5. It was moved by Mr. Capdeville, seconded by Mr. Richert and carried, to name Lisa McCrea as a Parish School Nurse, re: Joan Gatte, who resigned to further her medical studies. The hire date is 3/3/06 or as soon as possible.
It was moved by Mr. Hayes, seconded by Mr. Bouley and carried, to give permission to the Welsh High Dazzlers, with sponsors, to travel to Houston, TX to attend a dance competition on 2/16-18/06.
It was moved by Mr. Hayes, seconded by Mr. Richert and carried, to approve the following
PERSONNEL CHANGES:
APPOINTMENTS
1. Melody Trahan, Jennings Elementary special ed aide, new position, effective 2/6/06.
LEAVES
1. Mary C. Hardee, Hathaway High teacher, medical sabbatical leave, effective 1/23/06 to 5/26/06.
2. Letha Harris, librarian at Jennings Elementary, medical sabbatical leave from 1/12/06 to 5/26/06.
3. Monica Joseph, Ward Elementary teacher, extended medical leave from 1/24/06 to 2/6/06.
4. Kelly DeVille Christopher, pupil appraisal secretary, family & medical leave, from 1/12/06 to 1/31/06 and leave without pay from 2/1/06 to 2/7/06.
5. June Garbarino, Hathaway High teacher, extended medical leave, from 2/8/06 to 5/26/06.
6. Christie Guidry, Hathaway High teacher, extended medical leave from 2/7/06 to 2/10/06.
7. Carolyn Manuel, Hathaway High teacher, extended medical leave from 1/11/06 to 1/13/06 and 2/6/06 to 2/12/06.
8. Rosella Dugas, Jennings High custodian, family emergency & medical leave act from 2/3/06 through 3/31/06.
9. Brandy Dupuis, Jennings High teacher, professional & cultural improvement sabbatical, for the 2006-2007 school year.
10. Cheryl Davis, 7hr. cafeteria technician, leave without pay from 1/23/06 to 5/26/06.
RESIGNATIONS and RETIREMENTS
1. Ruth Linscombe, Lake Arthur Elementary teacher, retiring, effective 5/27/06, with 33 years of service.
2. Barbara Gloston, retiring as a Jennings High cafeteria technician, effective 10/28/05, with 12 years of service.
3. Sterlyn Vital, SFS driver helper, resigned effective 1/20/06.
4. Simone Marcantel, Jennings High French teacher, retiring effective 5/27/06, with 28 years of service
5. Cheryl Ogea, Lake Arthur Elementary Secretary, resigned effective 1/25/06.
6. Kevin Stewart, Jennings High sweeper, terminated 1/5/2006.
7. Richard Borne, Lacassine High custodian, resigned 2/25/06.
EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS POTENTIAL LITIGATION:
It was moved by Mr. Caraway, seconded by Mr. Bouley and carried, that the Board enter into an Executive Session.
It was moved by Mr. Heinen, seconded by Mr. Richert and carried, that the Board return to Regular Session.
Upon motion by Mr. Caraway, seconded by Mr. Bouley and carried, that the Board reject all bids receive on 12/19/05, Project # 2619, Hurricane Damage Repairs at Lacassine High School and rebid the project. Bids will be received Monday, March 20, 2006 at 2:00 p.m.
Upon motion by Mr. Richert, seconded by Mr. Dobson and carried, the Board moved to adopt a policy and disclaimer concerning the Louisiana Ethics Board Opinion #2006 - 035 concerning the purchase of School Board property.
_______________________________________
/s/Richard R. McNabb, President
ATTEST:
_______________________________________
/s/Tommy Lee Smith, Superintendent/Secretary