LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

Ruston, Louisiana

REGULAR SESSION

Tuesday, October 2, 2001   6:00 p.m.

The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, October 2, 2001 at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Lincoln Parish School Board Office, 410 South Farmerville Street, Ruston, Louisiana.  Members present were Mr. Billy Abrahm, Mr. Otha Anders, Dr. Marty Beasley, Ms. Lisa Best, Mr. Curtis Dowling, Ms. Mattie Harrison, Mr. George Mack, Mr. Joe Mitcham, Mr. Rob Shadoin, Ms. Jo Tatum, and Mr. David Wright.

Absent was Mr. Jim Kessler.

President David Wright called the meeting to order and Mr. Anders gave the invocation.  Mr. Wright led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag and welcomed guests, members of the official staff and of the press.  He expressed his hope for a speedy recovery for Mr. Kessler who was in the hospital because of a head wound he sustained in a fall. 

Upon a motion by Mr. Anders, seconded by Ms. Best, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda with an addendum of New Business.

Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Ms. Tatum, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session held on September 4, 2001 as printed.

Secondary Supervisor, Howard Whitlock, presented background information on the Teacher of the Year program and introduced the parish winners.  He turned the floor over to Chris Barr who is the past chairman of the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee.  He reminded the Board that back in 1999 three businesses committed to provide $500 a year for three years for a Teacher of the Year.  Mr. Andy Halbrook, Director of the Chamber, thanked the Board for allowing the Chamber and local businesses to participate in the recognition of the Teachers of the Year.  The following 01-02 parish winners were presented with a plaque of appreciation by Superintendent Gerald Cobb on behalf of the Board and $500 from their business sponsor for their excellence and hard work:

            Libby Manning - A. E. Phillips  - elementary division  -  Regions Bank

            Gail Nelson - A. E. Phillips - junior high division -  Hogan Hardwoods

            Elaine Johnson - Ruston High School - high school division - J. C. Penney

Mr. Wright congratulated the three parish Teachers of the Year and thanked the Chamber for their recognition.

Making her annual request for permission to apply for Impact Aid funding was Barbara Kirkland, Supervisor of Federal Programs.  The parish receives approximately $5,000 in aid to be placed in the general fund to be used to defray extra costs incurred as a result of federally-connected children moving into the system, she noted.

Upon a motion by Ms. Tatum, seconded by Ms. Harrison, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to apply for Impact Aid funding for 2001-2002.

The Board served as a Committee of the Whole and the following Personnel Committee agenda items were discussed after being presented by Ronnie Suggs, Assistant Superintendent:

1.         Retirement of Ethel Moore, effective December 22, 2001, as teacher aide at Ruston Junior High.

2.         Employment of Jason Smith, effective September 11, 2001, as social studies teacher at Ruston High replacing Eldred Hardison who resigned.

Upon a motion by Mr. Abrahm, seconded by Mr. Mack, the Board unanimously voted to approve the personnel requests and recommendations.

According to Barbara Kirkland, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education at its December 2000 meeting voted to approve the concept of a pre-GED academic program paired with skills instruction for students who are at risk of dropping out of high school.  These students leave before graduation either because they have not been successful in earning enough Carnegie credits to graduate from high school in the expected four-year time period, or because they have been unsuccessful in passing Louisiana’s high stakes examination.  The purpose of the new, voluntary program is to give these students an avenue for achieving academically and ultimately earning recognized credentials that make it possible for them to exit high school, enter post-secondary education, and/or the work force.  The skills component of the program helps prepare them to work competently in specific occupations and to function as successful members of their community.  As an added bonus, she said that the program will not only give the students a reason for staying in school but will also improve high schools’ dropout rates and ultimately their School Performance Scores.  The Pre-GED/Skills Option Program is housed at the Secondary Alternative School. Currently there are 14 students enrolled in the morning session, with an afternoon session scheduled to begin shortly.  She read and discussed the program guidelines and introduced Mr. Doug Stewart, the teacher who is working with the program.  He discussed the two different parts of the program, the GED preparatory component and the vocational component, and called attention to a chart outlining the program.  He reported that Billy Graham, vocation teacher at the Alternative School, is doing much of the work with the vocational component.  Mr. Stewart said he was very excited about this much-needed program for students aged 16-19 who are academically behind, at risk of dropping out of high school, and/or having trouble succeeding in the traditional academic setting.

Superintendent Cobb said Ms. Kirkland has done an outstanding job with the work she has done getting this program going and following the guidelines in the short time period allotted.  The Board was very impressed with the program and encouraged by the work being done with these at risk teenagers.

The eighteenth annual Lincoln Parish Academic Awards Banquet has been scheduled for Monday, November 12, 2001 according to Dr. Cobb.  It will be held at a new, larger location, the Louisiana Tech Student Center, and the guest speaker will be Dr. Richard Hood, Vice President at University of Louisiana at Monroe.  Dr. Cobb asked the Board to put the date on their calendars.

Juanita Duke, Business Manager, said that September 2001 was another good month with an 11% increase in sales tax collections over this month last year.  Year-to-date figures for 01-02 compared to year-to-date figures for 00-01 show 14.16% more has been collected.  In the 1967 and 1979 sales tax fund $343,163 was collected, with $205,897 being collected in the 1993 and 2000 sales tax funds.  In addition, $6,699 was recovered by audits during the month.

Next Ms. Duke presented the June 30, 2001 year end financial statement which contained figures to be presented to the auditors.  She called attention to the fund balances which were up in most funds.  She feels that the new sales taxes and ad valorem taxes have certainly helped and said 00-01 was a good year with spending controlled.

After advertising for library book bids, Mr. Whitlock received ten responses from vendors.  A group of six librarians met and chose two vendors instead of one for a wider selection of books.  Mr. Whitlock recommended that the Board grant permission to contract with the two.

Upon a motion by Dr. Beasley, seconded by Ms. Harrison, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to contract with Baker and Taylor and Bound to Stay Bound as library book vendors for the 01-02 school year with an option to renew these contracts for the 02-03 school year.

At the September 4, 2001 meeting, Board members were given a copy of revised policies: School Year (AE), School Day (AF), Sick Leave (GBRIB), and Compulsory School Attendance Ages (JBA), and one new policy: Student Transfer and Withdrawal (JBCD).  Dr. Cobb asked the Board to approve the revisions and the adoption of the new policy.

Upon a motion by Mr. Anders, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to approve the revisions to policies:  School Year (AE), School Day (AF), Sick Leave (GBRIB), and Compulsory School Attendance Ages (JBA), and addition of the new policy: Student Transfer and Withdrawal (JBCD).

Dr. Cobb introduced Linda Graham who works with Senator Bill Jones. Because he was in Baton Rouge, she distributed copies of a letter from him sharing how he feels and his concerns regarding the Early Childhood Development Program.

Since the Board’s original consideration of the Early Childhood Development Program at its August 7, 2001 meeting, the staff and Dr. Cobb have attended several meetings concerning the program.  The evaluation and modification of the Program’s guidelines during this period have not encouraged him to change his recommendation to delay participation in the program.  He submitted a list of ten concerns but indicated that his overall major concern is that if TANF federal funds are accepted for the Program, the TANF rules and regulations would then automatically apply to all of the existing prekindergarten programs.  This would create facility, transportation, and personnel problems which the parish cannot financially and logistically meet.  Although he is an advocate of early childhood education, he feels that Lincoln Parish should not participate in the preschool program at this time. 

Upon a motion by Dr. Beasley, seconded by Mr. Abrahm, the Board unanimously voted to examine the operations of those who choose to participate in the Early Childhood Development Program in January 2002 and reconsider participation in the 02-03 school year.

The only item of New Business, added as an addendum to the agenda, was the consideration of approval of a Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) resolution.  Dr. Cobb met with six other superintendents whose systems lost $4,526,780 through actions of BESE and the Legislature.  They are in agreement to request Governor Mike Foster to include an item in the October Special Session to restore the MFP funds which were taken by Legislative action in the last session.  He feels that this would certainly help to restore confidence of the local tax paying public that the State will live up to its commitments and the teachers will receive the pay raise which they deserve.  He presented a resolution to that effect and asked the Board to approve the following:

RESOLUTION

            THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Lincoln Parish School Board does hereby petition the Governor to include in his call for the October Special Session of the Legislature an item to refund to the affected school systems these unnecessary, unwarranted, illegal deductions of $4,526,780. 

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Honorable Governor Mike Foster, members of BESE, Senator Bill Jones, Representatives Rick Gallot and Jay McCallum, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Chairman of the House Appropriation Committee, and Superintendents in Bossier, Jackson, Livingston, St. Bernard, St. Martin, and Tangipahoa.

Upon a motion by Mr. Abrahm, seconded by Ms. Tatum, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the Resolution asking for restoration of reductions to the Minimum Foundation Program.

President Wright recognized guests who were in attendance.

After brief comments and questions by several Board members, the meeting was adjourned at 7:17 p.m.

Gerald W. Cobb, Secretary

David Wright, President