LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Ruston, Louisiana
REGULAR SESSION
Tuesday, March 5, 2002 6:00 p.m.
The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, March 5, 2002 at 6:00 p.m. in the meeting room of the Title I Media Center, 504 East Arizona, Ruston, Louisiana. Members present were Mr. Billy Abrahm, Mr. Otha Anders, Dr. Marty Beasley, Mr. Curtis Dowling, Ms. Mattie Harrison, Mr. Jim Kessler, Mr. George Mack, Mr. Joe Mitcham, Mr. Rob Shadoin, Ms. Jo Tatum, and Mr. David Wright (arrived after the meeting began).
Ms. Lisa Best was absent.
President Shadoin called the meeting to order, gave the invocation, and led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.
Upon a motion by Mr. Anders, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as printed.
Upon a motion by Dr. Beasley, seconded by Mr. Mack, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session held on February 5, 2002 as distributed.
Mr. Wright entered the meeting.
Dan Richey, State Coordinator, came before the Board to talk about the Governor's Program on Abstinence, no sex outside of marriage. He said that the program is a federal program, which the Governor of the state of Louisiana supports, that he would like the Board to consider for the fall of 2002. He distributed the curriculum which is recommended for use with junior high students, one hour per week, one semester per year, to be taught during the Health & P. E. period. There is no cost to the system and the program provides trained, passionate, volunteer teachers. The P.E. teachers would remain in the back of the room while the volunteer is teaching. The purpose of the program is to give the students of Louisiana accurate, health-based, not religious facts. High school students are worked with through clubs. Twenty parishes within the state are using the program with about two hundred fifty volunteers and are working with 10,000 students. He would like to add twenty or thirty more parishes in the fall of 2002 and work with 25,000 students. The epidemic of viral, incurable, sexually transmitted diseases makes abstinence education imperative. One in four Americans has these diseases. Many parents no longer discuss this topic with their children or they are not aware that these diseases exist. He asked the Board for authorization to proceed with the Governor's Program on Abstinence to be used at the junior high level in the fall of 2002 and for approval of the 12 week curriculum and their list of volunteers. In closing, he introduced Jennifer Hamm, regional coordinator of the program on the club side, David Holton, who is their regional curriculum person, and GPA attorney, John Hogue.
President Shadoin suggested taking the matter under advisement and allowing the Curriculum Committee to study the program along with the administration. By consensus, the Board decided to follow his suggestion.
In order to provide safe, high quality bus service to the students of the parish and to adequately provide for extra curricular activities, Coordinator of Auxiliary Programs and School Food Service, James Payton, feels that it is vitally important to continue to purchase buses on a yearly basis. He estimated cost of a 72-passenger, conventional, 2003 year model school bus to be $47,500 and he would like to purchase four of them. If approved, these monies would be paid from the 1993 millage allocated for the yearly purchase of buses.
Upon a motion by Dr. Beasley, seconded by Mr. Abrahm, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to advertise for four, 72-passenger, conventional, 2003 year model school buses.
Ms. Duke reminded the Board that each year schools are allocated funds from the 1979 sales tax fund to purchase instructional supplies for art, music, science, P. E., and for magazines, newspapers, and library materials. These amounts are distributed on a per pupil basis through the Business Department. She asked for approval of the 02-03 allocations which contained a $ .25 increase in science amounts because of a drop in student enrollment. The distribution was as shown below:
Art K-12 - $1.00 per student
Physical Education K-12 - $1.00 per student
Library Supplies K-5 - $ .50 per student
6-12 - $1.00 per student
Music K-5 - $ .50 per student
6-12 - $1.00 per student
Magazines & K-6 - $2.20 per student
Newspapers 7-12 - $2.50 per student
Science K-6 - $ .75 per student
7-8 - $2.25 per student
9-12 - $3.75 per student
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Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. Wright, the Board unanimously voted to approve the allocations for 02-03 from 1979 sales taxes as outlined above.
Assistant Superintendent, Ronnie Suggs, presented his annual request to send Letters of Intent to employees in order to begin plans for the 02-03 school year.
Upon a motion by Mr. Mitcham, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to give permission to send the Letters of Intent.
The Board served as a Committee of the Whole and the following Personnel Committee agenda items were considered after Ronnie Suggs presented 1.-3., James Payton presented 4.-5. And Charles Owens, Director of Auxiliary Services, presented 6.:
1. Retirement effective July 1, 2002 of Helen Hall, Dubach High School principal.
2. Resignation of Shana Canuteson, teacher at Choudrant Elementary, effective February 15, 2002.
3. Leave without pay request from Reba Daniel, special education aide at Ruston High School, for the period March 4, 2002 to March 4, 2003 in order to further her education.
4. Retirement effective January 31, 2002 of Charles Jenkins, bus driver in the Ruston area.
5. Employment effective March 1, 2002 of James Smith, bus driver in the Ruston area, replacing Charles Jenkins who retired.
6. Resignation of Leon Davis, custodian at Simsboro School, effective January 11, 2002.
Upon a motion by Dr. Beasley, seconded by Mr. Kessler, the Board unanimously voted to approve the personnel recommendations.
Because energy conservation has been a great concern to the Lincoln Parish School Board, Charles Owens provided a brief summary of ways that have been used to save these tax dollars. He reminded the Board that they voted in April 2001 to contract with Energy Education, Inc. to manage energy consumption. The program required no up-front money nor does it interfere with or alter the learning environment. He introduced Mr. Buddie Watson, LPSB's energy manager, and Brian Sons from Energy Ed.
Mr. Watson called attention to an eleven-page six month energy update. This update contained goals, background information, accounting process to determine cost avoidance, overall utility costs, projected and actual utility costs, utility average unit cost comparison, usage comparison, monthly cost avoidance, total avoided expense, environmental benefits, and a six-month summary. He also stressed that the goal of the program is to maintain comfort in occupied areas but the save dollars by minimizing energy waste. In conclusion, taking into account several variables including energy cost, weather, and facility's shutdown, the program has saved the system $58,519 in six months.
Mr. Sons said he works all over the state and in forty-four states helping companies save money through decreased energy usage and without compromising education. He praised Mr. Owens, Mr. Watson, Superintendent Cobb, and others involved and said that Lincoln Parish has already realized an approximate 18% savings which is very good. He thanked the Board for allowing him to work with them.
A report from the Louisiana School Boards Association attendees was the next item on the agenda but because everyone except Mr. Wright and Mr. Dowling were in attendance, Mr. Shadoin suggested that no official report be given. Instead brief comments were made and it was the consensus that it was one of the better conferences with excellent break out sessions.
Ms. Duke reported that 1967 and 1979 sales tax collections for the month of February 2002 were $365,544 which was up $83,920 over the same month last year. Collections in the 1993 and 2000 sales tax funds also showed an increase of $50,358 compared to last years, with $219,332 being collected. This was a 29.80% increase for the month, and the funds are up 14.79% for the year. Audit recovery figures for the month were up 28.67% with $6,861 being collected. However, year-to-date audit collections are down 48% over year-to-date collections this month last year.
Ms. Duke then called to Board's attention to the shaded line on the January 2002 financial statement. Fund balances are up in the general fund, 5 mill maintenance, and 1993 and 2000 ad valorem funds, and district maintenance & operating funds because of property tax receipts. Utilities have begun to again be paid out of the district maintenance and operating funds.
Since the Board accept Dubach High School principal Helen Hall's letter of resignation, Dr. Cobb proposed to schedule the application process for April 2-16, 2002. After sending advertisements to school systems and newspapers across North Louisiana, interviews would be held on April 22 and 23, 2002 with a recommendation to fill the position to be presented to the Board at its May 7, 2002 meeting. He asked for approval of these plans.
Upon a motion by Ms. Tatum, seconded by Mr. Anders, the Board unanimously voted to approve the advertisement and interview process for the Dubach High School principal position as suggested by Dr. Gerald Cobb.
In a Report of the Superintendent, Dr. Cobb mentioned that those participating in the upcoming National School Boards Association conference had registration and accommodation information placed in their portfolios.
Following brief comments by a few of the members, by acclamation the Board decided to adjourn at 7:45 p.m.
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Gerald W. Cobb, Secretary Robert E. Shadoin, President