LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Ruston, Louisiana
REGULAR SESSION
Tuesday, September 7, 2004 6:10 p.m.
The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, September 7, 2004 at 6:10 p.m. in the Board Room of the Lincoln Parish School Board Office, 410 South Farmerville Street, Ruston, Louisiana. Members present were Ms. Lisa Best, Mr. Curtis Dowling, Ms. Mattie Harrison, Ms. Lynda Henderson, Mr. Jim Kessler, Mr. Flynn Ludley, Mr. George Mack, Mr. Ted McKinney, Mr. Joe Mitcham, Ms. Jo Tatum.
Otha Anders and Rob Shadoin were absent.
Superintendent Charles Scriber called the meeting to order and Mr. Kessler gave the invocation. Dr. Scriber led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.
According to Board policy, if both officers are absent from a meeting at which a quorum is present, the Superintendent is to preside until the members elect one of their members to serve as President for that meeting. Therefore, Dr. Scriber asked for nominations.
Mr. Kessler recommended that Joe Mitcham serve as President for the meeting and Ms. Tatum seconded the motion. There being no objection, Mr. Mitcham was elected President for the meeting by acclamation.
Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Ms. Henderson, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as printed.
Upon a motion by Mr. Mack, seconded by Ms. Harrison, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session held on August 3, 2004 as corrected.
The floor was turned over to Secondary Supervisor, Ricky Edmiston, who introduced the Choudrant High Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisors, Steve Baker and Marty Cantrell, and the Ruston High FFA advisors, Mark Milstead, Sharon St. Andre, and James Sandifer. He announced that Choudrant High won lst place in the state sweepstakes in judging followed by a minimal amount of points by Ruston High who placed 2nd. In the area sweepstakes which covers from the Arkansas line to Winnfield over to Mississippi and to Texas, Choudrant was first followed by Ruston. Out of 203 chapters in the state, Choudrant High's FFA all around program was 3rd in the state. Lincoln Parish is the State's best parish in vocational education. He recognized the state champions who were in attendance at the meeting and their principals. Dr. Scriber and Mr. Mitcham commended the students and urged them to continue their good work. They also expressed their appreciation to the advisors for their outstanding FFA programs. Mr. Milstead expressed the group's thanks to the board, administrators, and parents for their support.
Collection and storage of broken and obsolete property at Ruston Junior High and the Special Education Department have been ongoing for years, according to Mr. Edmiston. He called attention to the lists of items which have created clutter and need to be eliminated. Mr. Edmiston requested that the items listed be declared as surplus.
Upon a motion by Ms. Tatum, seconded by Mr. McKinney, the Board unanimously voted to declare the listed items at Ruston Junior High and in the Special Education department as surplus to be properly disposed.
The Board served as a Committee of the Whole and the following Personnel Committee agenda items were considered after Danny Bell, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented 1.-5. and Charles Owens, Director of Auxiliary Services, presented 6.:
1. Mr. Bell gave a brief report on professional personnel staff hiring for 04-05. He explained the step-by-step process followed when a certified teacher applies for a job in Lincoln Parish. Statistics regarding the number of applicants interviewed by the five Ruston principals (Cypress Springs, Glen View, Hillcrest, I. A. Lewis, and Ruston Elementary) and the Choudrant Elementary, Hico, and Simsboro principals from '93 through '04 were presented along with the number of personnel recommendations made to the Board in each of those years. He mentioned that recommendations were down from 60 in July through September of 2003 to 45 for the same months of this year. He said the parish is in good shape but one never knows from day to day what will happen.
2. Disability retirement of Linda Norred, school support aide at Dubach High, effective August 26, 2004.
3. Resignation of the following teachers:
Emily Smith, special education at Glen View, effective August 3, 2004.
Sarah Temple, elementary at Glen View, effective July 15, 2004.
Latisha Guillory, English at Secondary Alternative, effective August 6, 2004.
4. Employment of the following effective August 11, 2004 unless otherwise noted:
Allison Brister, special education at Choudrant Elementary, replacing Julie Alexander who transferred.
Kelly Walker, elementary at Cypress Springs, replacing April Simonelli who was granted extended sick leave for the first semester.
Adrianne Gillyard, Title I tutor at Cypress Springs, effective August 12, 2004 replacing Laucetta McMurry who resigned.
Ann Epperson, math at Dubach High, replacing Ronald Phillips who resigned.
Gloria Moore in a new English position at Grambling High.
Jaime Simpson, elementary at Glen View, replacing Sarah Temple who resigned.
Marilyn Rushing, special education at Hico Elementary, replacing Frederick Penland who was uncertified.
Mary Parks, music at Ruston High, replacing Colleen Bridges who resigned.
Sharron Williams in a new Title I lab proctor slot at Simsboro High effective August 12, 2004.
5. Points of Reference/Transfers of the following effective August 11, 2004 unless noted otherwise:
Pinkie Davis, from Simsboro High to her previous Title I monitor/tutor position at Dubach High effective August 12, 2004.
Pam Neal, from Ruston Elementary to elementary at Glen View replacing Rebecca Hodge who resigned.
Pam Adams, from Ruston High to special education at Ruston Junior High replacing Dana Bookoff who transferred.
Random Kennedy from Simsboro High to English at Secondary Alternative School replacing Latisha Guillory who resigned.
6. Employment of the following maintenance personnel effective September 1, 2004:
Angela Davis, custodian at Ruston High, replacing Mary Jenkins who resigned.
Vivian Stringfellow, custodian at Ruston High, replacing Dorothy Spencer who was granted extended sick leave.
Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Kessler, the Board unanimously voted to approve the personnel recommendations.
The Finance Committee meet just prior to the Board meeting and Chairman, Joe Mitcham, announced that the Committee unanimously voted to recommend to the Board the acceptance of the proposed 04-05 budget which is summarized as follows:
Beginning fund balance - July 1, 2004 $ 12,011,228
Projected Revenues 49,658,261
Projected Expenditures (50,595,853)
Projected Deficiency ( 937,592)
Projected Ending fund balance - June 30, 2005 11,073,636
Business Manager, Jack Boyd, verbalized reasons that expenditures are anticipated to exceed revenues: unfunded mandates from the State Department, designated raises for certified employees from MFP monies given to support employees, and increased insurance costs and employer portion of retirement contributions. While the unreserved general fund has a healthy fund balance of approximately $6,500,000, at the current rate of deficit spending, the balance would be exhausted in five or six years. Therefore, Dr. Scriber listed plans he has for reducing spending including: cutting ten to fifteen teacher positions through attrition by the 05-06 school year which should save approximately $600,000, increasing employee health premiums by about 10% beginning in January 2005 which should save an additional $125,000-$150,000 per year, decreasing bus purchases to one to two per year saving another $150,000, and finally limiting and stringently screening special projects at the schools.
After some discussion, questions, and expressions of concern, Mr. Mitcham gave those present an opportunity to express comments or questions regarding the budget. Following those, he asked what the Boards's wishes were concerning the Finance Committee's recommendation to accept the 04-05 proposed budget.
The Board unanimously voted to adopt the 04-05 proposed budget as presented and grant permission for the administration to amend the budget as needed throughout the year and bring a final revised budget to the Board for approval at year-end.
Every four years the tax assessor is mandated by law to reappraise all property subject to taxation according to Mr. Boyd. Since those values are up, ad valorem tax millages go down, that is be "rolled back." He called attention to a printout showing the comparison of revenues from proposed ad valorem tax millages with columns for the 2004 reassessed appraisal value, rolling the rates back only with no roll forward, rolling forward midway between the roll back millages and maximum authorized millages, and rolling forward 100% of the amount authorized by law.
Mr. Boyd repeated the recommendation he made to the Finance Committee, that the millages should be rolled forward 50% in order to raise local effort which is a vital factor in receiving matching funds from the State in the Minimum Foundation Program formula and because the school system needs the extra monies. Increased revenue by moving the rates forward are estimated at $276,000. If the Board moves the rates to the maximum, to last year's rates, the increased amount would be approximately $552,000. He submitted three resolutions for the board's consideration and noted that the Board's decision will remain in effect for four years.
Chairman Mitcham reiterated the three possible options the Board was to consider regarding the millage rates for the 2004 tax year: roll back millages approved by the Legislative Auditor's Office as required in which case Resolution #1 would be approved, roll forward millages one-half way between the roll back and the maximum authorized by law in which case Resolutions #1 and #2(a) would be approved by the Board, and finally roll forward millages to the maximum authorized in which case Resolutions #1 and #2(b) would be approved.
Mr. Mitcham said that the administration, Mr. Boyd, and the Finance Committee are recommending that the millages be rolled back and then rolled forward one-half way between the roll back millage and the maximum allowed by law. He asked for questions from the public.
Following those, upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Ms. Tatum, the Board unanimously voted to adopt Resolution #1 rolling the rates back and levying millages as a result of the quadrennial reappraisal for the year 2004 for Lincoln Parish as follows:
I. Parish Wide
A. 4.59 Mills Constitutional Tax
B. 4.73 Mills Special Repair & Equipment Tax
C. 4.73 Mills Special Maintenance & Operation Tax
D. 11.13 Mills Parish wide Maintenance & Operation Tax
E. 9.21 Mills Parish wide Maintenance & Operation Tax
II. District Taxes - For Bond and Interest Fund
A. 18.95 Mills Ruston School District #1
B. 19.20 Mills Simsboro School District #3
C. 22.00 Mills Choudrant School District #6
III. District Taxes - Maintenance and Operation
A. 3.05 Mills Ruston School District #1
B. 3.04 Mills Simsboro School District #3
C. 3.17 Mills Dubach School District #5
Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted by roll call to adopt Resolution #2(a) rolling forward any millages one-half way between the roll back millage and the maximum millage authorized by law for Lincoln Parish as follows:
I. Parish Wide
A. 4.79 Mills Constitutional Tax
B. 4.94 Mills Special Repair & Equipment Tax
C. 4.94 Mills Special Maintenance & Operation Tax
D. 11.61 Mills Parish wide Maintenance & Operation Tax
E. 9.61 Mills Parish wide Maintenance & Operation Tax
II. District Taxes - For Bond and Interest Fund
A. 18.95 Mills Ruston School District #1
B. 19.20 Mills Simsboro School District #3
C. 22.00 Mills Choudrant School District #6
III. District Taxes - Maintenance and Operation
A. 3.05 Mills Ruston School District #1
B. 3.12 Mills Simsboro School District #3
C. 3.25 Mills Dubach School District #5
Mr. Bell reported that it was a very smooth opening of school again this year with few problems or situations. The usual adjustments were made to bus routes. Although the official student count is not taken until October 1, he indicated that the total number of students in the parish public schools is up one over last year for a total of 6,516. He listed the number of students by schools and noted that Choudrant High has the largest increase from last year and Simsboro has the largest decrease.
Sales tax collections for August 2004 were up 4.85% over the same month last year and 4.79% year-to-date, according to Mr. Boyd. In the 1967 and 1979 sales tax fund $357,720 was collected, with $214,631 being collected in the 1993 and 2000 funds. The collections are up primarily due to the construction going on in the parish. Audit recoveries are down 10% over the same month last year with $8,551 being collected.
Superintendent Scriber asked the Board to vote on his proposal from the August board meeting to add a Bullying, Intimidation, Harassment, and Hazing policy and to revise the Discipline of Students with Disabilities policy.
Upon a motion by Mr. McKinney, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to add a Bullying, Intimidation, Harassment, and Hazing policy (JCDAF) and to revise the Discipline of Students with Disabilities policy (JDF).
Mr. Mitcham reminded board members that they voted at the last meeting to allow two of them to be appointed to the Block Schedule Study Committee. In order to avoid any perception of favoring one schedule over another, he suggested that the Board needs to reconsider that decision. Mr. Mitcham said he, along with President Shadoin and Superintendent Scriber, recommended that board members do not serve on the Committee. The Executive Committee had been polled and agreed.
Upon a motion by Ms. Tatum, seconded by Ms. Henderson, the Board unanimously voted to rescind their previous decision to appoint two board members to the Block Schedule Study Committee.
Principal of Ruston High School, Kenny Henderson, reported that five parents of current or former Ruston High School students and five teachers have been selected to serve on the Block Schedule Study Committee which he will chair. The parents recommended for service are: Beth Anders, Jerlean Fowler, Jay Guillot, Pat Lyons, and Marilyn Mayfield. The teachers who have been selected are: Mickey Hollis, Choudrant High; Harryette Tinsley, Dubach High; Gary Green and Gayle Lewis, Ruston High; and Philip Cardwell, Simsboro High School. Their charge is to research various class schedule models that are used in high schools including but not limited to the block, traditional six period, a seven period schedule and some modifications of all of those. Those persons will study the school climate, academics, logistics, and state and college requirements affecting all of these. Decisions will be made on the basis of student improvement and student achievement and how the schedule affects them. Meeting times and places will be published in order for the public to attend. The goal of the Committee is to have a recommendation for the Board's consideration no later than January.
Suggestions, comments and questions from interested parents of Ruston High School students or former students and other persons took up a lengthy amount of time. Items mentioned were: senior students not being in school most of the day, the committee's makeup and who should vote on what decision, the report of the committee should be completed in time for changes to be made for the beginning of the 05-06 school year, whether a scheduling change would require board action, formation of subcommittees and their makeup, and whether principals may decide what is best for their school. The parent group strongly supports public education but feels some changes must be made in order for their children or grandchildren to be able to attend Ruston High School.
It was the consensus of opinion that a subcommittee can be formed to study each school and may make a recommendation to the Committee. The Block Schedule Study Committee will bring a minimum of one recommendation and a maximum of four recommendations back to the Board. Each school's situation will be considered individually. All four high schools will not be required to have the same schedule.
Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. Ludley, the Board unanimously voted:
1. To accept the Block Schedule Study Committee members as presented with one from each of the outlying schools, two teachers and five parents from Ruston High, and Kenny Henderson as Chairman.
2. That the Committee will make a recommendation to the Board for each school based upon information gathered by each sub committee and by the Committee as a whole.
For the 04-05 school year Sheriff Mike Stone has offered the services of a School Resource Office (SRO) at Dubach High and Grambling High, Superintendent Scriber announced. This one year pilot program, based on a nationally accepted model which involves prevention, intervention, and enforcement when necessary, would have the officers working with and supporting the administration in discipline, security and promoting positive relations and behaviors at the school sites.
Sheriff Stone was in attendance and added further details in his plan to tackle substance abuse in the parish which included a description of the SRO program and goals. He listed what the carefully-screened, intensively-trained, armed officers' responsibilities would include and what they would not include. Mr. Stone mentioned that he would like to place officers in others schools in the future if his or the Board's funding allows. Deputy Kirk Taylor will be in charge of the program. Sheriff Stone asked if anyone had questions. Following a brief discussion, upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. Ludley, the Board unanimously voted to approve the placement of School Resource Officers at Grambling High School and Dubach High School.
Dr. Scriber indicated that a suit has been filed by companies, whose pipelines cross the state, against the Louisiana Tax Commission in regards to the disposition of approximately $40,000,000 in ad valorem taxes paid by them under protest which is currently held in escrow. If the suit is dropped, Lincoln Parish School Board's portion of the $40,000,000 would be approximately $1,000,000. Representatives of school boards, police juries, sheriffs, assessors, and municipalities recently attended a meeting where they were informed that both sides have hired a mediator, Professor Paul Barron from Tulane University Law School, in an attempt to negotiate a settlement, decide how much money the companies owe, and method of handling the issue in coming years. If the Board desires, the Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA) will work with other government agencies, the Tax Commission, and Professor Baron and act on their behalf on any mediation and negotiation pertaining to the settlement. The next meeting of the Tax Commission is scheduled for September 23, 2004. Neither Dr. Scriber nor former superintendent Gerald Cobb was aware but this matter has been in existence for ten years. Superintendent Scriber presented a resolution for the Board's consideration which had been read and approved by the Assistant District Attorney, Andy Shealy.
Upon a motion by Mr. Mack, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to approve the following:
RESOLUTION
Authorizing the Louisiana School Boards Association to act on the Lincoln Parish School Board's behalf in future mediation to negotiate a settlement with pipeline companies and methods to address the issue in the future.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
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Charles R. Scriber, Secretary Robert E. Shadoin, President