LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Ruston, Louisiana
REGULAR SESSION
Tuesday, October 3, 2006 6:00 p.m.
The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, October 3, 2006 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. Otha Anders, Ms. Lisa Best, Mr. Curtis Dowling, Ms. Mattie Harrison, Ms. Lynda Henderson, Mr. Jim Kessler, Mr. Flynn Ludley, Mr. George Mack (arrived after the meeting began), Mr. Joe Mitcham, Mr. Rob Shadoin, and Ms. Jo Tatum.
Mr. Ted McKinney was absent.
President Otha Anders called the meeting to order and Mr. Kessler gave the invocation. Ms. Tatum led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.
Mr. Mack arrived for the meeting.
Mr. Anders welcomed fellow board members, members of the press, staff, honorees, and an education leadership class to the meeting.
Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as printed.
Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Ms. Tatum, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session held on September 5, 2006 as corrected.
Testing, Evaluation, and Curriculum Supervisor, Eric Carter, presented background information on the Teacher of the Year program and introduced the 06-07 parish winners. The following teachers were presented with a plaque of appreciation by Superintendent Danny Bell on behalf of the Board and a certificate and monetary award from their business sponsor for their dedication to the profession and to the students:
Carol James - Cypress Springs - Elem. Division - M. L. Smith
Sue Barfield - A. E. Phillips - Jr. High Division - Devon Energy
Kay White - Ruston High - School Division - Franke Consumer Products
Ryan Madden, a representative of the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, presented each of the business sponsors with a certificate of appreciation for their support of the Teacher of the Year program.
Mr. Anders congratulated the Teachers of the Year and expressed the Board’s thanks for being such capable, caring individuals.
With over 200 FFA chapters in the state, Secondary Supervisor, Ricky Edmiston, recognized the number one and number two clubs in the state. Number one, Choudrant High, is led by Steve Baker and Marty Cantrell and Mark Milstead, Sharon St. Andre, and James Sandifer work with Ruston High, the number two program in the state. Mr. Edmiston presented certificates to the following Ruston High and Choudrant High students for earning the classification of FFA state champion:
Jacob Pierce - Electricity - Ruston High
Jordan Frazier - Small Engines - Choudrant
Daniel Mills - Small Engines - Choudrant
Tori Cordero - Dairy Products - Choudrant
Kristin Quarles - Dairy Products - Choudrant
Alana Bennett - Dairy Products - Choudrant
Keeley Odom - Dairy Products - Choudrant
Mr. Edmiston also presented plaques to Marty Cantrell and Steve Baker in recognition of their hard work and achievement by coaching state championship teams.
Mr. Edmiston communicated that Grambling High and Ruston High have junk, irreparable, and obsolete items that need to be declared surplus. He requested permission to do so in order to dispose of items in the agriculture department at Ruston High and in the business department at Grambling High.
Upon a motion by Mr. Shadoin, seconded by Mr. Mack, the Board unanimously voted to declare items as surplus at Grambling High and Ruston High and dispose of as described.
The Board served as a Committee of the Whole and the following Personnel Committee agenda items were considered after Mary Null, Director of Instruction, Personnel, and Special Programs, presented 1.-2.; Ronny Volentine, Transportation Supervisor, presented 3.-4; Charles Owens, Director of Auxiliary Services, presented 5; and Earlene Jackson, Child Nutrition Program Supervisor, presented 6.:
1. Resignation of the following:
Alicia Powell, teacher at Ruston Elementary, effective September 13, 2006.
Vicki McGuire, English teacher at Ruston Junior High, effective September 16, 2006.
2. Employment of the following effective September 18, 2006:
Melinda Killen, teacher at Ruston Elementary, replacing Alicia Powell who resigned.
Jaimee Hudson, English teacher at Ruston Junior High, replacing Vicki McGuire who resigned.
3. Retirement of Cannie Davison, bus driver in the Ruston area, effective October 13, 2006.
4. Employment of Jamie Simmons as bus driver in the Ruston area effective October 16, 2006 replacing Cannie Davison who retired.
5. Resignation of Alverne Bridges, custodian at Glen View, effective September 11, 2006.
6. Point of Reference/Transfer of Kay Houck from Ruston High to school food service technician at Hico effective September 11, 2006 replacing Valorie Cooper who resigned.
Upon a motion by Ms. Tatum, seconded by Ms. Henderson, the Board unanimously voted to accept the personnel recommendations of the administration.
It was difficult to compare this year’s iLEAP test scores with those from previous years because it was a new test, according to Eric Carter. He said that Lincoln Parish is right there at the average score on the norm referenced portion, which compares the parish’s students with other students across the nation. On the criterion referenced section, the students scored fewer Unsatisfactories in twelve of eighteen areas of the State. ”r;Lincoln Parish is doing a good job educating students,” he said, ”r;but the schools continue to look for ways to improve.”
George Murphy, Business Manager, reported that sales tax revenue for the period ending September 30, 2006, totaled $1,038,775 which is an 11.12% increase over the same month last year. For the year the fund is up 11.33%. Recoveries through audits for the month were $68,354 and $392,977 has been collected in the 06-07 fiscal year. For the first three months of the year, audit recoveries have surpassed those of the entire last year. In the 67 and 79 funds, $472,171 was collected and $566,604 was added to the 93 and 00 funds. He finished by saying that the larger sales tax collections will enable the fourteenth checks, which are distributed in November, to be increased.
Mr. Murphy noted that the self insurance health benefits program showed a net loss of $37,751 for the month ending August 31, 2006. However, after eight months in 2006, the fund was up $386,313. Next month he will bring proposed insurance changes to the Board for their consideration.
Because funds are now available, and in order to keep the bus fleet upgraded in order to provide safe and reliable transportation for the students, Ronny Volentine requested permission to advertise for bids to purchase ten 72 passenger, conventional, 2007 or later model school buses.
Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Ms. Best, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to advertise for bids to purchase ten 72 passenger, conventional, 2007 or later model school buses.
In a Report of the Superintendent, Mr. Bell said:
1. The exact cost for the change order approved at the September board meeting on Simsboro High School’s roof warranty was $19,761.
2. The Assistant District Attorney Andy Shealy has received verification that the Justice Department has approved the Board’s action and the dissolution of Downsville School District #24.
3. Kay White and others have issued an invitation to Board Members for a DWI mock crash tomorrow at Ruston High School at 1:30 p.m. It will be conducted in the parking lot behind the boys’ gym.
4. He appreciates the Board’s understanding with the cancellation of the October 18 board meeting due to his being in Baton Rouge for a BESE meeting to discuss the MFP.
After brief comments from several board members, the meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m.
__________________________ ____________________________
Danny Bell, Secretary Otha Anders, President