LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Ruston, Louisiana
REGULAR SESSION
Tuesday, February 6, 2007 6:00 p.m.
The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, February 6, 2007, 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 President Otha Anders, Mr. Michael Barmore, Ms. Lisa Best, Mr. Curtis Dowling, Ms. Mattie Harrison, Mr. Trott Hunt, Mr. Eddie Jones, Mr. Jim Kessler, Mr. George Mack, Mr. Ted McKinney, and Mr. Joe Mitcham.
Ms. Lynda Henderson was absent.
President Anders called the meeting to order and Mr. Mitcham gave the invocation. Ms. Harrison led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Mr. Anders welcomed board members, staff, press, and special guests.
Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Ms. Harrison, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as printed.
Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session held on January 9, 2007, as distributed.
Mary Null, Director of Instruction, Personnel, and Special Programs, had the pleasure of introducing the Ruston Jaycees’ Outstanding Young Educator of the Year, Chris Taylor. She shared background information on him including the fact that he is a math teacher and a coach at Ruston Junior High School. Ms. Null expressed her pride in Mr. Taylor for being chosen for this honor. She allowed him to introduce his guests and share brief comments with the Board. He thanked the board for their recognition and for allowing him the opportunity to work with the students in Lincoln Parish.
Mr. Anders expressed sincere thanks to the Jaycees for their continuous support of the educational system in the parish. He congratulated Mr. Taylor on the Board’s behalf for his educational endeavors. He also thanked him for dedicating and committing himself to excellence and being bold enough to try new innovative techniques to reach the children.
Eric Carter, Supervisor of Testing, Evaluation, and Curriculum, came before the Board and gave background information on the Student of the Year program. Each of the Lincoln Parish schools selects a Student of the Year from three divisions: elementary (grade 5), junior high (grade 8), and high school (grade 12). Parish-wide winners selected from each division go on to compete at the regional level. If successful there, they go on to state level competition. He introduced and shared personal information about each of the parish winners and allowed them to introduce their guests.
On behalf of the Lincoln Parish School Board, Superintendent Danny Bell presented the following parish Students of the Year with plaques in recognition of their hard work:
Elementary - James Davison - A. E. Phillips
Junior High - Ashley Davison - A. E. Phillips
High School - Jeffery Sampson - Grambling High School
Mr. Anders congratulated the Students of the Year and wished them the best.
Mr. Anders thanked Board members for volunteering to serve on various committees and indicated that committee assignments for 2007 were included in packets. He made one addition to the Personnel Committee.
Changes to the policy manual are to be introduced at one board meeting and voted on at a subsequent meetings; therefore, Mr. Bell asked for approval of the policy additions, deletion, and revisions that he proposed at the January meeting.
After questions, upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. McKinney, the Board unanimously voted to approve the addition of two policies: Recruitment (GBC) and Employee Discipline (GBK); the deletion of: Employee Discipline (GBHA); the revision of four policies: Recruitment of Superintendent (CEC), Bids and Quotations (DJED), Personnel Records (GAK), Employee Investigations (GAMC); and the recoding of: Suspension (GBKA) from GBK and Reduction in Staff Personnel(GBNA) which was previously GBKA.
For the past several years the Choudrant community has discussed requesting the members of the LPSB to call for an election to generate funding for a capital improvements plan for the Choudrant schools, according to Danny Bell. Now that District 24 has been dissolved and incorporated as part of Choudrant District No. 6, there is sufficient assessed property valuation to consider moving forward with the request. There is a much needed bond proposition for the two schools in the district, Choudrant Elementary and Choudrant High. There is also a need for specific maintenance and operation funds to provide for the upkeep and future operation of the facilities; therefore, he presented two propositions: one to call for a bond election for capital improvements that would be paid out over twenty years at 47.0 mills, and a second to call for a maintenance and operation tax for ten years at 3.00 mills. He noted that there are no current outstanding bonds in the Choudrant district, and that is the only district that presently has no specific district millage for the purpose of maintenance and operation.
Plans include constructing a new elementary school in front of the existing building. The new school would consist of an office suite, cafeteria, kitchen, gym, library, twenty-one classrooms, five special education classrooms, specialty classrooms, toilets, and other support spaces. Once the new building is finished, the existing building would be removed and developed into new playground space. In addition, new parking and canopies to serve both buses and facility/public would be constructed.
At the high school, the auditorium would be converted into a cafeteria and kitchen; a new metal frame building would be constructed to the west of the gym which would house the library, computer classroom, home economics and business computer labs; a new free standing metal building south of the existing shop would be constructed for a new carpentry shop; additional parking would be added to the front of the school; the existing parking lot would be overlaid; other items including some new roofs; floor replacement and refinishing; window repair; and refinishing floors, walls, and ceilings.
Bond attorney, Grant Schlueter, further explained the companion issues to approve a capital improvements plan and to fund a maximum of $13,850,000 of general obligation bonds and a property tax. He summarized two resolutions which would accomplish those objectives and call for a special election to be held in the Choudrant School District No. 6 on Saturday, May 5, 2007.
Mr. Kessler said he is very excited and will work diligently to make sure the community understands the plan.
Mike Walpole, architect, was present to provide further information and explanation of the plan.
Following much discussion and many questions, upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. Jones, the Board unanimously voted to approve the following:
RESOLUTION
A resolution approving the ”CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN”, designating purposes for which proceeds of a proposed bond issue will be budgeted, and otherwise providing with respect thereto.
Mr. Schlueter explained that the second Resolution ordered and called an election with the two propositions as set forth in the first resolution. The first proposition deals with the issuance of $13,850,000 of bonds for the capital improvements program and specific projects that the Board had just approved. The second proposition deals with 3 mills operation and maintenance tax.
Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. Barmore, the Board unanimously voted to approve the following:
RESOLUTION
A resolution ordering and calling a special election to be held in Choudrant School District No. 6 of the Parish of Lincoln, State of Louisiana, to authorize the incurring of debt and issuance of bonds and the levy of a special tax therein; making application to the State Bond Commission in connection therewith; and providing for other matters in connection therewith.
In order to canvass the returns of the Choudrant School District’s election on May 5, 2007, the superintendent proposed moving the May 1 meeting date to Tuesday, May 8, 2007.
Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the board unanimously voted to change the May 1, 2007, board meeting date to Tuesday, May 8, 2007.
The Board served as a Committee of the Whole, and the following Personnel Committee agenda items were considered after Ms. Null shared items 1.-3., and Charles Owens, Director of Auxiliary Services, shared 4.:
1. Resignation of Philip Cardwell, English/language arts teacher at Simsboro High, effective January 26, 2007.
2. Retirement of Sharon Bentley, language arts teacher at I. A. Lewis, effective January 19, 2007.
3. Employment of the following:
Shawn Talley as science teacher at Dubach High, effective January 16, 2007, replacing Elizabeth Dickson who resigned;
Ashley Carter as social studies teacher at I. A. Lewis, effective January 16, 2007, replacing Kevin Nutt who transferred;
Melanie Lewis as language arts teacher at I. A. Lewis, effective January 29, 2007, replacing Sharon Bentley who retired;
Heather Taylor as English/language arts teacher at Simsboro High, effective February 20, 2007, replacing Philip Cardwell.
4. Employment of Danny Dean as custodian at Ruston High, effective February 1, 2007, replacing Ernest Nickerson who resigned.
Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Ms. Best, the Board unanimously voted to accept the personnel recommendations from the administration.
According to George Murphy, Business Manager, sales taxes collected for the period ending January 31, 2007, were $1,440,258 which were 19.44% higher than the same month last year. Year-to-date those collections were up 15.62%. Taxes recovered by audits were $2,006 which brings that total to $443,773 for the year. Year-to-date that fund was up 56.72%. Collected in the ’67 and ’79 fund was $654,663, and $785,595 was generated in the ’93 and ’00 fund.
As part of his December 2006 financial update, Mr. Murphy indicated that not much change was noted from the previous month. Ad valorem tax money had been received in January, so those funds should begin to return to the black in the next report. The sales tax funds were doing fine. The child nutrition fund was in the hole which was as budgeted. There was nothing unexpected for the time of the year.
Mr. Murphy presented two months of data for his health plan update, November and December. December’s report covered the entire calendar year of 2006. A loss of $39,567 was sustained for the month, but, year-to-date the health plan program ended up $453,818 in the black. This was a result of changes made during the previous year. He is working with the Third Party Administrator and the Network in order to be able to continue to provide health insurance for the employees and retirees.
In a Report of the Superintendent, Mr. Bell:
1. Stated that the next board meeting scheduled to be held at Simsboro on 2-21-07 at 12:30 p.m. will be held at I. A. Lewis instead. Construction limits room availability at Simsboro.
2. Reported that workers have made remarkable progress with the cleanup of the old Hopewell School site north of Dubach.
3. Indicated that he will provide his suggestions for voting on resolutions at the upcoming LSBA convention at the Board meeting on the 21st.
4. Announced that the Annual Soul Food Day at Lincoln Center has been scheduled for 12:30 - 2:30 on 2-23-07 in celebration of Black History month.
5. Declared that Cypress Springs will have a Food for the Soul festivity on 2-14-07 from 10:30 - 12:30.
Following brief comments, the meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.
______________________________ _________________________________
Danny L. Bell, Secretary Otha L. Anders, President