LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Ruston, Louisiana
REGULAR SESSION
Tuesday, January 6, 2009 6:00 p.m.
The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. in the Title I Media Center Conference Room at 504 East Arizona, 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, and Mr. Joe Mitcham.
Ms. Lynda Henderson and Mr. Ted McKinney were absent.
Mr. Anders called the meeting to order and delivered the invocation. Ms. Best and Ms. Harrison led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.
Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Mr. Hunt, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as printed.
Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Ms. Best, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session held on December 2, 2008, as distributed.
The Election of Officers for 2009 was the next item on the agenda. Mr. Anders said nominations or a motion could be made. He declared the floor open for a motion.
Ms. Harrison made a motion to retain the current officers. Mr. Barmore seconded the motion.
Mr. Anders turned the floor over to the secretary, Superintendent Danny Bell. Mr. Bell asked for a vote on the Harrison/Barmore motion. Hearing all ”r;Ayes,” he congratulated Otha Anders as president and Joe Mitcham as vice president. They both thanked the Board for the vote of confidence and pledged to do their best.
Six bids were received for site work for the pre-k center, according to Charles Owens, Director of Auxiliary Services. Amethyst Construction came in as low bidder with their base bid of $362,235. They also submitted an alternate bid of $85,490 for the construction of a driveway exit connecting to Georgia Avenue. This would be a one-way exit and not an entrance. Because the base bid and the alternate came in significantly under the engineer’s estimate for the site work project and because sufficient funding had been budgeted and is available for this phase, he recommended accepting Amethyst’s base bid and alternate.
Engineer Ron Riley was present and helped answer brief questions.
Upon a motion by Mr. Hunt, seconded by Ms. Best, the Board unanimously voted to accept Amethyst Construction as the low bidder and contractor for the site work for the Lincoln Parish Pre-K Center and approve their base bid of $362,235 as well as the alternate of $85,490.
Mr. Owens reported that six bids were also received for the addition at Glen View Elementary. Bryan & Thrash initially came in with the low bid; however, after examining their numbers they withdrew they bid. The next qualified bidder was Ray Anding Construction, Inc., with a base bid of $597,000. Two alternates were also received from Anding; the first being a new canopy system to connect buildings and the second being a new underground drainage system. He asked the Board to accept Anding’s base bid and two alternates for the project.
Upon a motion by Mr. Hunt, seconded by Mr. Barmore, the Board unanimously voted to accept the base bid with the two alternates submitted by Ray Anding Construction, Inc., and approve this construction company as the low bidder and contractor for the Glen View Elementary School classroom addition project.
Verbal approval had been given by the administration for a change order dealing with the Ruston School District renovation and construction project at Ruston High School. Mr. Owens noted that raising the air-conditioning platforms in Phase 10 cost $1,201.00 which could be taken from the contingency allowance with a net change of zero dollars. The contract time period would be unchanged. He requested that the Board formally approve the change order.
Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to approve the change order adding no money to the Ruston High School project.
It was nearing the time to wrap up the bus facility due to construction and renovation work coming to completion. Charles Owens requested permission to execute Substantial Completion documents for the project based on the recommendation of the engineer after his preparation of the final punch list and other appropriate documents. This would be executed only conditionally following appropriate and thorough review by the owner and architect.
Upon a motion by Mr. Mack, seconded by Mr. Kessler, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission and authorize the superintendent, his staff, and the engineer to execute the Substantial Completion documents for the bus facility provided that all applicable items on the punch list were cleared and all life safety codes and IBC regulations were satisfied.
As the parish’s policy for promotion and retention of students, the Pupil Progression Plan (PPP), is based on Bulletin 1566, Bulletin 741, and acts of the Louisiana Legislature. Paula Pardue, Secondary Academic Coordinator, asked that it be revised to extend the middle and high school 10-point grading scale to include the 6th grade (except for Choudrant Elementary and Simsboro Schools which would remain under the K - 5 scale because of their physical location). She said that would establish a bridge which would provide for an easy, seamless transition to the 7th grade. The transition would become even more necessary with the expansion of the STEM program at I. A. Lewis, the 6th grade center. Ms. Pardue indicated that an entire copy of the PPP was available for review.
A parent of a kindergarten student requested that the PPP be revised to extend the 10-point grading scale through the elementary grades. He felt that the scale would benefit the youngest pupils and relieve stress and pressure that tests and grades incur.
After several minutes of discussion, questions, and debate, it was suggested that the issue be returned to the PPP Study Committee.
Following comments, upon a motion by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Barmore, the Board unanimously voted to approve the revisions to the PPP extending the 10-point grading scale down to the sixth grade if the administration makes sure the best teachers are where they need to be.
In order to continue to provide safe and efficient bus service for the students and to adequately meet the demands of extra curricular activities such as athletics and field trips, James Payton, Transportation Coordinator, feels that it is vital to purchase new buses on a yearly basis. He requested permission to advertise for bids in order to purchase five new buses.
Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. Hunt, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to advertise for bids for the purchase of five new school buses.
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 - #4 and Brenda Theodos, Child Nutrition Program Supervisor, presented #5:
1. Retirement of John Wallace, special education transition coordinator at Ruston High, effective January 12, 2009.
2. Resignation of the following:
Herbert Piertz, special education paraprofessional at Cypress Springs, effective December 19, 2008; and
English teacher at Ruston Junior High, Kelly Sandoz, effective December 5, 2008.
3. Employment of India Robinson as English teacher at Ruston Junior High, effective December 8, 2008, replacing Kelly Sandoz who resigned.
4. Point of Reference/Transfer of Nancy Giesse from special education classroom to special education transition coordinator, effective January 12, 2009.
5. Resignation of the following school food service employees:
Jessie Sibley, technician at Dubach, effective December 3, 2008; and
Tracie Cobb, technician at Simsboro, effective December 31, 2008.
Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to accept the personnel recommendations as presented.
Board member for Ward 5, Jim Kessler, gave a brief report on the Choudrant capital improvement project. After months of meetings to find a way to renovate the elementary and high school, the community advisory committee has gotten preliminary designs and prefers the one from Taylor Wallace Designs from Calhoun. Fifteen to twenty mills would be required to bring in approximately $7.5 million which would be needed. They will use the next few months to have community meetings to spread the word and finalize plans for a millage election. Mr. Kessler is optimistic about the proposal.
The December 2008 sales tax collections were $1,138,215 which was 1.77% higher than the same month last year. For the year the fund was up 16.47%, reported Business Manager George Murphy. Recoveries through audits for the month were $78,754 which brought the yearly total to $378,876. That total was more than all of last year’s audit recoveries. Collected in the ’r;67 and ’r;79 fund was $517,371; $620,844 was generated in the ’r;93 and ’r;00 fund.
Moving on to the November 2008 financial statement, George Murphy said the general fund and sales tax funds were all doing well. The five-mill maintenance and other ad valorem funds showed negative balances because those taxes begin arriving in January. The five-mill maintenance fund may require a transfer from the general fund. The sales tax funds are doing really well although the ’r;00 has decreased due to the payment of thirteenth checks.
Mr. Murphy reported that the health care fund, for the month of November 2008, had a positive balance of $143,439.57. Year-to-date the plan was down $948,955.72. He hopes significant changes that are about to come into effect will make a difference in the plan.
In a Report of the Superintendent, Mr. Bell said:
1. That several items had been placed in the members’ portfolios earlier in the day.
2. The education budget cuts at the state level will impact the K - 12 awards program; therefore, Hillcrest Elementary will not be getting the financial rewards they had earned. However, there are no current year MFP changes. As a deficit is expected in the state’s monies, superintendents were told by the State Superintendent yesterday to be very careful as they prepared their next year’s budgets. There will surely be some changes made in each local system’s funding.
3. Governor Bobby Jindal will be at Simsboro on Friday at 1:45 p.m. for a Town Hall meeting in the auditorium. Board members are invited to attend.
4. Drop out scores will be released this week on 2007 data. He also mentioned a Drop Out Summit meeting to be held in Monroe on Thursday as the problem is attacked on a local level.
5. It is very important that the millage renewal coming up in April of this year passes. A schedule of presentations regarding that will be distributed at the next meeting.
6. The renovation work being done in the Central Office is coming along. He hopes it will be completed by the end of the month and that the next meeting will be held in the Board Room.
7. He received and placed in the portfolios a letter from Attorney Jon Guice regarding St. Gobain and their abatement request. Attorney Guice has not received an Attorney General’s opinion on that matter. Mr. Bell has requested information from Assistant District Attorney Andy Shealy which he will share when it is received.
8. Ruston Elementary’s Adopt-A-School partner, Trinity Methodist Church, did fantastic things for the students and faculty at Christmas. The community support and involvement were remarkable.
Following brief comments from board members, the meeting adjourned at 7:24 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Hunt.
Danny Bell, Secretary
Otha Anders, President