LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Ruston, Louisiana
REGULAR SESSION
Tuesday, March 3, 2009 6:00 p.m.
The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, March 3, 2009, 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, Ms. Lynda Henderson, Mr. Trott Hunt, Mr. Eddie Jones, Mr. Jim Kessler, Mr. George Mack, Mr. Ted McKinney, and Mr. Joe Mitcham.
No board member was absent.
President Anders called the meeting to order, and the invocation was given by Mr. Jones. Ms. Best led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Mr. Anders welcomed board members, staff, members of the press, and visitors to the meeting.
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 Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Sessions held on February 3 and February 18, 2009, as distributed.
Voicing her annual request for permission to advertise and accept bids in order to purchase food, paper and kitchen supplies, and equipment for the 09-10 school year was Brenda Theodos, Child Nutrition Program Supervisor.
Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Ms. Henderson, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to advertise and accept the lowest bid on Child Nutrition Program purchases of food, paper and kitchen supplies, and equipment that meet specifications for the 09-10 school year.
Director of Auxiliary Services, Charles Owens, said the architect, Mike Walpole, was nearing completion of plans relative to the construction of the Pre-K Center. Granting permission to advertise for bids would allow for a possible April contractor bid date. Mr. Owens asked for permission.
Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission for the advertisement of bids for the Pre-K Center construction.
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., Charles Owens presented 2., and Brenda Theodos presented 3.:
Resignation of Cecil Barham, math teacher at Ruston Junior High, effective March 13, 2009.
Employment of the following effective February 23, 2009:
Belinda Murphy as custodian at Simsboro, replacing Eric Goree who transferred; and
Charles Parker as carpenter helper at the central office, replacing Earnest Jackson who resigned.
Resignation of Yvette Bond as school food service technician at Choudrant, effective February 13, 2009.
Upon a motion by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Barmore, the Board unanimously voted to approve the personnel recommendations and requests.
A report on special grants was the next item on the agenda. Kathy Pool, Accounting Manager, communicated that teachers’, coordinators’, and administrators’ grant writing efforts had resulted in $6.4 million being awarded to Lincoln Parish in the form of block and competitive grants. She mentioned some of the ways the money was to be used in order to increase student achievement and impact learning environments. Kay Bradford, part-time teacher at Ruston High School and part-time grant writer, briefly discussed the instructional portion of the grants. Ms. Pool closed by noting that 29 grants had been awarded in 04-05. That figure had jumped to 41 for the 08-09 school year with 13 being competitive and 4 being local. She believes those numbers will increase because block grants are being cut.
George Murphy, Business Manager, reported that $1,063,341 was collected in sales taxes during the month of February 2009. This was a 19.97% decrease for the month and 9.50% increase year-to-date. Because of software problems at the Sales and Use Tax office, he did not have a breakdown to explain the largest decrease he had seen. He expects the decreases to continue for the remaining four months of the fiscal year. In the 1967 and 1979 sales tax funds, $483, 337 was collected. Deposits in the 1993 and 2000 sales tax funds were $580,004. Monies recovered from audits totaled $17,027 for the month. Compared to the same time last year, the audit monies were up 78.59%.
Because of the sales tax decrease and closure of the Con Agra plan in Farmerville, Mr. Murphy went into a little more detail than usual regarding the January 2009 financial statement. The general fund began the year slightly higher than $11 million and still has $2.8 mill excess of revenue over expenditures which leaves a pretty healthy fund balance of $14,168,000. Of this balance, $5 mill will be used for the Pre-K Center.
At MFP mid-year correction time, the system was up 202 students compared to last year; therefore, another $900,000 in revenue will be paid. To start the year, a $1.5 mill decrease was noted because of a decline in numbers. The 5 mill maintenance fund was already in the hole because money had been spent on the gym floors and roofs. A transfer of $250,000 will probably be made from the general fund in the near future. Despite raising meal prices and stopping the purchase of equipment, the child nutrition fund was $61,000 in the hole. He recommended leaving that fund like it is for the present time. The sales tax funds, year-to-date, were doing fine a far as revenues over expenditures. In fact, they were still 9.5% higher than last year and fund balances looked good. Because of the economy he foresees sales tax decreases over the next few months. He also summarized activity in the ad valorem and M & O funds and noted that the 2000 ad valorem tax fund was up for renewal next month.
The self-insured health program had a loss of $133,539 for the first month of 2009 which was for claims incurred in December but paid in January. Recent changes have become effective which Mr. Murphy hopes will allow revenues to exceed expenditures.
Changes to the policy manual are to be introduced at one board meeting and voted on at a subsequent meeting. Superintendent Danny Bell asked for approval of policy revisions, additions, and deletions that he proposed at the February meeting.
Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. Jones, the Board unanimously voted to approve changes to the policy manual as follows:
REVISION: BBBC, Board Member Continuing Education; BH, School Board Ethics; DE, Debt Limitation; EBC, Buildings and Grounds Security; EDC, Student Transportation Safety Program; GAMEB, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Testing - Commercial Drivers’ License Holders; IDDF, Education of Students with Exceptionalities; IFBGA, Acceptable Use Policy for School Computer Systems and the Internet - Student Use; JBA, Compulsory School Attendance Ages, JBCD, Student Transfer and Withdrawal; JCDB, Student Dress Code; and JGCB, Immunizations.
ADDITION: FDC, Naming of Facilities; GAMEA, Alcohol and Drug Testing - General Employees; and GAMI, Employee Use of Telephones and Other Electronic Devices.
DELETION: GAME, Employee Drug and Alcohol Testing; IDDF, Special Education (BUT replace with a new IDDF, Education of Students with Exceptionalities); and IDDFA, Technology Assistive Devices for Disabled Students.
In order to allow the Board to spread the payment out and save money since daily rates of pay usually increase, George Murphy proposed revising the annual leave policy to allow full-time, twelve-month employees hired prior to January 1, 2002, to be paid for a portion of their accumulated annual leave days each year instead of waiting until they retire, enter DROP, are terminated, resigned, or deceased. He noted that this would also help the employees with their taxes. The change would not affect employees hired after January 1, 2002, because they are ineligible according to policy to accrue more than twenty-five days of annual leave. Attorney Jon Guice and a representative from the State Department’s School Finance Division agree that it would be financially prudent for the Board to allow some of this accrued leave to be paid out over time versus one final payment at the time these employees exit the system. Mr. Murphy asked the Board to review the proposed policy change until the April meeting of the Board.
A BESE change of testing dates made testing fall within spring break on the 09-10 school calendar, Mr. Bell communicated. He proposed changing spring break from Monday, April 19, through Friday, April 23, 2010, to a combination Easter/spring break from Monday, March 29, through Monday, April 5, 2010. This would also allow the last day of school to be backed up. He asked the Board to approve this calendar change.
Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Mr. Mack, the Board unanimously voted to change spring break on the 09-10 school calendar from Monday, April 19, through Friday, April 23, 2010, to a combination Easter/spring break from Monday, March 29, through Monday, April 5, 2010.
Argent Property Services recommended that the Board enter into an oil, gas, and mineral lease agreement with Indigo Minerals, LLC, to begin receiving any and all mineral royalties to which it is entitled, Mr. Murphy reported. Board attorney, Andy Shealy, prepared a Resolution authorizing the same.
Upon a motion by Mr. Hunt, seconded by Mr. McKinney, the Board unanimously voted by roll call to adopt the following:
Resolution
Authorizing Argent Property Services, LLC to act on behalf of the Lincoln Parish School Board for the advertising and granting of an oil gas, and mineral lease.
At the October 22, 2008, meeting the Board voted to grant an abatement on sales taxes on materials needed by St. Gobain Containers to rebuild both of its furnaces over the next two years as long as it does not affect employees’ 13th checks and contingent on the approval of the attorney general. An attorney general’s opinion, stating that the Board may enact an ordinance authorizing sales tax exclusions, had been received. Mr. Shealy prepared an ordinance for the Board to consider.
Acting on his advice, upon a motion by Mr. Mitcham, seconded by Ms. Best, the Board voted 11-1 by roll call to enter into Executive Session at 7:02 to discuss confidential and privileged information relative to specific tax payers as applicable to St. Gobain’s request for a sales tax exclusion. The lone dissenting vote came from George Mack.
Upon a motion by Mr. Mack, seconded by Mr. Jones, the Board unanimously voted at 7:48 to return to Open Session.
President Anders allowed Jeff Shonkwiler, tax director from St. Gobain’s corporate headquarters in Indiana, to speak to the Board. Based on the October 22, 2008, vote to grant the abatement, the company proceeded with the $52,000,000 renovation of the plant. They are about half way through. The second phase is set to begin next September. They are very appreciative of the School Board’s actions. He indicated that he was present to see what the final ordinance would say.
Upon a motion by Mr. Mitcham, seconded by Mr. Jones, the Board unanimously voted to rescind the action of the Board regarding St. Gobain and the employees’ 13th checks as voted on in the original motion at the October 22, 2008, meeting.
Upon a motion by Mr. Hunt, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to ask the local legislators to introduce legislation similar to Act #1 of the 2007 legislative session (dealing with the General Motors plant in Caddo Parish) but applicable to a glass container manufacturer with a NACS code beginning with 3221.
In a Report of the Superintendent, Mr. Bell said that:
1. Absentee voting for the April 4, 2009, millage renewal will begin on March 21 at 8:30 a.m. and run through March 28 at 6:00 p.m.
2. Many board members will be attending the LSBA convention later in the week. He said he is unable to attend because of previous commitments.
After comments from a couple of members and following a motion by Ms. Best, the meeting adjourned at 7:57 p.m.
_________________________ ________________________________
Danny L. Bell, Secretary Otha L. Anders, President