LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Ruston, Louisiana
REGULAR SESSION
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 6:00 p.m.
The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 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. Henderson led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Mr. Anders welcomed board members and visitors to the meeting.
Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Ms. Best, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as printed.
Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Mr. McKinney, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session held on February 17, 2010, as distributed.
Cathi Cox, Project ACHIEVE Coordinator, had the pleasure of introducing the Ruston Jaycees’ Outstanding Young Educator of the Year, Chris Campbell. She shared background information on him including the fact that he is a middle grade science teacher at Simsboro School. Ms. Cox expressed her pride in Mr. Campbell for being chosen for this honor. She allowed him to share brief comments with the Board. He thanked the Board and the administration for their support.
Ronnie Walker, Vice President at the First National Bank, and Jim Pesnell, President of the Sunrise Kiwanis, were recognized as Distinguished Partners in Education by Cathi Cox. Because of their businesses’, employees’, and volunteers’ generous donation of time and money to schools within Lincoln Parish, they had been selected for this honor. She thanked them on behalf of the Board, the administration, and most of all the students who reap the real benefits.
Voicing her annual request for permission to advertise and accept bids in order to purchase food, paper and kitchen supplies, and equipment for the 10-11school year was Brenda Theodos, Child Nutrition Program Supervisor.
Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. Mack, 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 10-11 school year.
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; and Charles Owens, Director of Auxiliary Services, presented 2:
Resignation of Lt. Col. Daniel Simonsen, ROTC instructor at Ruston High, effective March 1, 2010; and
Defacto resignation of central office maintenance employee, Charles Parker, effective January 26, 2010.
Upon a motion by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Barmore, the Board unanimously voted to approve the personnel resignations.
George Murphy, Business Manager, reported that $916,979 was collected in sales taxes during the month of February 2010. This was a 13.76% decrease for the month and 28.11% decrease year-to-date. He communicated that the total amount of the tax abatement given to Saint-Gobain was $658,068. Initially it was expected to be approximately $520,000. Recoveries through audits were $17,605 which was up 3.39% compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date that fund was down about 52%. In the 1967 and 1979 sales tax funds, $416,809 was collected. Deposits in the 1993 and 2000 sales tax funds were $500,170. The primary reason for the decline continued to be a decrease in oil and gas extractions.
Moving on to the January 2010 financial report, Mr. Murphy said property tax revenue had begun to come in from the Sheriff’s Department. The 5 mill maintenance fund and ad valorem tax funds were all in the black. The general fund was up $3.1 million year-to-date. The sales tax funds were not faring well as he had previously mentioned.
Student/teacher ratios by school and grade using October 1, 2019, numbers were presented by Ms. Null. The administration looks at them each year and this was also recommended for consideration by Ruston 21. All teachers who had a homeroom were included in the chart. Pre-K through 5th grade had an average student/teacher ratio of 19:1 and middle grades through 12th grade had an average of 14:1. The lower ratio in the upper grades was due to electives offered at the high school level which often times have smaller numbers of students. She said the numbers are lower than Bulletin 741 requires which allows 26 students in K-3 and 33 students in grades 4 through 12.
A strategy session and possible action relative to pending litigation was the next agenda item President Anders announced.
Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Ms. Best, the Board unanimously voted to go into executive session at 6:29 p.m.
Upon a motion by Mr. Mack, seconded by Mr. McKinney, the Board unanimously voted to return to regular session at 7:10 p.m.
Changes to the policy manual are to be introduced at one board meeting and voted on at a subsequent meeting. Mary Null asked for approval of six policy revisions and three policy additions that she proposed at the February meeting.
Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Ms. Harrison, the Board unanimously voted to approve changes to the policy manual as follows:
REVISION: Investments (DFL), Bids and Quotations (DJED), Curriculum (ID), Student Assignment (JBCC) School Wellness (JGB), and Student Records (JR); and
ADDITION: Sales and Use Tax Exclusion (DFAA), Fire Prevention (EBBA), and Student Driver Training (IDDE).
Based on the Ruston 21 Education Committee Report dated December 19, 2009, which was shared at the regular meeting of the Lincoln Parish School Board on January 5, 1010, with a follow-up presentation by the Superintendent on February 17, 2010, the following goals were asked to be adopted by the Board:
By May 2013 be in the Top 12 school districts in Louisiana;
By May 2015 be in the Top 7 school districts in Louisiana; and
By May 2017 be the #1 ranked school district in Louisiana;
Superintendent Danny Bell asked the Board to consider the adoption of the goals. A brief time of comments and questions ensued.
Rusty Woodard, chairman of the Ruston 21 committee, clarified what the committee was asking.
Upon a motion by Mr. McKinney, seconded by Mr. Hunt, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the three goals recommended by the Ruston 21 Education Committee: by 2013 be in the Top 12 school districts in Louisiana, by May 2015 be in the Top 7 school districts in Louisiana, and by May 2017 be the #1 ranked school district in Louisiana.
Mayor Dan Hollingsworth was present and thanked the Board for taking the time to consider the proposal. He believes it will be the beginning of a new year moving toward a better place with everyone working together.
In a Report of the Superintendent, Mr. Bell said that he refused to give up on the New Tech program at Ruston High which had been previously discussed. Because of the economy, he did not feel it was prudent to continue discussion regarding construction of a new building which would cost millions. Instead he considered using approximately 7,000 square feet of existing space on the south side of the building, directly underneath the school’s band room. It has been used to sell concessions, as a gathering place, and as a storage space. After meeting with architect Mike Walpole, he believes the space could be used to house the New Tech program after about $750,000 in renovations. Mr. Bell emphasized that his suggestion was just that, a suggestion.
Upon a motion by Mr. Hunt, seconded by Mr. Jones, the Board unanimously voted to authorize the superintendent to work with Mike Walpole on the renovation of an area at Ruston High to be used for the New Tech program.
There being no further business to come before the Board, following a motion by Ms. Best, the meeting adjourned at 8:11 p.m.
______________________________ ______________________________
Danny L. Bell, Secretary Otha L. Anders, President