LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

Ruston, Louisiana

REGULAR SESSION

Tuesday, May 4, 2010   6:00 p.m.

The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, May 4, 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 Mr. 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 Otha Anders called the meeting to order, and the invocation was given by Mr. McKinney.  Ms. Best led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.  Mr. Anders welcomed board members, staff, members of the media, board attorney, and other visitors to the meeting.

Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Mr. McKinney, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as printed.

Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Mr. Kessler, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session held on April 6, 2010, as distributed.

The time having arrived for the sale of $9,000,000 of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2010 of Choudrant School District No. 6 of the Parish of Lincoln, State of Louisiana, scheduled for six o’clock p.m., prior to the opening of bids, the President called upon Mr. Grant Schlueter of Foley & Judell, L.L.P., Bond Counsel, to advise the Lincoln Parish School Board, acting as the governing authority of Choudrant School District No. 6 of the Parish of Lincoln, State of Louisiana, as to what action was necessary in order to proceed with the reception of bids and sale of the bonds.

Mr. Schlueter announced that he had just opened electronically transmitted bids received for the purchase of the captioned bonds, said bonds having been advertised for sale by virtue of a resolution adopted on April 6, 2010.

Upon a motion by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the following:

RESOLUTION

Providing for the opening and tabulation of the sealed and electronic bids received for the purchase of Nine Million Dollars ($9,000,000) of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2010 of Choudrant School District No. 6 of the Parish of Lincoln, State of Louisiana, approving the Official Notice of Bond Sale and Official Statement in connection therewith, and authorizing the President and the Secretary of the Lincoln Parish School Board to sign copies thereof as evidence of the approval thereof.

After opening the transmitted bids for the purchase of the bonds, it was announced that three bids had been received for the purchase of the bonds.  Bids on the bonds which included bond insurance were received from:

Southwest Securities, Inc.                      3.75%

Morgan Keegan & Company                   3.78%

Ross Sinclair                                         3.88%

Mr. Schlueter wholeheartedly recommended acceptance of the bid of 3.75% from Southwest Securities.  He noted that this was the lowest rate the board had received in his six years of helping them.  In Mr. Schlueter’s opinion there was a direct correlation between the lower interest rate and the upgrade to an AA bond rating.  This tremendous news will cost the voters less money in taxes.  He congratulated the board, superintendent, and staff for their financial acumen and savings which he believes led to the upgraded bond rating.

Upon a motion by Mr. McKinney, seconded by Mr. Kessler, the Board unanimously voted to approve the following:

RESOLUTION

Accepting the bid of Southwest Securities, Inc., for the purchase of Nine Million Dollars ($9,000,000) of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2010 of Choudrant School District No. 6 of the Parish of Lincoln, State of Louisiana.

The final resolution to complete the bond sale was authorizing the incurring of debt and the issuance of bonds.

Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. Mack, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the following:

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the incurring of debt and issuance of Nine Million Dollars ($9,000,000) of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2010, of Choudrant School District No. 6 of the Parish of Lincoln, State of Louisiana; prescribing the form, terms and conditions of said bonds; designating the date, denomination and place of payment of said bonds; providing for the payment thereof in principal and interest; and providing for other matters in connection therewith.

Making her yearly request for permission to distribute letters of continued employment on the last day of school was Mary Null, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Programs.

Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Mr. Hunt, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to distribute letters of continued employment for the 10-11 school year.

Superintendent Danny Bell requested permission to open the application process for Principals of Lincoln Parish Career Academy and Simsboro and Elementary Supervisor on Wednesday, May 5, 2010.  The application period would end on May 18, 2010.  Interviews for the principals’ positions would be scheduled for May 27 or 28, and June 1 or 2 would be the dates available for the supervisor’s slot.  He asked for approval of the time line.

Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to grant approval to advertise and interview for Principals of Lincoln Parish Career Academy and Simsboro and Elementary Supervisor as described.

Following the advice of the board attorney, Mary Null presented a revised Student Transfer and Withdrawal (JBCD) policy.  She asked board members to consider the revised policy with formal action to be taken at the next meeting.

The Building and Grounds Committee and the Finance Committee met on April 21, 2010, to consider stadium improvements at Ruston High School.  Building and Grounds Committee Chairman, George Mack, said he is in favor of renovating the athletic complex at Ruston High but suggested that the Board have Architect Mike Walpole look at the project.  He would like the matter to be brought back to the Board next month.

Finance Committee Chairman, Joe Mitcham, told the Board that the Committees voted to recommend delaying the work because of financial issues.  After a request by the media for an exact wording of the committees’ recommendation from the April 21 meeting, it was noted that they had in fact voted to rehabilitate and expand the field house as suggested by West Monroe architects.  Because the current athletic field house is too old and too small to meet the needs of the current number of athletes at the school, the work would have included gutting the interior of the existing facility and adding additional space.  The committees also voted to proceed with the installation of artificial turf to replace the existing sod field.  However, after receiving a couple of memos from the central office regarding finances, the committee members began to doubt the board could afford the project at this time.  They do want architect, Mike Walpole, to propose his own design for the school, one that might cost less than what the West Monroe architects designed.

The issue of artificial turf was discussed at length.  Fred Dean, former Ruston High and NFL defensive lineman, the RHS student council president, coaches, principal Mike Milstead, and others spoke in favor of the turf noting that it is safer, would reduce maintenance costs and time, and would make the field a multi-use field. Bert Jones, former Ruston High and NFL quarterback, disagreed.  He was adamantly opposed to taking a grass field out and instead suggested that maintenance be kicked up a notch to have a really great grass field.  Soccer parents and a soccer coach liked the idea of turf because they could play on it instead of having to practice and play at Ruston Junior High School.

The feeling was unanimous among the attendees and the board members that the existing facility was substandard and that improvements must be made.  However, they were undecided about the installation of artificial turf.

In the end, upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Ms. Henderson, the Board unanimously voted to rescind the motion made at the conclusion of the joint committee meeting on April 21, 2010.

Upon a motion by Mr. Mitcham, seconded by Mr. Jones, the Board unanimously voted to study both issues, the renovation and expansion of the RHS field house and installation of artificial turf, and gather more information and figures with a priority being placed on the field house.

The Board served as a Committee of the Whole, and the following Personnel Committee agenda items were considered after being presented by Mary Null:

1. Defacto resignation of Germaine Fliden-Lindquist, science teacher at Ruston High, effective March 15, 2010.

    

2. Retirement of the following:
   
   David Ferguson, principal of Lincoln Parish Career Academy, effective June 30, 2010; Jan Murphy, elementary supervisor, effective January 2, 2011; and Earlene Jackson, principal of Simsboro High, effective June 30, 2010.

3. Retirement of the following:

    

   Albert Hunter, teacher at Cypress Springs, effective May 27, 2010;

   Linda Dick, guidance counselor at Dubach High, effective June 9, 2010;

   Carla Watts, secretary at Dubach High, effective June 12, 2010;

   Pam Villagran, special education teacher at I. A. Lewis, effective May 27, 2010;

   Debra Minnifield, special education teacher at Ruston Elementary, effective May 27, 2010;

   Peggy Fallin, guidance counselor at Ruston Junior High, effective June 9, 2010;

   Carolyn Bolds, custodian at Ruston Junior High, effective July 1, 2010; and

   Rosalyn White, teacher at Simsboro High, effective August 28, 2010.

    

4. Points of reference/transfers of the following:

    

   Ginger Aycock, from Cypress Springs to a new secretary slot at the Early Childhood Center, effective August 5, 2010; and Michelle Marsh, from Ruston Junior High to counselor at Lincoln Center effective May 1, 2010, replacing Amanda Simmons who transferred.

    

5. Sabbatical leave requests from the following:
   
   Allison Brister, teacher at Cypress Springs, effective August 26, 2010, and through May 27, 2011; and Leigh Ann Williams, teacher at Simsboro High, effective August 16, 2010, and through January 14, 2011.

Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Jones, the Board unanimously voted to accept the personnel recommendations as presented.

Cathi Cox, Lincoln Achieve Coordinator, was next on the agenda with an update on New Tech at Ruston High.  She gave bullet points from the launch plan, an official document to be posted on line nationally with the New Tech network, and unveiled the logo.  Ms. Cox introduced Catherine Latendre, Coordinator, and the faculty who will provide a rich learning environment mixing rigor with engagement.  She closed by saying that student achievement was at the forefront of the decision to choose New Tech as the catalyst to help Ruston High and the district move forward.

Sales taxes collected for the period ending April 30, 2010, totaled $1,189,320, George Murphy, Business Manager, reported.  This was a 1.88% increase from the same month in the previous year.  Year-to-date the collections were still down $3,202,015 or 23.87%.  Recoveries through audits for the month were $7,316 which was 49.54% less than year-to-date collections at the same time last year.  For the month $540,600 was collected in the ‘67 and ‘79 fund, and $648,719 was collected in the ‘93 and ‘00 fund.

Moving on to the financial statement for March 2010, Mr. Murphy noted little change from last month.  There were still issues with the sales tax funds which will have decreasing balances after payment of the 14^th checks next month.

The health care fund was up $3,708.56 for the month ending March 31, 2010, and $548,475 year-to-date according to Mr. Murphy.

In a Report of the Superintendent, Mr. Bell said:

1.         The June 8 board meeting will be preceded by the retirement reception at 5:30 pm;

3.         He wanted to congratulate Jenny Blalock, teacher at A. E. Phillips Elementary, and Julie Stephenson, teacher at Ruston High School, for being selected as Region 8 Teachers of the Year;

Matt Robinson and Collin Smith, Ruston High School students, moved on to become National Merit Scholars.  He expressed his pride in them; and

5.         Congratulations should be expressed to Coach Julie Riser at Choudrant High School for the state championship in the class B, girls’ softball.

After President Anders reminded board members to complete their Financial Disclosure Statements, upon a motion by Ms. Best, the meeting adjourned at 8:34 p.m.

______________________________        ______________________________

Danny L. Bell, Secretary                         Otha L. Anders, President