LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Ruston, Louisiana
SPECIAL CALLED SESSION
Thursday, June 9, 2011 3:00 p.m.
The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Special Called Session on Thursday, June 9, 2011, at 3:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Lincoln Parish School Board Office, 410 South Farmerville Street, Ruston, Louisiana. Members present were Ms. Debbie Abrahm, Mr. Otha Anders, Mr. Michael Barmore, Ms. Lisa Best, Mr. Curtis Dowling, Mr. Danny Hancock, Ms. Mattie Harrison, Ms. Lynda Henderson, Mr. Trott Hunt, Mr. George Mack, and Mr. Joe Mitcham.
Mr. Eddie Jones was absent.
President Otha Anders called the meeting to order and gave the invocation. Ms. Harrison led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Mr. Anders welcomed everyone to the meeting and expressed his pride in the Lincoln Parish School Board administration and staff.
Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Mr. Hunt, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as printed.
Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Mack, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session held on May 3, 2011, as distributed.
Choudrant High and Simsboro High agriculture departments have been collecting broken and obsolete property that has created clutter in areas that are now needed for other purposes. Mary Null, Director of Auxiliary Services, asked the Board to declare the property as surplus and grant permission to dispose of it.
Upon a motion by Mr. Mitcham, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to declare the items presented on lists from the Choudrant High and Simsboro High agriculture departments as surplus and grant permission to dispose of them through the bid process and in a prudent manner.
The Board served as a Committee of the Whole, and the following Personnel Committee agenda items were considered after being presented by Mary Null:
Retirement of the following effective May 31, 2011, unless otherwise noted:
Sallie Evans, Title I and pre-k supervisor, effective June 30, 2011;
Debra Crowe, Title I secretary, effective June 30, 2011;
Augusta Wilson, special educator tutor at Cypress Springs, effective May 27, 2011;
Kathy Stone, Pupil Appraisal coordinator and school psychologist, effective September 1, 2011;
Ellen Breed, special education teacher at Ruston Elementary;
Leslie Gray, special education teacher at Ruston Elementary;
Pam Harris, Principal at Ruston Elementary, effective June 30, 2011;
Lee Sutton, English/social studies teacher at Ruston High;
Mary Catherine Moss, reading/English teacher at Ruston Junior High; and
Deborah Hollimon, itinerant literacy coach, effective June 14, 2011.
Resignation of the following effective May 31, 2011:
Jill Murphy, itinerant special education teacher;
Patricia Dunn, elementary teacher at Cypress Springs;
Jada Walsworth, teacher at Hico Elementary;
Susan Edminson, teacher at Ruston Elementary;
Kandis Temple, science teacher at Ruston Junior High; and
India Robinson, English/language arts at Ruston Junior High.
Points of Reference/Transfers of the following effective August 15, 2011:
Dave Anderson, transferring from Ruston High to physical education at I. A. Lewis replacing Wendell Crowe who transferred;
Elaine Beavers, transferring from Simsboro School to teacher at Ruston Elementary replacing Mary Wilks-Kilgore who transferred;
Wendell Crowe, transferring from I. A. Lewis to physical education at Ruston High replacing Dave Anderson who transferred;
Amy Guerin from Ruston High to science at Ruston Junior High replacing Kandis Temple who resigned; and
Mary Wilks-Kilgore, transferring from Ruston Elementary to teacher at Simsboro School replacing Elaine Beavers who transferred.
Employment of the following:
Sheila Nugent as curriculum strategist at Simsboro School effective August 8, 2011, replacing Beverly Canterbury who is deceased; and
Chris Jackson as language arts teacher at Ruston Junior High effective August 15, 2011, replacing Sandra Garner who retired.
Retirement of T. J. Johnson, custodian at Hillcrest Elementary, effective July 1, 2011.
Resignation of a custodian at Ruston High, Levell Jackson, effective April 27, 2011.
Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Mr. Mack, the Board unanimously voted to accept the personnel recommendations as presented.
Bid opening was held on May 10, 2011, for the purchase of the following items for the 11-12 school year: duplicating paper, toilet tissue, paper towels, dust mop rentals, gasoline, and diesel. Charles Owens recommended that the Board accept the lowest bids meeting specifications.
Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Ms. Harrison, the Board unanimously voted to accept the lowest bids meeting specifications for the purchase of materials and supplies for the 11-12 school year as shown below:
Company Submitting Bid
CPG Contract Paper Group, Inc. 4200 Cases of Copy Paper
Price Per Unit: $25.92
Total for 400 Cases: $108,864.00
Central Poly Corp. 800 Cases of Paper Towels
Price Per Case: $13.05
Total for 800 Cases: $10,440.00
Central Poly Corp. 400 Cases of Toilet Tissue
Price Per Case: $29.05
Total for 400 Cases: $11,620.00
Hill Oil Company Gasoline & Diesel
Unleaded Regular Cost + .0985 gallon
Unleaded Plus Cost + .0985 gallon
Unleaded Premium Cost + .0985 gallon
Road-Use Diesel Cost + .1025 gallon
Off-Road Diesel Cost + .1225 gallon
KAPS Textile Service Dust Mop Rentals
18 inch .40 each weekly
36 inch .69 each weekly
48 inch .79 each weekly
In order to provide equity between students eligible for free or reduced meals and those who are paying, Mary Null shared the administration’s recommendation to raise meal prices by $.25.
Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission and authorize an increase of $0.25 for paid meals as follows:
2010-11 Prices 2011-12 Prices
Breakfast $0.75 $1.00
Elementary Lunch 1.00 1.25
Junior & High Lunch 1.25 1.50
On January 4, 2011, the Board adopted a resolution to call a special election on April 30, 2011, for voters to consider Ruston School District No. 1, Proposition 1, a bond election for capital improvements. The monies would be used for the new agriculture building and New Tech at Ruston High. According to George Murphy, Business Manager, the total of the votes was 616 FOR and 288 AGAINST, passing by a majority of 328 or 68.14%. In order to comply with the Louisiana Election Code, the Board must adopt a resolution canvassing the results of that election.
Upon a motion by Ms. Abrahm, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unani-mously voted by to adopt the following:
RESOLUTION
A resolution providing for canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the special election held in Ruston School District No. 1 of the Parish of Lincoln, State of Louisiana, on Saturday, April 30, 2011, to authorize the incurring of debt and issuance of bonds therein.
The time had arrived to adopt millages for 2011, and Mr. Murphy read in full a resolution containing that information. All millages remained the same as 2010 with the exception of the General Obligation Bonds for Choudrant SC #6 being reduced from 21 to 20 mills and the General Obligation Bonds for Simsboro SD #3 being reduced from 9 to 8.5 mills. He asked the Board to adopt the Resolution levying the millages.
President Anders announced that this was the time specified for a public hearing regarding tax millages for 2011. Hearing no comments or questions, he asked for the Board’s pleasure regarding the matter.
Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Mr. Hancock, the Board unanimously voted by roll call to adopt the resolution to levy millages for 2011 as follows:
Resolution
Constitutional Tax (La. Const. Art. VII, Sect. 13) 4.23 mills
Special Maintenance & Operation 4.94 mills
Special Repair & Equipment 4.94 mills
Parish wide Maintenance & Operation 10.25 mills
Parish wide Maintenance & Operation 8.49 mills
Ruston School District #1 2.61 mills
Simsboro School District #3 2.99 mills
Dubach School District #5 3.25 mills
Choudrant School District #6 3.00 mills
General Obligation Bonds Ruston SD #1 11.50 mills
General Obligation Bonds Simsboro SD #3 8.50 mills
General Obligation Bonds Choudrant SD #6 20.00 mills
Voting by roll call FOR the above motion: Debbie Abrahm, Otha Anders, Michael Barmore, Lisa Best, Curtis Dowling, Danny Hancock, Mattie Harrison, Lynda Henderson, Trott Hunt, George Mack, and Joe Mitcham.
Voting AGAINST the motion: None.
Absent and not voting: Eddie Jones.
Because of the retirement of Pam Harris, principal at Ruston Elementary School, Mary Null shared Superintendent Bell’s proposal to open the application process on Friday, June 10, 2011. The application period would close at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, 2011, with interviews to be scheduled on June 27 and/or June 28, 2011. A recommendation to fill the position would then be made at the July 5, 2011, board meeting. Ms. Null indicated that the process would be implemented in accordance with the court order pertaining to the selection of administrative personnel. She requested approval of the selection process.
Upon a motion by Mr. Hunt, seconded by Ms. Henderson, the Board unanimously voted to approve the timeline to advertise and interview for principal of Ruston Elementary as explained above.
George Murphy called attention to a resolution to provide for the incurring of debt and issuance of $3,415,000 of General Obligation Bonds. They were part of the Qualified School Construction Bond (QSCB) program which used stimulus money from the federal government. The money would be used to build the Ruston High agriculture building and an addition to New Tech.
Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Mr. Barmore, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the following:
RESOLULTION
Providing for the incurring of debt and issuance of Three Million Four Hundred Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($3,415,000) of Taxable General Obligation Bonds (QSCB), Series 2011, of Ruston School District No. 1 of the Parish of Lincoln, State of Louisiana; prescribing the form, terms and conditions of said Bonds; designating said Bonds as Qualified School Construction 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.
Each year the governmental agencies which compose the Sales and Use Tax Commission must consider and approve the Commission’s budget. Mr. Mitcham presented the 11-12 proposed $383,700 budget for examination. He called attention to a decrease of $41,330 from the previous year which was a result of the Commission deciding to collect sales taxes for Union Parish.
Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Hancock, the Board unanimously voted to approve 11-12 Sales and Use Tax Commission’s budget.
George Murphy recommended that the June salary supplement checks remain the same as last year, $5,025 to certified and $2,513 to support employees. He noted that would require dipping into the reserves.
Upon a motion by Ms. Henderson, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to approve the payment of salary supplement checks on June 24, 2011, in the amounts of $5,025 for certified staff and $2,513 for support staff.
It was the time of year to select an official journal for the upcoming year, communicated, Mr. Anders. Both local papers, the Morning Paper and the Ruston Daily Leader, submitted proposals. President Anders asked the Board’s preference.
Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Ms. Harrison, the Board unanimously voted to name the Ruston Daily Leader as the official journal for fiscal year 11-12.
Ms. Null presented a revised 11-12 school calendar in an effort to include additional staff development days in the calendar as a result of the instructional alignment efforts.
Upon a motion by Mr. Hunt, seconded by Mr. Hancock, the Board unanimously voted to approve the revised 11-12 school calendar.
Superintendent Bell thanked Board members for coming to the special called meeting, apologized for the error that made it necessary, and said he’d report at an upcoming meeting on his recent trip to Washington.
There being no further business to come before the Board, upon a motion by Ms. Best, the meeting adjourned at 3:17 p.m.
__________________________________ ___________________________________
Danny L. Bell, Secretary Otha L. Anders, President