LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Ruston, Louisiana
REGULAR SESSION
Tuesday, July 5, 2011 6:00 p.m.
The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, July 5, 2011, 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, Mr. Danny Hancock, Ms. Mattie Harrison, Ms. Lynda Henderson, Mr. Trott Hunt, Mr. Eddie Jones, Mr. George Mack, and Mr. Joe Mitcham.
Ms. DebbieAbrahm was absent.
President Anders called the meeting to order, and Mr. Jones delivered the invocation. Ms. Best led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Mr. Anders welcomed Board members, staff, press, principals, and guests.
Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Ms. Henderson, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as printed.
Upon a motion by Mr. Mitcham, seconded by Mr. Mack, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session of June 7, 2011, and the Special Session of June 9, 2011, as distributed.
The Board served as a Committee of the Whole, and the following Personnel Committee agenda items were considered after Superintendent Danny Bell presented 1., and Mary Null, Director of Instruction, Personnel, and Special Programs, recommended 2.-7:
Seven qualified applicants were interviewed by Ricky Durrett, Sallie Evans, Doris Lewis, Lisa Magnum, and Charles Owens for the principal position at Ruston Elementary. Mary Null was the chairman of the Interview Committee. The top three highest scoring applicants in numerical order were Shavonne Price, Michelle Thrower, and Edwin Mason. Mr. Bell shared the unanimous recommendation of the Committee and his recommendation to name Shavonne Price principal of Ruston Elementary. He asked for approval of the recommendation. Upon a motion by Mr. Mack, seconded by Mr. Hunt, the Board unanimously voted to name Shavonne Price principal of Ruston Elementary School effective July 6, 2011.
Resignation of Latricia Kilgore, secretary at Lincoln Parish Career Academy, effective June 23, 2011.
Points of Reference/Transfers of the following effective August 15, 2011, unless otherwise noted: Abigail James, from Ruston Junior High to Parent Involvement Coordinator, effective August 1, 2011, replacing Sallie Evans who retired; Random Kennedy, from Lincoln Center to science teacher at Dubach High, replacing Shawn Talley who transferred; Jasmine Hall, from Ruston Elementary to teacher at Glen View Elementary, replacing Amanda Johnson who transferred; Cynthia Garner, from Ruston Elementary to teacher at Glen View Elementary, replacing Tammy Schales who transferred; Nichole Brown, from Ruston Elementary to teacher at Hillcrest, replacing Jill Tatum who retired; Faye Dade, from central office to secretary at Lincoln Parish Career Academy, effective August 4, 2011, replacing Latricia Kilgore who resigned; Stephanie Payne, from Pupil Appraisal to school psychologist at Pupil Appraisal, effective August 1, 2011, replacing Kathy Stone who is retiring; Amanda Johnson, from Glen View Elementary to teacher at Ruston Elementary, replacing Jasmine Hall who transferred; Tammy Schales, from Glen View Elementary to teacher at Ruston Elementary, replacing Jasmine Hall who transferred; Kristina Bourgeois, from Dubach High to English/language arts at Ruston Junior High, replacing India Robinson who resigned; and Shawn Talley, from Dubach High to science at Ruston Junior High, replacing Pat Edington who resigned.
Leave without pay request from Allison Milstead, teacher at Choudrant Elementary, effective August 15, 2011, and through May 25, 2012.
Employment of the following effective August 15, 2011, unless indicated otherwise: Sarah Reno, teacher at Choudrant Elementary, replacing Allison Milstead who was granted a leave without pay; Angela Croswell, secretary at Cypress Springs effective August 4, 2011, replacing Beverly Bass who resigned; Danyelle O’Neal, English/language arts teacher at Dubach High, replacing Kristina Bourgeois who transferred; Marilynn Smith, teacher at Hico, replacing Jada Walsworth who resigned; and Amber St. Martin, school psychologist at Pupil Appraisal effective August 1, 2011, replacing Stephanie Payne who promoted.
Retirement of Charles Wright, bus driver in the Ruston district, effective July 1, 2011.
Employment of Jamie Campbell as bus driver aide in the Ruston district effective August 19, 2011, replacing Mary Minniefield who retired. Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to approve the 2. - 7. personnel recommendations.
Donna Doss, Accountability/District Test Coordinator, had good news about high-stakes graduation exit and fourth and eighth grade promotion exams. The percentage of high school students scoring advanced or mastery in all subject areas (language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies) has increased. Fourth graders showed an increase in percent proficient (scoring basic or above) in all subjects except math; eighth graders showed an increase in percent proficient in language arts, math and science. Also there was an increase in the number of students scoring advanced and mastery in language arts and science. Third grade is the problem area as those students’ scores declined or showed no change in all subjects. Fifth graders showed improvement in percent proficient for language arts, no change in math and social studies, and a slight decline in science. Sixth and seventh graders increased percent proficient in all subjects. Meetings have been and continue to be scheduled to develop plans to improve student achievement to strive for the goal of continuous improvement. “Lincoln Parish is growing,” she closed.
Ms. Doss reminded members that alternative schools were established to meet the specific needs of students with special challenges who perform poorly in standard classrooms and to address such things as discipline, dropout prevention, credit recovery and academic success for students who have previously struggled. Beginning in 08-09 the state allowed districts to request a waiver for the accountability results of the alternative schools based on the promise that an alternative assessment would be created for the students because of their different situations; this provided assurance that the school performance results would not be made public and the sanctions for poor school performance would be excused. This year the provision for a waiver for the 10-11 year did not happen as usual when BESE met on June 15, 2011. A cancellation of all waivers was the result of them taking no action. As a result, Lincoln Center and Lincoln Parish Career Academy both rank Level 2 academically unacceptable and are subject to the sanctions associated with such a designation.
Superintendent Danny Bell said the challenge is not unique to Lincoln Parish but is true of alternative schools across the state -- they all face the same dilemma. He said the Lincoln Parish administration had devised three options: 1) keep the schools open in hopes that the students will rise to the bar, 2) send the students back into regular classrooms, or 3) to consider a charter school. Because children in alternative settings generally are unable to meet the standards for regular students, this time next year he believes the two schools would rank Level 3 academically unacceptable and face state takeover. Mr. Bell said if the schools were taken over by the state, the buildings could be taken away from the parish and many of the faculty and staff members would be dismissed. In addition, the schools must also be offered supplemental education services at a cost of over $400,000 or 20% of the Title I budget. Concern and caution were expressed relative to considering a charter school because the school system is responsible for the children and has an obligation to the employees. The only viable choice was to establish an alternative path on regular school campuses; therefore, Mr. Bell proposed to move the students to regular school campuses. He noted that the expelled students would continue to be placed in the Youth Rescue Center program which is housed at Lincoln Center. The approximately 115 students returning to regular campuses would receive intensive support and would benefit from various programs such as the pre-GED Connections program for eighth-graders. He indicated that many of the staff members from the alternative schools would be placed in the other schools to help meet the specialized needs of these students. Although there was no vote, the board generally agreed that it was best to send the students from the alternative schools back to the traditional classrooms at regular schools in the fall.
Charles Owens, Director of Auxiliary Services, showed pictures while giving a verbal update on construction and renovations at Choudrant High and Choudrant Elementary.
George Murphy, Business Manager, presented the final sales tax collection report for the 10-11 fiscal year. Collections for the month ending June 30, 2011, were $1,032,095. This was 1.78% higher than the same month last year and a 4.67% increase year-to-date. He had budgeted 5%; therefore, the projection was pretty accurate. Sales tax collections were up $573,112 compared to last year’s total. The fund was still down approximately $3 million from the total collections two years ago. Recoveries through audits were $63,753 for the month which was up 35% compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date audit recoveries were up 12.39%. Collections in the 1967 and 1979 fund were $469,134, and $562,960 was collected in the 1993 and 2000 sales tax fund.
In his summary of the May 2011 financial statement, Mr. Murphy said the June expenditures for the fourteenth checks don’t show up until next month. At that time several of the funds will go into the red. As of May, the funds were almost on schedule.
For the month of April 30, 2011, the self-insured health program had an excess of $109,540, Mr. Murphy reported. Year-to-date for five months, the program was down $35,869. A loss of $327,915 was experienced for the month ending May 31, 2011. Year-to-date the plan was down $363,785. He has an individual helping to put together an RFP which will result in a recommendation to the Board in September or October.
Seven policies were recommended for revision as well as one for addition to the manual according to Mary Null. She suggested that members study the proposed changes to Minutes of Board Meetings (BCBH), Inventories (DIC), Tax and Bond Elections and Sales (DFD), Buildings and Grounds Security (EBC), Special Use of Board-Owned School Buses (EDDA), Attendance (JB) and Student Absences and Excuses (JBD) and the addition of Public Conduct on School Property (KGA) policy.
In a Report of the Superintendent, Mr. Bell said that he had recently represented the state at a Common Core State Standards (CCSS) conference. Because BESE has approved the initiative, he believes it’s good to be an integral part of the planning. National common core standards will allow student comparisons across the states; however, it will require a significant shift in instruction in the classrooms which will make professional development critical. Planning has already begun for Lincoln Parish to be part of the pilot program to transition to the new curriculum designed to allow students a chance to gain a solid grasp on their basics with a more narrow focus.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:01 p.m. on a motion by Ms. Best.
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Danny L. Bell, Secretary Otha L. Anders, President