LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Ruston, Louisiana
REGULAR SESSION
Tuesday, September 3, 2013 6:00 p.m.
The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, September 3, 2013, 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 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. Eddie Jones, Mr. George Mack, Jr., and Mr. Joe Mitcham.
No board member was absent.
President Anders called the meeting to order, and Mr. Jones gave the invocation. Ms. Abrahm led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Mr. Anders welcomed those in attendance.
Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Mr. Jones, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as printed.
Upon a motion by Ms. Henderson, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Special Session held on July 25, 2013, and the Regular Session held on August 6, 2013, as printed.
An overview from transportation and GIS was the first item on the agenda. James Payton, Transportation Coordinator, and Jackson Matthews, Director of the Lincoln Parish Geographic Information System (GIS), explained how the departments work together. Mr. Payton said the transportation department basically uses the program Mr. Matthews set up for them to make school and bus assignments and to create and change bus routes; it is so much more efficient and easier to work with than its predecessor. Mr. Matthews demonstrated two special GIS projects including the mapping program Mr. Payton had just mentioned and another, Critical 360, that is especially useful for emergency preparedness. Superintendent Bell thanked Mr. Matthews for his help with the desegregation case, the recent closing of Hico Elementary, and the grade reconfiguration of Dubach School. He also noted that Kip Franklin, with Homeland Security, was in attendance at the meeting. The Lincoln Parish School Board’s transportation department is more efficient because of its association with GIS.
Pictures of work at Choudrant High, Dubach School and the Simsboro track were shown and narrated by Charles Owens, Director of Auxiliary Services. In addition, he briefly described work being done in the existing building at Dubach and said he was pleased to report the Simsboro track project was going well and on schedule.
Information was shared on the new addition to be built at Dubach by Mike Walpole, Architect. The $1.3 million project will include 5 new classrooms with the intention of eliminating three portable buildings, restrooms and a new library. Inside the existing building, his firm will renovate all 17 of the classrooms with new air conditioning and flooring, painting the walls, and installing new lights and ceilings. At the completion of the renovations, Dubach School will look similar to the other construction projects done in the Lincoln Parish schools, and he believes Dubach will be proud. He estimated the renovation project would cost $300,000. Work is progressing on the plans, and he anticipates being ready to bid them in October. He noted there is some additional work that is needed that is not included in the scope of his project that could be done by the employees of the school system.
Superintendent Danny Bell gave a report on Dubach School which currently has 224 kindergarten - 8th grade students compared to 168 6th - 12th grade students last year. It consists of 23 faculty members/teachers and a 3 person administrative team made up of Judy Mabry, Principal, Pam Pruden, Assistant Principal, and Brandy Watson, Coordinating Teacher/Curriculum Coordinator. Two buses transport the high school students on the 18 minute trip from the Dubach area to Ruston High School each morning. Another bus takes students from Dubach to Simsboro School. There is only one bus traveling from Ruston High to Dubach in the afternoons due to parent pick up and the students’ after-school activities. He believes the closure of Hico Elementary, transfer of the high school students from Dubach High School, and grade reconfiguration at Dubach School have gone very smoothly.
Lincoln Parish was 1 of 15 parishes selected by the state to pilot the Early Childhood Community Network project. The grant was written by Kay Bradford, Grant Writer, and Abigail James, Pre-k Coordinator. Ms. James narrated a Power Point presentation and said the 2015 vision for the grant is to create a statewide early childhood care and education network that will ensure that children are kindergarten ready. The school systems’ pre-k providers, private childcare providers, and Head Start programs in Lincoln, Jackson, and Union Parishes comprise the network. The teachers have to learn a new way to assess their children with TS GOLD. They and their rooms will now be assessed using CLASS instead of COMPASS, communicated Ms. Bradford. Primarily they will collaborate and initially focus on required training in order to reach the goals and vision by 2015.
Mr. Bell thanked the ladies for their help making sure the youngest students are prepared to enter kindergarten. He believes they are off to a great start, and that the collaborative plan is a good way for all of the partners to come to the table.
The 13-14 school year is off to smooth beginning, reported Mary Null, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Programs. Much work was done during the summer, and there was less confusion this year than last. She did note that the school times were changed to allow the younger children to begin and end their days earlier. Ms. Null voiced a special thanks to the Transportation Department, the principals, and others who worked together to get the school year kicked off. Enrollment figures showed about 59 fewer students than the October 1, 2012, count.
Ms. Null continued with a personnel report. She voiced the following:
1. Resignation of the following:
Michelle McDowell, Spanish teacher at Choudrant High, effective August 9, 2013;
Victoria Harper, teacher at Cypress Springs, effective August 17, 2013;
Carla Johnston, special education teacher at Cypress Springs, effective August 5, 2013;
Megan Bates, teacher at Glen View, effective July 29, 2013;
Angela Parker, special education teacher at Glen View, effective September 16, 2013;
Michelle Davis, social studies teacher at I. A. Lewis, effective August 7, 2013;
Helene Shaw, family and consumer science teacher at Ruston High, effective July 25, 2013;
Jason Little, strength and conditioning coach at Ruston High (defacto), effective July 15, 2013;
Julie Stephenson, literacy strategist at Ruston High, effective July 25, 2013; and
Chris Skinner, math teacher at Ruston Junior High, effective July 29, 2013.
2. Points of Reference/Transfer of the following effective August 12, 2013, unless noted otherwise:
Jane Watson, from Itinerant/Pupil Appraisal to RTI coach at Cypress Springs/Ruston Elementary, effective August 5, 2013;
Lauren Dixon, from Hico/Simsboro School to art teacher at Dubach School, because of the reconfiguration of Dubach School;
Sandra Simmons, from Ruston Elementary to special education teacher at Ruston High, replacing Janet Burse who transferred; and
Betty Allen, from Simsboro School to copier aide at Ruston High, replacing Barbara Pitre who retired.
3. Employment of the following effective August 12, 2013, unless otherwise noted:
Anna Brown, special education teacher at Cypress Springs, replacing Carla Johnston who resigned;
Samantha Chrisman, teacher at Cypress Springs, replacing Jessica Sims who resigned;
Lauren Hearn, teacher at Glen View, replacing Linda Wallace who transferred to ALA;
Jennifer Sanderson, teacher at Cypress Springs effective September 16, 2013, replacing Victoria Harper who resigned;
Krystal LaVigne, special education teacher at Hillcrest, replacing Earnestine Layton who retired;
Hillary Aulds, ELA/history teacher at Howard School, replacing Angel Lowe who resigned;
Leslie Ray, elementary teacher at Glen View, replacing Megan Bates who resigned;
Bakari Maxwell, special education teacher at Ruston Elementary, replacing Phaedra Burkes who resigned;
Jeffrey Atencio, special education teacher at Ruston Elementary effective August 26, 2013, because of student needs;
Blair Kelley, social studies teacher at Ruston High, replacing Pam Pruden who promoted to Dubach School;
Maria De La Calle, Spanish teacher at Ruston High, replacing Margarita Cazenave who retired;
Nathan Trahan, music teacher at Ruston High, replacing Heidi DeCou who resigned;
Mariam Stone, family and consumer science teacher at Ruston High, replacing Helene Shaw who resigned;
Dustin Serpas, strength and conditioning coach at Ruston Junior High, replacing Harold Carlisle who transferred;
Jason Jackson, science teacher at Ruston Junior High, replacing Amy Guerin who resigned;
Greg Garner, itinerant adaptive P.E., replacing Rachel Wood who resigned;
Crystal Pye, itinerant gifted art, because of talented art numbers; and
Emery Wilkerson, special education teacher at Simsboro School effective September 9, 2013, replacing Zandria Guidry who transferred.
4. Retirement of Shirley Holyfield, custodian at Hillcrest Elementary, effective June 3, 2013.
5. Resignation of Janice Blocker, bus driver in the Ruston area, effective August 7, 2013.
6. Employment of Sammy Bozeman as bus driver in the Ruston area, effective August 15, 2013, replacing Janice Blocker who resigned.
Sales tax collections for August 2013 were up 19.46% over the same month last year with a total of $1,133,020 being collected, according to George Murphy, Business Manager. Year-to-date sales tax figures were up 11.09%. Recoveries through audits were $28,973 which was down about 2% for the month and over 26% year-to-date. In the 67 and 79 sales tax fund, $515,010 was collected, and $618,010 was collected in the 93 and 00 fund. Jerry Moore, Administrator of the Sales Tax Commission, had told him the increase was due to oil and gas extraction, electric, gas and sanitary services, and automotive dealers and service stations.
Mr. Murphy included June and July 2013 financial statements in packets, and he said he’d summarize the July report that was comparable to July 2012. The total fund balance was $33,260,311. The General Fund was up. The 5 mill maintenance fund and all of the ad valorem and M&O funds were showing deficits; that will continue until property tax money is received in December. The sales tax funds were doing well and were up 11% as earlier reported.
July 2013 was a good month for the Health Care Fund. The fund was up $486,934 primarily due to claims paid being lower and the incurred but not reported claims showing a positive balance. Year-to-date the fund was up $274,374.
The Finance Committee met at 5:45 p.m. just prior to the Board meeting according to the Chairman, Lynda Henderson. She announced that the Committee unanimously voted to recommend to the full Board the adoption of the proposed 2013-14 budget.
George Murphy called attention to Exhibit A which showed a deficit for the upcoming year of $1,803,353. The estimated fund balance as of June 30, 2014, was $31,354,115. He believes the school system is still in good financial condition; he recommended the approval of the proposed budget.
Otha Anders announced that it was time for a public hearing on the budget. Hearing no comments, the time for a public hearing closed.
Upon a motion by Ms. Henderson, seconded by Mr. Hunt, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the 2013-14 proposed budget as presented, and grant permission for the administration to amend the budget as needed throughout the year and bring a final revised budget to the board for approval at year end.
President Anders thanked the entire Business Department for the work that went into the preparation of the proposed budget.
In a Report of the Superintendent, Mr. Bell said that:
1. Several principals have scheduled Open Houses at their schools. He encouraged board members to attend.
2. He had recently met with the principals of the schools in Ruston to formulate a plan for the upcoming bond proposal and ways they could communicate with the public. He said a copy of Nancy Bergeron’s recent article in the Ruston Daily Leader regarding the same was placed in portfolios.
3. A prehearing conference on the desegregation lawsuit has been scheduled by Judge Robbie James on September 9 and 10, 2013, at the Federal Court House in Monroe.
4. A COMPASS report on teacher evaluations was released earlier in the day. The administration is going through the data and will be reporting on the results in the near future.
After George Mack, Jr. shared his family’s deep appreciation for the commemorative plaque in his father’s memory, the meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m. upon a motion by Ms. Best.
____________________________ _____________________________
Danny L. Bell, Secretary Otha L. Anders, President