LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

Ruston, Louisiana

REGULAR SESSION

Tuesday, January 8, 2019 10:30 a.m.

The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. at Cypress Springs Elementary School located at 1040 Saratoga Street, Ruston, Louisiana. Members present were Ms. Debbie Abrahm, Mr. Otha Anders, Mr. Mike Barmore, Ms. Lisa Best, Mr. David Ferguson, Dr. David Gullatt, Mr. Danny Hancock, Ms. Lynda Henderson, Mr. George Mack, Jr., Mr. Joe Mitcham, Mr. Hunter Smith, and Ms. Susan Wiley.

                        President Mitcham called the meeting to order and delivered the invocation. Lisa Bastion, Assistant Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer, led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.

Board members were sworn in by Linda Cook, Lincoln Parish Clerk of Court. She expressed appreciation for the opportunity to do so and offered her congratulations.

Upon a motion by Mr. Hancock, seconded by Ms. Best, the Board unanimously voted, by roll call, to amend the agenda deleting one unfinished business item: Consider adoption of a resolution ordering and calling a special election to be held in Consolidated School District No. 1 of Lincoln Parish to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds and to authorize the levy of an ad valorem tax and to consider a resolution adopting a Capital Improvement Plan in conjunction with the bond issue.

Upon a motion by Dr. Gullatt, seconded by Ms. Wiley, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as amended.

Upon a motion by Mr. Anders, seconded by Mr. Barmore, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session held on December 4, 2018, as distributed

.

The Election of Officers for 2019 was the next item on the agenda.  Mr. Mitcham turned the floor over to the Secretary, Mike Milstead. Mr. Milstead declared the floor open for nominations for President for 2019.  Mr. Anders nominated Mr. Mitcham. Hearing no other nominations, Mr. Milstead asked for a vote by a show of hands. Mr. Mitcham was unanimously selected as President for 2019. 

Mike Milstead asked for nominations for Vice President for 2019. Mr. Anders nominated Ms. Henderson.  Hearing no further nominations, Mr. Milstead declared the time for nominations for Vice President closed and asked for a vote.  By a show of hands vote, Ms. Henderson was unanimously selected as Vice President for 2019. 

Mr. Milstead congratulated the returning officers.

Mr. Mitcham and Ms. Henderson thanked the Board for their vote of confidence and expressed their appreciation for how the Board cares about the children and conducts business. 

Mary Kilgore, Principal of Cypress Springs Elementary, welcomed everyone and shared that CSE was home of the Wildcats who are courageous, accountable, thoughtful, and supportive. She stated that the school is an Enhanced School Calendar site. Ms. Kilgore explained that CSE is a “Leader in Me” school, teaching leadership skills by instilling seven habits for happy students. The school houses approximately 500 students in grades 3^rd through 5^th who are leaders of today and tomorrow.

Mr. Mitcham thanked Ms. Kilgore for hosting the meeting and thanked her for her hard work.  

Ms. Bastion asked the Board to make a decision regarding the two policy revisions that had been proposed at the last meeting: 

GBK – Employee Discipline and

GBN – Dismissal of Employees.

Upon a motion by Mr. Barmore, seconded by Ms. Abrahm, the Board unanimously voted to approve the following policy revisions:  GBK – Employee Discipline and GBN – Dismissal of Employees.

James Payton, New Construction Coordinator, voiced that because of new road construction at Choudrant Elementary, there were approximately $2,294.65 of pine and hardwood sawlogs that need to be sold. He requested permission to declare them as surplus and dispose of them.

Upon a motion by Ms. Henderson, seconded by Mr.  Hancock, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to declare the above-mentioned sawlogs as surplus and dispose of them in accordance with state law and local policies.

Betty Fowler, Supervisor of Child Nutrition, stated that School Food Service had obsolete equipment. These items consisted of an oven, a reach-through freezer, two milk coolers, and a reach-in refrigerator. In order to properly dispose of the property that was no longer needed or useful, it must be declared surplus by the board according to our auditors.

Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Barmore, the Board unanimously voted to declare the items presented as surplus and grant authority to the administration to dispose of all items in a prudent manner.         

                        Ms. Bastion asked board members to study revisions to two policies, DFD – Tax and Bond Elections and DJE – Purchasing, until the February meeting.

In her Personnel Report, Dr. Doris Lewis, Human Resources Director, verbalized:

                        1.   Employment of Emily Ward, ELA teacher at Simsboro School effective December 11, 2018, replacing Jennifer Green who retired. 

2.   Points of Reference effective January 7, 2019, of the following:

Dana Rushing, from cafeteria clerk to interim cafeteria manager at Ruston High, replacing Tressia Smith who retired; and

Alethea Gipson from cafeteria technician to interim cafeteria clerk/technician at Ruston High, replacing Dana Rushing who transferred positions. 

3.   Retirement of the following effective June 29, 2019:

      Remona Turner, field manager at Food Service Office; and

      Debbie Ware, secretary/bookkeeper at Food Service Office. 

                        George Murphy, Business Manager, called attention to figures on the December 2018 sales tax report and said that receipts were down $1.4 million for the first six months. If this trend continues, the deficit for this fiscal year would be higher than what was budgeted since the budget was based on receipts being flat compared to last year. Recoveries through audits were $80,620 year-to-date.      

                        In his financial update for November 2018, Mr. Murphy said that in comparing the November Total Fund Balance to October’s, it was down $3.8 million. Compared to November of 2017, it was down $3.6 million.

Moving on to the health care report, for the month of November 2018 the fund was down $85,000.  Year-to-date, it was down $278,000. Changes the Board approved last year went into effect on January 1, 2019, and hopefully would get the plan back in the black.

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

                        1.   The LSBA 2019 convention would be February 24-26 in Lake Charles.  He asked board members who had not let Kim McCormack know their preference regarding attendance to do so.

                        2.   The next board meeting would be held at the school board office; a group photograph would be taken of all board members before the meeting.

                        3.   Invitations to the Teacher of the Year/Student of the Year Awards program were placed in board member portfolios. The program would be at the Civic Center on Monday, January 14, 2019, at 6:00. He urged board members to attend.  

                        4.   An emergency telephone system was in the testing phase. In case of an actual emergency, all telephone numbers in the system would be called with a follow-up phone call made by a principal. This process was ongoing and still a trial at this point.   

                        After a comment by President Mitcham and upon a motion by Ms. Best, the meeting adjourned at 10:50 a.m.

_____________________________                    _____________________________

Mike Milstead, Secretary                                          Joe Mitcham, President