LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

 Ruston, Louisiana

 

REGULAR SESSION

 Tuesday, November 2, 2021   6:00 p.m.

 

The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. at the STEM Center, 525 Tarbutton Road, Ruston, Louisiana.  Board members present were Ms. Debbie Abrahm, Mr. Otha Anders, Ms. Lisa Best, Ms. Donna Doss, 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, welcomed guests, and noted it was a public meeting. Ms. Best gave the invocation and Ms. Abrahm led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.

 

Upon a motion by Mr. Anders, seconded by Ms. Wiley, the Board voted to adopt the agenda as printed.  

 

Upon a motion by Dr. Gullatt, seconded by Ms. Best, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Session held on October 5, 2021, as printed.

 

Following a month of studying eight policy revisions and one new policy, John Young, Chief Administrative and Operations Officer/Assistant Superintendent, asked board members to approve the proposed changes to the policy manual.

 

                        Upon a motion by Ms. Henderson, seconded by Ms. Abrahm, the Board unanimously voted to approve revisions to BH – School Board Ethics, ID – Curriculum, IDCC- Kindergarten, IDDF – Education of Students with Exceptionalities, JBA – Compulsory School Attendance Ages, JBC – School Admission, JBCE – Public School Choice, and JR – Student Privacy and Education Records. The Board also voted to approve the addition of IDDFC – Cameras in Special Education Classrooms to the policy manual.       

 

                        Grant Schleuter, bond attorney with Foley & Judell, LLP, informed the Board that is was time again for the periodic renewal of the Board’s 10-year millages. He emphasized that these are renewals, not new taxes. There are two propositions to be submitted to voters at the March 26, 2022, election. The first is for the parish-wide millage for Consolidated School District No. 1, which is 10 mills for 10 years. The second proposition up for renewal is the Ruston School District No. 1, which is 2.53 mills for 10 years. The purpose of both propositions is identical to what was authorized at the last election. As required by law, the resolution also provides the date for canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the election on May 3, 2022, a regular scheduled meeting of the Lincoln Parish School Board held at the Lincoln Parish School Board central office at 6:00 p.m.

 

                        Juanita Duke, Chief Financial Officer, stated that the millages in the Ruston School District are used primarily for utilities. The parish-wide millage funds the Board’s health program costs, property insurance premiums, as well as purchase instructional materials, supplies, and school buses

 

                        Upon a motion by Ms. Doss, seconded by Mr. Hancock, the Board unanimously voted by roll call to adopt a resolution ordering and calling special elections on March 26, 2022, in Consolidated School District No. 1 and in Ruston School District No. 1 to renew millages at the rate of 10 mills for 10 years beginning in 2023, and 2.53 mills for 10 years beginning in 2024 respectively therein, making application to the State Bond Commission, and to provide for other related matters.

 

Ricky Edmiston, Supervisor of Auxiliary Services, verbalized that the district is required by law to advertise for bids on materials and supplies for schools with an aggregate cost of $30,000 or more. He recommended the Board grant permission to advertise for bids.

 

Upon a motion by Ms. Best, seconded by Mr. Anders, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to advertise for bids on duplicating paper for the 2021-2022 school year.   

                        Mr. Young asked board members to study revisions to policy DFL – Cash Management and Investments and new policy DEC – Municipal Advisor, with action to be taken at the December meeting. He reported that due to the immediate necessity of revisions to EGA – Employee Insurance, the Board must temporarily suspend Board Policy BD – School Board Policy, and then immediately approve the revisions to policy EGA.   

 

                        Upon a motion by Dr. Gullatt, seconded by Ms. Best, the Board unanimously voted to temporarily waive policy BD- Board Policy in order that revisions to EGA – Employee Insurance may be approved immediately due to the timeliness of processing the December payroll and employee notification.

                        Upon a motion by Dr. Gullatt, seconded by Ms. Henderson, the Board unanimously voted to approve revisions to policy EGA – Employee Insurance. 

 

                        Ms. Duke shared that at its April 1, 2008, meeting the Board last adopted a resolution to continue to employ as its special counsel the then law firm of Hammonds & Sills. She stated that a resolution was being presented that would revise the hourly billing rates to be charged by the firm now known as Hammonds, Sills, Adkins, Guice, Noah & Perkins, LLP. Superintendent Ricky Durrett added that it had been 13 years since there had been a rate increase.

 

                        Upon a motion by Mr. Anders, seconded by Ms. Wiley, the Board unanimously voted by roll call to adopt the resolution to employ as its special counsel the law firm of Hammonds, Sills, Adkins, Guice, Noah & Perkins, LLP, and to authorize an increase in billing rates.       

 

                        Director of Human Resources, Dr. Doris Lewis, continued with a personnel report.  She communicated the following information: 

1.       Employment of Regina Buggs, special education paraprofessional at I.A. Lewis effective November 1, 2021, replacing Yolonda Beckwith who transferred.

 

2.       Employment of the following effective October 18, 2021;

 

        Shakonda Dawson, cafeteria technician, replacing Constance Jones who resigned; and    

         

      JaShontra Sears, cafeteria technician, replacing Sabrina Davis who resigned.

 

3.       Resignation of the following effective November 6, 2021:

 

  Jacob Simmons, bus operator in the Ruston area; and

 

  Sylvia Nash, bus operator in the Ruston area.      

      

                        Ms. Duke reported that sales tax collections for the month ending October 31, 2021, were up 36.09% compared to the same month last year. Collections were up 39.11% year-to-date, according to Ms. Duke. This will be the last month that we will be comparing collections to the prior year without the new sales tax that began with October 1, 2020, collections. The monthly performance equivalent is an 8.89% increase over October 2020 and an 11.38% increase year-to-date.      

 

                        Moving on to the September 2021 Financial Updates, Ms. Duke said that the undesignated fund balance in the general operating funds was 19.2%, which is lower than the previous month. This measure will continue to decline until new taxes are collected starting in the new year.

 

                        Ms. Duke noted that the total claims expenses in the health plan were $9.7 million year-to-date for the 2021 calendar year, compared to $8.4 million this time last year. We have seen an increase in claims in the last few months. The average monthly claims in 2021 have been $733,000, compared to $606,000 in the last calendar year. She reminded the Board that we may continue to see an increase in claims as Covid restrictions are lifted and members feel more comfortable attending doctor appointments.             

                        In a Report of the Superintendent, Mr. Durrett said that:

1.     Testing began last week with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders taking the English portion of the Innovative Assessment. These students will test two more times later in the year. We will not get test results until the end of the school year.  

 

2.     Covid numbers are down. Last week there were 23 students out; this week there are 14 exposures and 5 positive cases. Five of those will return to school this week. 

 

3.     School food services is having a difficult time receiving supplies from vendors. They are purchasing supplies from local supermarkets to supplement the shortage of needed items. The school food service staff is doing a great job and we appreciate their hard work.  

 

4.     The annual LSBA Convention will be held March 6-8, 2022, in Baton Rouge. More information will be available next month.   

 

                        There being no further business, upon a motion by Ms. Best, the meeting adjourned at 6:19 p.m.

 

_______________________________                            _______________________________

Ricky Durrett, Secretary                                                             Joe E. Mitcham, Jr., President