LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

Ruston, Louisiana

REGULAR SESSION

Tuesday, July 11, 1995   6:00 p.m.

The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, July 11, 1995 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. David Wright, Mr. Billy Abrahm, Mr. Wayne Barfield, Dr. Marty Beasley, Mrs. Loyace Braggs (arrived after the meeting started), Mr. Curtis Dowling, Mr. Jim Kessler, Mr. George Mack, Mr. Joe Mitcham, Mr. Rob Shadoin, and Mr. Allen Tuten.

Absent was Mr. Calvin Wilkerson.

President David Wright called the meeting to order and the invocation was given by Dr. Beasley.

Upon a motion by Mr. Abrahm, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as printed.

Upon a motion by Mr. Barfield, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Special Session held on May 31, 1995; the Regular Session of June 6, 1995; and the Special Session held on June 27, 1995 as printed.

At this point in the meeting, Superintendent Gerald Cobb presented a plaque from the Association of School Business Officials International to Business Manager, Ms. Pam Roy, and her staff in recognition of their excellence in financial reporting.  This is the highest honor this organization gives.  There is 1 other system in North Louisiana that won this honor.  Their report was put together by auditors and paid for by their Board.  This report was done by Ms. Roy and her staff.  So this is truly hard-earned, well-deserved excellence.  He said Ms. Roy, her right hand, Mrs. Charlotte Davidson, and their staff have done so much for our business department that it is a true pleasure to recognize them.     

Mr. Wright expressed how pleased and proud the Board is of their staff, commended them, and urged them to continue their good work. 

Dr. Charles Scriber, Secondary Supervisor, reminded the Board that each year the system must submit a revised copy of their Pupil Progression Plan to the State Department of Education for approval after the local board has approved it.  This document addresses the placement, promotion, and remediation policies for Lincoln Parish public schools pursuant to Bulletin 1566, (R.S. 17:24.4) and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Dr. Beasley, the Board unanimously voted to approve the 95-96 Pupil Progression Plan.

At their June 27, 1995 meeting the Board granted permission to advertise for 11 used school buses; therefore, 5 older buses are no longer needed, Mr. Howard Whitlock, Transportation Supervisor, told the Board.

Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to declare 5 older school buses as surplus, advertise, and sell them to the highest bidder.  The buses are to be used for purposes other than to transport students.

Director of Auxiliary Services, Mr. Charles Owens, informed board members that there is an assortment of small engines, lawn mower frames, parts, and 2 automobiles that are no longer of any use to the Board.  They were used in the auto mechanics and small engine programs at Ruston High School.

Upon a motion by Mr. Mack, seconded by Mr. Kessler, and after 1 question, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to dispose of an assortment of small engines, lawn mower frames, parts, and 2 automobiles that are no longer of any use to the Board through the bid process.

The Board served as a Committee of the Whole and the following Personnel Committee agenda items were discussed:

Upon a motion by Mr. Abrahm, seconded by Mr. Barfield, the Board unanimously voted to grant/accept the following requests:  Mr. Ronnie Suggs, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented 1.-5.; and Mr. Charles Owens presented item number 6.:

            1.        Sabbatical leave for the 95-96 school year for Ms. Lindelle Weaver, music teacher at I. A. Lewis/Ruston Junior High, effective August 18, 1995. 

Mr. Suggs said this request for rest and recuperation meets local and state guidelines for sabbatical leave.           

Sabbatical leave for professional development for the 95-96 school year for Ms. Earlene Jackson, home economics teacher at Choudrant High School, effective August 18, 1995. 

This also meets local and state guidelines for sabbatical leave, Mr. Suggs reiterated.

            2.         Leave without pay for the 95-96 school year for Ms. Kellye Ratcliff, math teacher at Ruston Junior High, effective August 18, 1995.

            3.         Retirement of Mrs. Donna Dunlop, science teacher at Ruston Junior High, effective June 1, 1995.

            4.         Resignation of Ms. Doris Bacon, elementary teacher at I. A. Lewis, effective June 1, 1995.

                        Resignation of Ms. Sonia Falou, French/English teacher at Ruston Junior High/Ruston High, effective June 27, 1995.

                        Resignation of Ms. Jacquelin Daniel, special education aide at Ruston Junior High, effective June 2, 1995.

            5.         Employment of Mr. James Smith, vocational agriculture at Dubach High, effective July 1, 1995.  He will replace Mr. Track Kavanaugh who transferred.

                        Employment of Mr. Judd Mahfouz, social studies/coach at Ruston High, effective August 1, 1995.  He will replace Mr. Todd Thompson who resigned.

                        Employment of Mr. Jon Fisher, social studies/coach at Ruston High, effective August 1, 1995.  He will replace Mr. Joe Meeks who resigned.

            6.         Employment of Mrs. Kim McCormack, secretary at Ruston Junior High, effective August 4, 1995.  She will replace Mrs. Nan Colvin, retired.

Ms. Roy told the Board that $5,406.00 was recovered by audits during the month of June, 1995.  This brings the total sales tax revenue recovered by audits to $106,578.00 for the year.  She also reported that sales tax receipts for the same month reflected an increase in the 1967 and 1979 collections of $27,099.43.  Collections in the 1993 sales tax fund also showed an increase of $16,536.16 over the same month last year and is up $257,749.63 for the year.  These figures reflect a 10.4% growth over the same month last year and a 16.1% growth for the year.  Ms. Roy said that salary supplement checks in the amounts of $1,600/$800 out of the '67 and '79 sales tax fund were given to employees on June 30.  Salary supplement checks in the amounts of $1,100/$550 out of the '93 sales tax fund were also given at the same time.  She has received final information from the State on the one time salary supplement recently okayed by the legislature.  They are to be 4.176% of employees' base salary, not to exceed $1,002.24, and the business office is planning to distribute the checks the first of the last week in July.

Mrs. Braggs entered the meeting after this report at 6:16 p.m.

It was again Mr. Suggs' pleasure to present the objective results of the hard work of the Lincoln Parish staff, our students, and the students' families resulting in outstanding test scores once again for Lincoln Parish.  He called the Board's attention to their background information and shared the following facts regarding the 94-95 test results with them:

            In comparing 91 and 95 California Achievement Test (C.A.T.) scores, although our students were excelling in 91, we have continued an upward trend over the year period. 

            In grades 1-8 we had 5 grades that increased in their percentile and 3 grades that decreased.

            All of the scores are well above the 50 percentile which is considered to be the nationwide average test score.

            Our students continue to score well above the state average on the C.A.T. in the grade 4 and grade 6 categories.  These are the only 2 grades tested in all parishes in the state.

            While we have no C.A.T. figures to compare our grade 4 and grade 6 scores to other parishes right now, as they were 7th and 11th respectively out of 66 parishes last year in the state, we feel that we will rank high again this year.

            Also, in comparing 91 and 95 Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (L.E.A.P.) scores, our students continue to meet high standards and scores continue to be excellent.

All of our scores on the L.E.A.P. exceed the state averages by a considerable margin of percentage points.

            Our scores on 5 areas of the test increased, 5 areas decreased, and 1 test was the same, so again excellent results there.

            Although was have no L.E.A.P. comparisons with other parishes at this point, we feel that our 95 scores will again rank Lincoln Parish among the top parishes in the state.

            In comparing the parishes' scores on the A.C.T., the college entrance exam required by all state university in Louisiana, Lincoln Parish's 4 high schools (Lab schools are not included.) ranked 4th out of 66 parishes with an average composite score of 20.2. 

            Although St. Tammany ranked 1st with a 20.5, only 67% of their students enter college.  Lincoln Parish has the highest percentage of students entering college at 70%.  This means that we have a greater number of our students taking the A.C.T. than any of the other three.  Number 2 parish, LaSalle scored 20.4 and has 34% entering college.  Third, was Lafayette, with a 20.3 score and 51% of their students entering college.

            The percentage of students eating free/reduced meals, the state department definition of "at risk" students, shows Lincoln Parish serving 61% of "at risk" students which is higher than the other 3 parishes as well.  Lafayette serves 59%, LaSalle serves 52%, and St. Tammany serves 37%.

            The national A.C.T. composite score was 20.6 with Louisiana A.C.T. composite score of 19.4.

            He said this means that our staff all of the way from K - 12 is doing an excellent job in preparing our students to graduate.  Factors that contribute these excellent scores:  dedicated and qualified teachers and administrators, high parental and community support of our school system, a comprehensive and effective curriculum (both formal and informal), and finally, a spirit of all facets of the educational system working together for one common goal and that is to educate the children in Lincoln Parish.  He was delighted to present this excellent report and gave a lot of praise and commendations to the people in the schools, the teachers and so forth, who are doing the job out there.

Dr. Gerald Cobb said a lot of times we take these good test scores for granted.  He had a newspaper from the Baton Rouge area which looked at their C.A.T. scores.  "At the 6th grade level ours was 61.5 with theirs being 36.2.  The national average is 50%."  He said he wasn't talking about a back-water system, but our state capital, a whole, harmless system.  "That means they have so much money, the State won't give them any more money.  Looking at the 4th grade, ours was 63.9 and theirs was 48.7.  It can be different and it can be different in wealthy, enlightened systems.  Although scores are not the total ball game, they are a factor and such an important factor.  That's the business we are in - STUDENTS."  He did want to point out that everybody doesn't get good news like this.  "As Mr. Suggs said, it is a tribute to our people in the trenches doing the work.  You have to have good people there and we do in Lincoln Parish."

A brief period of questions and discussion followed.

In a report of the Superintendent, Dr. Cobb called attention to the meeting dates for the Board for the coming year which was included in their packets.

After brief comments from several members, Mr. Barfield made a motion to adjourn.  There being no further business, the Board decided by acclamation to adjourn at 6:43 p.m.

____________________________________________________________________

Gerald W. Cobb, Secretary                         David Wright, President