LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Ruston, Louisiana
REGULAR SESSION
Tuesday, April 2, 1996 6:00 p.m.
The Lincoln Parish School Board met in Regular Session on Tuesday, April 2, 1996 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 (left the meeting early), Mrs. Loyace Braggs (left early), Mr. Curtis Dowling, Mr. Jim Kessler, Mr. George Mack (arrived after the meeting started), Mr. Joe Mitcham (arrived after the meeting started), Mr. Rob Shadoin (left early), Mr. Allen Tuten, and Mr. Calvin Wilkerson.
No members were absent.
President Wright called the meeting to order and the invocation was given by Mr. Shadoin. Mr. Wright led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag and welcomed guests, members of the staff, and media.
Mr. Mack arrived at 6:03 p.m., during the Pledge.
Upon a motion by Mrs. Braggs, seconded by Dr. Beasley, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as amended, with the addition of one item of New Business: Bids for Cooling Tower at Ruston High School.
Mr. Mitcham arrived at this point in the meeting. It was 6:05 p.m.
Upon a motion by Mr. Mack, seconded by Mr. Mitcham, the Board unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Sessions held on March 5 and March 20, 1996 as distributed.
Ms. Sharon Thomas, Lincoln Parish Special Education Supervisor, came before the Board to recognize LaShun Archie, a Dubach High School student. He has been named a state winner in the arts achievement category of the Council for Exceptional Children "Yes I Can" awards program. A plaque was presented to LaShun along with the Board's deep appreciation for what he has accomplished and a wish for the best in the future.
The Board served as a Committee of the Whole and the following Personnel Committee agenda items were discussed:
Upon a motion by Mr. Dowling, seconded by Mr. Tuten, the Board unanimously voted to approve the following requests, effective May 30, 1996, as recommended by Mr. Ronnie Suggs, Director of Curriculum and Instruction:
1. Retirement of Elaine Gaudet as an elementary teacher at Simsboro.
2. Resignation of Jane Atchison as a French teacher at Simsboro.
Ms. Pam Roy, Business Manager, reported that $3,171.60 was recovered by the parish auditor during the month of March, 1996. This brought the total collected by auditors for the year to $93,129.71. The 1967 and 1979 sales tax collections for the same month were $246,625.84 which reflected an increase of $23,243.69. Collections in the 1993 sales tax fund also showed an increase of $13,575.48 with $147,604.50 being collected. These are up 9.2% over the same time last year and 6.4% for the year.
Ms. Roy called the Board's attention to the shaded line on the February, 1996, financial statement which shows the fund balances. She reiterated that these balances are the best they are going to be as these monies last until next year when ad valorem taxes are collected.
Ms. Sharon Thomas introduced Mr. John Wallace, Transition Coordinator, who was to present a report on the Special Education Transition/Vocational Program. He said, "A lot of stuff is going on, including teachers and aids accepting new and challenging ways to work with these students." Background information and their aim of getting youngsters from where they are in special education to where they are functioning adults, was shared. Work with the students and families is done in order to help the students become what they and their family want them to be - not what the school personnel want for them - and to teach functioning skills. An improvement in self-esteem has been noted which is making the youngsters' lives better. He said Sharon Thomas shows vision to the program.
Mr. Suggs said each spring every school system in the state receives a school report card as mandated by former Governor Buddy Roemer's Children First Act. This school report card, individualized for each school, provides parents with information regarding size of the school, faculty statistics, class size, student attendance, suspensions, expulsions, dropouts, criterion-referenced test scores, norm-referenced test scores, ACT results, and college freshman readiness reports. All of the above characteristics are compared on a district and state level also. Five years of statistics are now available to use in determining what programs are effective and which of our programs have weaknesses that need addressing. Attention was called to a District Composite Report which takes all of the information on the school report cards and compiles the statistics into one report. He specifically called attention to several highlights from the report which included Lincoln Parish demographic information, financial information about the district itself, student attendance which is 1.5% above the state average, testing ranks in which we continue to remain in the top few, and ACT results. "Where our school system is and how we're doing with it," are what the school report cards basically show. Schools will distribute the report cards to each student on April 11 or 12.
Dr. Beasley left during Mr. Suggs report, at 6:26 p.m., and Mr. Shadoin left at 6:40 p.m. following the report.
Superintendent Gerald Cobb was next on the agenda with unfinished business from the March 20 meeting. He introduced each proposed revision to the Lincoln Parish policy manual and asked the appropriate supervisor to briefly explain the change. Board members were then given time to ask questions or make comments. A few members took advantage of the opportunity as they moved swiftly through the recommended changes.
During this deliberation, at 6:58, Mrs. Braggs left the meeting.
Upon a motion by Mr. Mitcham, seconded by Mr. Kessler, the Board unanimously voted to approve the following proposed policy manual revisions, deletion, and additions:
DC Annual Operating Budget
DFL Investments
DJED Bids and Quotations
EBBG Hazardous Substances
EBF Sanitation
GAE Complaints and Grievances
GBKA Reduction in Staff Personnel
GBRIB Illness
GCD Support Personnel Employment
IKDC Prayer in Schools
JB Attendance
JBC School Admission
JBD Absences and Excuses
JDD Suspension
JGC Student Health Services
JGCD Administration of Medication
BCBD Agenda Preparation and Dissemination
BCBI Public Participation
KCA-R Public Participation at Board Meetings
KN Public Complaints
"In Louisiana we are mandated to locate children who are mentally or physically disabled as well as gifted/talented students who may need special services," Ms. Sharon Thomas said. Governor Mike Foster has declared the month of April as Child Search/ChildNet Awareness Month in an effort to help locate these children. She requested that the Board do the same.
Upon a motion by Mr. Barfield, seconded by Mr. Mack, the Board unanimously voted to proclaim the month of April as Child Search/ChildNet Awareness Month.
Superintendent Cobb reported that the Superintendent's Advisory Council met on March 20 for the purpose of reviewing the three calendar options available for the 96-97 school calendar. Council members were instructed to take the information to their schools, give employees an opportunity to vote for the calendar option of their choice, and call the results in to his office. Central office personnel were also given an opportunity to vote. Dr. Cobb recommended the proposed option 1 calendar as the choice of 90% of school employees.
Upon a motion by Mr. Tuten, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the proposed 96-97 school calendar as follows:
Lincoln Parish School Calendar
1996-1997
Parishwide Workshop August 21, 1996
Labor Day Holiday September 2, 1996
Election Day November 5, 1996
Thanksgiving Holiday November 25-29, 1996
Christmas/New Year Holidays December 23-January 3, 1997
End of First Semester January 15, 1997
Martin Luther King/Great Americans' Day January 20, 1997
Parishwide Inservice February 12, 1997 (Tentative)
Spring Break March 10-14, 1997
Easter Holiday March 28 & 31, 1997
Last Day of School May 30, 1997
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Dr. Cobb reminded members, as Mr. Kessler mentioned at the previous meeting, that the Lincoln Parish policy manual, Louisiana Statutes, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) Bulletins, and Board minutes are now available in computer disk format. The policy manual service the Board uses, Forethought Consulting, Inc., has developed this service and demonstrated it at the recent Louisiana School Board Association meeting in Bossier City. He feels that this Computer Assisted Policy Service (CAPS) will revolutionize the presentation of school board management information to key school personnel as it provides fast access to information, making the job of locating the information easier and saving time. Mr. Suggs shared various information concerning the software and an invoice breaking down the cost of the various components of the service. Included in the cost are converting the School Board minutes from 1991 to the present to computer disk and semi-annual updates of the Board's policy manual. As this is a service and not a product, the bid process is not required. Dr. Cobb recommended that CAPS be installed on two computers at the central office with the option to purchase copies of the software for others at a later date. The project should be completed in approximately three months.
Upon a motion by Mr. Kessler, seconded by Mr. Abrahm, and after questions and comments, the Board unanimously voted to approve the license agreement with Forethought Consulting, Inc., effective March 15, 1996, and for a term of five years at a total cost of $6,315.00.
Dr. Cobb requested the adoption of a resolution which designates May 6-10, 1996, as Teacher Appreciation Week. He said it very simply, "If you have good, competent, caring teachers it is going to work and you are going to have a good educational system. It comes down to the classroom and in that aspect, we are very fortunate."
Upon a motion by Mr. Tuten, seconded by Mr. Dowling, the Board unanimously voted to approve the resolution designating May 6-10, 1996, as Teacher Appreciation Week in Lincoln Parish, sending it to all schools in the parish, and making it a part of the official minutes of the Lincoln Parish School Board.
Administrative Supervisor of Title I, Mr. Willie Washington, told the Board that the LEA Consolidated Application for Federal Programs is designed to improve teaching and learning by encouraging greater cross-program coordination, planning and service delivery under the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA), and to enhance integration of programs under IASA, Goals 2000, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, and with other educational activities carried out with state and local funds. He requested permission to submit an application for the grant.
Upon a motion by Mr. Barfield, seconded by Mr. Wilkerson, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to submit an application for grant--"LEA Consolidated Application for Federal Programs," Improving America's Schools Act of 1994.
Mr. Charles Owens, Director of Auxiliary Services, presented the addendum to the agenda. At this time each year the maintenance foreman, Mr. Donnie Brown, and Trane representatives from Storer Equipment of Shreveport and M & M Equipment of Monroe conduct an inspection and pre-start up check of the large chillers at Ruston High School. This inspection involves thoroughly checking the compressors, fan coil units, and cooling towers. For the past three years problems have occurred with the water cooling tower at the school. This tower was installed in the 60's and services our largest and newest chiller unit. Of the two large chillers at RHS this unit carries the bulk of the load; therefore, in order to insure proper cooling of Ruston High School, it is imperative that it is operational. It is the opinion of our maintenance people as well as that of the Trane representatives from Storer Equipment that repair of this tower would not be cost effective as this is estimated at $41,000.00. Mr. Owens recommended that the Board grant permission to advertise for bids for a new cooling tower at Ruston High School.
After questions and comments, upon a motion by Mr. Abrahm, seconded by Mr. Kessler, the Board unanimously voted to grant permission to advertise for bids for a new cooling tower at Ruston High School.
In the report of the Superintendent, Dr. Cobb called the Board's attention to:
the two responses from Senator Barham and Senator Ewing on the BESE resolution the Board recently adopted and sent to them.
an interesting article from a national forestry magazine which contains a letter written by a fifth grade student at Glen View Elementary regarding a forestry program Danny Bell coordinates.
After one comment, the meeting was adjourned by acclamation at 7:27 p.m.
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Gerald W. Cobb, Secretary David Wright, President