PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

RESERVE, LA - Meeting of February 17, 2011

 

The Chair called the meeting to order and read the following call:

 

HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD

Parish of St. John the Baptist

Dear Board Member:

 

Upon call of the President, the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board will meet in regular session at Grammar Cafeteria, 1600 Highway 44, Reserve, Louisiana, on Thursday, February 17, 2011, at 6:00 p.m.

 

An agenda for the meeting is attached.

 

Sincerely, s/Courtney P. Millet, Ph.D.

Superintendent/Secretary

 

The Chair called for a moment of silent meditation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

ITEM 2.  ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS:

 

PRESENT: Messrs. Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Wise, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche, Sanders.

ABSENT: Jack.

There were 10 members present, 1 absent.

 

ITEM 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Meeting of February 3, 2011.  A motion was made by Mrs. DeFrancesch, seconded by Dr. Keller, to accept the minutes of February 3, 2011 as printed and published. There were no objections and the motion to approve the minutes carried (10 Yeas, 1 Absent).

Mr. Jack arrived at 6:02 p.m. and was recorded as present.

 

ITEM 4. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. Courtney P. Millet, Ph.D., Superintendent.  Dr. Millet gave the following report:

At this time, we would like to recognize the family members of two past St. John the Baptist Parish employees whose professional accomplishments made such a difference to our parish.

 

RESOLUTION TO THE FAMILY OF DOWIE GENDRON

We have great respect for Mr. Dowie Gendron, as he has given his all to make St. John the Baptist Parish School District a better place.  Mr. Dowie Gendron was a School Board Member serving District 5 from May 4, 1989 to January 20, 2008.  We extend our sincerest sympathies to his family, and, at the same time, on behalf of myself, the board, and all of St. John the Baptist Parish School District, we present his family the following resolution.

~ RESOLUTION ~

WHEREAS,     Mr. Dowie Gendron served the St. John the Baptist Parish community for 19 years as a school board member, and   

 

WHEREAS,     Mr. Gendron served the State of Louisiana and this parish, the worthiness of his service will always be remembered; and

 

WHEREAS,    the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board recognizes his dedication and commitment, this is a resolution of sympathy forwarded to the members of his family; and

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,  that this school district desires to send a copy of this Resolution to his surviving children in total recognition of the value and the love this system has for him and wishes his family well in their bereavement and that this Resolution be made part of the official record on this date, February 11, 2011, subscribed therein.

 

RESOLUTION TO THE FAMILY OF SHIRLEY DENNIS

Mrs. Shirley Dennis was a custodian at LaPlace Elementary from July 1, 1975 through her retirement on June 2, 2010.  In fact, she served LES longer than any other employee in the history of the school.  She was very dedicated to everyone at the school, especially the students.  She worked hard each day to make LaPlace Elementary a great place to learn. 

We extend our sincerest sympathies to her family, and, at the same time, on behalf of myself, the board, and all of St. John the Baptist Parish School District, we present her family the following resolution.

~ RESOLUTION ~

 

WHEREAS,     Shirley Mae Dennis, served the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board for 35 years as an employee, and
 

WHEREAS,      Ms. Dennis served the schools, faculties and staff of this parish, the worthiness of her service will always be remembered; and
 

WHEREAS,    the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board recognizes her dedication and commitment, this is a resolution of sympathy forwarded to the members of her family; and
 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,  that this school district desires to send a copy of this Resolution to her surviving relatives in total recognition of the value and the love this system has for her and wishes her family well in their bereavement and that this Resolution be made part of the official record on this date, February 11, 2011, subscribed therein.
 

A motion was made by the entire board to accept the resolutions to the families of Mr. Dowie Gendron and Ms. Shirley Mae Dennis.  There were no objections and the motion passed unanimously.

 

GRADUATION INFORMATION
 

Graduation dates are as follows:  East St. John High School, Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. West St. John High School, Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.  This information is also posted on our website. 

 

PRESENTATION TO DR. KELLER

At this time, we have a special presentation for Dr. Gerald Keller.  Dr. Keller served as our board president from 2000-2010.  His knowledge, experience, and rational approach to the decision-making process have been valuable assets to our school system.  His care, devotion, and cooperation as board president over the past ten years have been indeed appreciated.  At this time, we thank him for his dedication to our school system. 

Mr. Keith Jones presented the former president’s gavel to him at this time.  Mr. Jones thanked Dr. Keller for his dedication and his time spent as the president of the board.

 

ITEM 5. EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS BY THE BOARD OR STAFF.

 

ITEM 6. PERSONNEL MATTERS: Dr. Leigh Ann Beard, Director of Human Resources.

 

Personnel Changes (Requires action by the Board)

 

  1. PROFESSIONAL

  1. Extended Sick Leave

  1. Tara Cox,  Teacher - East St. John High, February 3, 2011 - February 11, 2011

  1. New Hire

  1. Tara Mitchell, Teacher - Garyville/Mt. Airy Magnet,

  1. Resignation

  1. Larry Dauterive, Teacher - Lake Pontchartrain, February 10, 2011
     

  1. CLASSIFIED

  1. Extended Sick Leave

  1. Judith Gaudia, Paraprofessional - West St. John Elementary, February 1-14, 2011

  2. Cindy Terrio, 10 month secretary - Fifth Ward Elementary, February 2, 2011

  3. Jennifer Hill, Teacher - Emily C. Watkins, February 2, 2011 - February 4, 2011

  4. Keith Hill, Teacher - Fifth Ward Elementary, February 4, 2011

  5. Chanda Waguespack, 12 month secretary - Emily C. Watkins, February 8-11, 2011

  1. Resignation

  1. Reid Day, Low Voltage Technician - Maintenance, February 9, 2011
     

A motion was made by Mr. Wise, seconded by Mr. Jack, to approve the Personnel Changes as presented.  There were no objections and the motion passed unanimously.

 

Dr. Beard gave the following update on the Athletic Director/Head Football Coach of East St. John High School:

 

In December, St. John the Baptist Parish School District advertised and accepted applications for the new Athletic Director/Head Football Coach for East St. John High School.

 

In January, the Human Resources department reviewed the applications, checked applicants’ credentials, and called references. An interview committee was then established. The committee screened the applicants’ information packets (application, resume, etc.) and developed interview questions. At the end of the screening process, the interview committee chose eight applicants who were then interviewed by the committee. The eight applicants interviewed included Phillip Banko, Ronald Barrilleaux, Gregory Gathers, Benny Guilbeaux, Nick Mitchell, Marcus Scott, Curtis Tsuruda, and Terence Williams.

 

The following people were the members of the interview committee:

 

 

During the interview, the applicants presented their handouts and/or visual presentations. The committee members asked the same ten questions to all eight candidates. At the end of all of the interviews, the committee then selected the top three candidates: Phillip Banko, Ronald Barrilleaux, and Terence Williams. These three candidates will now have the opportunity to visit the school’s facilities, and a follow-up interview may also occur.

Dr. Courtney Millet, Superintendent of Schools, will make the final recommendation to the School Board at the first meeting in March.

 

A motion was made by Mr. Burl to waive policy to vote on a motion to have the three finalists come before the board.  The superintendent stated that state law for the past ten years has noted school board members cannot compel or coerce the school superintendent in hiring procedures.  A 2010 Legislative Act added ”board members shall not interfere with any personnel action, including hiring …”.  This motion failed due to the lack of a second.

 

Following further discussion by Mr. Burl and Mr. Nicholas on this topic, Mr. Lloyd LeBlanc, board attorney, stated that this item was brought up for informational purposes only and the board cannot discuss personnel issues.

 

ITEM 7a.  BUSINESS AND FINANCE:  Mr. Felix Boughton, Executive Director of Business and Finance

 

a.  Request Board adoption of revised school rental policy.

 

A motion was made by Mr. Wise, seconded by Mr. Triche, to adopt the revised school rental policy.

 

Mr. Wise asked Mr. LeBlanc to clarify the law regarding this item.  Mr. LeBlanc stated that according to the Louisiana State Constitution, the board must charge operating costs for public buildings.  He stated that he has 3 attorney general’s opinions stating that by waiving fees, and allowing someone to use the facilities at the school board’s expense, constitutes giving away public monies.

 

Following lengthy discussion, upon roll call, there were 6 Yeas (Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Wise, Bacas, Triche), and 5 Nays (Jack, Burl, Jones, Nicholas, Sanders) and the motion to adopt the revised school rental policy carried.

 

b.  Mr. Peter Montz and Mr. Bob Bourgeois – Request Board approval on Proposal 11.23 Web Hosting.

 

A motion was made by Mr. Triche, seconded by Mr. Bacas to approve Proposal 11.23 Web Hosting at a net cost of $1,915.80.  There were no objections and the motion passed unanimously.

 

c.  Mr. Felix Boughton - Student Based Budget Pilot Study.  Mr. Boughton stated that this item was for information purposes only and would not affect the budget for next year.

 

Following discussion on this item, Mr. Wise stated that before any action is taken, he would like us to ask the state to come to the parish and explain the pilot study to us.  Mr. Sanders asked Mr. Boughton to please put this topic on the next agenda for the Finance Committee.

 

d.  CSRS - Update on the Master Plan and Program Management Services. Mr. Floyd Luster gave updates on all ongoing projects. Mr. Luster advised the board that homeowners surrounding LaPlace Elementary School have been made aware of upcoming cement foundation pours, as this phase will create additional traffic and noise.

 

ITEM 8. OLD BUSINESS. a.  None.

 

 ITEM 9.   NEW BUSINESS.  a.  Courtney P. Millet, Ph.D. – 2011-2012 School Calendar.  Dr. Millet stated that this item was for introduction only.

 

b.  Mr. Elton Oubre – School Putting Prevention to Work (SPPW) Grant.  Mr. Elton Oubre stated that his office, along with the Director of Child Nutrition, Ms. Lorraine Jackson, had received a grant to be used for Child Wellness.  The grant is for $17,000.00.  A short Power Point was shared.  Mr. Wise asked how the money would be spent.  Mr. Oubre stated that there are three major areas where the money will be focused:  Improving nutrition, an anti-smoking campaign, and addressing the problem of obesity. 

 

c.  Mr. Albert Burl – Truancy Update; Adult Education Program.

 

Truancy Update:  Mr. Elton Oubre presented each board member with a packet of information regarding truancy. 

 

Adult Education:  Mr. Burl stated that he wanted an update on the Adult Education Program since it was moved to the Technical College.  Mr. Herbert Smith addressed this item, stating that he had been put in charge of Adult Education since Mrs. Precious Joseph went out on sabbatical.  He stated that he had only been over this program for a short while, but explained that St. John Parish is in a consortium with St. Charles Parish.  It was St. Charles Parish who recommended that our program be moved from the High School to the Technical College.  One reason for this move is that the state of Louisiana has decided that the Adult Education Programs will now fall under the Technical College umbrella instead of the Department of Education.

 

d. Mr. Lloyd LeBlanc – None.

 

ITEM 10. ADMINSTRATIVE MATTERS: a. Committee Reports. None.

 

ITEM 11. BOARD-RELATED ITEMS OF INTEREST.  Mr. Nicholas stated that he would like the board attorney to clarify which takes precedence - the 1992 Consent Decree or Louisiana Act 720 because, in his opinion, they are conflicting.  He requested that this item be placed on the agenda for the next meeting for clarification by the board’s attorneys.

 

Mr. Nicholas also requested a list of goals set for the superintendent at the Board Retreat.  Mr. Wise stated that the superintendent’s goals were not discussed at the Board Retreat because there was not a quorum and that the board members in attendance agreed that the president would call a special time to meet to discuss the superintendent’s goals. Mr. Wise further stated that the superintendent’s new goals are generally set sometime in July for the upcoming school year.

 

Mr. Sanders announced that the regularly scheduled meeting for March 3, 2011 will be rescheduled to March 1, 2011 due to a conflict with the Louisiana School Board Association’s convention in Baton Rouge.

 

Mr. LeBlanc stated that he may not have time to do the research necessary for Mr. Nicholas’s request.  He respectfully requested that he be allowed to give the report on his findings in regards to the 1992 Consent Decree at the March 17, 2011 meeting.

 

ITEM 12. ADJOURNMENT: The agenda having been completed, and there being no further business, Dr. Keller offered a motion for adjournment, seconded by Mrs. DeFrancesch. There were no objections. The meeting adjourned at 8:01 p.m.

 

________________________________

Patrick H. Sanders, President

__________________________________

Courtney P. Millet, Ph.D., Secretary