PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
RESERVE, LA - Meeting of September 20, 2012
ITEM 1: 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 Godchaux Grammar Cafeteria, Reserve, Louisiana, on Thursday, September 20, 2012, at 6:00 p.m.
An agenda for the meeting is attached.
Sincerely, s/Herbert Smith
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. Jack, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Wise, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche, Sanders.
ABSENT: Burl, Keller, Jones.
There were 8 members present, 3 absent.
ITEM 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:Meetings of September 6, 2012.
A motion was made by Mr. Triche, seconded by Mrs. DeFrancesch, to accept the minutes of September 6, 2012 meeting as printed and published.
The motion carried.
8 Yeas – Jack, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Wise, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche, Sanders.
3 Absent – Burl, Keller, Jones.
ITEM 4. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. Mr. Herbert Smith, Superintendent.
Mr. Smith gave the following report:
Status of the Re-Opening of Schools including Lake Pontchartrain Elementary
· The elementary schools on the East Bank and the two schools on the West Bank opened Monday, September 10, 2012. It was a very smooth re-opening; teacher and student attendance was over 95% for the week.
· Lake Pontchartrain Elementary and the St. John Child Development Center opened Monday, September 17, 2012, in very rainy conditions. Teacher attendance was over 95%; Monday’s LPE student attendance was 69%. Student attendance has risen daily, with today’s attendance at 79%.
· One of the biggest challenges has been transportation due to the re-routing of LPE students. The routes are being assessed and improved daily to minimize the amount of time students are on the buses. We have hired a consultant to assist in making our routes more efficient.
· No teacher has left the district since Hurricane Isaac. All teachers at all of our elementary schools and West St. John High School have returned. Mrs. Triche, East St. John High School’s Principal, anticipates 100% of her teachers will return Monday.
· According to the district’s Gain-Loss Report from post-Hurricane Isaac to today, the data shows that 25 students have officially withdrawn from SJBP Schools.
· Donations are continuing to come in and are being dispersed to the LPE and ESJH teachers and students. Harahan Christian Church along with Bill Capo from WWL-TV will be delivering a donation of supplies to the LPE Middle School (located at the Adult Education Center) between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.
Re-Opening of East St. John High School Information
The following information is being mailed to all parents and students and posted on the website/Facebook page:
v CONTACT INFORMATION:
o School Phone Number: 985-536-4226
o LGJH School Address: 1880 Highway 44, Reserve, LA 70084
v PLATOON SCHEDULES:
o Morning Shift #1 (Leon Godchaux Site and ESJH FSA Building)
7:00 – 8:06 Block 1
8:09 – 9:14 Block 2
9:17 – 10:22 Block 3
10:22 – 10:52 1st Lunch
10:55 – 12:00 Block 4 for 1st lunch
10:25 – 11:05 4th Block for 2nd lunch
11:05 – 11:35 2nd Lunch
11:38 – 12:00 2nd part of 4th block for 2nd lunch
12: 00 – 12:30 Teacher’s Lunch for Shift #1
Afternoon Shift #2 (Leon Godchaux Site only)
11: 30 – 12:00 Teacher’s Lunch for Shift #2
12:00 – 12:30 3rd Lunch
12:33 – 1:39 Block 5
1:42 – 2:46 Block 6
2:49 – 3:53 Block 7
3:56 – 5:00 Block 8
v LGJH SITE MAP: For upperclassmen and repeat 9th graders, the packet mailed to your home contains a floor plan; become familiar with the location of all classes on the LGJH campus. FSA student courses will not change but will be on an adjusted schedule.
v UNIFORMS: Come to school dressed in your uniform unless you need assistance in acquiring a uniform; the uniform policy is currently waived. You are our top priority, and we will work really hard to get you what you need.
v BREAKFAST/LUNCH:
o When students get off of the buses at LGJH, they are to report directly to the cafeteria or gym where they will remain until entry into the main building for 1st block.
o After FSA students exit their bus, they pick up breakfast in the main lobby and report to their 1st block class where they will eat breakfast and prepare for 1st block.
o The students arriving for the PM shift at the LGJH site for ESJH will unload from the buses and enter the cafeteria or gym for lunch. Students on 2nd Platoon will report to 1st block after all 1st Platoon students are loaded on buses and leave campus.
o All FSA students will obtain lunches in the main lobby area and eat in classrooms until the cafeteria is cleared for usage.
v TARDY TO SCHOOL: Tardies will be issued at the back Assistant Principal Office for students at the LGJH site and the same procedures will be in place for the FSA building.
v BUS TRANSPORTATION/CAR RIDERS/STUDENT DRIVERS:
o Students in the 1st Platoon should be at the bus stop no later than 6:00 a.m. until the bus routes are perfected.
o All students in the 2nd Platoon from 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m. should be at bus stops at 11:00 a.m. until the bus routes are perfected.
o Please be patient the first few days of school with the bus routes as we must determine the number of students actually loading busses the first two days.
o All students who are dropped off in the am and picked up in the pm by parents will be located on the front porch of LGJH.
o Student parking for juniors and seniors with parking stickers will be in the parking lot in front of the 600 building.
v ACADEMICS:
o All students will have special projects throughout the fall semester in order to acquire the needed knowledge to master skills in all classes. Your learning is our top priority.
o All students will be expected to achieve “Good” or higher on all EOC exams. ESJH has the best students in the world and it will take all of us to make this a reality!!
o All books will be collected from students in order to make classroom sets a priority. Books will be available to students online.
o As usual, discipline will be strictly enforced the first day of school. Get to class quickly as we have no time to waste.
o Any students in need of supplies will be dealt with and your administration will do our best to meet the needs of every student. Communicate with our staff about what you need to be successful.
St. John Alternative School—Redirection Program
The Redirection Program of the St. John Alternative School will be housed in the East St. John High School Freshman Success Academy Building and will follow this schedule:
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Teacher Planning
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Employee Lunch
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Morning Duty (Receive Students Off of Buses)
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Student Lunch (All Employees on Duty)
12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Schedule of Classes
Questions pertaining to Students Wishing to Transferring Out
Some parents and others have expressed concerns pertaining to their child transferring to other schools within the district and around the state. It is the position of Administration, under the advisement of LDOE and LHSAA, which any student still residing in the district is being afforded the opportunity to continue to attend their original school and continue to participate in athletics.
· Ed Connect Newsletter from John White, La. Dept. of Education Superintendent dated September 5, 2012: “Louisiana is prepared to provide the families who have been displaced by Hurricane Isaac with options to continue their children's education. Families who are unable to return home because of the effects of the storm can enroll their child in a public school in the parish they are currently residing. Local parishes are prepared to accept students who are displaced, regardless of the length of their enrollment in the communities in which they are currently living.
Parents who are staying with family and friends or who have temporarily relocated can enroll their child in the local public school for the duration of their evacuation - whether their relocation lasts a couple of weeks or several months. When families return home, parents will be able to transfer their child to their original parish school. Students who have relocated to a neighboring parish as a result of the storm can remain in school in their original parish.”
· Response from Warren Drake, LDOE Network leader for St. John the Baptist Parish: “I talked to several people about this and my understanding is that the student would have to attend the school that is assigned to them in their district. For example, those students who attended Lake Pontchartrain Elementary would be allowed to attend school in the district they evacuated to anywhere in the state. Once they move back to St. John Parish they would attend the school that is opened for Lake Pontchartrain Elementary. LPE has reopened in other schools in St. John and that is where they would go. My opinion is that they would not be able to attend any school they wanted to in St. John Parish. Thank you.”
· Kenny Henderson, head of LHSAA, confirmed that students who transfer to another school within the district will not be athletically eligible according to the LHSAA guidelines. East St. John High School’s athletic programs (including athletic practices) were not disrupted by Hurricane Isaac.
Mr. Burl arrived at 6:05 p.m. and was recorded as present.
A motion was made by Mr. Wise, seconded by Mr. Triche, to waive policy to discuss trailers at Fifth Ward Elementary being donated to the Vo Tech Center. There were no objections.
The motion to waive policy carried.
9 Yeas – Jack, Burl, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Wise, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche, Sanders.
2 Absent – Keller, Jones.
Mr. Smith stated that there are 2 trailers located at Fifth Ward Elementary that are not being used and administration is seeking to enter into a permanent Intergovernmental Agreement to provide the trailers to the Adult Education Program that is now located at the Southeastern Louisiana Technical College in Reserve.
A motion was made by the entire board to allow administration to enter into a permanent Intergovernmental Agreement that would provide the trailers to the Southeastern Louisiana Technical College in Reserve to accommodate the Adult Education Program that is now located on the Technical College campus. There were no objections.
The motion carried.
9 Yeas – Jack, Burl, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Wise, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche, Sanders.
2 Absent – Keller, Jones.
Following Mr. Smith’s report, Mr. Burl stated that parents have reported to him that they attempted to transfer their child to another school, but were told the student would not be allowed to play sports. Mr. Smith stated that any child that was legitimately moving to another parish/school system was being granted a waiver by the LHSAA to play sports in that parish. Mr. Smith stated that because there was no disruption in athletics at East St. John High School, students would not be allowed to transfer to the school of their choice within the parish, and that is in line with the regulations set forth by LHSAA.
Rev. Nicholas stated that he was being told that there was a lot of difficulty with the transportation department and that busses were not picking up students on time. He stated that he was concerned about students being marked tardy if they arrived late to school because of bus issues. Mr. Smith assured him that no child would be marked tardy in the next few weeks, but never are students marked tardy when the tardiness is due to the bus.
Mr. Wise asked how students would make up the instructional time lost due to the hurricane. Ms. Heidi Trosclair stated that the state is not giving any dispensation for instructional minutes. She stated that the calendar committee would meet soon and would bring a recommendation to the Board for the make-up time. Ms. Trosclair explained that dispensation requires an act by the legislature and they are not due to meet until March of next year, so the calendar committee will move forard as if the dispensation is not going to be granted.
Mr. Jones arrived at 6:20 p.m. and was recorded as present.
Mr. Wise asked if administration has received any sort of preliminary monetary damage report. Mr. Boughton stated that as of the time of the meeting, damages to our buildings/campuses is $23 million. Mr. Boughton stated that he is preparing a resolution that will be brought to the Board for approval at the next meeting that will ask the state to freeze our MFP and also to cover the 25% in damages that FEMA will not pay.
Mr. Jack asked about the grass cutting contract. Mr. Montz stated that the current grass cutter had rendered his resignation and we are taking proposals tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 21, 2012) at 1:00 p.m. He stated that proposals were being accepted as opposed to bids due to the time-constraints. He stated that several campuses are in dire need of lawn maintenance and it is urgent that we get someone on the job as soon as possible. Mr. Jack stated that the contractor on the west bank is doing a great job and has continued to cut and maintain the campuses there.
ITEM 5. EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS BY THE BOARD OR STAFF.
None.
ITEM 6. PERSONNEL MATTERS: Dr. Leigh Ann Beard, Director of Human Resources.
a. Personnel Changes (Requires action by the Board). Dr. Beard presented the following Personnel Changes for approval:
A. Medical Extended Sick Leave:
1. Kristen St. Pierre, Speech Therapist, Milesville. September 5-October 17, 2012
2. Bobbie Turner, Bus Driver, Transportation. August 6-29, 2012
A motion was made by Mr. Wise, seconded by Rev. Nicholas, to approve the personnel changes as presented. There were no objections.
The motion carried.
10 Yeas – Jack, Burl, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Wise, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche, Sanders.
2 Absent – Keller.
ITEM 7. BUSINESS AND FINANCE: Mr. Felix Boughton, Executive Director of Business and Finance
ITEM 7a. CSRS – Hurricane Isaac Disaster Recovery Update.
Mr. Lacourse, CSRS (Disaster Program Management) Mr. Lacourse shared a Powerpoint and gave an update on all projects.
Current Status of East St. John High School:
· All buildings currently dry to the 15% - 20% moisture standard
· Emergency mold remediation completed on 9th Grade Academy Building
· 100% of wet drywall and insulation removed from buildings
· Minimal SRM drying equipment remains (24/7) to sustain building conditions
· Wet contents, instructional materials and damaged furniture removed & discarded
· Permanent records sent to freezing facility in Chicago, approx. 90-day turn-around
· Full contents inventory 100% compete, replacement pricing to begin 9/24/12
· Mold present throughout buildings other than 9th Grade Academy, drying equipment will inhibit additional growth
Current Status of Lake Pontchartrain Elementary
· Building currently dry to the 15% - 20% moisture standard
· 100% of wet drywall and insulation removed
· Service Master (SRM) demobilized on 9/20/12
· Minimal SRM drying equipment remains (24/7) pending temp A/C installation
· All wet contents, instructional materials and mold damaged furniture removed & discarded
· All wet permanent records sent to freezing facility in Chicago, approx. 90-day turn-around
· Full contents inventory 100% compete, replacement pricing to begin 9/24/12
· Mold present throughout building, drying equipment will inhibit additional growth
President Sanders stated that he would hear ADDENDUM ITEM 9b at this time because it is so closely associated with the ongoing discussion.
ADDENDUM ITEM 9b. Mrs. Sherry DeFrancesch, Board Member – Discussion of the possibility of the construction of a new high school.
Mr. Wise stated that he feels it is the Board’s responsibility to re-think the central location of the high school, preferably a second high school on the east bank. He wants to see a master plan outlining the next 20 years for our schools. Rev. Nicholas stated that we own 33 acres on the south side of Airline Hwy. and we need to do an aggressive plan for a new high school. He stated that he wants to form a sub-committee to investigate the feasibility of a multiplex building for the future of our children and his suggestion is to build a new high school on the south side of Airline Hwy.
Rev. Nicholas left the meeting at 7:30 p.m. and was recorded as absent.
Mr. Wise left the meeting at 7:34 p.m. and was recorded as absent.
Mrs. DeFrancesch stated that the reason for her asking to have this added to the agenda was to initiate discussion and she had nothing further to add at this time.
Rev. Nicholas returned to the meeting at 7:36 p.m. and was recorded as present.
ITEM 7b. CSRS – Request for Change Order Approval of Emily C. Watkins Repairs Project.
A motion was made by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Bacas to approve the Change Order for Emily C. Watkins Repairs Project. Following an explanation that the change order was for the removal of existing metal panels and installation of new panels to correct original construction defect and leaks around the front building entrance, there were no objections.
The motion carried.
10 Yeas – Jack, Burl, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche, Sanders.
2 Absent – Keller, Wise.
ITEM 7c. Request board approval on Proposal 13.22 General and Fleet Liability Insurance.
A motion was made by Mr. Triche, seconded by Mr. Johnson to approve Proposal 13.22 General and Fleet Liability Insurance as presented. There were no objections.
The motion carried.
10 Yeas – Jack, Burl, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche, Sanders.
2 Absent – Keller, Wise.
ITEM 8. OLD BUSINESS. None.
Mr. Wise returned to the meeting at 7:45 p.m. and was recorded as present.
ITEM 9. NEW BUSINESS. a. Lloyd LeBlanc/Mr. Orenthal Jasmin, Board Attorneys – Legal Update. Mr. Orenthal Jasmin stated that at the request of Mr. Russell Jack, he had researched whether the Board could exercise a preference for local businesses and found that there is a way to accomplish this. He found that local governing bodies have vast discretion in awarding professional service contracts. However, the federal jurisprudence does not allow arbitrary boundaries. It is legal to set goals for utilization of local vendors and services, but those goals must have a legitimate rational basis and be applied uniformly and not arbitrarily. Further discussion will take place at a future board meeting.
ITEM 10. ADMINSTRATIVE MATTERS:
ITEM 11. BOARD-RELATED ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Rev. Nicholas asked if there was a contingency plan for scanning permanent student records. Mr. Smith stated that administration would look into that possibility.
ITEM 12. ADJOURNMENT:The agenda having been completed, and there being no further business, Mr. Triche offered a motion for adjournment, seconded by Mr. Jones. There were no objections. The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m.
________________________________ ________________________________
Herbert Smith, Secretary Patrick H. Sanders, President