PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
RESERVE, LA - Meeting of November 8, 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 special. session at Godchaux Grammar Cafeteria, Reserve, Louisiana, on Thursday, November 8, 2012, at 3:00 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, Keller, Wise, Bacas, Triche, Sanders.
ABSENT: Burl, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Nicholas.
There were 6 members present, 5 absent.
ITEM 3. Approval of Minutes: Meetings of November 1, 2012.
A motion was made by Mr. Triche, seconded by Mr. Jack, to accept the minutes of November 1, 2012 meeting as printed and published. There were no objections.
The motion carried.
8 Yeas – Jack, Keller, Wise, Bacas, Triche, Sanders.
2 Absent – Burl, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Nicholas.
Mrs. DeFrancesch arrived at 3:10 p.m. and was recorded as present.
ITEM 4 - CSRS – Disaster.
Mr. Wise stated that he had been out of town and therefore unable to attend the Board Workshops held by CSRS and wanted to table this item until he had time to review the options presented.
A motion was made by Mr. Wise, seconded by Mr. Triche, to table the issues regarding Lake Pontchartrain Elementary and to authorize CSRS to proceed with repairs and renovations to East St. John High School.
Mr. Jones arrived at 3:15 p.m. and was recorded as present.
Ms. Iona Holloway, Mr. Herman Clayton, Ms. Kelly Eldridge and Melissa Faucheux spoke in opposition of this motion. Ms. Holloway stated that she feels there is no communication and wants to know what is being done to both schools. Mr. Clayton stated that he feels there should be a second opinion sought. Ms. Eldridge stated that she feels East St. John High School has taken priority over Lake Pontchartrain and wanted to know why no work is being done at Lake Pontchartrain.
Dr. Keller asked what the timeframe was for getting everything done with FEMA. Mr. Frank Lacourse, CSRS, stated that the deadline for having all repairs done is 18 months from the date of the disaster. However, that date can be extended for up to 4 years.
Mr. Sanders asked Mr. Lacourse to explain the process to the Board. Mr. Lacourse stated that basically CSRS does the initial assessment of damages. FEMA then comes in and decides what does and does not have to be done and what will and will not be paid for to restore the property back to its original condition, so in essence, FEMA is a second opinion and ultimately the opinion that matters. He further stated that the reason we can move on repairs at the high school and not Lake Pontchartrain is because Lake Pontchartrain is below base flood elevation and will require flood protection (i.e. a flood wall) in order to get funding from FEMA. East St. John High School has secured the funding from FEMA and therefore, with board approval, the planning and designing phase for the repairs to the high school can begin immediately.
Upon roll call on the motion to table the issues regarding Lake Pontchartrain Elementary and to authorize CSRS to proceed with repairs and renovations to East St. John High School, there were:
6 Yeas – Keller, DeFrancesch, Wise, Bacas, Triche, Sanders.
1 Nay – Jones
3 Absent – Burl, Johnson, Nicholas.
1 Abstention – Jack.
The motion carried.
ITEM 5. Mr. Felix Boughton – Recommendation for health plan for calendar year 2013.
Mr. Boughton stated that Blue Cross/Blue Shield was the only vendor to bid on the health plan for 2013. They originally submitted a plan with a 20% increase, but after some debate, the plan submitted has an increase of 15%. He stated that the Insurance Committee had met, but there was no quorum, therefore Mr. Boughton did not have a recommendation to bring before the board at this time.
The President declared a 5 minute recess at 4:03 p.m.
A motion was made by Mr. Wise, seconded by Mrs. DeFrancesch, to reconvene in regular session. There were no objections and the board reconvened in regular session at 4:12 p.m.
Mr. Sanders stated that there will be a Special Meeting next Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. to address this item.
A motion was made by Mr. Triche, seconded by Mr. Wise, to waive policy to vote on a Head Start Grant. There were no objections and the motion to waive policy carried.
Ms. Myrtle Lucas presented the Board with a one time grant, worth a possible $300,000, to the board and asked for approval to submit it.
A motion was made by the Entire Board to grant approval to Head Start to submit the one-time grant. There was no objection.
The motion carried.
Mr. Sanders left the meeting at 4:20 p.m. and Vice-President Clarence Triche was seated as Chair.
ITEM 6. Mr. Russell Jack. Presentation by BCB Construction. Two representatives of BCB construction gave a brief summary of the flood protection their company provides. They stated that there was a sample of their work in the parking lot outside and invited Board members to take a look after the meeting.
Dr. Keller asked that Gulf Coast Aqua Dams be placed on the agenda for the next regularly-scheduled meeting in December to give a presentation.
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Mr. Jack asked that Coach Valdez, from West St. John High School be allowed to speak.
Mr. Valdez stated that there are many things that have not been fixed at West St. John High School and although he’s been patient, it is time for things to get fixed. He stated that the ceiling is falling in places. Mr. Lacourse, CSRS, stated that there had been an assessment of all schools and that bids for the ceiling repair was being opened today. He further stated that there would be a team at the school tomorrow to make sure all concerns were being addressed. Mr. Herbert Smith, superintendent, stated that he accepted full responsibility for the repairs not being completed and would do a better job of relaying concerns to CSRS.
Dr. Keller announced that Barnes and Noble on Veteran’s Blvd. in Metairie is sponsoring a book drive to help restore Lake Pontchartrain’s library and individual classroom libraries for the entire month of November. He asked for all to spread the word to friends and family.
ITEM 12. ADJOURNMENT:The agenda having been completed, and there being no further business, Mrs. DeFrancesch offered a motion for adjournment, seconded by Mr. Bacas. There were no objections. The meeting adjourned at 4:41 p.m.
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Herbert Smith, Secretary Patrick H. Sanders, President