PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
RESERVE, LA – MEETING OF OCTOBER 2, 2014
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 at Godchaux Grammar Cafeteria, 1600 Highway 44, Reserve, Louisiana, on Thursday, October 2, 2014, at 6:00 p.m.
An agenda for the meeting is attached.
Sincerely, s/Kevin R. George
Superintendent/Secretary
The Chair called for the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
ITEM 2. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS:
PRESENT: Jack, Burl, Keller, Sanders, Wise, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche
ABSENT: DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson
There were 8 members present, 3 absent.
ITEM 3. Approval of Minutes – Meeting of September 18, 2014.
MOTION BY: Mr. Nicholas
SECOND BY: Mr. Sanders
MOTION: To approve the minutes of the meeting of September 18, 2014.
There was an objection by Mr. Burl.
Upon roll call:
8 Yeas – Jack, Keller, Sanders, Jones, Wise, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche
1 Nay – Burl
2 Absent – DeFrancesch, Johnson
The motion carried.
ITEM 4. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. Mr. Kevin R. George, Superintendent.
ITEM 5. EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS BY THE BOARD OR STAFF
a. Renaissance Accelerated Reader: Recognition of Top Readers in the District
The following students were recognized for being the Top Readers in the District:
1. Jy’Lashia Love – 3rd Grade, Emily C. Watkins (K-3)
2. Rai’Von Gales – 4th Grade, Fifth Ward Elementary (4-5)
3. G’Hara Haynes – 8th Grade, LaPlace Elementary (6-8)
ITEM 5b. SJBP Data and Academic Strategy Overview
Ms. Heidi Trosclair, Executive Director of Assessment and Accountability and Mrs. Quentina Timoll, Asst. Superintendent of Curriculum, shared the following information:
ITEM 6. PERSONNEL MATTERS
ITEM 7. BUSINESS AND FINANCE
ITEM 8. OLD BUSINESS
ITEM 8a. Ms. Page Eschette – Request Approval of Discipline Hearing Officer List
MOTION BY: Dr. Keller
SECOND BY: Mr. Jones
MOTION: To approve the Discipline Hearing Officer List as presented.
Ms. Iona Holloway, SJAE President, stated that she didn’t feel the list of officers is fair.
Following discussion, there was a
SUBSTITUTE MOTION BY: Rev. Nicholas
SECOND BY: Mr. Wise
MOTION: To table this item.
ROLL CALL:
8 Yeas – Jack, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wise, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche
1 Nay – Keller
1 Abstention – Burl
1 Absent – Johnson
The substitute motion carried.
District Hearing Officer List ~ August, 2014
Patrick Amedee
P.O. Box 1092
Thibodaux, LA 70302
985-446-4811
Lana Ourso Chaney
P.O. Box 580
Pierre Part, LA 70339
985-252-1336
Eric Duplantis
Duplantis & McNulty, L.L.P.
Attorneys at Law
P.O. Box 238
200 Willow Street
Franklin, LA 70538
337-828-5480
Mike Fanning
Grant and Barrow
238 Huey P. Long Ave.
Gretna, LA
504-368-7888
Wayne Landry
P.O. Box 200
1500 Jane Street
New Iberia, LA 70560
337-365-2341
Lloyd LeBlanc
P. O. Box 1415
Gramercy, LA 70052
Office Address:
1703 Chantilly Drive
LaPlace, LA 70068
504-269-5559
Clayton Lovell
Duvall, Thunderburk, Sundberry, Lovell, & Watkins
101 Wilson Avenue
Houma, LA 985-876-6410
Angie Peraza
P.O. Box 514
Gonzales, LA 70707
225-717-8391
Calvin “Woody” Woodruff
220 S. Jefferson Street
P.O. Drawer 511
Abbeville, LA 70511
337-898-5777
ITEM 8b. Mr. Kevin R. George – Request Approval of School Choice Policy (JBCE).
MOTION BY: Mr. Nicholas
SECONDY BY: Mr. Bacas
MOTION: To approve the School Choice Policy (JBCE) as presented.
No objections.
The motion carried.
----------------------------------------------------------------
PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE (JBCE)
The St. John the Baptist School Board is required by both Federal law and the Louisiana School Accountability Program to develop and maintain a Public School Choice policy for any school with a School Performance Score (SPS) below levels set by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). and considered in School Improvement Level II or higher. Additionally, those Title I schools that have failed the subgroup component of the state’s accountability system for one year or are in School Improvement II or higher for subgroup component failure shall also be a part of a School Choice program. School Choice allows eligible students to transfer to an academically acceptable school. Subgroup component refers to the testing performance within a specified subgroup of students.
Once schools eligible to receive students have been identified, a schoolsite utilization study shall be conducted as needed in all schools to determine the extent to which capacity exists to possibly accommodate students from schools offering choice, including students with special needs and/or students with disabilities. Only those schools that are labeled academically acceptable shall be considered eligible to receive students.
The Superintendent and staff shall be responsible for developing and managing a School Choice Plan, which shall determine the schools to which students may transfer, which students shall have priority in transferring, and all other regulations and procedures for supervising school choice within the school district.
Notification
Notification of parents of their school choice options shall be sent as early as possible, but not later than the first day of the school year for the schools that are required to offer choice. If there are no choice options available, this information shall be included in the notification sent parents.
Eligibility of Students
All students in a school required to offer choice shall be eligible to transfer, to the extent that those transfers do not conflict with the desegregation consent decree under which the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board operates. However, the School Board shall give priority to the lowest achieving students from low-income families, as determined by the School Board students from the lowest performing schools.
LOUISIANA PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE
Unless a violation of a court order, the parent or legal guardian of any student may seek to enroll his/her child in the public school of his/her choice, without regard to residence, school system geographic boundaries, or attendance zones, provided that:
1. The public school in which the student was most recently enrolled, or would otherwise attend, received a school performance letter grade of D or F for the most recent school year, and
2. The school to which the student seeks to enroll received a school performance letter grade of A, B, or C, for the most recent school year, and has sufficient capacity at the appropriate grade level.
Transportation shall not be provided to a student who enrolls in a public school that is located outside the geographic boundaries of the School Board in which the student resides, if providing such transportation will result in additional cost to the School Board.
The Superintendent shall be authorized to develop pertinent administrative regulations and procedures governing students seeking enrollment under the Louisiana Public School Choice section of this policy. Such regulations and procedures shall include entering into interdistrict agreements with other city, parish, or local School Boards to provide for the admission of students, and the transfer of school funds or other payments by one School Board to another for, or on account of, such attendance.
Enrollment under Louisiana Public School Choice shall only be for one school year, or applicable portion thereof if a student enrolls after the start of the school year.
New Policy: August, 2004
Approved: October 15, 2009
Revised: August, 2014
Ref: 20 USC 6316 (No Child Left Behind Act, Section 1116); La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:105, 17:4035.1; Louisiana School, District, and State Accountability System, Bulletin 111, Louisiana Department of Education; Board minutes, 10-15-09.
----------------------------------------------------------------
ITEM 9. NEW BUSINESS
ITEM 9a. Mr. Kevin R. George – School Based Medical Clinic – Teche Action Clinic
Ms. Paulette Lofton, CEO for Teche Action Clinic, share the following information:
MOTION BY: Mr. Nicholas
SECOND BY: Entire Board
MOTION: To authorize the Superintendent to write a letter of support for the Teche Action Clinic.
No objections.
The motion carried.
ITEM 9b. Mr. Albert “Ali” Burl – Tax Free Weekend
Mr. Burl stated that he would like to declare a tax free weekend following the 60 day chlorine burn to help residents with purchasing clothing, washing materials, etc. due to the excessive chlorine in the water
and clothing being ruined. Mr. Orenthal Jasmin, Board Attorney, stated that Act 563 restricts sales tax holidays to those that are declared by the state, so the School Board does not have the authority to declare a tax free weekend.
ITEM 9c. Mr. Clarence Triche – Approval of Land and Facilities Committee Members.
Mr. Triche stated that the following board members had volunteered for this committee:
Mr. Burl
Dr. Keller
Mr. Sanders
Mrs. DeFrancesch
Mr. Wise
MOTION BY: Mr. Nicholas
SECOND BY: Mr. Bacas
MOTION: To approve the Land and Facilities Committee members as presented.
No objections.
The motion carried.
ITEM 10. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
ITEM 11. BOARD ITEMS OF INTEREST
Mr. Jack thanked Superintendent George and his administration for attending the celebration at West St. John High School in honor of the school being named one of the Top 50 Schools in America by Newsweek recently.
ITEM 12. ADJOURNMENT - The agenda having been completed, and there being no further business, there was a
MOTION BY: Rev. Nicholas
SECOND BY: Dr. Keller
MOTION: Motion for adjournment.
No objections.
The meeting adjourned at 8:02 p.m.
________________________________
Kevin R. George, Secretary
________________________________
Clarence Triche, President