PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

LAPLACE, LA – MEETING OF AUGUST 16, 2018

 

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 Emily C. Watkins Elementary School, 938 La. Hwy. 628, LaPlace, Louisiana, on Thursday, August 16, 2018, at 6:00 p.m.

 

An agenda for the meeting is attached.

 

Sincerely, s/Kevin R. George

Superintendent/Secretary

 

ITEM 1.  CALL TO ORDER, INVOCATION, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

 

The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.  He called for the invocation, led by Pator Bering, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Charo Holden.

 

ITEM 2. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS:

 

PRESENT:       Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wise, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Burl

ABSENT:          Johnson

 

There were 10 members present and 1 member absent.

 

ITEM 3a. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Meeting of July 19, 2018.

 

MOTION BY:    Jones

SECOND BY:   Mitchell

MOTION:  To approve the minutes from the meeting of July 19, 2018.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas - Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wise, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Burl

1 Absent – Johnson

 

ITEM 4. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. Mr. Kevin R. George, Superintendent.

 

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

 

Mr. Clarence Triche presented Superintendent George with the new Gold and Silver Card Poster, stating this is his 23rd year of running the program.

 

ITEM 6.  PERSONNEL MATTERS

 

Mr. George advised the Board that a list of new hires was placed at their seats.

 

ITEM 7.  BUSINESS AND FINANCE

 

ITEM 7a.  Felix Boughton – Monthly Budget to Actual

 

The following information was shared:

 

 

ITEM 7b.  Mr. Felix Boughton - Authorize administration to do a request for proposals (RFP) for employee substitute staffing services

 

MOTION BY:    Wise

SECOND BY:   Jones

MOTION:  To authorize administration to do a request for proposals (RFP) for employee staffing services.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wise, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Burl

1 Absent –  Johnson

 

ITEM 7c.  Mr. Felix Boughton – Request approval of resolution regarding Industrial Tax Exemption Program for NALCO Company

 

MOTION BY:    Sanders

SECOND BY:   Holden

MOTION:  To table this item.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wise, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Burl

1 Absent –  Johnson

 

ITEM 7d.  Mr. Peter Montz – Accept Substantial Completion for East St. John Preparatory Academy as of August 6, 2018

 

MOTION BY:    Sanders

SECOND BY:   Triche

MOTION:  To accept Substantial Completion for East St. John Preparatory Academy as of August 6, 2018.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wise, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Burl

1 Absent –  Johnson

 

ITEM 8.  OLD BUSINESS

 

ITEM 8a.  Mr. Ty Manieri – Approval for execution of Type 1 Louisiana Premiere Charter Contract

 

MOTION BY:    Keller

SECOND BY:   Mitchell

MOTION:  To approve the execution of Type I Louisiana Premiere Charter Contract.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

9 Yeas – Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Burl

1 Abstention - Wise

1 Absent –  Johnson

 

ITEM 8b.  Ms. Iman Montgomery – Request approval of Revised Policy:  JCDB – Dress Code

 

MOTION BY:    Wallace

SECOND BY:   Mitchell

MOTION:  To approve Revised Policy:  JCDB – Dress Code as presented.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

9 Yeas – Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Burl

1 Abstention - Wise

1 Absent –  Johnson

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JCDB:  DRESS CODE

 

The policy of the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board shall be that no mode of attire shall be considered proper for school wear that distracts from or disrupts classroom and school decorum.  In questions regarding student dress and grooming, the principals of each school will make the final decision as to what is considered proper or improper dress.

 

NOTIFICATION

 

Each school shall notify the parent or guardian of each student of the dress code specifications and their effective date.   Each school shall include in its official student handbook the uniform policy/dress code for students.  The dress code shall be distributed in written form or posted on the school’s website annually.

 

If a school adopts a new uniform policy or modifies an existing uniform policy, it shall notify in writing the parent or guardian of each student of the policy adoption or uniform policy modification at least sixty (60) days prior to the effective date of the new or revised policy. Each school shall display any uniform selected for a reasonable period prior to the proposed effective date for wearing of the uniform.

 

However, nothing shall prohibit the School Board from requiring a new or revised dress code or uniform policy without the required notice in the event of an emergency.  For the purposes of this policy, emergency shall mean an actual or imminent threat to health or safety which may result in loss of life, injury, or property damage. 

 

DRESS CODE

Any substantial complaint concerning the dress code shall be dealt with by the school administration.

 

In accordance with the above, all St. John the Baptist Parish schools’ dress codes shall adhere to the following guidelines:

 

1.         Clothing should be so constructed and worn in such a manner that it is not unduly revealing.  Halter tops, "tank tops", see-through garments, cut-off tops, midriff tops and other garments of this nature are not acceptable.  All shirts, blouses, and other tops must exceed beltline with no waistline-skin exposed.

 

2.         Shorts are not appropriate for school wear for boys and girls with the exception that unaltered, uniform shorts will be authorized.

 

3.         Shirts and blouses are to be buttoned.

 

4.         Hair shall be neat, clean and well-groomed.

 

5.         Sundresses are not permitted in grades 7-12.

 

6.         No article of clothing shall be worn that distracts from the educational process.

 

7.         Articles of clothing associated with alcoholic beverages, tobacco, or drugs shall not be worn.

 

8.         No article of clothing or accessories shall be worn that contains obscene, profane, or sex-related words or pictures.

 

9.         No student shall wear, possess, use, distribute, display or sell any clothing, jewelry, emblem, blade, symbols, sign or other things which are evidence of affiliation with violence or gang related activities. 

 

 10.         Personal hygiene and cleanliness of dress are expected of all students.

 

 11.         Proper undergarments should be worn at all times.

 

 12.         Skirts should be at least to the knee.

 

 13.         Clothes shall not be skin-tight, form-fitting, nor contain holes.

 

ACCESSORIES

 

All students shall be required to use clear (see-through) book bags or completely mesh bags, except for such bags and packs which have bullet-resistant metal or other material intended to provide protection from weapons or bodily injury, and girls shall have purses no larger than 8" x 8".

 

BODY ARMOR

It shall be unlawful and against School Board policy for any student or non-student to wear or possess on his/her person, at any time, body armor on any School Board property, school campus, at a school-sponsored function, on a school bus or other school transportation, or in a firearm-free zone, with limited exceptions as enumerated in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §14:95.9, which includes permitting a student to wear, carry, or possess a backpack on school property or a school bus that has bullet-resistant metal or other material intended to provide protection from weapons or bodily injury.

 

School-sponsored functions shall include, but not be limited to, athletic competitions, dances, parties, or any extracurricular activities.  A firearm-free zone means any area inclusive of any school campus and within 1,000 feet of any such school campus, and within a school bus, wherein the possession of firearms is prohibited, except as specifically set forth in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§14:95.2(C) and 14:95.6(B).

 

Body armor shall mean bullet-resistant metal or other material intended to provide protection from weapons or bodily injury.

 

DRESS CODE VIOLATIONS

 

Students who violate the dress code shall be disciplined in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

 

A student enrolled in grades prekindergarten through five shall not be suspended or expelled from school or suspended from riding on any school bus for a uniform violation that is not tied to willful disregard of school policies.

 

Adopted: September, 1978                                Revised:  December, 2008

Revised:  October, 1988                                    Revised:  September 22, 2011

Revised:  June, 1991                            Revised:  August, 2015

Revised:  August, 1991                         Revised:  March 17, 2016

Revised:  March, 1994                          Revised:  July, 2018

Revised:  September, 1994      

 

Ref:      Scott v. Board of Education, 304 N.Y.S.S. 2d 601 (1969); Karr v. Schmidt; 460 F. 2d 609 (5th Cir. 1972); La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§14:95.9, 17:81, 17:416.7; Board minutes, 8-4-88, 1-10-91, 3-21-91, 5-2-91, 3-3-94, 7-21-94, 10-2-08, 9-22-11, 3-17-16.

 

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ITEM 9.  NEW BUSINESS

 

ITEM 9a.  Dr. Juanita Hill – Request Approval to Addendum to the Pupil Progression Plan for SY 2018-19

 

MOTION BY:    DeFrancesch

SECOND BY:   Triche

MOTION:  To approve the Addendum to the Pupil Progression Plan for SY 2018-2019.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wise, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Burl

1 Absent –  Johnson

 

***************************************

 

2018-2019 Pupil Progression Plan Addendum

In May 2018, St. John the Baptist Parish opted to retain the 2017-2018 Pupil Progression Plan through 2018-2019 outlining updates for 2018-2019.

 

Benchmark tests will be recorded as a formative grade.

Add the language: middle school students enrolled in Carnegie unit courses are required to complete a final exam and it will be computed as 20% of the final average.

Add the language: grades must be recorded within two days of the end of each grading period page 37 both K-8 and 9-12.

Change B.6 to …within 3 days following each grading period on page 37.

Add: & Report Cards to title of page 37

Add: ELPT to page 35 section B.2

Change #3 on page 13 to …17 credits … LEAP 2025.

Change E on p. 15 from ECO to EOC

Change #5 and #7 on page 13 to 23 or 24

Change #6 on page. 13 to 4 must be in mathematics and 4 must be in English

Change all sentences with district placement test to state authorized placement test on page 5.

Remove the word ‘a’ from 3rd paragraph from bottom of page 4

Add p.25 Social Studies will be addressed in the Fall semester and Science will be addressed in the Spring semester. The teacher must have a minimum of six (6) grades per nine weeks consisting of S (100-79.5), N (79.499-66.5), or U (66.499-0)

Add p.25 (1st grade) Social Studies will be addressed in Fall semester and Science will be addressed in Spring semester. The teacher must have a minimum of six (6) grades per nine weeks consisting of S (100-79.5), N (79.499-66.5), or U (66.499-0). Note: Schools that are departmentalized will record grades for both social studies and science for both the Fall and Spring semesters.

Remove c) on bottom of p.25 for 1st grade

Edit p. 26 2nd grade Social Studies and Science will be addressed each nine weeks (4 ½ each). The teacher must have a minimum of four (4) grades per nine weeks consisting of S (100-79.5), N (79.499-66.5), or U (66.499-0). Note: Schools that are departmentalized will record a minimum of six (6) grades for both social studies and science.

Add p. 37 High Schools - Progress reports/interim reports must be issued to all students no later than the 11th day of each grading period with a minimum of 4 grades (4 x 4 block schedule) as sentence #1.

Edit p.37 High Schools - move (7 period day) to the end of sentence #1 and make it sentence #2.

 

***************************************

 

ITEM 9b.  Ms. Heidi Trosclair – Request approval of revised school calendar for 2018-2019

 

MOTION BY:    DeFrancesch

SECOND BY:   Wallace

MOTION:  To approve the revised school calendar for 2018-2019 as presented.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wise, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Burl

1 Absent –  Johnson

 

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St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools - School Calendar 2018 - 2019

Adopted by Board – March 15, 2018

 

August

3

Teacher Classroom Work Day

 

6 - 7

Professional Development Days

 

8

First Day of School for Students

 

14

First Day for Kindergarten / Universal PreK / LA4 / Model Early Students

 

21

First Day for HeadStart Students

 

29

3-Hour Delayed Start for Students (3-Hour Prof. Dev. for Employees)

 

 

 

September

3

Labor Day Holiday

 

26

3-Hour Delayed Start for Students (3-Hour Prof. Dev. for Employees)

 

 

 

October

9

End of First Nine Weeks

 

15 - 16

Fall Break Holiday

 

31

3-Hour Delayed Start for Students (3-Hour Prof. Dev. for Employees)

 

 

 

November

5

Professional Development Day – No School for Students

 

6

Election Day Holiday (Primary/Congressional)

 

19 - 23

Thanksgiving Holidays

 

26

Students Return to School

 

28

3-Hour Delayed Start for Students (3-Hour Prof. Dev. for Employees)

 

 

 

December

21

End of Second Nine Weeks

 

24 - 31

Christmas Holidays

 

 

 

January

1 - 3

New Year’s Holiday

 

4

Professional Development Day – No School for Students

 

7

Students Return

 

21

Martin Luther King Holiday

 

22

Students Return

 

23

100th Day of School

 

30

3-Hour Delayed Start for Students (3-Hour Prof. Dev. for Employees)

 

 

 

February

27

3-Hour Delayed Start for Students (3-Hour Prof. Dev. for Employees)

 

 

 

March

4 - 8

Mardi Gras Holidays

 

11

Students Return

 

14

End of  Third Nine Weeks

 

27

3-Hour Delayed Start for Students (3-Hour Prof. Dev. for Employees)

 

 

 

April

15 - 22

Easter Holiday

 

23

Students Return

 

 

 

May

10

Last Day for Seniors (ESJH/WSJH)

 

24

Last Day for Students / End of Fourth Nine Weeks

 

27

Records’ Day

 

2018-2019 LDOE ACT/EOC/LEAP 2025 Assessment Schedule (Calendar is subject to change if any of the testing dates below change):

ACT Statewide Testing (Initial/Make-Up)                              March 12, 2019/April 2, 2019    

LEAP 2025 Paper-Based Testing (3rd - 4th grades)              April 29 - May 3, 2019  

LEAP 2025 Computer-Based Window (5th – 8th grades)       April 1 - May 3, 2019                

WorkKeys Testing Window                                                October 1, 2018 - April 12, 2019

EOC / LEAP 2025 Fall Testing Window                              Nov. 28 - Dec. 14, 2018

AP Testing Window                                                          TBD

EOC / LEAP 2025 Spring Testing Window                          April 15 - May 17, 2019

CLEP Testing Window                                                      TBD

 

***************************************

 

ITEM 9c.  Mr. Kevin R. George – Request approval of resolution to contract services with LYFE

 

MOTION BY:    Sanders

SECOND BY:   Mitchell

MOTION:  To approve the resolution to contract services with LYFE.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wise, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Burl

1 Absent –  Johnson

 

ITEM 9d.  Gerald J. Keller, Ph.D. – Conduct a parent survey requesting school bus transportation for students who want to or have transferred from East St. John High School to West St. John High School and provide the cost of one bus with centralized location

 

Dr. Keller stated that he would like administration to do a survey on the feasibility of transporting students to West St. John High School and report back to the Board

 

Mr. Burl passed the Chair to Mr. Sanders for the next 2 items:

 

ITEM 9e.  Mr. Albert Burl, III – Direct Administration to begin the process of having all unused School Board property appraised

 

MOTION BY:    Wise

SECOND BY:   DeFrancesch

MOTION:  To direct administration to begin the process of having all unused School Board property appraised.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wise, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Burl

1 Absent –  Johnson

 

ITEM 9f.  Mr. Albert Burl, III - The term of Superintendent George’s current employment contract expires on June 30, 2019.  As required by his employment contract, the board members are required to and shall discuss whether the term of said contract will be extended.

 

MOTION BY:    Burl

SECOND BY:   Mitchell

MOTION:  To extend the Superintendent’s contract for 9 months from June 30, 2019 to March 30, 2020.

 

During public comment on this item, the following people spoke either in favor of, or against, this item:  Ann Harvey, Shondrell Perrilloux, Carolyn Batiste, Charmaine Roybiski, Marsha Boche, Latunya Creecy, Rev. Bolden, Rev. Berring, Stacey Millet, Paula Henderson, Raydell Morris, Nghana Gauff, Geraldine Watkins, Robin Bailey and Sylvia Taylor.

 

Following public comment, there was a

 

SUBSTITUTE MOTION BY:      Wise

SECOND BY:  

MOTION:  To table this item.

 

This motion failed due to the lack of a second.

 

Following further discussion, there was a

 

SUBSTITUTE MOTION BY:      Holden

SECOND BY:   Wallace

MOTION:  To extend the Superintendent’s contract for 12 months (date verified by Chair from June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2020).

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

7 Yeas – Holden, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Wallace, Mitchell, Burl

2 Nay – Keller, Wise

1 Abstention - Triche

1 Absent –  Johnson

 

ITEM 10.  ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

 

ITEM 11.  BOARD ITEMS OF INTEREST

 

Mr. Jones thanked Ms. Robinet for the use of the school. 

 

ITEM 12.  ADJOURNMENT - The agenda having been completed, and there being no further business, there was a

MOTION BY:    Jones

SECOND BY:   Wise

MOTION:         Motion for adjournment.

There were no objections.

The meeting adjourned at 7:41 p.m.

 

 

________________________________                                     _______________________________

Kevin R. George, Secretary                                                      Albert A. Burl, III, President