2019-04-04

Upon call of the President, the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board will meet in regular session at Godchaux Grammar Cafeteria, 1600 Highway 44, Reserve, Louisiana, on Thursday, April 4, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.

The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. He called for a moment of silent meditation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Phillip Johnson.

PRESENT: Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

9 Yeas – Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

Superintendent Kevin George stated that work is in the beginning stages of establishing the Brenetta Ambres Scholarship Fund. This scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior attending Grambling State University. Brenetta’s husband was at the meeting and said a few words, thanking Mr. George and the Board for bestowing this honor in his late wife’s name.

Superintendent George then asked that Mr. Rene Phillips and Mr. Glenn Chenier please approach the podium, as they had an announcement. Mr. Chenier deferred to Mr. Phillips, who announced that the STEM Program Chess Club had placed first in the Louisiana State High School Chess Competition.

ITEM 7a. Public Comment. Mr. Peter Montz – Request Board approval on Proposal 19.33 Service Organizational Control Provider

Mr. Montz stated that only 1 proposal was submitted for the Service Organizational Control Provider and that was from Postlethwaite & Netterville at a cost of $20,000.

MOTION: To accept the proposal submitted by Postlethwaite & Netterville at a total cost of $20,000.

9 Yeas – Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

The District Attorney’s Office was not consulted or asked to review any materials related to this issue.

ITEM 7b. Public Comment. Public Comment. Mr. Peter Montz – Request Board approval to solicit bids for WSJH and ESJH Band Uniforms.

9 Yeas – Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

The District Attorney’s Office was not consulted or asked to review any materials related to this issue.

ITEM 8a. Public Comment. Ms. Michelle Seymour – Request Approval of 2019-2020 School Calendar

9 Yeas – Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

ITEM 8b. Public Comment. Mr. Patrick Sanders –Request removal from table and approval of New Policy: HC – Charter School Monitoring, Extension, and Renewal

9 Yeas – Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

MOTION: To approve New Policy: HC – Charter School Monitoring, Extension, and Renewal

8 Yeas – Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

The District Attorney’s Office was not consulted or asked to review any materials related to this issue.

It is the responsibility of the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board to hold charter schools accountable for achieving the performance standards set forth in policy, the SJBPSS Annual Review Indicators, and each charter school’s operating agreement.

The School Board collects data and information concerning the performance of its charter schools through monitoring processes and that data and information is used to produce an Annual Review for each charter school authorized by the School Board. The Annual Review is a public document that reports the performance of charter schools and is based on the expectations for high-quality charter schools outlined in the Louisiana Department of Education’s Charter School Performance Compact. Annual Reviews are released each winter using data to assess the performance of each school in the prior school year.

The Annual Review assesses a school in three areas that correspond to the performance expectations for high-quality charter schools. Each school receives a single score for academic, organizational, and financial performance as based on the metrics in the Annual Review. There are measurements that align to each subcomponent of each expectation. These scores are derived by looking at both quantitative measures of performance as well as compliance-based actions.

Expectation	Area of Annual Review	Types of Measurement	Possible Score
All students, regardless of background, need, or ability, are afforded an educational environment that provides them with opportunities for academic growth and achievement.	Academic	School Performance Score (SPS) and Letter Grade	Letter grade A, B, C, D, F, or T
Schools enroll and serve all students through prioritizing equity in their enrollment and discipline policies and procedures. All special student populations receive the services and supports they need to ensure academic success in accordance with applicable law and policy. Schools and governing boards responsibly follow all laws, policies, and contractual obligations.	Organizational	Consideration of data related to enrollment of students who are economically disadvantaged and students with disabilities as well as enrollment stability, discipline rates, and special education indicators Compliance with enrollment, special education, governance, and safety-related laws and policies	Meets All Expectations, Meets Most Expectations, or Does Not Meet Expectations
Schools demonstrate strong financial practices resulting in fiscally viable and responsibly maintained institutions.	Financial	Performance on annual audits; Financial Risk Assessment; Appropriate use of funds in accordance with law and policy	Meets All Expectations, Meets Most Expectations, or Does Not Meet Expectations

Performance on the metrics in the Annual Review determines the Superintendent’s recommendations to the School Board related to high-stakes decisions, which are described below in the section on Accountability Decisions and Interventions. The impact of a school’s performance on extension and renewal recommendations is described below in the section on Extension and Renewal Standards.

Each year, St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools shall assess each Type 1 and 3 charter school on each component of the Annual Review and reports this information publicly. The school system shall collect the information needed to compile the Annual Review through a set of monitoring and oversight activities. The information collected through these activities is aligned with the performance expectations to which charter schools are held.

Each year, all charter schools are subject to the following oversight and reporting activities.

During the year, school system staff members shall visit each charter school at least once and use data to inform the activities that are conducted during the visit(s). Visits may be announced or unannounced. The activities conducted during the visits depend on a school’s performance and may include the following:

As information is reported throughout the school year, the school system shall conduct systematic data reviews in order to assess school performance in a variety of areas. Additionally, the school system shall routinely review school policies, procedures, and other materials for compliance with law and policy.

All charter schools are required to submit an Annual Operating Budget, Quarterly Financial Reports, and the Annual Financial Report. These requirements are managed by the school system’s finance team and charter schools shall receive ongoing communications throughout the year on requirements and deadlines.

As needed, the school system may also assess schools based on information and data collected through:

· In-depth reviews of student records including, but not limited to the areas of discipline, attendance, enrollment, testing, special populations, and special education

St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools shall use information collected from the processes outlined above and the metrics included in the Annual Review for three purposes:

1. To undertake actions and interventions in instances where schools fail to meet expectations in one or more areas;

2. To make high stakes decisions and recommendations related to charter school extension and renewal; and

3. To make decisions and recommendations about charter school expansion and replication.

Based on the information collected through its monitoring and oversight processes, St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools may become aware of concerns related to a school’s performance as measured by the Charter School Evaluation Framework. St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools may use this information to address these situations through other interventions including but not limited to:

· Targeted communications with school leaders and board chairs and connection with support organizations

All charter schools are initially considered to be in Good Standing and in compliance with the contract they have with the School Board. However, based on routine and ad hoc monitoring and oversight by St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools over the course of the school year, information received by the School Board may reveal that a charter school is failing to meet expectations in a certain area that requires immediate remediation. In these instances, the charter school will enter the intervention ladder through the issuance of a Notice of Concern or Notice of Breach.

· Notices of Concern are given to schools in instances of less significant non-compliance of law or policy as determined by school system staff.

· Notices of Breach are given to schools in instances of significant, systemic, or repeated non-compliance of law or policy as determined by staff.

Notices contain specific action steps and due dates required to remedy the issue. Upon remedying the issue, the school returns to Good Standing.

· If a Notice of Concern is not remedied in the time allotted, the school progresses to a Notice of Breach with additional steps required to address the issue.

· If a Notice of Breach is not remedied in the time allotted, additional accountability actions may be taken by St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools up to and including a recommendation of revocation to the School Board.

In serious situations, failure to remedy a Notice of Breach or repeated Notices of Breach in a single school year can lead to a school entering the charter contract revocation review. Receipt of a Notice of Concern or Breach is considered in the assessment of a school’s performance, is included in the Annual Review, and can impact decisions related to extension and renewal or expansion.

In instances where a charter school has ongoing and significant concerns or is threatening the safety, health, and welfare of students, St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools may recommend to the School Board that the charter be revoked, which may lead to immediate closure of the school. In these situations, St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools will engage in a revocation review before making that recommendation.

The revocation review will involve additional data and document collection and may include visits to the school or an in-depth audit to assess financial and organizational health. Findings from the revocation review shall determine whether a school enters into revocation proceedings or is granted a revised Notice of Breach.

The school system recognizes the magnitude of revocation proceedings and only rarely uses this authority in cases of persistent shortcomings or grave incidents that threaten the health, safety, or welfare of students. If a school enters revocation proceedings, the school system will follow the revocation procedures outlined in Bulletin 126 and the charter contract.

Charter schools are granted an initial contract length of four years. During a school’s fourth year of operation, St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools shall assess each school’s performance and makes a recommendation to the School Board as to whether the school should be allowed to operate for a fifth year. This is known as the extension process.

During a charter school’s fifth year of operation, St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools shall again assess the school’s performance and make a recommendation to the School Board as to whether the school should receive a renewal contract to continue operation. This is known as the renewal process. The renewal process occurs in the last year of every charter contract term.

Decisions and recommendations for extensions and renewals shall be made in accordance with this framework and Bulletin 126 and based on longitudinal information over a school’s charter term as collected and reported in the Annual Review. Specifically, a charter school’s School Performance Score (SPS) and its various components comprise the section of the Annual Review that lays out expectations for academic performance. A school’s accountability results, considered against the academic standards for extension and renewal in policy, will inform whether St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools recommends a school for extension or renewal, as well as the minimum number of years for the new contract term.

Once a school has been recommended for renewal, St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools shall also determine a recommended renewal term length. The length of the renewal term is guided by a school’s performance on the organizational and financial components of the Annual Review over the entire term of the current contract. Schools that continue to meet organizational and financial expectations are eligible for additional years over and above the base number of years earned by their academic performance. In instances where the school has serious, systemic, or repeated non-compliance with organizational or financial standards, the Superintendent may recommend a term length up to two years shorter than the base number of years.

For a charter school with a renewal term of six or more years, the St. John the Baptist Public School Board will conduct an in-depth review and evaluation of the charter school, equivalent to a renewal review, at least once every five years to measure the charter school’s performance as measured by the charter school performance compact. The superintendent or his or her designee shall present such review and evaluation to the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board at a regular meeting and provide an opportunity for the Board to take appropriate action or impose meaningful consequences, if necessary, as provided for in the adopted performance framework.

In order to ensure that only the highest-quality schools are expanding, the ability to serve additional students is contingent upon a school’s performance as measured by this framework and the Annual Review.

The Superintendent shall adopt and maintain Annual Review Indicators to be used in the Annual Review. Such indicators shall provide for multiple measure of each charter school’s financial, organizational, and academic performance.

In the Annual Review, each school will receive academic, financial, and organizational performance ratings based on the Annual Review Indicators.

Schools earn points for indicators where their performance meets expectations based upon a review of available data. These indicators are aligned to each expectation and are outlined below within the categories of academic, organizational, and financial performance. Schools that fail to meet performance indicators can lose points for organizational or financial performance.

Category	Overall Rating
Academic	Meets All Expectations: “A” letter grade AND ≥ 93% indicator proficiency* Meets Most Expectations: “C” or higher letter grade AND 51-92% IP Does Not Meet Expectations: “D” or lower letter grade OR ≤ 50% IP
Organizational	Meets All Expectations: ≥ 93% IP Meets Most Expectations: 51-92% IP Does Not Meet Expectations: ≤ 50% IP
Financial	Meets All Expectations: ≥ 93% IP Meets Most Expectations: 51-92% IP Does Not Meet Expectations: ≤ 50% IP

* - “Indicator proficiency” (“IP”) means the percentage of points earned in relation to the total points available in each evaluation category

Extension/Renewal Type

Minimum Academic Requirements

Extension or 1st Renewal

“D” or higher letter grade in the most recent year of the contract term

2nd or Subsequent Renewal

“C” or higher letter grade in the most recent year of the contract term OR

“D” letter grade in the most recent year of the contract term and “C” letter grades for more than half of the letter grades earned during the charter term and the final letter grade earned for the charter’s prior term

Current Letter Grade	Minimum Term Length	Potential Additional Years (Based on Organizational and Financial Performance Over Current Term)
A	6 Years	“Does Not Meet Expectations” in any year	No additional years
		“Meets All” and/or “Meets Most Expectations” all years	≤ 2 Years
		“Meets All Expectations” all years	≤ 4 Years
B	5 Years	“Does Not Meet Expectations” in any year	No additional years
		“Meets All” and/or “Meets Most” Expectations all years	≤ 1 Year
		“Meets All Expectations” all years	≤ 2 Years
C	4 Years	No additional years
D, F or no letter grade	3 Years	No additional years

Notwithstanding, the School Board may recommend a renewal term that is up to two years shorter than the minimum term length, but no shorter than 3 years for a charter school: 1) where fewer than 50% of the school’s enrolled grades are testable under state accountability; or 2) that has significant, intentional, or repeated non-compliance with financial or organizational requirements.

Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:10.7.1, 17:3972, 17:3973, 17:3974, 17:3975, 17:3976, 17:3977, 17:3978, 17:3979, 17:3991, 17:3991.1, 17:3992, 17:3993, 17:3994, 17:3995

Charter Schools, Bulletin 126, §§306, 307, 1101, 1103, 1105, 1301, 1303, 1501 and §1701, Louisiana Department of Education,

ITEM 8c. Public Comment. Louisiana Premier Charter School – Approval of the site location that has been added to our Operating Agreement; Site Location: LAPC (344 and 348 Railroad Ave, Reserve, La 70084)

Atty. Ty Manieri recommended to the Board that this item be tabled until LAPC responds to the request for further information regarding the lease agreement. Mr. Manieri stated that LAPC provided the lease on March 23, 2019. He responded with questions to LAPC on March 26, 2019 and had not received a response at the time of this meeting.

MOTION: To approve the site location that has been added to our Operating Agreement; Site Location: LAPC (344 and 348 Railroad Ave, Reserve, La 70084)

MOTION: To table this item until LAPC responds to the request for further information regarding the lease agreement.

The District Attorney’s Office was not consulted or asked to review any materials related to this issue.

ITEM 9a. Public Comment. Mrs. Debra Schum - Universal Pre-K: Closing of Pre-K programs at ECW due to the end of a grant and amount collected and use of millage funds that were dedicated to Universal Pre K

Mrs. Schum stated that she wanted to encourage parents of Pre-K children in St. John Parish to enroll them in the program, as we want to have all students Kindergarten ready and wants to keep the 2 classes open at ECW.

Mr. George stated that the 2 Pre-K classes that were being considered for closing, are in fact remaining open as long as the enrollment numbers support them.

The District Attorney’s Office was not consulted or asked to review any materials related to this issue.

ITEM 9b. Public Comment. Mrs. Debra Schum - Update on deliverables of the contract with Mr. Jones

Mrs. Schum stated that she was asking for an update on the work that Dr. Jones (EdSolutions) has done. Mrs. Schum also requested that updates remain under the Superintendent’s Report.

MOTION: To amend the agenda and add an action item to adopt the 5 year goals that were set in January.

9 Yeas – Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

Goal 1: Create a positive supportive school culture that fosters high performance for all students and employees.

Goal 3: Provide a quality, financially viable school system that is sustainable.

Goal 4: Recruit, train, and maintain a pool of certified, highly qualified staff.

Goal 5: Develop a comprehensive communication plan that promotes St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools.

The District Attorney’s Office was not consulted or asked to review any materials related to this issue.

Dr. Keller noted that the Board Notification of Personnel Changes for the month of March did not include the recent resignation of a principal.

The agenda having been completed, and there being no further business, there was a