PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

GODCHAUX GRAMMAR CAFETERIA - RESERVE, LA

MEETING OF OCTOBER 17, 2019

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, 1600 Highway 44, Reserve, Louisiana, on Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.

An agenda for the meeting is attached.

Sincerely,

Heidi Trosclair

Interim Superintendent/Secretary

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

The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. He called for a moment of silent meditation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. 

ITEM 2. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS: The Chair called for Public Comment.

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

ABSENT:           

There were 11 members present and 0 members absent.

ITEM 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The Chair called for Public Comment.

ITEM 3a.  Approval of Minutes of:  Work Session of October 9, 2019 and Special Board Meeting of October 9, 2019

MOTION BY:    Johnson

SECOND BY:   Triche

MOTION:  To approve the minutes of:  Work Session of October 9, 2019 and Special Board Meeting of October 9, 2019

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

11 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

0 Absent

ITEM 4. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. Ms. Heidi Trosclair, Interim Superintendent.

Ms. Heidi Trosclair/Mr. Cory Butler – Update on October 1, 2019 Attendance Counts

Mrs. Penny Watkins presented the following information for Mr. Butler:

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

ITEM 6.  PERSONNEL MATTERS

ITEM 6a.  Public Comment.  Mrs. Serina Duke – Recognition of Retirees

Mrs. Duke presented the following retirees with a plaque and a gift:

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

ITEM 6b.  Public Comment.  Mrs. Serina Duke – Request approval of Revised Job Descriptions:  1) Head Start Family Service Worker; 2) Low Voltage Maintenance Technician; 3) Special Projects Maintenance; 4) Warehouse Controller

MOTION BY:    Wallace

SECOND BY:   DeFrancesch

MOTION:  To approve Revised Job Descriptions:  1) Head Start Family Service Worker; 2) Low Voltage Maintenance Technician; 3) Special Projects Maintenance; 4) Warehouse Controller

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

11 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

0 Absent

All current job descriptions can be viewed at www.stjohn.k12.la.us

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

ITEM 6c. Public Comment.  Mrs. Serina Duke – Request approval of Revised Policy: GAMB - Dress Code

MOTION BY:    Keller

SECOND BY:   Mitchell

MOTION:  To approve Revised Policy: GAMB - Dress Code

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders 

1 Not Seated - Jones

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St. John the Baptist Parish School Board Employee Dress Code

•        Personal hygiene and cleanliness of dress are expected of all staff.

•        Shirt length must be long enough so that when arms are raised, skin is not exposed.

•        Low-cut blouses shall not be worn (cleavage shall not be visible).

•        Halter tops, tank tops, or spaghetti strap tops (sundresses) shall not be worn.

•        Skirts and dresses shall be of a reasonable length. (All dresses and skirts should be no more than 2 inches above the knee with or without leggings.)

•        Clothes shall be loose-fitting; leotard-type pants or biker pants shall not be worn.  This includes leggings, jegging and tights except when worn under articles of clothing which cover the leggings and fall at least 2 inches above the knee

•        Proper undergarments should be worn at all times but shall not be directly visible or seen through clothing.

•        All clothing shall be free of alcohol, tobacco advertisements, and drug references. In addition, all clothing shall be free of any wording or graphics that are suggestive or offensive in nature or content (I.e. political views).

•        Shorts shall not be worn. Exception: Coaches, physical education personnel, and bus drivers/monitors may wear loose fitting shorts of the appropriate length no more than 2 inches above the knee.

•        Capri pants may be worn.

•        Denim jeans shall not be worn (unless specified by site administrator)

•        Jogging suits or sweat suits shall not be worn. Exception: Coaches, physical education personnel, and bus drivers/monitors may wear jogging suits or sweat suits.

•        Tennis shoes and sandals, and crocs may be worn.  All footwear is required to have a back and, at minimum, a restraining strap.  No flip flops (beach footwear) shall be worn. Exception: Food service workers, maintenance workers, custodians, school bus drivers/monitors must wear footwear that fully encloses the foot from heel to toe (the footwear must cover and protect the top, bottom, back and sides of the foot).

•        No visible body piercings with the exception of earrings.

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

ITEM 6d.  Public Comment.  Mrs. Serina Duke – Request approval of Revised Policy:  GBA – Contracts and Compensation

MOTION BY:    Holden

SECOND BY:   Schum

MOTION:  To approve Revised Policy:  GBA – Contracts and Compensation

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders 

1 Not Seated - Jones

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GBA:   CONTRACTS AND COMPENSATION

CONTRACTS

Contracts of employment between eligible employees and the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board shall be executed for a specified period of time and compensation in accordance with state law.  Unless otherwise stipulated, all employees shall meet all stated position qualifications and/or certification requirements before any contract shall become valid.  Renewal or issuance, when possible, of contracts of employment, as well as dismissal or nonrenewal of contract notices, with the exception of performance contracts, shall be issued on or before the last day of each school year, whenever possible.  

The execution of an employee contract between the School Board and employee shall be legally binding upon both parties.   Teachers without tenure shall be required to have a written contract.  Teachers who have gained tenure may not be required to sign a written contract each scholastic year, but shall be required to sign such employment contracts at intervals determined by the School Board.  The failure of a non-tenured teacher to sign a contract for the ensuing school session within the specified time, when required, shall be considered as voluntary termination of employment on the part of the teacher, unless under extenuating circumstances, an extension is granted by the Superintendent.  Any subsequent resignation or termination of said contract for reasons other than extreme emergencies, as determined by the School Board, shall constitute a breach of contract against which legal action may be taken by the School Board and the employee dealt with accordingly.  The Superintendent shall receive, finalize, and accept all resignations of all employees. However, the Superintendent at the next available meeting shall report said resignations to the School Board.

The Superintendent shall sign each teacher contract.

Performance Contracts

Administrative and supervisory personnel in positions that require certification shall be hired under the terms of a performance contract of not less than two (2) nor more than four (4) years, except when such employment is for a temporary position.  The School Board shall make the final decision regarding the length of any such performance contract.  Prior to the School Board’s approval of any initial or subsequent contract which involves an employee being or having been promoted to a position with a higher salary, the Superintendent shall disclose all terms of the contract to the School Board.

Termination or non-renewal of any performance contract shall be governed by the terms of the contract and applicable law.

COMPENSATION

Salary Schedules

Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, the School Board shall establish salary schedules that shall be used to determine the salaries to be paid to teachers and all other school employees.  Salaries of all teachers shall be set by the Superintendent.  The salaries of all personnel are generally based upon an established salary schedule and associated regulations; provided, however, that salaries may be stated in and controlled by an employment contract.  The salaries as provided in any salary schedule shall be considered as full compensation for all work required and performed within each employee’s prescribed scope of duties and responsibilities.

Salary schedules established for teachers, administrators, and other certified school personnel shall be based upon the following criteria, with no one criterion accounting for more than fifty percent (50%) of the formula used to compute such employees' salaries:

1.         Effectiveness, as determined by the performance evaluation program as provided in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:3881 through 3905.

2.         Demand, inclusive of area of certification, particular school need, geographic area, and subject area, which may include advanced degree levels.

3.         Experience.

No teacher or administrator who is rated ineffective pursuant to the School Board’s performance evaluation program shall receive a higher salary in the year following the evaluation than the teacher/administrator received in the year of the evaluation.

The amount of the annual salary paid to any employee in any school year shall not be reduced below the amount of such salary paid during the previous school year, nor shall the amount of the annual salary paid to any employee be reduced at any time during an academic year.  The limitations on the reduction in the amount of the annual salary paid to any employee shall not be applicable to:

1.         The correction of any accounting errors or to a reduction necessitated by the elimination of a state program or state funding;

2.         The reduction of any local salary supplement funded, in whole or in part, from a revenue source requiring voter approval, when such voter approval has not been obtained; 

3.         An employee who has been promoted and subsequently demoted to a lower position. In this case, the employee’s salary shall return to the salary previously received in the lower position from which promoted; or

4.         The elimination, discontinuance, or reorganization of the position to which the employee is assigned that results in the employee working fewer hours, days, or months.  In such case, the employee’s salary for that academic year shall not be reduced.  After that year, the employee’s salary shall be determined in accordance with the applicable salary schedule for the employee’s position.

Ordinarily, no teacher shall be placed on the payroll of the school district unless the teacher holds a valid certificate as required by law, and a copy of the teacher's contract has been filed with the Superintendent.  Exceptions may be made only when qualified teachers with valid certification are not available for employment.

If any qualified teacher is hired that does not currently hold a valid Louisiana teaching certificate, he or she shall be paid according to the uncertified teacher salary schedule.  It shall be the responsibility of the teacher to meet the requirements for certification and to contact the Human Resources office once a certificate has been updated or issued.  The salary of the employee shall be adjusted to the proper place on the appropriate salary schedule effective upon verification of certification.  If the employee met the criteria prior to hire, the employee will receive certified salary effective the date of hire.  Employees who earn certification after hire, will follow the process for the acquisition of advanced degrees.

Experience Credit

A year of teaching experience is defined as each scholastic year of employment as a certified teacher in public schools within any of the fifty states of the United States of America, or within any of its territorial possessions; or as a certified teacher in a private or parochial school, as an employee in a state department of education, or as an instructor in an institution of higher learning.  All such experience must have been as a teacher in an institution or school accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting agencies in the United States of America (e.g., SACS).  Experience outside the United States of America, its territories or possessions must be in an institution or school accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States of America.

A year of teaching experience shall be granted if the person was employed for at least ninety-one (91) instructional days during one scholastic year, excluding holidays, as verified by the Superintendent.  However, not more than one (1) year of experience shall be granted for a period inclusive of twelve (12) consecutive calendar months.  All experience must have been on a full-time basis.

Any teacher holding a valid Louisiana teaching certificate in the public school system of Louisiana who has transferred to Louisiana from a public school system of another state and who, at the time of such transfer, held a valid teacher's certificate from that state, shall be given full credit under the salary schedule for the years of satisfactory teaching service previously rendered in the public school system of that state. Credit for previous teaching experience shall also be granted to anyone employed who holds a valid Louisiana teaching certificate and is employed or has been employed by another public school system in the state.

Advanced Degree

When a teacher earns additional college credit, is awarded an advanced degree, or receives additional training that would result in an increase in salary, said teacher shall be paid for the advanced degree or training beginning with the next payroll period after all necessary documentation has been received from the Louisiana Department of Education.  It shall be the responsibility of the employee to assure proper notification is given to the Superintendent or his/her designee.

Retirees

The salary of any retiree who is reemployed as a full-time teacher shall be based on the salary schedule which accounts for all prior years of teaching service and pertinent experience.  The status of any retiree who is reemployed shall be the same as a full-time active employee, subject to all applicable rules, procedures, policies, and statutes that apply to all such full-time active employees.

The retirement of an employee prior to his/her re-employment as a retiree shall constitute a break in his/her service with the School Board for purposes of tenure and sabbatical leave.  The retiree shall not be allowed to carry forward annual leave days accumulated by him/her as of the date of his/her retirement, but he/she may carry forward accumulated sick leave days provided that he/she has returned to employment within five (5) years of his/her last employment as a teacher within the school system.  A retiree shall have the right to earn additional sick leave and annual leave, if applicable, on the same basis as other similarly situated newly hired employees while a retiree.

School Employees

Compensation for all school employees shall be based on applicable salary schedules or hourly rates established by the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board, with the exception that no employee shall receive less than the minimum established by state or federal law. 

For the purpose of this subsection, school employee shall mean any employee of the School Board who is not required to hold a teacher's certificate as a condition of employment, including, but not limited to, bus operator, food service worker, paraeducator, custodian, and maintenance personnel.

Single Federal Award/Cost Objective Salary/Work Time Certification

It is the policy of  the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board that where employees are expected to work solely on a single  Federal award or cost objective, charges for their salaries and wages will be supported by semiannual certifications that the employees worked solely on that program for the period covered by the certification.  Also, where an employee is expected to work partially on a single Federal award or cost objective, charges for their salaries and wages will be supported by semiannual certifications that the employees worked that part of their time on that program for the period covered by the certification.  These semiannual certificates will be prepared by the employee or supervisor official having first-hand knowledge of the work performed by the employee.

Revised:  December, 1992                                            Revised:  September 4, 2014

Revised:  November, 1993                                            Revised:  April 6, 2017

Revised:  September, 1998                                           Revised:  August, 2019

Revised:  October, 2001                                               

Combined with GCA and revised:  June, 2012   

Revised:  October 18, 2012

Revised:  March 21, 2013

Revised:  August 7, 2014

Ref:      29 USC 201et seq. (Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended); La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§11:710, 17:81; 17:83, 17:84, 17:84.1, 17:411, 17:413, 17:418, 17:419.2, 17:421.4, 17:422.6, 17:423, 17:424, 17:424.2, 17:424.3, 17:444, 17:491, 17:492, 17:496, 17:496.1, 17:497, 17:497.1, 17:498; Wright v. Caldwell Parish School Board, 30.448 (La. App. 2 Cir. 6/16/99);  Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority et al., 105 S. Ct. 1005 (February 1985); Harrah Independent School District v. Martin, 99 S. Ct. 1062 (1979); Board minutes, 2-2-95, 8-20-98, 12-13-01, 10-18-12, 3-21-13, 8-7-14, 9-4-14, 4-6-17.

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

ITEM 7.  BUSINESS AND FINANCE

Mr. Boughton presented the following for informational purposes only.

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

ITEM 8.  OLD BUSINESS

ITEM  9.  NEW BUSINESS

ITEM 9a.  Public Comment.  Ms. Iman Montgomery - Introduction of Revised Policies: IFD – Parent and Family Engagement; JS – Students, Fines and Charges

This item was for informational purposes only.  Ms. Montgomery stated that this must be approved by December 1, 2019.

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IFD:  PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board recognizes that parent and family engagement must be a priority of the School Board for children to learn and achieve academic success.  Parents and families provide the primary educational environment for children; consequently, parents are vital and necessary partners with the School Board throughout their children's elementary and secondary school careers.  The term parent shall refer to any caregiver who assumes responsibility for nurturing and caring for children, and includes parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, foster parents, stepparents, and others.  The concept of parent and family engagement shall include programs, services, and/or activities on the school site, as well as contributions of parents outside the normal school setting.

It shall be the policy of the School Board and each public school in St. John the Baptist Parish, in meaningful collaboration with parents, teachers, students, administrators, and other educational resources, to establish, develop, and maintain strategies and programs that are intended to enhance the involvement of parents and other caregivers that reflect the needs of students, parents, and families served by the School Board, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.  As part of the parent and family engagement program, it shall be the responsibility of every school to create a welcoming environment, conducive to learning and supportive for comprehensive family involvement programs that have been developed jointly with parents/families.

DISTRICT LEVEL RESPONSIBILITIES

At the district level, the School Board shall:

1.      Involve parents and family members in the joint development and amendment of the school district’s plan Board’s Parent and Family Engagement Policy, which includes components of the district’s parent and family engagement program, to be submitted to the Louisiana Department of Education will be presented for introduction and approval by the Board.  The district plan will be developed by the district and parent input will be included.

2.      Provide coordination of various programs which involve parents, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist every public school in St. John the Baptist Parish in planning and implementing effective parent and family involvement engagementactivities. These activities will focus on improving academic success. to improve student academic achievement.

3.      Coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement strategies with other relevant programs that promote parent involvement such as PTA, PTO, Parent Advisory Council, Parent Breakfast Club, and Parent University.

4.      Conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of components and strategies of the School Board's parent and family engagement program policy and assess the effectiveness of the components and strategies usefulness. The evaluation shall attempt to identify ways of improving the academic quality of the schools served by the School Board. including identifying The annual evaluation will identify barriers to greater participation by parents in educational and parent and family engagement activities. Particular attention shall be directed to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background.  The School Board and each school shall use findings of such the evaluation to design strategies for more effective parental and family involvement, and to revise, if necessary, the parent and family engagement policies policy and procedures. (i.e. agendas focused on information related to the school, resources to assist parents with helping their children academically, update on discipline/PBIS, update on federal requirements as it relates to family and parent engagement).

5.      Distribute the Parent and Family Engagement Policy to parents and families, in a language the parents can understand information about the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board's parent and family engagement program, as well as  and provide proper notification to parents via the Board’s official journal, newsletters, text messages, and Board website about specific services or special programs, as required by state or federal law.

SCHOOL LEVEL RESPONSIBILITIES

As part of the parent and family engagement program, the School Board shall encourage each public school and require those schools receiving federal Title I funds under the jurisdiction of the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board to:

1.      Convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to in which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend. to Inform parents of their school's educational programs and to explain components of the parental involvement program Parent and Family Engagement Policy, and the right of the parents to be involved.

2.      Offer a flexible number of Parent and Family Engagement meetings at convenient times to maximize parental participation. and may provide transportation, child care, appropriate refreshments, and/or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement If general funds and/or federal funds are available, transportation, childcare and light refreshments will be provided at school level parent engagement events. If a parent/guardian cannot attend the parent and family engagement activity, the parent and the Principal will discuss alternative ways to provide the family with information they missed such as: scheduling a meeting in which the parent’s schedule will allow him/her to attend, conduct a home visit with the parent liaison, or mail the parent a copy of the information provided at the meetings. The Principal should follow up with a phone call to make sure the parent received and understands the information.

3.      Involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely way manner, in the planning, review, and improvement of parent and family engagement programs. including The parents should be provided with an opportunity to provide input in the planning, development, review, and improvement of the school parent and family engagement policy and the joint development of the school-wide plan. parent and family engagement program plan.

4.      Provide parents, especially those of participating children:

A.     timely information about educational and parent and family programs;

B.     a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the achievement levels of state academic standards;

C.     if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible; and,

D.     a copy of the School Board’s written Parent and Family Engagement policy.

5.      if the school-wide parent and family engagement program plan is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to school district level personnel—these comments can be made verbally during the school parent meeting or submitted in writing to the Principal.

SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES

As part of the parent and family engagement program, policy to building a capacity for involvement, the School Board and each public school under the jurisdiction of the School Board:

1.      Shall provide assistance to parents of children served by the school or School Board, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the state's academic content standards, state and local academic assessments, and how to monitor a child's progress. and Work with educators to improve the achievement of their children and provide training to parents as requested or based on feedback from parent surveys.

2.      Shall provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children's achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement.

3.      Shall educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents. and to in how The school administration and school board shall reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school.

4.      Shall, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with other outreach educational programs, such as Head Start, and public pre-school and other programs. and conduct Other activities, such as parent breakfast club meetings, parent advisory council, school-wide improvement team, and Parent University, that will encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children.

5.      Shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to parents in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand. This information should be disseminated by giving the information to the student and have the parent sign as documentation of receipt, post information on the school/district website, social media, text messaging and the newspaper.

6.      May involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training provide meaningful training based on feedback received from parents via surveys, discussions during parent meetings, and resources organized by the school for parents.

7.      May provide necessary literacy training from federal and state funds received if the School Board has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for such training.

8.      May pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parental involvement activities, including transportation, and/or child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions.

9.      May train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents.

10.   May arrange school meetings, at a variety of times and places, or conduct in-home conferences between teachers or other educators who work directly with children. In home conferences will be conducted with parents who are unable to attend such conferences at school, in order to maximize parental involvement and participation.

11.   May adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement.

12.   May establish a district-wide parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parental involvement in programs.

13.   May develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses in parental involvement activities.

14.   Shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request.

15.   Shall provide, to the extent practicable, full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of immigrant and migrant migratory children, including providing necessary information and school reports required in a format, and to the extent practicable, in a language such parents understand.

School Parent Compacts

Each student in grades 4-12 and each parent or guardian of a student in grades 4-12, shall annually receive a copy of the sign Statement of Compliance School Compact, in accordance with state law.  For students, the Statement of Compliance School Compact shall state that the student agrees to attend school regularly, arrive at school on time, demonstrate significant effort toward completion of homework assignments, and follow school and classroom rules.  For parents, the Statement of Compliance School Compact shall state that the parent or legal guardian agrees to ensure his/her child's daily attendance at school, ensure his/her child's arrival at school on time each day, ensure his/her child completes all assigned homework, and attend all required parent/teacher/principal conferences. A copy of the school Student Compact should be posted on the school website.

SCHOOL-PARENT COMPACT STUDENT-PARENT COMPACTS

Each school shall jointly develop with parents a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State's standards.  Such compact shall contain the following components:

1.      describe the school's responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the children to meet the State's student academic achievement standards, and the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children's learning, such as monitoring attendance, and homework completion, and television watching; volunteering in their child's school and assist the classroom teacher with permission of the Principal classroom; contributing services outside the normal school setting; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and positive use of extracurricular time; the Principal should have an organize day(s) for parents to come to the school and sign up for access to the Parent Command Center—this will allow parents to have access to their child’s grades, transcripts, attendance, standardized test scores, and discipline record.

2.      address the importance of communication between teachers and parents on an ongoing basis through, at a minimum:

A.     parent-teacher conferences in elementary schools when scheduled, during which the compact and student academic progress shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child's achievement;

B.     periodic reports to parents on their children's progress;

C.     reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child's class, and scheduled observation of classroom activities during a scheduled time as authorized by the school Principal; and

D.     parental activities and/or contributions away from the school site that enhance academic achievement.

OTHER PROGRAMS

In conjunction with the district services rendered under the School Board's parental involvement program, the School Board shall maintain contact and communication with social service and health agencies, faith-based institutions, and community groups to support key family and community services and issues.  In particular, the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board has a strong relationship with and support from community and/or governmental organizations such as Families in Need of Services (FINS), Partners in Education, and District Parent/Teacher Association (PTA).  One of the primary goals of these groups is to support, supplement, and assist in improving involvement of parents of children in the St. John the Baptist Parish public schools.

Revised:  February, 2003

Approved:  October 15, 2009

Revised:  February 7, 2019

Ref:    20 USC 6312 (Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools)

20 USC 6318 (Parent and Family Engagement)

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:235.2

Board minutes, 4-19-01, 10-15-09, 2-7-19

St. John the Baptist Parish School Board

                                           JS:  STUDENT FEES, FINES AND CHARGES

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board may impose certain student fees or charges to help offset special costs incurred in the operation of specific classrooms or subjects.  No student shall be deprived of proper instruction should the student not be able to pay any student fees, however.  Generally, students should not be denied or delayed admission nor denied access to any instructional activity due to failure or inability of their parent or guardian to pay a fee.  Report cards and other academic records cannot be withheld for failure to pay a fee, pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:112(C).

The School Board shall publish the Student Fees, Fines and Charges policy and procedures on its website.  Each school shall publish the policy on its website and include it in the school's student handbook which shall be provided to each student and his/her parent or legal guardian at the beginning of each school year in the manner determined by the School Board.

The Student Fees, Fines and Charges policy shall be reviewed annually and revised as necessary.

DEFINITIONS

Fees shall mean any monetary payment or supplies required as a condition of a student being enrolled in school or participating in any curricular or co-curricular activity.  Fees shall not include supplies or monetary payment for extracurricular activities.  Fees shall not mean the cost of school meals.

Curricular and co-curricular activities are activities that are relevant, supportive, that are an integral part of the program of studies in which the student is enrolled, and that are under the supervision and/or coordination of the school instructional staff.

Extracurricular activities are those activities which are not directly related to the program of studies, which are under the supervision and/or coordination of the school instructional staff, and which are considered valuable for the overall development of the student.

REGULATIONS

1.         A school shall not charge or assess a fee unless the fee has been set and included in the School Board’s approved Schedule of Fees.

2.         Fees charged for the same item or service shall be consistent among all schools under the jurisdiction of the School Board.

3.         Failure by a student, or parent on behalf of their child, to pay any required fee shall not result in the withholding of a student’s educational record.

SCHEDULE OF FEES

A list of authorized fees, including their purpose, use, amount or authorized range, and how each fee is collected, shall be as listed on the Schedule of Fees (Appendix A)attached to this policy.

Economic Hardship Waivers

A student or his/her parent or legal guardian may request and receive a waiver of payment of a fee due to economic hardship.  Waivers of fees shall be granted based on objective criteria relative to the student or his/her family, as listed below:

1.                Is receiving unemployment benefits or public assistance including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, supplemental security income, or Medicaid.

2.                Is in foster care or is caring for children in foster care.

3.                Is homeless.

4.                Is serving in, or within the previous year has served in, active military service.

5.                Is eligible for free or reduced priced meals in schools not participating in the Community Eligibility Provision Program.

6.                Is an emancipated minor.

A written request for a waiver of fees shall be submitted to the principal of the school or his/her designee for consideration.  Proof of eligibility shall be included with the fee waiver request.  A written decision on the waiver request shall be rendered within five (5) school days of the date of receipt of the request.  Should the initial request to the principal of the school for a waiver be denied, a written appeal may be made to the Superintendent or his/her designee, who shall respond to the appeal in writing within five (5) school days of the receipt of the appeal.

All requests for economic hardship waivers of student fees and any and all supporting documentation used in considering the validity of any request for a waiver shall be confidential.

All records associated with a fee waiver request due to economic hardship shall not constitute a public record, but may be audited to ensure compliance with the School Board’s policy.  A student's personally identifiable information associated with such a waiver request shall not be made public.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

School supplies requested by classroom teachers of a student's parent or legal guardian shall not exceed a published amount per student per school year as determined by the School Board.  Each school principal shall approve all school supplies requested by classroom teachers.  Prior to assessing a fee for school supplies or developing a school supply list, consideration shall be given to the existing school supply inventory.  A student shall not be denied the opportunity to participate in a classroom activity due to his or her inability to provide requested supplies.

DAMAGE TO TEXTBOOKS/INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

The School Board may require parents and/or legal guardians to compensate the school district for lost, destroyed, or unnecessarily damaged books and materials, and for any books which are not returned to the proper schools at the end of each school year or upon withdrawal of their dependent child.  Under no circumstances may a student of school age be held financially responsible for fees associated with textbook replacement.

Compensation by parents or guardians may be in the form of monetary fees or community/school service activities, as determined by the School Board.  In the case of monetary fees, fines shall be limited to no more than the replacement cost of the textbook or material, but may, at the discretion of the School Board, be adjusted according to the physical condition of the lost or destroyed textbook.  A school system may waive or reduce the payment required if the student is from a family of low income and may provide for a method of payment other than lump-sum payment.

In lieu of monetary payments, both school systems and parents/ guardians may elect to have students perform school/community service activities, provided that such are arranged so as not to conflict with school instructional time, are properly supervised by school staff, and are suitable to the age of the child.

Under no circumstances may a school or school district refuse the parent/guardian the right to inspect relevant grades or records pertaining to the child nor may the school or school district refuse to promptly transfer the records of any child withdrawing or transferring from the school, per requirements of the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. 

Under no circumstances may a school or school district deny a student promotional opportunities, as a result of failure to compensate the school district for lost or damaged textbooks.  Students shall not be denied continual enrollment each grading period nor re-entry in succeeding school years as a result of lost or damaged books.

Students shall not be denied the use of a textbook during school hours each day.  The school system shall annually inform parents and/or legal guardians of the locally adopted procedures pursuant to state law and regulation, regarding reasonable and proper control of textbooks.

APPENDIX A

SCHEDULE OF FEES

Revised:  October, 2001

Revised:  August, 2017

Revised:  October, 2019

Ref:      20 USC 1232(g-i) (Family Educational and Privacy Rights); La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:8, 17:81, 17:112, 17:177, 17:178.

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ITEM 9b.  Public Comment.  Mr. Albert Burl, III – Request Board approval to hire an independent investigator to determine the leak of sensitive information to the general public without board approval.

This item was removed from the agenda by Mr. Albert Burl, III.

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

ITEM 9c.  Public Comment.  Mr. Albert Burl, III – Discussion of the possible exposure for the non-compliance of Policy EGE

Mr. Burl stated that he wanted to ensure that Interim Superintendent Troclair was aware of the $25,000 approval limit and the contents of Policy EGE.

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

ITEM 9d.  Public Comment.  Ms. Sylvia Taylor – Discussion of Health Concerns

Ms. Sylvia Taylor spoke to the Board and audience regarding the Health Concerns at Fifth Ward Elementary.

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

The Chair was deferred to Vice President DeFrancesch for the next item.

ITEM 9e.  Public Comment.  Mr. Patrick H. Sanders – Request Board approval to accept RFPs for studying options for redistricting the parish.

MOTION BY:   Sanders

SECOND BY:   Burl

MOTION:         To authorize administration to accept RFPs for studying options for redistricting the parish with both options of including Fifth Ward Elementary as a school site as well as not including Fifth Ward Elementary as a school site.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

11 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

0 Absent

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

President Sanders resumed the Chair.

ITEM 9f.  Public Comment.  Courtney Joiner - Executive Session – Discuss the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health (La. R.S. 42:17) of each person who applied for Superintendent

MOTION BY:   Jones

SECOND BY:   Mitchell

MOTION:         To convene in Executive Session to discuss the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health (La. R.S. 42:17) of each person who applied for Superintendent

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

11 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

0 Absent

The Board convened in Executive Session at 6:42 p.m.

MOTION BY:   Mitchell

SECOND BY:   Holden

MOTION:         To reconvene in Regular Session.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

11 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

0 Absent

The Board reconvened in Regular Session at 7:29 p.m.

ITEM 9f.  Public Comment.  Courtney Joiner - Select six (6) applicants to be interviewed for the first round of Superintendent Interviews

Attorney Courtney Joiner explained the process for selecting the six applicants that would be interviewed in the first round for Superintendent.  He stated that it would be a “round robin” type process.  Each board member must write down their top 6 candidates.  All sheets would be collected and tallied by himself, Risk Manager Iman Montgomery and a witness.  This process will continue until there are 6 candidates chosen, with however many rounds necessary.

Once all sheets were collected, the Chair called for a recess at 7:36 p.m.  At 7:45 p.m., the Chair called the meeting back to order. 

Mr. Joiner stated that there were 4 candidates chosen to be interviewed in this round, 5 candidates were eliminated and 5 would be in the next round run-off. The results of the 1^st round were:

CANDIDATES CHOSEN TO BE INTERVIEWED:

Margaret Cage

Kelli Joseph

Corwin Robinson

Quentina Timoll

CANDIDATES ELIMINATED:

Sidney Brown

Dinah Robinson

Carol Smith

L. Kendall Smith

Celeta Watson

CANDIDATES IN ROUND 2:

Elida Bera

Curt Green

Dana Nolan

Patricia Triche

Darryl Kilbert, Sr.

The Board was then instructed to choose their top 2 candidates from the list of candidates for Round 2.  Once all sheets were collected, the Chair called for a recess at 7:59 p.m.  At 8:03 p.m., the Chair called the meeting back to order.

Mr. Joiner stated that there would be a Round 3, as only 1 candidate was chosen to be interviewed:  Mr. Curt Green

Mr. Joiner then instructed the Board to once again choose their top candidate out of the three remaining candidates:  Elida Bera, Darryl Kilbert and Patricia Triche.  Once all sheets were collected, the Chair called for a recess at 8:06 p.m.  At 8:08 p.m., the Chair called the meeting back to order.

Mr. Joiner stated that none of the 3 candidates received a majority of the votes, with Darryl Kilbert receiving the least amount, thus being eliminated.  The Board was now instructed to choose one candidate between: Elida Bera and Patricia Triche.  Once all sheets were collected, the Chair called for a recess at 8:10 p.m.  At 8:14 p.m., the Chair called the meeting back to order.

Mr. Joiner stated that the final candidate chosen to be interviewed is Patricia Triche.

The Board chose to set the interviews by a “hat-draw”.  The candidates and times chosen to interview were as follows:

Tuesday, November 5, 2019 (Location TBD)

4:00-5:00 p.m.  - Kelli Joseph

5:15-6:15 p.m.  - Quentina Timoll

6:30-7:30 p.m.  - Margaret Cage

Wednesday, November 6, 2019 (Location TBD)

4:00-5:00 p.m.  - Curt Green

5:15-6:15 p.m.  - Corwin Robinson

6:30-7:30 p.m.  - Patricia Triche

MOTION BY:   Keller

SECOND BY:   Entire Board

MOTION:         To accept the 6 candidates chosen to be interviewed for Superintendent and the times chosen randomly for each.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders

1 Not Seated - Triche

ITEM 10.  ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

Ms. Holden stated that WSJHS’s Homecoming game is tomorrow night and all are welcome to attend.  Tailgating will begin around 11:00 a.m.

Dr. Keller reminded the Board that LSBA will have a Trailblazer Session next week.

MOTION BY:   Mitchell

SECOND BY:   Triche

MOTION:         To waive policy to amend the agenda to consider authorizing legal counsel to begin the process of engaging with the Dept. of Justice regarding the Desegregation Order for the parish-wide redistricting and charter school.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

11 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

0 Absent

MOTION BY:   Mitchell

SECOND BY:   Entire Board

MOTION:         To authorize legal counsel to begin the process of engaging with the Dept. of Justice regarding the Desegregation Order for the parish-wide redistricting and charter school.

No objections.

The motion carried.

Roll Call:

11 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

0 Absent

ITEM 11.  BOARD ITEMS OF INTEREST

ITEM 12.  ADJOURNMENT

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

MOTION BY:    Jones

SECOND BY:   DeFrancesch

MOTION:         Motion for adjournment.

There were no objections.

The meeting adjourned at 8:37 p.m.

________________________________                                      ________________________________

Heidi Trosclair, Secretary                                                               Patrick H. Sanders, President