PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

GODCHAUX GRAMMAR CAFETERIA - RESERVE, LA

SPECIAL MEETING OF NOVEMBER 20, 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 special session at Godchaux Grammar Cafeteria, 1600 Highway 44, Reserve, Louisiana, on Wednesday, November 20, 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 6:00 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:         Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders

ABSENT:            Holden

There were 10 members present and 1 member absent. 

ITEM 3. Public Comment.  Discussion/Action regarding withdrawal of person selected as finalist for superintendent position and the resulting impact on superintendent selection process.

Mr. Joiner stated that Dr. Quentina Timoll, one of the three finalists, had withdrawn her application from further consideration of the Superintendent position.  He stated some options for the Board:

1.      Move forward with a replacement taken from the remaining candidates;

2.      Advertise for an additional candidate;

3.      Move forward with the process with the 2 remaining finalists.

Mr. Jones asked that the record reflect that Mr. Joiner received a call last Friday, November 15^th, that Dr. Timoll intended to withdraw from further consideration.  Correspondence was received by Mr. Joiner’s office that confirmed that withdrawal on Monday, November 18, 2019.  As of this date, November 20, 2019, the Board members have not been officially notified of this withdrawal.  Mr. Joiner stated that his protocol is to inform the Board President, as that has been his point of contact throughout the process.  Mr. Jones stated for the record that Mr. Joiner works for the whole Board, and not just the Board president.

Mrs. Holden arrived at 6:21 p.m. and was recorded as present.

MOTION BY:   Jones

SECOND BY:   Burl

MOTION:         To offer the candidate (of the 6 finalists) who received the next highest number of votes, the opportunity to interview with the remaining 2 finalists. If that person declines, we will continue with the next in line until the remaining 3 candidates have been exhausted.

For the Board’s information, Mr. Joiner stated the votes of all 6 finalists:  Q. Timoll – 9; P. Triche – 7; C. Green – 7; K. Joseph – 5; M. Cage – 4; C. Robinson – 1 

Dr. Keller stated as a point of order that when the ground rules were set, whoever the candidate was, they had to have a majority votes (6) to become a finalist.  He further stated that if we continue with that practice, the Board would have to open this up to all 3 of the other finalists (none of which received a majority vote).  Mr. Joiner stated that was indeed the practice that was used for the original selection practice, but it is the pleasure of the Board how they wish to proceed.

Following discussion, Mrs. Schum offered a

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:  Based on the withdrawal of one of the 3 finalists, I would like to make a motion to reject all applicants for superintendent and to immediately request an RFQ for a Superintendent Search firm to begin the process of re-advertising for the position of Superintendent for St. John the Baptist Parish School System.

SECOND BY:  Mitchell

Mr. Jones asked Mrs. Schum for clarity on the fact that she is asking the Board to scrap this whole process and start from scratch.  Mr. Jones asked administration for a running total of monies spent to date on Hammonds & Sills regarding the Superintendent Search via email tomorrow.  (Mr. Joiner later stated that to date, Hammonds & Sills has received $16,207.64 for the Superintendent Search.)

Following discussion, Mr. Jones stated:  “I would like to withdraw my motion and would like to make an amendment.  I would like to withdraw my original motion of selecting the fourth person as a finalist. My new motion is, or substitute motion is that we bring in the remaining 3 people out of the 6 into this pool and let’s move on.  I’m going to amend it, instead of the 4^th person in line, that we include the last 3 candidates, so that would give us 5 candidates.”  The Chair repeated the motion (for clarity): To re-interview the other 5 candidates again.

Following clarification by Mr. Jones, he stated that:  “…in all fairness, I made an amendment to my motion.”

The Chair asked Mr. Joiner to confirm where the advertisement was placed.  He stated that we advertised with AASA (American Association of School Administrators), NSBA National School Boards Association), NABSE (National Association of Black School Executives), LSBA (Louisiana School Boards Association), as well as the L’Observateur.

Following further discussion, Ms. Montgomery asked to make a point for the record that Mr. Jones’ motion is not a substitute, it is an amendment.

Ms. Mitchell stated that she is open to re-interviewing the 5 and if the 5 does not work for the majority of the Board, we could go out with a national search.  She asked if we would re-interview the 5 and would we then take 3 finalists from the 5 and how would we proceed.  Mr. Jones stated that it would be the pleasure of the Board how to move forward.

The Chair asked Mr. Burl if he seconds the amended motion by Mr. Jones.  He stated that he would decide after discussion.  Ms. Montgomery stated that before any more discussion could be held, Mr. Jones’ amended motion needs a second.  Ms. Holden seconded Mr. Jones’ amended motion.

Further discussion was held.

Mr. Jones stated that with all the discussion, he would like to withdraw his motion and offer a new motion.  I would like to make a MOTION to appoint Patricia Triche as Superintendent of St. John the Baptist Parish.  Mr. Triche seconded this motion.  Mr. Burl stated that we would have to amend the agenda for this motion to be made.  Ms. Montgomery stated that “…there is no agenda item to select a Superintendent.  It’s about this process of a Superintendent on tonight.”  Speaking to Mr. Jones, Ms. Montgomery stated, “Mr. Jones you had an original motion, then there was a substitute motion, you amended your original motion, and now you are offering - (inaudible) – I’m asking for clarity – is this a substitute motion or an amendment to the amendment?”  Mr. Jones stated, “an amendment to the amendment.”

Following further discussion, Ms. Schum stated that we could do the RFQ and have it ready to go and at the same time, go ahead and re-interview all 5 candidates.  If, after the re-interviews, we feel we need to hire a search firm, everything will be in place, if the Board so desires.

Mr. Montgomery stated, “Any amendment proposed must in some way involve the same question raised by the motion and must be germane to the amended motion.” The Chair asked if Mr. Jones’ motion was out of line.  Ms. Montgomery stated, “Is it germane to the original motion of adding the 4^th and 5^th candidates?  Selecting a person would not be germane to the motion.”

Following further discussion, Dr. Keller asked if Mr. Jones’ motion to nominate Ms. Patricia Triche was out of order? Ms. Montgomery stated, “Yes.”

Upon Roll Call on the SUBSTITUTE MOTION to reject all applicants for superintendent and to immediately request an RFQ for a Superintendent Search firm to begin the process of re-advertising for the position of Superintendent for St. John the Baptist Parish School System, there were:

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

2 Nays – Holden, Jones

The substitute motion carried.

ITEM 4.  BOARD ITEMS OF INTEREST

Mr. Jones stated for the record:  This Board is going to repeat this process and I think it is a waste of time and money because we are 90% into an existing process with a law firm from Baton Rouge, Hammonds & Sills, and I just want the public to know that it is a waste of time and money.  This is nothing personal against my   colleagues, but I need to make sure everyone out there knows this.  We are supposed to be the stewards of the School Board funds.

Ms. Schum – asked administration to conduct an open house or forum with the STEM parents to discuss where we are going with the STEM program sometime in December or the first of the year.

ITEM 5.  ADJOURNMENT

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

MOTION BY:    Holden

SECOND BY:   DeFrancesch

MOTION:         Motion for adjournment.

There were no objections.

The meeting adjourned at 7:11 p.m.

________________________________                                    ________________________________

Heidi Trosclair, Secretary                                                              Patrick H. Sanders, President