PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
ST. JOHN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
July 16, 2020 – 5:00 p.m.
Via Zoom Teleconference & Streamed Live on St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools Facebook Page
Due to the public health emergency caused by the Covid-19 virus and in the interest of the health and safety of the public and the School Board, the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board will meet in regular session via teleconference utilizing Zoom Video Conferencing. (See attached Certification of Inability to Operate Due to the Lack of a Quorum.) The meeting will be streamed live on St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools Facebook Page so that members of the public may view the meeting in real time. All public comments regarding agenda items should be sent to: Public-Board-Comments@stjohn.k12.la.us between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2020. Public comments must include all three (3) of the following: 1. First and Last Name; 2. Agenda Item Number you are commenting on; 3. Your comment. All public comments will be read aloud before each agenda item is discussed.
The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board will meet on Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. via teleconference (Zoom). The meeting will be open to receive Public Comment at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be in recess until 6:00 p.m. to allow for Public Comment to be received and will reconvene in regular session at 6:00 p.m.
The agenda is attached for the meeting.
The President then read the agenda aloud and recessed the meeting for 30 minutes to allow for public comment.
ITEM 1. CALL TO ORDER, INVOCATION, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The Chair reconvened the meeting in Regular Session at 6:00 p.m. He called for a moment of silent meditation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Mr. Steve Vales.
ITEM 2. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS: The Chair called for Public Comment.
PRESENT: Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Sanders
ABSENT: Burl, Jones, Mitchell, Triche
There were 7 members present and 4 members absent.
ITEM 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The Chair called for Public Comment.
Mr. Jones and Ms. Mitchell arrived at 6:03 p.m. and was recorded as present.
MOTION BY: Schum
SECOND BY: Keller
9 Yeas - Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Sanders
2 Absent – Burl, Triche
ITEM 4. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. Mr. Cory Butler, Interim Superintendent.
ITEM 4a. Public Comment. Mrs. Patricia Triche – Presentation of Strong Start 2020 Plan
The Chair called for public comment:
Jennifer Frizzell - Thank you for the opportunity for students to enter a virtual learning platform this semester. It is especially important for children with vulnerable medical conditions. How will parents learn the plan to ensure IEPs are fully executed with the virtual learning Platform? Thank you
Alvin Scioneaux - These are questions that the board can not discuss, but hopefully get answered in this presentation. Will there be barriers in place to protect employees from being exposed when employees report to work July 20th? Other businesses have barriers in place to protect their employees. Due to the current pandemic, school committee meetings are being done virtually, so why is the school board okay with employees and students going face to face? Regarding SJBP Strong Start Employee Resource Packet, page#45 of SJBP July 16th school board agenda,
Continuation of pay information, 10 sick days to PTO to short term disability:
1) How will staff get paid after they use the 10 sick days and have no personal time off and no short term disability? 2) Will staff still get paid if you are required to quarantine more than 10 allowed sick days because someone else is sick that you came in contact with at school? What is in the Covid 19 Sick day agreement that the school require the staff to sign? Page 17 - Line 4 of July 16th SJBP school board agenda. Who can work virtually and who needs to report to an office? With the limited occupancy on buses, will the bus drivers clean contact points after the bus is emptied and before reloading the next group of students? Once a day cleaning is unsanitary. Is online classes available for SJBP students? Some of the virtual classes from the 2019/2020 school year was unacceptable. Because of Covid 19 access to the school’s teachers, counselors, and administrators will become even more difficult, is there a policy on how long a staff member can take to reply to parents?
Carolyn Batiste - When was the work done on the Strong Start Plan, any community input?
ITEM 5. EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS BY THE BOARD OR STAFF
ITEM 6. PERSONNEL MATTERS
Mr. Sanders left the meeting at 7:20 p.m. and was recorded as absent. Ms. DeFrancesch assumed the Chair.
ITEM 6a. Public Comment. Mrs. Serina Duke – Request approval of Revised Job Description: Television Production Specialist
The Chair called for public comment:
Cindy Graham - I agree that the term of employment needs to be revised since the employee currently in the position has only been working 9 months. What I don’t understand is why the recommendation is to change it to 9 ½ months, given that the employee seems to have been able to meet job requirements in 9 months.
Carolyn Batiste - What is the problem with putting the personnel information on the agenda, we are surrounded by districts that is doing this continually.
MOTION BY: Wallace
SECOND BY: Mitchell
MOTION: To approve the Revised Job Description: Television Production Specialist
No objections.
Roll Call:
8 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell
3 Absent – Burl, Triche, Sanders
The motion carried.
ITEM 7. BUSINESS AND FINANCE
ITEM 7a. Public Comment. Mrs. Sara Loupe – Mrs. Sara Loupe - Request approval to extend 2019-2020 Salary Schedule until salary negotiation are complete with SJAE
MOTION BY: Jones
SECOND BY: Schum
MOTION: To approve extending the 2019-2020 Salary Schedule until salary negotiation are complete with SJAE
No objections.
Roll Call:
8 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell
3 Absent – Burl, Triche, Sanders
The motion carried.
ITEM 7b. Public Comment. Mrs. Sara Loupe – Request approval of Finance Committee recommendation to contract with P&N for accounting assistance
Following extensive discussion, there was a
MOTION BY: Keller
SECOND BY: Schum
MOTION: To accept and approve the recommendation of the Finance Committee and contract with P&N for no longer than 6 weeks and not to exceed $20,000.
No objections.
Roll Call:
8 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell
3 Absent – Burl, Triche, Sanders
The motion carried.
Mr. Sanders rejoined the meeting at 7:53 p.m., was recorded as present, and assumed the Chair.
ITEM 7c. Public Comment. Mrs. Janice Gauthier – Recommendation on the following bids/extensions: Bid 18.02 Official Journal; Bid 20.12 General Maintenance Supplies; Bid 21.11 Instructional Materials; Bid 21.13 Electrical Supplies; Bid 21.14 Welding Supplies; Bid 21.16 Custodial Supplies
MOTION BY: Wallace
SECOND BY: Mitchell
MOTION: To approve the recommendations on the following bids/extensions: Bid 18.02 Official Journal; Bid 20.12 General Maintenance Supplies; Bid 21.11 Instructional Materials; Bid 21.13 Electrical Supplies; Bid 21.14 Welding Supplies; Bid 21.16 Custodial Supplies
No objections.
Roll Call:
9 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
2 Absent – Burl, Triche
The motion carried.
ITEM 7d. Public Comment. Mr. Steve Vales – Request approval of contract for data analysis and school bus rerouting services due to COVID-19 altered scheduling
The Chair called for public comment:
Carolyn Batiste - Data analysis, will this be for the complete fleet of buses or the last few bought and will this cost cover all buses?
Following discussion, Mr. Vales stated that this is not a new contract, but an expansion of services that EDULOG currently provides.
MOTION BY: Keller
SECOND BY: Wallace
MOTION: To approve the contract with EDULOG for data analysis and school bus rerouting services due to COVID-19 altered scheduling.
No objections.
Roll Call:
9 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
2 Absent – Burl, Triche
The motion carried.
ITEM 8. OLD BUSINESS
ITEM 9. NEW BUSINESS
ITEM 9a. Public Comment. Mrs. Patricia Triche (on behalf of the Strong Start Committee) – Request approval to amend the School Calendar to reflect a start date of August 17, 2020
The Chair called for public comment:
DesKameko Devare - I agree that the start date should be pushed back. I do not feel like our district is ready. ESJH have not had registration or anything as of yet. Please consider moving the date back so the parents and students can be better prepared.
Carolyn Batiste - Again, any community input, no problem with the later date of opening school, as one doctor at LDEQ said today on CNN "America is Failing " and our children deserve better, we must demand things are done right, according to Dr. Kanter in Louisiana our focus is on Science, this is the tool to use as far as opening our schools,the numbers in Louisiana and St. John are rising.
Mrs. Patricia Triche stated that the Strong Start Committee recommended that the School Calendar be amended to reflect a start date of August 17, 2020
MOTION BY: Mitchell
SECOND BY: Jones
MOTION: To approve amending the School Calendar to reflect a start date of August 17, 2020.
No objections.
Roll Call:
9 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
2 Absent – Burl, Triche
The motion carried.
ITEM 9b. Public Comment. Ms. Iman Montgomery – Request to waive policy (introduction) and request approval of Policy GBRK – Vacation Leave
The Chair called for public comment:
Carolyn Batiste - Is the policy asked to be waived the same to be voted on in this same meeting, will there be enough discussion to get the right thing done with clarity?
Administration
MOTION BY: Holden
SECOND BY: Wallace
MOTION: To waive the introductory policy.
No objections.
Roll Call:
9 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
2 Absent – Burl, Triche
The motion carried.
SECOND BY: Holden
MOTION: To approve Policy GBRK – Vacation Leave with revision: Restructure the addition, moving it to 7a, which would make it applicable to number 7 only.
No objections.
Roll Call:
9 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
2 Absent – Burl, Triche
The motion carried.
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GBRK: VACATION LEAVE
All twelve (12) month full-time employees shall earn annual leave at the rate set by the St. John the Baptist School Board. Employees exceeding their annual leave shall automatically be deducted at full pay.
Annual leave shall be posted at the beginning of each fiscal year. All annual leave must be turned into the Superintendent for review and approval prior to taking anticipated annual leave.
Any unused annual leave paid at the time of retirement, termination, or discharge shall be paid to the employee or his/her heirs on or before the next regular payday for the pay cycle during which the employee was working at the time of separation or no later than fifteen (15) days following the date of termination, resignation, or retirement, whichever occurs first, at the employee's daily rate of pay.
GUIDELINES
Employees who work a twelve-month fiscal year shall earn paid vacation days
Vacation time will be credited for twelve-month employees, on the first day he/she reports to work after the beginning of the fiscal year (July 1), according to the following schedule:
|
|
Years of Service
|
Vacation Leave |
|
|
Less than 5 years |
10 days |
|
|
5 years but less than 9 years |
14 days |
|
|
9 years but less than 14 years |
18 days |
|
|
14 years or more |
20 days |
Individuals who become 12-month employees after the start of the fiscal year will earn vacation leave based on the percentage of the work year remaining at the time of employment.
Employees shall request vacation leave in writing ten (10) days prior to the effective leave. Vacation leave shall be granted unless work demands prohibit such. If vacation leave is denied, the employee shall be allowed to reschedule within that same fiscal year. Employees with the greatest seniority shall be granted his/her preferred vacation date(s) if possible. An employee shall be allowed to take all of his/her earned vacation leave within a fiscal year.
4. Under no circumstances shall a department become non-operational because too many employees are on vacation. If there is a conflict that cannot be resolved by seniority, the Superintendent shall make the final decision. It is the department supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that this does not happen to his/her department.
Administrators shall not take vacation leave during the months of May and August.
Employees may carry over up to ten (10) unused vacation days from one fiscal year to the next. An employee can only accumulate up to twenty-five (25) vacations days. Upon severance of employment, unused vacation days up to twenty-five (25) shall be paid to the employee as severance pay.
With exception of the ten (10) days carried over up to a maximum of twenty-five (25) days, all earned vacation days shall be taken during the fiscal year. Any vacation days not taken during the fiscal year will be forfeited by the employee.
The Superintendent may modify or amend procedures as applicable when local and state emergencies develop including:
• An actual and imminent threat to public health or safety;
• An actual or imminent threat of natural disaster;
• An emergency situation whereby the governor, the state health officer, or the governing authority of the school system has declared a state of emergency;
The Superintendent shall inform the Board of such changes.
Employees who have more than twenty-five (25) accrued vacation days as of March 15, 2007 shall have the following options:
Option 1- These employees can continue to carry these outstanding vacation balances until they sever employment. However, they cannot accumulate any more days and all future vacation days earned must be used within that fiscal year. The Board will pay the employee the unused accumulated days at severance.
Option 2- These employees that have accumulated more than twenty-five (25) days as of the date this policy is adopted can elect to get paid for these excess days. This will be a one-time election that must be made within ninety (90) days from the date of March 15, 2007. This will be an irrevocable election. If an employee selects this option, he/she will be paid in these five (5) annual installments by July 31st of each year. These balances will be paid in these five (5) annual installments regardless of when the employee severs employment. The Board will notify each affected employee by certified mail and enclose the proper election form. The election form will have the vacation balance with the annual payoff amount. If the employee chooses, the Board will pay out the remaining vacation balance at severance of employment.
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ITEM 9c. Public Comment. Executive Committee: Request approval of Superintendent’s Contract as negotiated and presented by the Executive Committee
MOTION BY: Entire Seated Board
SECOND BY:
MOTION: To approve the Superintendent’s Contract as negotiated and presented by the Executive Committee.
No objections.
Roll Call:
9 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
2 Absent – Burl, Triche
The motion carried.
ITEM 9d. Public Comment.
Executive Committee: Request to grant authority to the Board President to sign the approved contract for Dr. Lynett Hookfin on behalf of the School Board
MOTION BY: Wallace
SECOND BY: Jones
MOTION: To grant authority to the Board President to sign the approved contract for Dr. Lynett Hookfin on behalf of the School Board.
No objections.
Roll Call:
9 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
2 Absent – Burl, Triche
The motion carried.
ITEM 10. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
ITEM 10a. Public Comment. Mrs. Debbie Schum – Strong Start Plan Update
This item was addressed under the Superintendent’s Report.
The Chair called for public comment:
Mona Joseph - What kind of protection is provided for students and teachers in k-3 grades since they are most vulnerable and are not required to wear a mask? The has to be some sort of precautions and safety measures in place because with the guidelines listed there's no protection for teachers and students from spreading and contracting virus. Will there be a time allotted for virtual learning?
Daryonda Evans - What are the safety measures for schools and buses? Also how many Students will be in the classes as well as on the buses?
Rachelle Gardner - The school board will not meet in person; however this board wants teachers and students to go into schools/classrooms. Where is the logic ? I would like to ask each board member do they have kids or immediate family members who work in the school system? Are you willing to risk their lives/health?
Carolyn Batiste - The Plan as it is,is very wordy. I have seen some others that are as informative,just that the format made it look more understanding.
ITEM 10b. Public Comment. Mrs. Debbie Schum – Clarification on Hiring Freeze
The Chair called for public comment:
Carolyn Batiste - Is there a Hiring freeze, the only hiring going on is in the front office, it would be nice to know that we have teachers in the classrooms with our little scholars
ITEM 10c. Public Comment. Mrs. Debbie Schum – Salary Study Committee Update regarding adding a representative from SJAE
ITEM 11. BOARD ITEMS OF INTEREST
Mr. Wallace asked if the backpack extravaganza is going to be drive through this year. Mr. Sanders stated that it is a drive-through, this Saturday at the Civic Center on Hwy. 51, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Dr. Keller asked that a press release be sent regarding Dr. Hookfin.
Mr. Jones asked that a schedule for next week for the new superintendent be send to board members. He also thanked Mr. Butler for his service to the district.
Mr. Sanders stated that there will be a work session next Wednesday regarding the Strong Start Plan.
ITEM 12. ADJOURNMENT
The agenda having been completed, and there being no further business, there was a
MOTION BY: Schum
SECOND BY: DeFrancesch
MOTION: Motion for adjournment.
There were no objections.
9 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
2 Absent – Burl, Triche
The motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 9:52 p.m.
_____________________________________ _____________________________________
Dr. Lynett Hookfin Superintendent/Secretary Patrick H. Sanders, President