PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

RESERVE, LA – MEETING OF JUNE 20, 2024

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 (Board Meeting Room), 1600 Highway 44, Reserve, LA, on Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.

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

The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. and called for a prayer, led by Mr. Miller, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

ITEM 2a. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS:

PRESENT:        Holden, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Mitchell-Williams, Vicknair, Wallace

ABSENT:          Burl, Mamou, Mitchell-Williams

With 8 members present and 3 members absent, there was a quorum.

ITEM 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

ITEM 3a.  Public Comment.  Approval of Minutes from the Meetings of: June 6, 2024 and Budget Hearing Proceedings of June 11, 2024

Public Comment.  Alvin Scioneaux, Malachai Batiste

MOTION BY:  Triche

SECOND BY:   Frizzell

MOTION:  To approve the minutes from the meeting of: June 6, 2024 and Budget Hearing Proceedings of June 11, 2024

Roll Call:

8 Yeas – Holden, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Mitchell-Williams, Vicknair, Wallace

3 Absent – Burl, Mamou, Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

MOTION BY:  Vicknair

SECOND BY:   Morris

MOTION:  To amend the agenda.

Roll Call:

8 Yeas – Holden, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Mitchell-Williams, Vicknair, Wallace

3 Absent – Burl, Mamou, Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

MOTION BY:  Vicknair

SECOND BY:   Frizzell

MOTION:  To address ITEMS 5 a-b-c-d, at this time.

Roll Call:

8 Yeas – Holden, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Mitchell-Williams, Vicknair, Wallace

3 Absent – Burl, Mamou, Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

Mr. Mamou arrived at 6:11 p.m. and Mr. Burl arrived at 6:12 p.m.

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

ITEM 5a.   Recognition of St. John the Baptist Parish School Board Retirees

The following retirees were honored at a banquet just prior to the Board meeting and were recognized at the Board meeting.

ITEM 5b.   Recognition of  D'Ymond Turley, WSJH Student Athlete

Ms. Turley was recognized for her achievement of being 1^st in District and 3^rd in Regionals in Track/Field.

ITEM 5c.   2024 East St. John High Alumni Association Scholarship Recipients

Ms. Paula Henderson and Ms. Melanie Burl, from the East St. John High School Alumni Association announced the scholarship recipients.

ITEM 5d.   Recognition of:  Support Personnel

Gaynell James and Ashley Washington were recognized as Support Personnel for this year at East St. John High School.

ITEM 4.  SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

ITEM 4a.  District Updates

Dr. Perry presented the following updates: 

Attended the 2^nd Annual WSJH Crawfish Cook-Off

New Hires:  Shannon Smith-Magee, Interim Supervisor of Transportation; Courtney Jacobs, Principal of East St. John Prep.

SJBP Vacancies:  Band Director, WSJH; English Learner Coach, Districtwide; Program Administrator, SJAP; Truancy Officer, Districtwide; Bus Driver Pool; Speech Pathologist Pool; Early Childhood Teacher Pool; Leadership Pool; Food Service Technician Pool.

STEM Magnet Program Updates: Located at #1 Wildcat Drive, will be located in the first building to the left of the main building.  Program Administrator will be Dr. Tania Coleman.  There will be a STEM Parent Meet and Greet on June 26^th, from 5:00-6:30 and a STEM Welcome Night on July 30^th from 6:00-8:00.  What’s NOT Changing:  Stem is not going away; Most classes will be in the STEM/Freshman Academy building; Students will still be able to wear elite green/gray shirts with uniform bottoms; Dual Enrollment Opportunities and Higher-Level Classes for all students; ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.  Moving Forward:  Enforcing entrance criteria; all ESJH students will be able to take classes in the STEM building if they qualify (example DE, Chemistry, etc.); STEM students may be required to take a course or two in a class on the west wing of the main building, such as Spanish or Biology.  The location is a walk across the breezeway.

Academic Updates:  Met with STEM parents on June 13^th; Hired principal for ESJP; High School course booklet for parents will be completed in July with the date TBD; All principals will be attending the Relay Principal Training the week of June 24-28 in Houston, TX; Reviewing and finalizing high school master schedules for ESJH, WSJH and STEM.

Human Resources Updates:  Staffing as of June 13^th (STEM, LES, GMMS, LPE, ECW, ESJP and WSJH are 100% staffed; ESJH, WSJH and JLO are 98% staff and Central Office is 98% staffed); The HR department is excited to announce their pursuit of securing a grant aimed at providing students with workforce opportunities within the district.

Student Services Updates:  Entergy Louisiana has awarded $5,000 for both high schools for the Salute First Leadership Program; State Rep. Ken Brass would like to award $70,000 for both high schools to use toward leadership and character development initiatives.

Finance Updates:  Amended Comprehensive General and Special Revenue Budget Fiscal Year Ended June 30^th, 2024; :  Proposed Comprehensive General and Special Revenue Budget Fiscal Year Ending June 30^th, 2025; Presented to the Executive Leadership Team  cost savings recommendations.

Coming in July:  Principal Leadership Retreat; Community Forums (Superintendent’s vision, academics, accountability, transportation, STEM, safety).

ITEM 6.  PERSONNEL MATTERS.

ITEM 6a.  Public Comment.  Request approval of Revised Policy:  JBCC – Student Assignment

MOTION BY:  Frizzell

SECOND BY:   Triche

MOTION:  To approve Revised Policy:  JBCC – Student Assignment

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

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JBCC:  STUDENT ASSIGNMENT

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board shall have authority and responsibility for the assignment, placement, transfer, and continued education of all students attending schools within its jurisdiction. The School Board shall require a student to attend the appropriate school as determined by the residence (domicile) of the student or the parent, legal guardian, or provisional custodian, or if he/she is eighteen (18) years old or has been emancipated by a court order, by the student's own domicile. However,the School Board reserves the authority and responsibility to assign and/or transfer a student to any of the public schools within its jurisdiction, if circumstances warrant. The parent or legal guardian of a pupil may file in writing to the School Board an objection to the assignment of the pupil,in which case the School Board shall review the assignment and investigate the circumstances in order to render a decision.

The School Board, by statute, shall be required to assign a student to attend any public school requested by a parent or other legally responsible person when the requested school has space available and is of suitable grade level, and the child resides not more than one (1) mile from such school. Such assignment shall be made if not specifically contrary to the provisions of law, rule, regulation, or an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

Legal custody is defined as the legal status created by a court order which establishes in a custodian the right to have physical custody of the child or minor. Legal custody shall not include provisional custody. The school principal or designee shall be responsible for monitoring the school enrollment list and shall immediately terminate and/or transfer an unauthorized student.

Any child temporarily residing within the district who has no permanent address, or who has been abandoned by his/her parent, or who is in foster care, shall be enrolled and allowed to attend school in the zone appropriate to the special circumstance of the child. Surrogate parents may be appointed when appropriate for special needs students.

VERIFICATION OF RESIDENCE

The School Board shall require verification of residence of those students whose residence is suspected to be outside the attendance zone of the school the student is attending. When investigating the residence of a student,the School Board shall attempt to verify the primary place of residence of the legal parent or legal or provisional guardian. Such verification of residence shall be based on such items as the following:

1.     Voter registration card of parent or custodian, or

2.     Property tax statement of parent or custodian showing homestead exemption, or

3.     Certified copy of any judicially ordered tutorship, custody or guardianship of any minor child student not domiciled or in the custody of their natural and/or legal parents. Verification of the physical residency of the legal custodian, tutor/tutrix or nonparent shall also be required, or

4.     Any other documentation as may be stipulated by the School Board.

SPECIAL EDUCATION ASSIGNMENTS

The School Board shall require that special education students be assigned to programs within their attendance zones, if possible. However, if an appropriate program is unavailable within a student's attendance zone, the student may be placed in a school specifically designed to provide the appropriate learning style of the student.

CLASSROOM ASSIGNMENT

Generally, student assignments in K through 8 will be made by the principal of the school. However, in some cases schools may be structured so that students in higher grades may select classes and courses of study. The placement of a student shall be based on grades, achievement test scores, and participation in special programs.

High School

Selection of classes and courses of study in grades 9 through 12 shall be uniformly made by individual students. Assistance in planning course of study and selection of classes shall be provided by teachers, counselors, and administrators. Each student shall be furnished a schedule of classes offered and requirements for graduation. Some classes may have prerequisites for enrollment.

Multiple Siblings

In grades kindergarten through second grade, the parent of twins, triplets, etc. (more than one child at a single birth event) may request that their children be placed initially in the same, or separate, classrooms, if the children are in the same grade at the same school. Such a request shall be presented to the Superintendent or his/her designee no later than fourteen (14) days either after the first day of the school year or after the first day of attendance if the child enrolls after the fourteenth day of the school year. Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation, or School Board policy to the contrary,the request of the parent for initial placement shall be granted subject to further review.

As soon as possible after the end of the student’s first grading period, the Superintendent or his/her designee shall review the initial placement of the child. If the Superintendent or his/her designee, in consultation with the school principal, the child’s(ren’s) teacher(s), and the parent, determines that the initial placement of the children is disruptive to the school or is not in the best educational interests of the child(ren), the initial placement of the child shall be modified, and the child(ren) shall be placed in accordance with School Board policy otherwise applicable to the child(ren).

Teachers with Felony Convictions

At the request of a student’s parent or legal guardian, a student shall be removed from the class of any teacher who has a felony conviction and placed in another class.

Revised: December, 1992

Revised: December, 1993

Revised: September, 2008

Approved: October 15, 2009

Revised: December, 2009

Revised: December 2, 2010

Revised: March 17, 2016

Revised: December, 2018

Ref:      La. Rev. Stat.Ann. 9:951, 9:952,9:953, 9:954, 13:1569,17:15, 17:81, 17:104.1,

17:221.2, 17:221.4; Board minutes, 10-15-09, 12-2-10, 3-17-16.

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ITEM 6b.  Public Comment.  Mr. Alvarez Hertzock – Request approval of Revised Policy:  GAD – Professional Development Opportunities

Public Comment:  Yevette Scioneaux

MOTION BY:  Triche

SECOND BY:   DeFrancesch

MOTION:  To approve Revised Policy:  GAD – Professional Development Opportunities t

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

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GAD:  PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The St. John the Baptist School Board recognizes that a program of professional development and education is important for the constant professional growth and improvement of an employee.  Therefore, professional personnel shall be encouraged to keep up with new developments and take part in development opportunities in their academic fields and to cultivate an open mind and an experimental attitude toward current educational practices.

The School Board may annually develop a plan for in-service teacher educational programs in conformity with guidelines established by the Louisiana Department of Education. The School Board shall utilize the advice of the members of its teaching staff in developing the proposed plans. The educational training to be undertaken shall utilize the services of Louisiana Department of Education trained coordinators, who shall be designated by the school system from among its certified employees. The coordinators, once trained, shall be able to provide classroom teachers with information, techniques, and skills to properly respond to required modifications of the classroom environment, as well as respond to inquiries and requests for assistance from classroom teachers.

The School Board shall develop and continually monitor a plan to provide in-service training through the coordinators trained by the Louisiana Department of Education, to all classroom teachers in the system who desire to receive such training, as well as to make such coordinators available, on a more or less continuous basis, for consultation with classroom teachers who request assistance or information. In-service training programs shall address matters related to all aspects of education in accordance with guidelines established by the Louisiana Department of Education.

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Participation Requirements

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board offers an educational assistance program exclusively to teachers for the following purposes:

1.     Teachers who are not certified and are on an approved plan to meet state and federal requirements.

2.     Teachers who are seeking certification as future administrators.

This educational assistance program is dependent upon funding from various grants. Without these grants the School Board will have to make a special budget allocation for this expenditure.

Amounts of Benefits Provided

The amount of the benefit will be specified in the grant. It will be a fixed dollar amount per course and per semester but in no instance will the benefit exceed $5,250 per calendar year.

Type of Benefits Provided

The benefits provided under this educational assistance program shall consist solely of items covered by the grant including the following:

·                     Tuition, fees, books, supplies,equipment and testing.

The educational assistance program shall not provide for the following:

·                    Tools or supplies that the employee may retain after completing a course of instruction (other than textbooks); or

·                     Meals, lodging,or transportation

Revised: November, 1993

Revised: February, 2005

Revised: May, 2019

Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. 17:24.1, 17:85; Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin 741, Louisiana Department of Education; Board minutes, 12-2-04

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ITEM 6c.  Public Comment.  Mr. Alvarez Hertzock – Request approval of New Policy:  IDDFB – Service Animals in School

MOTION BY:  Triche

SECOND BY:   Frizzell

MOTION:  To approve New Policy:  IDDFB – Service Animals in School

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

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NEW POLICY                                                            IDDFB:  SERVICE ANIMALSIN SCHOOLS

The St. John the Baptist Parish School System acknowledges its responsibilities to permit students and/or other individual with disabilities to participate in and benefit from School Board services, programs and activities, and to promote the nondiscrimination of individuals on the basis of disability. Therefore the School Board shall permit the use of service animals by students and other individuals under appropriate circumstances.

A service animal is any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. The School Board shall permit the use of a miniature horse by an individual with a disability if the miniature horse has been trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of the individual with a disability. Other species of animals,whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, shall not be considered service animals.

A written request detailing the need for the use of a service animal and the services it performs shall be submitted to the Superintendent or his/her designee. The work or task performed by a service animal shall be directly related to the handler’s disability. Whenever possible, the request must be made no less than ten (10) days prior to the proposed use of the service animal prior to the proposed use of the service animal or prior to bringing the service animal to school or a school event. Additional documentation may be requested relating to the need for and appropriate use of a service animal. Determination of whether a service animal may be used at school depends on multiple factors and should be done on a case-by case basis after consultation with the School Board’s legal counsel.

Individuals with disabilities shall be permitted to be accompanied by a service animal in all areas of the School Board’s buildings and facilities where the public participates in services, programs or activities, or where invitees are permitted to go.

If any service animal is excluded by the School Board, the School Board shall give the individual with a disability the opportunity to participate in the service,program, or activity without having the service animal on the premises.

REGULATIONS

1.     Special Provisions/Miniature Horses: Requests to permit a miniature horse to accompany a student or adult with a disability in school buildings, in classrooms, or at school functions, shall be handled on a case-by-case basis.

2.     Removal of a Service Animal: A school administrator may ask an individual with a disability or his/her parents to remove a service animal from a school building, a classroom, or from a school function, if any one of the following circumstances   occurs:

a.     The animal is out of control and the animal's handler does not take effective action to control it.

b.     The animal is not housebroken.

c.     The animal's presence would "fundamentally alter" the nature of the service, program, or activity.

3.     A service animal shall be required to have a harness, leash,or other tether,unless either the handler is unable because of a disability to use a harness,leash, or other tether, or the use of a harness, leash, or other tether would interfere with the service animal's safe, effective performance of work, or tasks, in which case the service animal must be otherwise under the handler's control.

4.     Students with service animals shall be expected to care and supervise their animal. The School Board shall not be responsible for the care or supervision of any service animal. In the case of a young child or a student with disabilities who is unable to care for or supervise his/her service animal, the parent shall be responsible for providing care and supervision of the animal.  Issues related to the care and supervision of service animals shall be addressed on a case-by-case basis in the discretion of the building administrator.

5.     Owners of service animals shall be solely responsible for any harm, damage, or injury caused by the service animal to students, staff, visitors, and/or property. A signed agreement shall be required indemnifying the School Board and school district against injury to any person or property damage caused by the animal.

Other regulations and/or procedures shall be maintained by the Superintendent and staff.

New policy: July, 2019

Ref: 42 USC 1201 et seq. (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990); 28 CFR, Part 35 (Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services).

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ITEM 6d.  Public Comment.  Mr. Alvarez Hertzock – Request approval of Revised Policy:  DFD – Tax and Bonds Elections and Sales

MOTION BY:  Triche

SECOND BY:   Vicknair

MOTION:  To approve Revised Policy:  DFD – Tax and Bonds Elections and Sales

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

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DFD:  TAX AND BOND ELECTIONS AND SALES

TAX AND BOND ELECTIONS

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board shall call elections for the public to vote on tax or bond issues. Every bond, tax, or other election at which a proposition or question is to be submitted to the voters shall be held only on one of the dates set forth by state law or, upon proper application to and approval of the State Bond Commission and the Governor, on a date not otherwise provided by statute.  The proposition placed on the ballot submitted to the voters in any bond election shall state the kinds and sources of revenues which shall be pledged to retire the bonds, should the proposition be successful.

PUBLIC NOTICE OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

Public notice of the date, time, and place of any meeting at which the School Board intends to propose, increase,or renew any ad valorem property tax or sales and use tax, and authorize the calling of an election for submittal of such question to the voters shall be both published in the official journal of the School Board no more than sixty (60) days nor less than twenty(20) days before such public meeting and shall be announced to the public during the course of a public meeting no more than sixty (60) days nor less than twenty (20) days before such public meeting;and notice of such meeting shall be written and hand delivered or transmitted by email to each voting member of any governing authority of a political subdivision that is required to approve such a measure previously adopted by another governing authority and to each state senator and representative in whose district all or a portion of the political subdivision is located,no more than sixty (60) days nor less than twenty (20) days before such public meeting. Email delivery shall be made to the official email address of such voting members or legislators and to any other address provided in writing to the School Board by such a voting member or legislator.

If at a meeting held in accordance with above provisions, the School Board adopts such a measure,the provisions shall not apply to a subsequent meeting if the only action taken at the subsequent meeting is one which results in a change to the previously adopted measure that reduces the rate or term of the tax in the measure and thereby reduces the total amount of tax that would be collected under the measure, or substantially reduces the cost to the School Board of any bond or debt obligation to be incurred by the School Board.

If such a meeting is postponed or cancelled, notice of any subsequent meeting to consider such proposal shall be published in the School Board’s official journal no less than ten (10) days before the subsequent meeting.

If consideration of or action upon the tax proposal is postponed at the scheduled meeting, or if no action was taken regarding the tax proposal, then any subsequent meeting to consider the tax proposal shall be subject to the provisions of paragraph one of this section of policy.

NOTICE OF ELECTION

Whenever the School Board approves a resolution calling on the public to approve any tax or bonding revenue issue, the School Board is required to provide public notice. The notice shall be published once a week for four (4) consecutive weeks in the official journal of the School Board, or, if there is none, then in a newspaper of general circulation in the parish or, if there is no newspaper of general circulation in the parish,then in a newspaper of general circulation in an adjoining parish.  The notice to the public shall include substantially all matters contained in the resolution calling for the tax or bond election, as enumerated in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §18:1285.

CANVASS OF ELECTION

On the date and at the hour and place specified in the notice of election, the School Board, in public session, shall examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the elections. The result shall be promulgated by one publication in the official journal of the School Board, and shall include a statement of the actual cost of the election.

SALE OF BONDS

After an election authorizing the School Board issuance of bonds, the School Board may proceed to issue the bonds within the parameters approved by the electors. The School Board shall have the authority to adopt all procedures necessary for the authorization, sale, and delivery of bonds, including the right to enter into all contractual arrangements as may be necessary to effectuate the purpose for which the bonds are being issued under terms determined by the School Board.

Bonds issued may be sold at a public or private sale upon such terms, in the manner and by following such procedures as may be determined by the School Board. No bond issued shall be required to be registered with the secretary of state or any other office or official.

If bonds are to be advertised for sale on sealed bids, such advertisement shall be published at least once a week for three (3) weeks, the first publication to be made at least fifteen (15) days preceding the date fixed for the reception of bids. Advertisement shall be in the official journal of the governing authority at least fifteen (15) days before the date fixed for the reception of bids. Notice of sale shall also be published once a week for three (3) weeks preceding the date fixed for the reception of bids, either in a financial paper published in the city of New York or the city of Chicago,or in a newspaper of general circulation published in a city of the state of Louisiana having a population of not less than twenty thousand inhabitants, according to the last federal census.

New policy: September 22, 2011

Revised: October 17,2013

Revised: April 1, 2015

Revised: December, 2018

Revised: November, 2019

Ref:        Constitution of Louisiana, Art. VI, Sec. 30, Sec. 33; La. Rev. Stat. Ann. 18:1281, 18:1282, 18:1283, 18:1284, 18:1285,18:1286, 18:1293, 39:503,39:505, 39:521, 39:570, 39:1421, 39:1422, 39:1423,39:1424, 39:1424.1, 39:1425,39:1426, 39:1427, 39:1428,39:1429, 42:19.1, 43:141; Board minutes,9-22-11, 10-17-13, 4-1-15.

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ITEM 6e.  Public Comment.  Mr. Alvarez Hertzock – Request approval of Revised Policy:  GBRL - Holidays

MOTION BY:  Holden

SECOND BY:   Mamou

MOTION:  To approve Revised Policy:  GBRL - Holidays

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

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            GBRL:  HOLIDAYS

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board shall establish the holiday schedule for all personnel in addition to those included in the adoption of a school calendar. Whenever a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the School Board may declare that the holiday be observed on the preceding Friday or following Monday, respectively.

General election day shall be designated by each school system as a holiday every four

(4) years for the presidential election. The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years where the parish governing body has established a polling place at a public school shall also be designated as a holiday.

Revised: September, 2004

Approved: October 15, 2009

Revised: November, 2019

Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §1:55, 17:81; Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin741, Louisiana Departmentof Education; Board minutes, 10-15-09.

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ITEM 6f.  Public Comment.  Mr. Alvarez Hertzock – Introduction to Revised Policy:  II – Testing Program s

This item was for introduction only.

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II:  TESTING PROGRAM

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board shall take every precaution to assure that all tests administered within the school system shall be conducted in such a manner so as not to compromise in any way the testing results. For criterion-referenced, norm- referenced, alternate assessments and certain other tests administered by or through the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), testing materials and procedures, as well as any electronic data, computer media, or passwords related to student testing, shall be properly supervised in strict compliance with regulations outlined by BESE and the School Board. In addition, all secure tests, answer documents, student log-in information, and supplementary secure materials shall be stored under lock and key in designated areas when not in use.

Employees shall be responsible for reporting irregularities or improprieties in the administration of standardized tests. Although procedures for reporting irregularities to district personnel are listed below, employees may report such information directly to the Louisiana Department of Education (LDE), which shall investigate the allegations. No employee shall make a report of irregularities or improprieties in the administration of standardized tests knowing that the information included is false. No employee shall knowingly obstruct the procedures for receiving and investigating a report of irregularities or improprieties in the administration of standardized tests.

No public school administrator or member of a School Board shall retaliate against an employee who in good faith participates in an investigation of testing administration improprieties or irregularities. Retaliation shall include discharging, demoting, suspending, threatening, harassing, or discriminating of an employee who in good faith reports testing administration improprieties or irregularities.

DEFINITIONS

Access—access to secure test materials means physically handling the materials, not reading, reviewing, or analyzing test items or student responses, either before, during, or after testing, except where providing approved accommodations.

Secure Materials―test materials that contain test items or student responses and to which access is restricted. Secure test materials include:

1.     student test booklets;

2.     student answer documents;

3.     student log-in information; and

4.     any other materials that contain test items or student responses.

Testing Irregularity―any incident in test handling or administration that leads to a question regarding the security of the test or the accuracy of the test data.

CELLULAR TELEPHONES

All cell phones or other similar technological devices with imaging or text-messaging capabilities that are the property of students, test administrators, and school test coordinators must be placed in and remain in the off position while test booklets and answer documents secure test materials are in the vicinity. Except for devices required for approved accommodations or online assessments, if a student is in possession of and/or uses a cell phone or electronic device in any manner during the administration of a statewide test, the phone or electronic device will be confiscated until assurance can be evidenced that all traces of information, in print, image, or verbal form, have been removed from all local and cloud storage and that no such traces remain on the device.

If evidence exists on the cell phone or other electronic device that indicates the device was used during the test administration and/or test material was recorded and/or transmitted, the student’s score shall be voided.

Violation of the no cell phone or electronic device rule may result in discipline in accordance with School Board policy.

VIOLATIONS OF TEST SECURITY

Any changes made by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and incorporated into Bulletin 118, Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices, Chapter 53, Test Security, will be considered as part of this policy and will be implemented by the School Board.

It shall be a violation of test security for any person to do any of the following:

1.     Administer tests in a manner that is inconsistent with the administrative instructions provided by the Louisiana Department of Education LDE and the School Board that would give examinees an unfair advantage or disadvantage;

2.     Give examinees access to test questions prior to testing;

3.     Examine any test item at any time (except for students during the test or test administrators while providing the accommodations Tests Read Aloud or Communication Assistance, Transferred Answers, or Answers Recorded for students determined to be eligible for those accommodations);

4.     At any time, copy, reproduce, record, store electronically, discuss, or use in a manner inconsistent with test regulations all or part of any secure test item, test booklet, answer document, or supplementary secure materials;

5.     Coach examinees in any manner during testing or alter or interfere with examinees' responses in any manner;

6.     Provide answers to students in any manner during the test, including provision of cues, clues, hints, and/or actual answers in any form -- written, printed, verbal or nonverbal;

7.     Administer published parallel, previously administered, or current forms of any statewide assessment as a practice test or study guide; including all forms of the Iowa test.

8.     Fail to follow security regulations for distribution and return of secure test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, supplementary secure materials, as well as overages as directed; or fail to account for and secure test materials before, during, or after testing;

9.     Conduct testing in environments that differ from the usual classroom environment (excluding computer labs used for online testing) without prior written permission from the Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Assessments and Accountability LDE except for the purpose of providing accommodations;

10.  Fail to report any testing irregularities immediately to the District Test Coordinator, who must report such incidents to the Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Assessments and Accountability LDE;

11.  Participate in, direct, aid, counsel, assist in, encourage, or fail to report any of the acts prohibited in this section.

STATEMENT OF ASSURANCE

A copy of the School Board's test security policy and procedures for handling emergencies during online testing that are in compliance with the state’s test security policy and a Statement of Assurance regarding the School Board’s test security policy shall be submitted annually to the Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Assessments and Accountability. This statement shall include the name of the individual designated by the Superintendent to procure test materials.

PROCEDURES FOR TEST SECURITY

Test materials, including all test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, supplementary secure materials containing secure test questions, videotapes, and completed observation sheets, shall be kept secure and accounted for in accordance with procedures specified in the test administration manuals and other communications provided by the Louisiana Department of Education.

Procedures for the security of test materials shall include:

1.     The Superintendent shall designate annually designate one individual in the district as District Test Coordinator, and, if necessary, one individual as Backup District Test Coordinator, who shall be authorized to procure test materials which are utilized in testing programs administered by or through BESE or the Louisiana Department of Education. The name of the individuals so designated shall be provided in writing to the Division of Assessments and Accountability, Louisiana Department of Education LDE, and included on the statement of assurance.

2.     If during the academic year the person appointed as District Test Coordinator changes, the Superintendent shall notify the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability in writing within fifteen (15) days of the change of appointment.

3.     The former District Test Coordinator shall inform the new District Test Coordinator of the location of placement tests and other relevant testing materials.

4.     All persons involved in the administration of tests or that have access to test materials or student test data shall annually receive proper training and development for handling and securing all testing materials, as well as proper security maintenance, access to electronic data and confidentiality requirements. A record of such activities shall be maintained by the School Board. Such activities shall be coordinated and supervised by the District Test Coordinator. School testing coordinators shall in turn inservice all school level personnel having access to testing materials on security, administration, and confidentiality of individual or aggregated student test data.

5.     The District Test Coordinator shall provide for and assure the security of all test materials prior to distribution to the schools and upon return of test materials from the schools.

a.     All test materials, except district and school test coordinator manuals and test administration manuals, shall be kept in a designated, locked secure storage area prior to, during, and after administration of any test; all secure materials, including any parallel forms of a test, shall be kept in locked storage at both the district and school levels; secure materials must never be left in open areas or unattended; test administrators shall be given access to the tests and any supplementary secure materials only on the day the test is to be administered, and these are to be retrieved immediately after testing is completed for the day and stored in a designated locked, secure storage area each day of testing.

b.     All test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, and supplementary secure materials shall be accounted for and written documentation kept by test administrators and proctors for each point at which test materials are distributed and returned.

6.     The School Board also shall maintain procedures to code testing materials at no more than two (2) secure central locations and to house the testing materials at the central locations until no more than three (3) working days prior to test administration, to the extent practicable.

7.     Any discrepancies noted in the serial numbers of test booklets, answer documents, and any supplementary secure materials, or the quantity received from contractors shall be reported to the Division of Student Assessments and Accountability (LDE) by the District Test Coordinator prior to the administration of the test.

8.     In the event the test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, or supplementary secure materials are determined to be missing while in the possession of the school district or in the event of any other testing irregularities or breaches of security, the District Test Coordinator shall immediately notify by telephone the Division of Student Assessments and Accountability (LDE) and follow the detailed procedures for investigating and reporting specified in BESE's Test Security Policy.

9.     Only personnel trained in test security and administration shall be allowed to have access to or administer any statewide assessments.

10.  Individuals shall adhere to all procedures specified in all operational manuals that govern the mandated testing programs, as well as ensure the security of individual student test data in electronic formats, including encryption of student demographics in any email correspondence.

11.  All test administrators and proctors shall be required to sign the Oath of Security and return it to the School Test Coordinator to keep on file for three (3) years. The School Test Coordinator and principal shall be required to sign an Oath of Security and return it to the District Test Coordinator to be kept on file at the School Board office for three (3) years.

12.  A list of personnel authorized to have access to the locked, secure storage area where all test materials are stored shall be maintained by the School Board. School personnel authorized to have access to the locked secure storage area shall only include the School Test Coordinator, principal, or assistant principal of each school. Additionally, a list of all individuals who have access to student level test data shall be maintained.

13.  The School Board shall ensure that individual student test data in electronic and paper formats, are protected from unauthorized access and disclosure. The District Test Coordinator and other authorized users of state testing and reporting systems shall be responsible for ensuring the security of all passwords, any disks or CD's with downloaded individual student test data, and student-level data open on a computer screen. Any student information from these state testing and reporting systems shall not be disclosed to anyone other than a state, district, or school official, or parent/guardian as defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). All users who are granted a password to these systems shall abide by FERPA provisions.

a.     School level passwords for access to individual school data shall be provided to school principals by the District Test Coordinator as requested. Principals shall be responsible for distributing the password as needed to school personnel and to provide for security and confidentiality of the school level password.

b.     All school users shall be required to sign a confidentiality agreement guaranteeing they will not share any password with unauthorized individuals and maintain the confidentiality of student data. A copy of the confidentiality agreement shall be sent to the District Test Coordinator for safekeeping, or for school users, maintained by the principal of each school. Signed confidentiality agreements shall be valid until the District Test Coordinator receives notification that the confidentiality agreement available online has been revised. A new confidentiality agreement shall be signed by all users each year after the new password letter for schools and districts has been automatically generated in August of each year. If a breach in security occurs, principals shall immediately contact the District Test Coordinator or his/her backup for a replacement password. Users who have access to these systems and leave their positions at a district or school site shall not use or share any passwords. District Test Coordinators shall send their signed confidentiality agreements to the Louisiana Department of Education LDE.

14.  Any testing irregularities, including anonymous complaints, access to electronic data, missing test materials, or instances of plagiarism or excessive wrong-to- right erasures on a test, or breaches in test security, including access to electronic data, shall be reported in writing to the District Test Coordinator, who will conduct an investigation and report the findings to the Superintendent.

15.  The District Test Coordinator shall initiate the investigation of all reports of testing irregularities, including anonymous complaints, in accordance with procedures outlined by the Louisiana Department of Education LDE in Bulletin 118, Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices, and/or the School Board. The District Test Coordinator may elicit the assistance of school district administrative personnel as well as other persons deemed appropriate to assist in any investigation. Once the investigation has been completed, a report of the results of the investigation shall be submitted to the Division of Assessments and Accountability, Louisiana Department of Education, LDE and the Superintendent.

Investigation Process

Procedures for investigating any testing irregularity (including cheating), and any employees accused of improprieties shall follow the procedures outlined in Bulletin 118, Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices, but shall include the following:

A.    In instances where any testing irregularities may have occurred, an initial written report of the alleged irregularity shall be prepared by the site administrator where the instance occurred. Said documentation shall then be forwarded to the building principal, school test coordinator, the District Test Coordinator, and the Superintendent.

B.    The District Test Coordinator shall review the allegation of test security violation and conduct an investigation of any such allegations, documenting all investigative activities. The formal investigation will include, but not be limited to:

1.     The location of the designated, locked, secure area for storage of materials shall be examined, and the individuals with access to secure materials shall be identified;

2.     Interviews regarding testing administration and security procedures shall be conducted with the principal, school test coordinator(s), test administrator(s), and proctor(s) at the identified schools. All individuals who had access to the test materials at any time shall be interviewed, when necessary;

3.     Interviews shall be conducted with students in the identified classes regarding testing procedures, layout of the classroom, access to test materials before the test, and access to unauthorized materials during testing;

4.     Compilation of any documents to support or to refute allegations made. All individuals who had access to the test materials at any time must be interviewed.

A written summary of the findings of the investigation shall be provided the Superintendent.

C.    If the investigation conducted provides evidence to indicate that a breach of test security did indeed occur, individuals involved in such security breach shall be identified, and depending upon the nature of the violation, appropriate corrective and/or punitive action may be pursued.

1.     Students found to have purposefully violated test security shall have test results voided and will be referred to the site administrator for appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with provisions of the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board Policy Manual.

2.     Any teachers or other school personnel found to have purposefully violated test security shall be charged with violation of state and/or School Board policy and disciplinary action shall be pursued in accordance with the provisions of state statutes, with direction from the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board.

D.    After completion of the investigation, the School Board shall provide a report of the investigation and a written plan of action to the State Superintendent within thirty (30) calendar days of the initiation of the investigation. At a minimum, the report shall include the nature of the situation, the time and place of occurrence, and the names of the persons involved in or witness to the occurrence.

E.    In accordance with provisions of BESE's Test Security Policy, it is understood that the Louisiana Department of Education may conduct its own investigation into allegations of test security violations. In such instances, the District Test Coordinator and Superintendent shall aid and assist state department officials in the conduction of their investigation and provide documentation of information obtained in local investigative efforts.

TEST ENVIRONMENT

Testing shall be conducted in class-sized groups. Bulletin 741, Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, (§913A) states that K-3 classroom enrollment should be no more than 26 students, and in grades 4-12, no more than 33, except in certain activity types of classes in which the teaching approach and the material and equipment are appropriate for large groups. For grades K-8, the maximum class size for health and physical education classes may be no more than 40. Class size for exceptional students is generally smaller [Bulletin 741, Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators (§915)]. Permission for testing in environments that differ from the usual classroom environment (excluding computer labs used for online testing) must shall be obtained in writing from the Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Assessments and Accountability LDE at least thirty (30) days prior to testing. If testing outside the usual classroom setting is approved by the LDE Division of Assessments and Accountability, the School Board shall provide at least one proctor for every thirty (30) students.

To the extent practicable, the School Board shall maintain administrative procedures to assign a different test administrator for a class than the teacher of record for the class, except for teachers testing students with accommodations and younger students, grades 3 through 8.

The School Board shall also maintain administrative procedures for the monitoring of test sites to ensure appropriate test security procedures are being followed and to observe test administration procedures.

EMERGENCIES DURING TESTING

For emergencies that require evacuation of the classroom during administration of statewide assessments, test administrators shall follow the procedures outlined in Bulletin 118, Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices. If test security has been compromised, the District Test Coordinator shall notify the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as soon as possible.

The School Board, through the Superintendent and staff, shall develop an emergency plan and procedures that include steps to be followed in the event of an emergency that results in disruption of online testing. If online testing is disrupted by emergencies, lost internet connections, lost power, or computer crashes and students are unable to continue testing on the same day, the school test coordinator should document what occurred as a testing irregularity and notify the District Test Coordinator. If the student will be unable to return to testing by the end of the day after the disruption, the District Test Coordinator must immediately notify the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability.

CONDITIONS AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS

The State Superintendent of Education may disallow test results which may have been achieved in a manner which is violative in violation of test security. In addition:

1.       In cases where test results are not accepted because of breach of test security or action by the Louisiana Department of Education, any programmatic, evaluative, or graduation criteria dependent upon the data shall be deemed not to have been met.

2.       Anyone known to be involved in the presentation of forged, counterfeit, or altered identification for the purposes of obtaining admission to a test administration site for any test administered by or through the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or the Louisiana Department of Education shall have breached test security. Any individual(s) or student who knowingly causes or allows the presentation of forged, counterfeit, or altered identification for the purpose of obtaining admission to any test administration site shall forfeit all test scores and will be allowed to retake the test at the next test administration.

3.       Test scores may be voided at the school level in cases of cheating or other violations of test security. When either cheating or the violation of test security is suspected, a committee to include at least the principal, school test coordinator, and test administrator shall be convened to determine whether or not a score should be voided. A written report documenting and describing the incident(s) shall be completed. In the event the decision is made to void scores because of cheating, the student and parents shall be notified and offered an opportunity for a hearing to be conducted by the principal with the test administrator and school test coordinator also present. The principal shall make the final decision regarding voiding of test scores or breach of ethics. If the decision is made to void test scores, the school test coordinator must submit a letter on school letterhead with the principal's and school test coordinator's signatures to the District Test Coordinator. Attached to the letter should be the written record of the breach of security or cheating, dates and times of all meetings/hearings relating to the incidents with signatures of all present at these meetings/hearings, and documentation of phone calls to parents. Any witnesses to cheating or breach of security should complete a written statement describing the incident and sign and date the statement. These should be submitted with the written report.

4.       Any teacher or other personnel who breaches test security or allows breaches in test security shall be disciplined in accordance with the provisions of School Board policy and regulations adopted by the BESE and any applicable state laws. Any violation of test security or breach of ethics on the part of an employee of the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board before, during, or after testing (including erasure analysis and/or other evidence that results in the voiding of test scores) shall be investigated by the District Test Coordinator.  If the violation occurred at the school level, the building principal shall participate in the investigation. In the event sufficient evidence exists to support a violation in test security or breach of ethics, a written report shall be submitted to the Superintendent. A hearing shall be conducted by the Superintendent with the employee(s) under investigation, the District Test Coordinator, the building principal, and the Director of Personnel present. If the Superintendent determines that a violation of test security or breach of ethics has occurred, appropriate recommendations for disciplinary action shall be made and action taken in accordance with School Board policy.

5.       In the event that an employee has participated in activities to provide answers or otherwise alter test scores, the recommendation will be dismissal. All evidence of violations of test security and breach of ethics reported to the Superintendent by the Louisiana Department of Education shall require a written report from those suspected of violations, the building principal, and the school test coordinator regardless of whether or not the claims are substantiated.

6.       Anonymous complaints received by either the Superintendent or the District Test Coordinator regarding violations of test security or breach of ethics shall be investigated by the District Test Coordinator  .If evidence exists to support the complaint(s), appropriate action as described above shall be initiated.

7.     If the School Board wishes to contest any LDE void determination resulting from LDE data forensic findings or other LDE investigations, the Superintendent shall submit an appeal request in writing to the LDE in accordance with Bulletin 118, Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices.

Revised: June, 2001                                                       Revised: November,2010

Revised: November, 2001                                               Revised: February2, 2012

Revised: May, 2003                                                        Revised: December10, 2015

Revised: April, 2006                                                       Revised: February,2020

Revised: April,2008

Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. 17:24, 17:81, 17:81.6, 49:953; Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices, Bulletin 118, Louisiana Department of Education; Board minutes, 5-3-01, 6-5-08, 2-2-12, 12-10-15.

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ITEM 6g.  Public Comment.  Mr. Alvarez Hertzock – Introduction to New Policy:  EFD – Business Continuity and Technology Disaster Recovery

This item was for introduction only.

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EFD:  BUSINESS CONTINUITY AND TECHNOLOGY DISASTER RECOVERY

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board recognizes the importance of maintaining and protecting computer hardware and software, including necessary equipment and supplies to maintain computer operations in the event of a disaster. The School Board shall authorize the Superintendent and/or his/her designee to maintain appropriate regulations and procedures for the proper usage of School Board owned or leased computer equipment and the protection of electronic media,applications, and stored user data.

Such regulations and procedures shall assure that:

1.     All electronic devices (computers, servers, mobile devices, printers, appliances, etc.) receive available system and software patches, firmware and other updates in a timely manner.

2.     All electronic devices (computers, servers, mobile devices, tablets, etc.) should have licensed anti-virus software and be automatically updated daily by the software vendor where applicable.

3.     Data critical to daily operations is identified and documented.

4.     Backup frequency objectives are clearly defined and procedures are in place to verify the backups are occurring.

5.     Backups may be stored locally but should also reside in a separate physical location isolated from the local network where backups are occurring (offsite and/or cloud, etc.).

6.     Periodic testing and verification should be performed to ensure that backups can be restored within the recovery time objective (RTO) as defined by the School Board.

7.     A Business Continuity and Technology Disaster Recovery Plan shall be created that clearly establishes actions to be taken before,during, and after an occurrence, undesirable event,or disaster. The Plan shall be developed, defined, and tested at regular intervals in order to restore critical functions and reestablish normal operations within the RTO (Recovery Time Objective) established by the School Board.

PATCH MANAGEMENT

The security of computer systems is critical to the continued operations of the School Board.A consistent and comprehensive patch management procedure will substantially reduce risks such as viruses, malware, ransomware, and various cyber-crimes that target un-patched systems. Patch management shall be handled in accordance with the standard procedures outlined in the Business Continuity and Technology Disaster Recovery Plan. Exceptions to the standard procedure may be permitted when justified. Any exceptions must be fully documented. The standard procedure for patch management shall include the following:

·         Identification of the systems and devices to be patched and updated and are documented and regularly reviewed/verified. Devices to be patched shall include computers, servers, mobile devices,tablets, printers, appliances and other devices as established by the Technology Department.

·         Software and procedures to identify and apply patches, security updates, drivers and firmware are documented and regularly reviewed/verified.

·         Patch management frequency is clearly documented and procedures and/or reporting shall verify that updates are occurring at the established intervals.

ANTI-VIRUS

A comprehensive anti-virus deployment substantially reduces risks such as viruses, malware, ransomware, and various cyber-crimes that target systems without protection. Anti-virus deployment shall be handled in accordance with the standard procedures outlined in the Business Continuity and Technology Disaster Recovery Plan. Exceptions to the standard procedures may be permitted when justified. Any exceptions shall be fully documented. The standard procedure for anti-virus deployment shall include the following:

·         Identification of the systems and devices that are capable of running anti-virus software shall be documented and regularly reviewed/verified.

·         Systems capable of running anti-virus software shall include computers, servers, mobile devices and tablets, and other devices as established by the Technology Department.

·         The Technology Department shall be responsible to identify and adopt an anti- virus platform that is consistent with secure industry standards. Under no circumstances shall freeware Anti-virus products be used on School Board systems.

·         Software and procedures to install anti-virus software, verify system health and automatically apply updates are documented and regularly reviewed/verified.

·        The Technology Deportment shall be responsible for regularly performing network scans to identify unprotected systems and adding those systems into the anti-virus deployment.

BACKUP - IDENTIFICATION OF DATA

Important and/or critical data as defined by the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board in the Business Continuity and Technology Disaster Recovery Plan includes the following file types:

●     Word processor, spread sheet, and presentation files used in educational or administrative applications necessary to perform job description duties for the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board

●     Database files used for educational or administrative purposes

●     Browser bookmark or favorites; e-mail lists

Picture/movie files such as (.bmp, .jpeg, .jpg, .tiff, .mpeg, .wav, .mp3, etc.) shall not be backed up unless special circumstances arise. Permission shall be directed to the Technology Department to request backup of these file types.

BACKUP – FREQUENCY AND STORAGE

Backup of all important and/or critical computer data shall be handled in accordance with the standard procedures outlined by the Technology Department. Exceptions to the standard procedures may be permitted when justified. Any exceptions must be fully documented. The standard procedure for systems backup shall be as follows:

·         All student records in the student information system, including special education records, shall be backed up nightly to offsite storage.

·        Accounting (Payroll,General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Purchasing, etc.) records shall be backed up daily to on-site,off-site, and disaster recovery off-site backups. In addition, incremental backups shall be done automatically throughout the day to disaster recovery off-site backups.

·         Any educational application (all email,drive storage, calendars, and contacts shall be backed up by a third-party company to cloud storage).

·         Student, teacher,and administration files are the responsibility of the individual to back up:

o   The School Board recommends backing up to the individual’s Google Drive or similar application as approved by the Technology Department. This location should be backed up continuously throughout the day.

o   All servers not managed by a third party shall be backed up daily to the central office backup server Monday through Friday. Servers shall then be backed up on weekends to offsite and archival cloud storage.

BACKUP – VERIFICATION AND TEST RESTORES

The Technology Department shall be responsible for establishing procedures to verify backups and perform test restores on files and systems. The standard procedure for verification and testing shall include:

·         Backup verification and test restore objectives shall be clearly defined and procedures are in place to confirm the verifications and test restores are occurring.

·         Backup verification shall include regularly reviewing backup selection sets, and confirming that selection sets are complete and correct.

·         Backup verification shall also include procedures or reporting to verify that backups are occurring at the established intervals.

·        Periodic test restores shall be performed on files and folders and systems where possible in an appropriate test environment (example: sandbox). The interval for test restores shall be clearly defined and procedures are in place to verify the test restores are occurring.

BACKUP – RESTORATION OF FILES

Active files that are accidentally damaged or deleted can normally be restored from backup within one working day provided the Technology Department is notified in a timely manner. Files can only be restored to the state they were in at the time the most recent relevant backup was taken.

Accounting systems can be activated under the Business Continuity and Technology Disaster Recovery Plan established with the software vendor in a timeline established by the software vendor.

BUSINESS CONTINUITY AND TECHNOLOGY DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN

In the event of an occurrence, undesirable event or disaster (“event”), the restoration of computing services is critical to the continued operations of the School Board. A Business Continuity and Technology Disaster Recovery Plan shall be created that clearly establishes actions in preparation of an event,procedures to follow during an event, and the review and recommendations that should occur after the event.  Business Continuity and Technology Disaster Recovery shall be handled in accordance with the standard procedures outlined by the Technology Department. Exceptions to the standard procedures may be permitted when justified. Any exceptions must be fully documented and approved by the School Board. The standard procedures for Business Continuity and Technology Disaster Recovery shall include:

·         Business Impact Analysis (BIA) shall be performed to differentiate critical (urgent) and non-critical (non-urgent) organization functions/activities. A function may be considered critical if dictated by law. For each function, two (2) values shall be assigned: RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and RTO (Recovery Time Objective). A Recovery Point Objective (RPO) shall be assigned to all functions that identifies the acceptable latency of data that will not be recovered (usually based on backup frequency).

·        A Recovery Time Objective (RTO) shall be assigned to all functions that identifies the acceptable amount of time to restore the function.

·         The Technology Department shall use the results of the BIA to determine which systems and processes are most critical, and what order those systems and processes should be restored. The identification of critical systems and the order of  restoration  shall  be  documented  and  reviewed  at  regular  intervals.

·         The Plan shall identify personnel and vendors that will oversee disaster planning, testing and critical recovery efforts during an Event, with a clear delineation of responsibilities.

·         The Plan shall identify a list of employees, vendors, students, agencies, etc. that should be notified at the onset of an Event.  The list shall include current contact information including phone and email addresses. A notification procedure should be established and contact information should be verified at regular intervals.

·        The Technology Department shall be responsible for establishing an environment for testing the Plan (example:sandbox), and testing should be performed annually at a minimum. The Plan shall be updated as necessary to achieve the RPO and RTO objectives, or other objectives as identified by the Technology Department or School Board.

·         If an event occurs, the Technology Department shall be responsible to perform a review and analysis (Post Mortem) of the event, and make recommendations to the School Board to prevent such Event in the future. The Plan shall be updated as necessary to achieve the RPO and RTO objectives, or other objectives as identified by the Technology Department or School Board.

·         The Business Continuity and Technology Disaster Recovery Plan, and the results/findings from the latest recovery testing shall be presented to the School Board annually for review and approval.

CYBERSECURITY TRAINING

The School Board shall identify employees or School Board members who have access to the School Board's information technology assets and require those employees and School Board members to complete cybersecurity training. Each School Board member or employee with access to the School Board’s information technology assets shall complete this training within the first thirty(30) days of initial service or employment with the agency.

The Superintendent shall verify and report to the Department of State Civil Service on the completion of cyber security training by employees. The Superintendent shall periodically require an internal review to ensure compliance.

The School Board shall require any contractor who has access to School Board information technology assets to complete cybersecurity training during the term of the contract and during any renewal period.

Completion of cybersecurity shall be included in the terms of a contract awarded by a state or local government agency to a contractor who has access to its information technology assets.

The person who oversees contract management for the School Board shall report each such contractor's completion to the Superintendent and periodically review agency contracts to ensure compliance. The Superintendent shall verify and report to the Department of State Civil Service on the completion of cybersecurity training by each such contractor.

New policy:August, 2020

Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81,42:1267.

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ITEM 6h.  Public Comment.  Mr. Alvarez Hertzock – Introduction to Revised Policy:  JBH – Attendance Reports for Student Drive

This item was for introduction only.

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JBH:  ATTENDANCE REPORTS FOR STUDENT DRIVERS

In accordance with state law, students are obligated to attend school regularly, and be in attendance a minimum number of days during the school year. In order for a minor to obtain or renew a driver’s license or learner’s permit for the operation of a motor vehicle, the minor shall present evidence to the Office of Motor Vehicles that the minor is enrolled and is attending school or a recognized program or has completed the required minimum units of credit for graduation. Such documentation shall be verified by the principal on forms provided by the Louisiana Department of Education, and said documentation shall be valid for ninety (90) days from the date of issuance. Upon request of any minor who is enrolled and attending a school and who is eligible to apply for a driver’s license, the Superintendent, principal, or appropriate designee shall provide to him/her documentation of his/her meeting the required attendance requirements.

A student who does not meet the required minimum school attendance provisions may be subject to denial or suspension of his/her driver’s license or learner’s permit. It is the policy of the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board to provide written notification of a minor student who has been determined by the principal to be a dropout or habitually absent or tardy to the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles for denial or suspension of driving privileges.

In addition, a minor student’s driver’s license or permit may also be suspended when written notification is received by the Office of Motor Vehicles from the principal that the minor student has been expelled or suspended from school or assigned to an alternative educational setting for ten (10) or more consecutive school days. Such disciplinary action shall be limited to expulsions, suspensions, or alternative educational assignments for infractions involving the sale or possession of drugs, alcohol, or any other illegal substance, the possession of a firearm, or an infraction involving assault or battery of a member of the school faculty or staff.

The School Board, through the principal, shall provide written notification to any minor whom the principal has determined to be a dropout or habitually absent or tardy and his/her parent or guardian that the principal intends to subject the minor to driver’s license denial or suspension. The written notification shall advise the minor of his/her right to seek a hearing of the School Board of such determination or to make a request of the School Board to obtain a hardship waiver within fifteen (15) days of the mailing of the notification. The principal shall send a copy of the notification to the School Board.

If the School Board is notified of a request for a hearing or a request for a hardship license within fifteen (15) days after the date of mailing the written notification, the School Board shall hold a hearing to make a determination upon such request. If no such request is received by the School Board,or if the School Board determines after a hearing that such student is a dropout or is habitually absent or tardy and is not entitled to a hardship waiver, then the School Board shall provide written notification to the Office of Motor Vehicles that the minor’s license should be suspended or denied.

HARDSHIP WAIVER

The School Board may waive the attendance requirements for any minor for whom a personal, family, or economic hardship requires the minor to have a driver’s license for his/her own, or his/her family’s employment or medical care as provided in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:226.The minor or his/her parent or legal guardian may present other evidence that indicates compliance with attendance requirements outlined in state law at the waiver hearing.

The School Board shall notify the Office of Motor Vehicles of the outcome of the minor’s hardship waiver hearing within twenty-four (24) hours after conducting the hearing.

DEFINITIONS

Dropout, for purposes of this policy,means a person fifteen (15) years of age or older but less than eighteen (18) years old, who was enrolled in a school and withdrew or who was enrolled at the end of the previous school year and is not enrolled on October first of the following school year or who has more than ten (10) consecutive days of unexcused absences from school or fifteen (15) days total unexcused absences during a single semester.

Dropout does not mean a person who:

1.     is temporarily absent due to illness, suspension, or expulsion;

2.     is attending or has graduated or completed another educational program approved by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education;

3.     transferred to a nonpublic school, a correctional institution, or an approved home school program or moved out of state.

Habitually absent or tardy is when either condition continues to exist after all reasonable efforts by a principal or other appropriate authority have failed to correct the condition after the fifth (5th) unexcused absence or fifth (5th) unexcused occurrence of being tardy within any month or if a pattern of five (5) absences a month is established or as otherwise provided in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:233.

Minor means an unemancipated child who is at least fifteen (15) years of age but less than eighteen (18) years of age.

New policy:December 2, 2010

Revised: June 18, 2015

Revised: August,2020

Ref:        La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81,17:221, 17:226, 17:233,17:416, 32:414, 32:431,

32:431.1; Board minutes, 12-2-10,6-18-15.

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ITEM 6i.  Public Comment.  Mr. Alvarez Hertzock – Introduction to Revised Policy:  GBQ - Retirement

This item was for introduction only.

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GBQ:  RETIREMENT

It shall be the policy of the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board to require written notice of retirement of all employees who wish to retire. Such retirement shall become effective at the end of the fiscal year or as may be approved by the Board. The Superintendent shall accept any notice of retirement on behalf of the School Board and such retirement shall be considered effective for the end of the fiscal year or as may be approved by the Superintendent. Once received by the Superintendent or designee, the decision to retire may not be rescinded.

All employees shall be required, as a condition of employment, to become members of the retirement system for which they are eligible. Employees shall also be required to officially inform the School Board in writing of their plans to retire.

No individual shall be discharged or forced to retire because of age.

Revised: March,2021

Ref:      La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§11:133, 11:203,11:204, 11:701 11:761,11:778, 11:1002,  11:1141, 17:81, 17:425, 17:160, 17:425, 17:571 et seq., 17:591,17:882, 17:891, 17:1231, 42:691.

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ITEM 6j.  Public Comment.  Mr. Alvarez Hertzock – Introduction to Revised Policy:  JCDAB – Dangerous Weapons

This item was for introduction only.

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JCDAB:  DANGEROUS WEAPONS

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board shall authorize the principal of each school to automatically suspend, and recommend expulsion for, any student found in possession of a dangerous weapon on the school grounds, on school buses and/or at any school- sponsored event,at any time, during or after regular school hours, with limited exception. A dangerous weapon means any gas, liquid, or other substance or instrumentality, which in the manner used, is likely to produce death or great bodily harm. When the student is found in possession of a weapon, the Superintendent shall be immediately notified and the principal shall take appropriate disciplinary action. (moved below)

If a student is detained for carrying, or the principal or designee confiscates or seizes a firearm or concealed dangerous weapon from a student while on school property, on a school bus, or at a school function, the principal or school official shall immediately report the detention of the student or seizure of the firearm or weapon to the police department or sheriff's office where the school is located and shall deliver any firearm or weapon seized to that agency.

Failure to report the detention of the student or seizure of a firearm or concealed weapon by a principal or school official to a law enforcement agency within seventy-two (72) hours may result in a misdemeanor offense with a fine of up to $500 or a sentence of up to 40 hours of community service, or both.

If a student is detained for carrying a concealed weapon on campus, the principal shall immediately notify the student's parents.

A Dangerous weapon means any gas, liquid, or other substance or instrumentality, which in the manner used, is likely to produce death or great bodily harm.  When the student is found in possession of a weapon, the Superintendent shall be immediately notified and the principal shall take appropriate disciplinary action. (moved from above)

Firearm means any pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, submachine gun, blackpowder weapon, or assault rifle that is designed to fire or is capable of firing fixed cartridge ammunition or from which a shot or projectile is discharged by an explosive.

It is unlawful for a student or nonstudent to intentionally possess a firearm or dangerous weapon on school property at a school sponsored function or within 1000 feet of school property or while on a school bus at any time. The area surrounding the school campus or within 1000 feet of any such school campus, or within a school bus shall be designated firearm-free zones. The School Board, in cooperation with local governmental agencies, and the Louisiana Department of Education, shall designate and mark firearm free zones which surround all schools and school property.

Revised: November,1989

Revised: December,1992

Revised: November,1993

Revised: October,1994

Recoded: June, 2003

Revised: July, 2021

Ref:        La. Rev. Stat.Ann. 14:2, 14:95,14:95.2, 14:95.6, 17:416,17:416.3.

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ITEM 6k.  Public Comment.  Dr. Kimberly Johnson – Personnel Recommendation:  Contract non-renewal of an administrator (Employee #7811)

MOTION BY:  Schum

SECOND BY:   Vicknair

MOTION:  To uphold the Superintendent’s recommendation of contract non-renewal of an administrator (Employee #7811)

Roll Call:

9 Yeas – Burl, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Abstention - Holden

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

ITEM 7.  BUSINESS & FINANCE. 

ITEM 7a.  Public Comment.  Mrs. Dominique Miller – Request approval of the 2023-2024 Revised Budget

In the absence of the Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Brian Coogan, Accounting Supervisor, presented this item.

MOTION BY:  Triche

SECOND BY:   Schum

MOTION:  To approve the 2023-2024 Revised Budget

Roll Call:

9 Yeas – Holden, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Nay – Burl

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

The detailed budget can be viewed on the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board Website.

ITEM 7b.  Public Comment Mrs. Dominique Miller – Request approval of the 2024-2025 Proposed Budget

In the absence of the Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Brian Coogan, Accounting Supervisor, presented this item.

MOTION BY:  Triche

SECOND BY:   Schum

MOTION:  To approve the 2024-2025 Proposed Budget

Roll Call:

9 Yeas – Holden, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Nay – Burl

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

The detailed budget can be viewed on the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board Website.

ITEM 7c.  Public Comment.  Mrs. Dominique Miller – Request approval of the 2024-2025 Salary Schedule

In the absence of the Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Brian Coogan, Accounting Supervisor, presented this item.

MOTION BY:  DeFrancesch

SECOND BY:   Vicknair

MOTION:  To approve the 2024-2025 Salary Schedule as presented.

Roll Call:

8 Yeas – Holden, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Nay – Burl

1 Abstention - Mamou

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

The Salary Schedule, in its entirety, can be viewed on the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board Website.

ITEM 8.  OLD BUSINESS

ITEM 9. NEW BUSINESS

ITEM 9a.  Public Comment.  Mr. Anthony Miller – Request Board approval to award a contract to Waste Pro for waste disposal services

MOTION BY:  Triche

SECOND BY:   DeFrancesch

MOTION:  To award a contract to Waste Pro for waste disposal services

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

ITEM 9b.  Public Comment.  Mr. Anthony Miller – Request Board approval to issue a maintenance contract to Partin Roofing

MOTION BY:  Triche

SECOND BY:   Vicknair

MOTION:  To approve awarding a roofing maintenance contract to Partin Roofing

Roll Call:

9 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Triche, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Nay – Morris

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

ITEM 9c.  Public Comment.  Mr. Anthony Miller – Request Board approval of the Summer Project List work to be performed by maintenance and contractors

MOTION BY:  Morris

SECOND BY:   Schum

MOTION:  To approve the Summer Project List work to be performed by maintenance and contractors with a budget not to exceed $300,000

Roll Call:

9 Yeas – Holden, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Nay – Burl

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

ITEM 9d.  Public Comment.  Mr. Anthony Miller – Request Board approval to award a capital bond project contract for Emily C. Watkins Gymnasium and Security Upgrades to the lowest responsible bidder (Brunt Construction, Inc.)

MOTION BY:  DeFrancesch

SECOND BY:   Triche

MOTION:  To award the capital bond project contract for Emily C. Watkins Gymnasium and Security Upgrades to the lowest responsible bidder (Brunt Construction, Inc.)

Roll Call:

9 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

2 Absent – Holden, Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

ITEM 9e.  Public Comment.  Mr. Anthony Miller – Request Board approval to issue a contract to Ritter Consulting Engineers to handle a 3-year asbestos services for all district school sites

MOTION BY:  Triche

SECOND BY:   Morris

MOTION:  To issue a contract to Ritter Consulting Engineers to handle a 3-year asbestos services for all district school sites

Roll Call:

8 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Triche, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

3 Absent – Morris, DeFrancesch, Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

ITEM 9f.  Public Comment.  Mr. Anthony Miller – Request Board approval to award a substitute and management service contract to a qualified responsive proposer

MOTION BY:  Triche

SECOND BY:   Vicknair

MOTION:  To approve an extension of the contract with Kelly Services for 1 year with the necessary amended terms.

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

ITEM 9g.  Public Comment.  Atty. Robert Hammonds  – Strategy session and/or action concerning pending litigation entitled Kathy Duhon, et al. v. St. John the Baptist Parish School Board, Civil Action No. 90-1669 on the docket of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.  There may be an executive session pursuant to La.R.S. 42:17(A)(2) to discuss strategy in this litigation.

MOTION BY:  Morris

SECOND BY:   Holden

MOTION:  To convene in Executive Session to discuss pending litigation entitled Kathy Duhon, et al. v. St. John the Baptist Parish School Board, Civil Action No. 90-1669 on the docket of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. 

Roll Call:

10 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Triche, Morris, DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

1 Absent – Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

The Board convened in Executive Session at 8:18 p.m.

MOTION BY:  Morris

SECOND BY:   Holden

MOTION:  To reconvene in Regular Session. 

Roll Call:

6 Yeas –DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

5 Absent – Holden, Burl, Triche, Morris, Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

The Board reconvened in Regular Session at 9:20 p.m.

ITEM 10.  ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

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:    DeFrancesch

SECOND BY:   Mamou

MOTION:           Motion for adjournment.

Roll Call:

6 Yeas –DeFrancesch, Frizzell, Mamou, Schum, Vicknair, Wallace

5 Absent – Holden, Burl, Triche, Morris, Mitchell-Williams

The motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 9:21 p.m.

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Dr. Cleo Perry, Secretary                                                           Shawn Wallace, President