PROCEEDINGS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE PARISH OF CONCORDIA, STATE OF LOUISIANA, TAKEN AT A REGULAR MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2023
The School Board of the Parish of Concordia, State of Louisiana, met in Regular Session at the Vidalia City Hall meeting room in Vidalia, Louisiana, on Thursday, July 13, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting was called to order by Board Vice-President, Mrs. Lisette Forman. Mrs. Forman, after prayer and the Pledge, declared that the Board was ready for the transaction of business.
Board members present were Mr. Wayne Wilson, Mrs. Dorothy Parker, Mr. Fred Marsalis, Sr., Mr. Derrick Carson, Mrs. Lisette Forman, Mrs. Angela Hayes, and Mrs. Vanessa Houck. Mr. Fred Butcher arrived at 6:12 p.m.
Mr. Matt Taunton was absent.
Mr. Brant Young with Bryant Hammett & Associates gave an update on the football field projects at Ferriday High School and Vidalia High School. He reported that although we’ve had a lot of rain, work has begun on the football fields, and they are on schedule. The crew is working in Ferriday right now and will move to Vidalia the first part of next week. We’re still on schedule for the sod to be laid at the end of the month.
Marco Gonzalez gave an update on the ESSER windows projects. He reported that the designs are almost ready from Waycaster & Associates on the Vidalia and Monterey schools. We should have full bid documents on those schools by the end of next week. The advertisement for bids should be published on August 2nd, and we will be accepting bids on Tuesday, August 29th. We will receive the full bid documents for the Ferriday schools from 3M Architects on July 31st and will advertise the bids on August 9. Bids will be accepted on September 6th so there will be two sets of bids to consider, approve and contract out at the regular September meeting. Gonzalez said he’s hoping to have everything approved and ordered by sometime in October. We’re probably looking at the winter or spring before we can get started, depending on when the materials come in. Most of the administrators have indicated they have some empty classrooms and will be able to rotate classes around so the work can be done without interrupting the classes. The work will include the HVAC systems and windows at the same time. When the bids are approved and awarded, the work will start immediately.
Syrah Technologies’ Environmental and Communities Specialist, Emma Hamilton, addressed the board next. Ms. Hamilton said that Syrah Technologies has been welcomed very graciously into the parish, and they want to give back to this wonderful community. They thought one of the best ways to do that would be to invest in the school system. She said she had met with Superintendent Bachus in January, and they bounced some ideas around. Mrs. Bachus told Ms. Hamilton to give her three weeks and let her meet with her team and she would come back with their plan. Their plan was to bring back the vocational-technical program at each of the three high schools, Vidalia, Ferriday, and Monterey. Ms. Hamilton and Ms. Anne Duncan toured each of the high schools, met with the principals, and could see the potential for the students. Each school already has a building that can be used, they just need to be spruced up a bit.
Ms. Hamilton commended Superintendent Bachus for her leadership in setting up the program and presented Mrs. Bachus with a $150,000 check from Syrah to be allocated among the three schools. Ms. Hamilton clarified that the money was not just a donation, but an investment. The funds are to help renovate the school buildings where the classes will be held and create this program which will be a graduation pathway to real careers that are available at the local Syrah facility. Syrah employees and school district employees have put in long hours at Ferriday and Monterey getting the buildings cleaned out and ready for the renovations to begin. Vidalia’s building did not need much work. Ms. Anne Duncan, the vice-president of Syrah, also spoke to the board saying it has been a real pleasure working on this project with Superintendent Bachus and Mrs. Jessica Carter as well. She said that it’s great seeing our future workforce come out of your schools for Phase 2 and Phase 3. We’re looking forward to this partnership.
The committee reports were presented. A budget meeting was announced from the Finance Committee for Thursday, August 3, 2023, at 6:00 PM at the Vidalia City Hall Meeting Room.
It was moved by Mr. Butcher, seconded by Mr. Marsalis, and unanimously carried to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on June 8, 2023, and the minutes of the Special Meeting held on June 15, 2023.
Mr. Fred Marsalis, Jr., gave the financial report with invoices in the amount of $3,984,567 for the month of June 2023. It was moved by Mrs. Houck, seconded by Mrs. Parker and unanimously carried to approve the financial report.
Mrs. Rhonda Moore presented the personnel report. The report was available in the board members’ binders.
Concordia Parish School Board
Regular Board Meeting
Personnel Announcements
July 13, 2023
School Administrators:
Robert Haskett, Academic Coach, Central Administration, to Principal, Vidalia Junior High School, effective July 13, 2023.
Ariel Tyson, Teacher/Administrative Trainee, Vidalia Lower Elementary School, to Assistant Principal, Vidalia Lower Elementary School, effective July 25, 2023.
Kalandra Loyd, Assistant Principal, Vidalia Lower Elementary School, to Principal, Vidalia Lower Elementary School, effective July 13, 2023.
Christine Washington, Principal, Vidalia Junior High School, to Principal on Assignment, Ferriday Junior High School, effective July 13, 2023.
Elsa Carter, Interim Principal, Ferriday Junior High School, to Principal, Ferriday Junior High School, effective July 13, 2023.
Melissa Doughty, Interim Principal, Monterey High School, to Principal, Monterey High School, effective July 13, 2023.
Ashley Prunty, Interim Director of Special Education, to Director of Special Education, Special Populations, effective July 1, 2023.
Appointments:
Sheena King, Paraprofessional, Vidalia Lower Elementary School, effective August 9, 2023.
Wyshemia Sheppard, Paraprofessional, Vidalia Lower Elementary School, effective August 9, 2023.
Skylar Adams, Teacher, Vidalia Lower Elementary School, effective August 7, 2023.
Dena Bedson, Teacher, Concordia Parish Academy of MST, effective August 7, 2023.
Keyun Swinney, Teacher, Vidalia High School, effective August 7, 2023.
Casey Shively, Teacher, Monterey High School, effective August 7, 2023.
Christy Becnel, Talented Arts Teacher, Special Populations, effective August 7, 2023.
Nailah Payne, Paraprofessional, Ferriday High School effective July 25, 2023.
Deontra Jackson, 12 Month Janitor, Vidalia Upper Elementary School, effective July 3, 2023.
Resignations:
Bobbie Harris, Teacher, Vidalia High School, effective July 19, 2023.
Mickey Myles, 12 Month Janitor, Vidalia High School, effective June 2, 2023.
Kristy Cupit, Paraprofessional, Monterey High School, effective August 5, 2023.
Caitlan Dayton, Teacher, Concordia Parish Academy of MST, effective August 5, 2023.
Sara Ernst, Teacher, Vidalia Upper Elementary School, effective August 5, 2023.
Donald Harris, School Psychologist, Special Populations, effective July 7, 2023.
Erica Harris, School Psychologist, Special Populations, effective July 7, 2023.
Transfers:
Carl Ray Thompson, III, SFS Technician, Ferriday Upper Elementary, to General Maintenance, Central Administration, effective July 3, 2023.
Jennifer Lancaster, Teacher, Vidalia Lower Elementary School, to Teacher, Monterey High School, effective August 7, 2023.
Amy Mason, Teacher, Monterey High School, to Teacher, Vidalia Lower Elementary School, effective August 7, 2023.
Jennifer Sharp, School Nurse (MHS), to School Nurse, Special Populations (District), effective
August 7, 2023.
Helen White, Teacher, Vidalia Junior High School, to Educational Diagnostician, Special Populations, effective July 25, 2023.
Recommended for Termination
Cindy Moore, Paraprofessional, Vidalia Upper Elementary School, effective May 19, 2023
It was moved by Mr. Butcher, seconded by Mrs. Parker and unanimously carried to accept the recommendation for the termination of Cindy Moore.
Mr. O’Neal gave an update on the central office. There has been a bit of a set-back with the building. The rest room in the front of the building has failed inspection twice. O’Neal has talked with the architect and the contractor. The remediation crew will be back and the rest room will be isolated so work can be done in other areas of the building. We should see some work being done in the next two weeks. Mr. Carson asked about the time frame we’re looking at to get back in the building. Mr. O’Neal stated it would probably be about six to eight weeks.
Mr. O’Neal then announced an election call for November 18, 2023. He stated that we want to get the election brought before the people in the November general election. Our next step will be to pass and publish a resolution during the month of August calling for the election. This calling publication is required 45-90 days in advance of the actual election. O’Neal said he spoke with the legislative delegations today letting them know we would have a notice published next week and that we would make a public announcement today, of which he will make that announcement tonight. This is the lowest of our two property tax levies requiring voter approval. This levy is for 13 mills and will expire in 2024. This tax brings in about $1.99 million so it’s something we can’t afford to ignore or to let go away. O’Neal then read the notice as required.
Announcement of Public Meeting
Notice is hereby given that at its meeting to be held on Thursday, August 10, 2023, at 6:00 PM at the Vidalia City Hall Meeting Room, 200 Vernon Stevens Blvd, Vidalia, Louisiana, the Parish School Board of the Parish of Concordia, State of Louisiana, plans to consider adopting a resolution ordering and calling an election to be held in School District No. 10 of the Parish of Concordia, State of Louisiana, to authorize the renewal of an ad valorem tax therein.
Superintendent Bachus presented the NIET Rubric as the evaluation tool for all administrators. She explained that this tool will help our administrators be better about their evaluations. It was moved by Mrs. Parker, seconded by Mr. Marsalis and unanimously carried to approve the NIET Rubric for administrators.
Mr. Carson noted that Item #E, Update on Resurfacing of the VHS and FHS Football Fields was discussed earlier in the meeting.
Mr. John Blanchard noted that Item B under Executive Session on the agenda was not going
to be discussed in executive session. Item B will be discussed in regular session.
It was moved by Mrs. Houck, seconded by Mr. Butcher and unanimously carried for the board to enter into executive session. The time was 6:56 PM. The reason for executive session was for a Strategy session and/or action, as necessary, regarding litigation entitled Smith, et. al. v. Concordia Parish School Board, et. al., Civil Action No. 65-11577 on the docket of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
It was moved by Mr. Marsalis, seconded by Mrs. Parker and unanimously carried to return to regular session. The time was 7:30 PM.
Mr. Blanchard said it is his firm’s recommendation that the school board approved the Desegregation Compliance Officer Job Description. It was moved by Mr. Carson, seconded by Mr. Marsalis and unanimously carried to approve the Desegregation Compliance Office Job Description.
Announcements:
Superintendent Toyua Bachus invited everyone to attend the upcoming Town Hall Meetings in each community in which she will present information on school safety, renovations and performance of the schools.
There is a community event scheduled for August 12, 2023, in Ferriday. It’s a Back to School Community Praise and Worship service, “It Takes a Village,” beginning at 6:00 PM at the Ferriday Jr. High Gym. Everyone is invited to attend.
There being no further business, it was moved by Mrs. Parker, seconded by Mrs. Houck and unanimously carried to adjourn at 7:35 PM.