PROCEEDINGS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE PARISH OF CONCORDIA, STATE OF LOUISIANA, TAKEN AT A PUBLIC HEARING HELD ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2024
The School Board of the Parish of Concordia, State of Louisiana, met in a Public Hearing Session at the Vidalia Conference & Convention Center, 112 Front St., Vidalia, Louisiana, on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at 6:00 o’clock p.m. The meeting was called to order by Board President Lisette Forman who, after prayer and the Pledge, declared that the Board was ready for the transaction of business.
Board members present were Mrs. Dorothy Parker, Mr. Fred Marsalis, Sr., Mr. Derrick Carson, Mr. Matt Taunton, Mrs. Angela Hayes, Mrs. Vanessa Houck and Mr. Fred Butcher. Mr. Wayne Wilson was absent.
Ms. Morgan Brunfield with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office spoke, urging school board members to reject the Department of Justice’s proposal. She noted that the Attorney General’s office and the school board can enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement in which the Attorney General’s Office will help with the board’s defense in this matter.
School board attorneys John Blanchard and Jon Guice conducted the hearing, explaining what the Department of Justice wanted to accomplish through the law suit, Smith, et. al. v. Concordia
Parish School Board, et. al., one of the most important items of their proposal being student assignments:
· Pre-K through eighth grade would pair Ferriday and Vidalia schools with Pre-K being housed in one building,
· All kindergarten through second grade students would go to Vidalia Upper Elementary,
· Grades 3-5 would go to Ferriday Upper Elementary,
· Grades 6-8 would go to Ferriday Junior High,
· Ferriday and Vidalia each would keep their high schools, but attendance zones would change. The attendance zone line would move to Round Tree Road. This means if you live on Round Tree Road, your students would attend Ferriday High School, instead of Vidalia High School. This means that more students would go to Ferriday than Vidalia, with some exceptions:
If your student is a rising junior or a rising senior, you may elect to have them stay where they are. This would affect ninety-three high school students.
· Also, the appearance of the school facilities is at issue. Are all the schools similar in appearance?
· Faculty and staff assignments are being looked at. This is actually where these employees are assigned by the central office,
· The number of certified teachers should be placed as equally as possible across the district,
· Exracurricular activities are being looked at to ascertain whether all students are allowed to participate in any of these activities they want to,
· Bus transportation is also being looked at as far as buses having all white students or all black students,
· Also being scrutinized are the quality of education, the equality of discipline, and the gifted and talented students.
There was a period of public comment following the attorneys’ explanation of the proposal with dozens of people speaking against the proposal.
It was moved by Mrs. Houck, seconded by Mr. Taunton to add an agenda item, “To Consider Desegregation Proposal from the Department of Justice.” A roll call vote was requested.
Dorothy Parker – yea
Fred Marsalis, Sr., - yea
Vanessa Houck – yea
Derrick Carson – yea
Angela Hayes – yea
Matt Taunton – yea
Fred Butcher – yea
Lisette Forman – yea
The motion carried unanimously, 8 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent, and 0 abstentions.
It was moved by Mrs. Houck, seconded by Mr. Butcher to reject the desegregation proposal from the Department of Justice. A roll call vote was requested.
Dorothy Parker – yea
Fred Marsalis, Sr., - yea
Vanessa Houck – yea
Derrick Carson – yea
Angela Hayes – yea
Matt Taunton – yea
Fred Butcher – yea
Lisette Forman – yea
The motion carried unanimously, 8 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent, and 0 abstentions.
It was moved by Mrs. Houck, seconded by Mr. Taunton to add an agenda item, “To Consider Entering into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the Louisiana Attorney General to help defend the Concordia Parish School Board in the upcoming trial against the Department of Justice in the Smith, et. al. vs Concordia Parish School Board, et. al., suit.” A roll call vote was requested.
Dorothy Parker – yea
Fred Marsalis, Sr., - yea
Vanessa Houck – yea
Derrick Carson – yea
Angela Hayes – yea
Matt Taunton – yea
Fred Butcher – yea
Lisette Forman – yea
The motion carried unanimously, 8 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent, and 0 abstentions.
It was moved by Mr. Carson and seconded by Mr. Marsalis, Sr., to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Louisiana Attorney General to help defend the Concordia Parish School Board in the upcoming trial against the Department of Justice in the Smith, et. al. vs Concordia Parish School Board, et. al. suit. A roll call vote was requested.
Dorothy Parker – yea
Fred Marsalis, Sr., - yea
Vanessa Houck – yea
Derrick Carson – yea
Angela Hayes – yea
Matt Taunton – yea
Fred Butcher – yea
Lisette Forman – yea
The motion carried unanimously, 8 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent, and 0 abstentions.
There being no further business, it was moved by Mr. Carson, seconded by Mrs. Parker and unanimously carried to adjourn at 7:50 PM.