Concordia Parish School Board

Educational Policy Committee Meeting Notes

April 7, 2025

9:30 am

Persons in attendance:  Rhonda Moore, Lillian M. Franklin

Meeting notes and Board Agenda emailed to absent committee members by Mrs. Rhonda Moore.

Items to be discussed were:

·         Resignations:

o    Carl Thompson, III, General Maintenance, Central Administration, effective April 3, 2025.

·         Appointments/Transfers:

o    Brandy Andrews, Paraprofessional, Vidalia Upper Elementary School, to School Secretary, Vidalia Upper Elementary School, effective February 17, 2025.

Concordia Parish School Board

Finance Committee Meeting

(held at Sales Tax Office)

April 7, 2025

3:30 pm

Persons in attendance:  Tom O’Neal, Lisette Forman, Fred T. Butcher (call-in), Patricia Sessions, Brenda Roberts, Lillian M. Franklin

Items discussed:

1.     Review financial statements for the month of March 2025:

Mrs. Session presented the March financials - $5,177,123.51

2.     Review FY 2022-23 annual audit:

Mr. O’Neal presented the audit.  Just came in on Friday.  May want to only present in the committee meeting since no action has to take place.  He shared various deficits with General Funds being the most affected.  Will expound next month after he thoroughly reviews the audit. 

3.     Discuss Act 370 and the K-12 School Transparency Project:

Mrs. Roberts highlighted features of the Louisiana Treasury website:

Expenses for a semi-annual report are viewable, listed by checks per vendors.  The salaries were not submitted by the district, the Treasury Department compiled the report themselves.  Individuals can use the links on the website to access relevant salaries for Concordia Parish. The spreadsheets are downloadable.  Information can be searched and sorted by vendor.  This information has to be submitted by LEAs every March and September and match the AFR.  There is a listing available of all contracts with vendors.  The public can now access CPSB transactions via the Treasury Department’s website.

4.     Update on FHS renovations project:

Mr. O’Neal shared updates from the Open Bid meeting.  Only one bidder provided a bid.  Due to the circumstances, the bid was rejected and the Board is re-advertising the bid.  He will make a report to the board for approval.  He will contact the bidder regarding the rejection.

5.     Review FHS (Entergy) UG ROW Agreement proposal:

Mr. O’Neal has the documents in hand. Patton Shirley will assist the district, inclusive of wiring.  By the end of May is the projected completion date.

6.     Update on accounting software maintenance agreement

3-year cycle on the accounting software is up for renewal at approximately $44,679.94 per year. (LINQ)

7.     Discuss Industrial Ad Valorem Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) 

a.     Membership appointment

This is new!  Board needs to assign a committee to represent the governing authority.  This is how the district will communicate with the Governor’s office.  This must be done at this board meeting.  Mr. O’Neal has chaired this in the past. 

8.     Update on other school projects:

Training for HVAC at FHS, Mr. White, Mr. Thompson, Waycaster and Volkert representatives present.  Mr. O’Neal has some concerns where filters at MHS weren’t being changed.  The Contractor was called and there was damage done to the unit.  Maybe Mr. Henderson can address it with the janitor about changing the filters monthly.  Mr. Butcher recommended hiring Junior Lewis to change the filters monthly.  Mr. O’Neal will speak with Mr. White to order enough filters to send to the schools.

Football fields have been fertilized.  Soon we need to look at fertilizing again.  We haven’t watered due to the rain.  The district used its own truck. Mr. Butcher recommended we need to use the lawn mower with the feeder to prevent damage to the water sprinkler heads.

9.       Review any other items that may come before this and/or other 

a.     School Board Committees. 

None.

Concordia Parish School Board

Building & Grounds Committee Meeting

April 7, 2025

5:00 pm

Persons in attendance:  Mr. Derrick Carson, Mr. Glen Henderson, Ms. Lillian M. Franklin

Items discussed:

·         Projects:

o    Football fields update:

Mr. Henderson gave updates and called Tim Ford owner of “ART”:

He thinks the grass is coming back at FHS.  Concerns questioned areas with some spots that are not growing.  It is recommended that traffic stays off the grounds which will impede the progress.   Refrain from exposing grounds to cleats and shoes.  (No football or band practice on the grounds.)  No new sod is necessary. 

Pre-Mo (growth regulator) will be added later to tone down the leaves and the grass and roots will get tougher.  Right now, he will monitor the weather for irrigation – don’t want to over nor under irrigate.  Process will get to a point where irrigation will take place daily in the summer months.

Phone call to Brent:  “We fertilized it about 3 weeks ago.”  Both fields (FHS/VHS) will need to be fertilized every month around the 15^th.  He is monitoring the progress.  Rain is keeping the fields watered for now.  If no rain in next 2 weeks, fields will need to be watered.  He will make a plan for watering.

·         Others items:  Phone call to Brant – drainage at FHS field going to the library.  Plan is to open the ditch from south of the baseball field back to the old railroad ditch.  This will let the water run-off.  A culvert will be needed.  Will also clean the ditch out.  This work will help to relieve flash flooding.  Some of this work is in the Quote he provided.

·         Administrators Meeting notes – None

·         Review of Items Discussed in Other Committee Meetings – notes were shared from the Finance Committee Meeting