PROCEEDINGS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE PARISH OF CONCORDIA, STATE OF LOUISIANA, TAKEN AT THE REGULAR MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1993.
The School Board of the Parish of Concordia, State of Louisiana, met in regular session at the Concordia Parish School Board Office in Vidalia, Louisiana, on Tuesday, August 3, 1993, at five-thirty (5:30) o'clock p.m. The meeting was called to order by the Honorable Marie Cowan, Vice-President, who declared that the Board, after prayer led by Mr. Paul Reed and Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, was ready for the transaction of business.
Members present were Honorable Marie Cowan, Mr. Jerry King, Mrs. Polly Miley,
Mr. Manson Nelson, Mr. Charles Partridge, and Mrs. Georgia Washington.
Members absent were the Honorable J. W. Calhoun, Rev. Johnnie Brown, and Mr. Walter Stampley.
Mrs. Gloria Dangerfield, Assistant Director of Business Affairs, presented the invoices and answered questions. It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mr Nelson and carried unanimously to approve invoices totaling $1,223,999.54.
After a correction, it was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mrs. Miley and carried unanimously to approve the minutes of the July 20, 1993, meeting.
Superintendent James E. Lee recognized Mrs. Shirley Washington, School Food Service Manager at Vidalia Junior High School, and announced to the audience that Mrs. Washington had been chosen Outstanding Non-instructional Personnel of the Year for the state of Louisiana. Mrs. Evelyn Fairbanks, Supervisor of Nutrition and Human Ecology, commended Mrs. Washington for her outstanding service. Superintendent Lee announced that Mrs. Washington would receive a $50.00 cash award and one extra personal leave day.
It was moved by Mrs. Miley, seconded by Mrs. Washington and Mr. King and carried 5-1, with Mr. Partridge voting no, to move into Executive Session at 5:50 p.m. to discuss potential litigation and two personnel matters.
Rev. Johnnie Brown and Mr. Walter Stampley arrived during Executive Session.
It was moved by Mr. Nelson, seconded by Rev. Brown and carried unanimously to return to Open Session at 6:43 p.m.
Superintendent Lee informed the audience that during Executive Session the Board had discussed a matter of potential litigation. He introduced Judge W. C. Falkenheiner, who is representing the Board in that matter, to come and read a motion that would require Board action. The motion was: Be it resolved, that W. C. Falkenheiner, as attorney for the Concordia Parish School Board, be, and is hereby authorized to, join with Myles Hopkins, Provisional Administrator of the Succession of Lloyd Seguin, Jr., and the Catahoula-LaSalle Bank in a Motion presented to the 7th Judicial District Court in which the Court is requested to issue an Order approving the application of the Provisional Administrator for authority to execute a dation en paiement to the Catahoula-LaSalle Bank of that portion of the agricultural lease executed by the Board to Lloyd Seguin, Jr., affecting rights to the 1993 crop and attendant agricultural rights, subject to the obligation of the Catahoula-LaSalle Bank to pay the rental due on December 1, 1993, in the amount of 24,040.00 and to assume all obligations as the lessee pertaining to the 1993 crop, but without any responsibility for hunting or fishing activities or acts of trespassers. It was moved by Mr. King, seconded by Mr. Partridge and carried unanimously to approve the motion.
Superintendent Lee informed the audience that the two matters of personnel discussed during Executive Session do not require action at this time.
It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Rev. Brown and carried unanimously to open bids on pest control for home economics departments. The only bid was from B & B Pest Control, Inc. for monthly service at $15 per unit or $75 per month.
It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mr. King and carried unanimously to accept the bid from B & B Pest Control.
Superintendent Lee handed out a chart of school meal prices during 1992-93, new recommended prices for 1993-94 as a result of fewer funds being provided through the state Minimum Foundations Program, and the differences between the old and new prices. Following discussion, it was moved by Mr. Stampley, seconded by Mrs. Miley and carried 6-2 to approve the new meal prices for the 1993-94 school year. Mr. Partridge and Mr. King voted no. The new prices are as follows:
Breakfast
Student Breakfast (Reduced) 30 cents
Student Breakfast (Elementary
Paid) 65 cents
Student Breakfast
(High School Paid) 70 cents
Adult Breakfast 1.25
At Cost Breakfast 1.50
Extra Sales (At cost milk,
juice) 25 cents
Lunch
Student lunch reduced 40 cents
Student lunch elementary
paid 75 cents
Student lunch high school
paid 80 cents
Adult lunch 1.65
At cost lunch 2.75
Extra sales (at cost
milk, juice) 25 cents
Following explanation by Superintendent Lee, it was moved by Mrs. Washington and seconded by Mr. Brown to approve the job description for the position of Executive Secretary/Personnel Director, effective August 2, 1993. Mr. Partridge requested clarification of Superintendent Lee's right to transfer without bringing those transfers before the Board
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August 3, 1993
and requested that there be consistency in regard to transfer. After discussion, it was agreed that Superintendent Lee, according to Board policy, has the authority to transfer personnel. Mr. Stampley asked how the salary would be determined. Superintendent Lee stated that the salary would be set at twelve-ninths (12/9) of a classroom teacher's pay, calculated according to degree and experience. Upon Mr. Stampley's request, a roll call vote was taken with the motion carrying 7-1 as follows:
Mr. Brown Yes
Mrs. Cowan Yes
Mr. King Yes
Mrs. Miley Yes
Mr. Nelson Yes
Mr. Partridge Yes
Mr. Stampley No
Mrs. Washington Yes
Upon Superintendent Lee's request, it was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mrs. Miley and Rev. Brown and carried unanimously to reverse the order of items VI.D. Sales Tax Proposal and VI.E. Student Transportation Management Policy.
Superintendent Lee recommended that because 3 new bus operators will be purchasing buses, the Board provide them some guidelines as per the policy in regard to making these purchases. Following a lengthy discussion about current Board policy regarding buses, it was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mr. Nelson, and carried 7-1, Rev. Brown voting no, to require that buses coming into service be no more than 15 years old and comply with state guidelines.
After distributing informational materials about the sales tax proposal to the Board and to the audience, Superintendent Lee discussed how several means were used to gather public input about the form a sales tax proposal should take and how the proposition being presented represents a consensus and not the ideas of any one individual. Superintendent Lee read five reasons why the Board should vote for the recommended proposition:
1) This proposal represents the opinions of municipal leaders, parishwide elected officials, ministers, parents and other interested citizens throughout our parish;
2) The additional revenues will enable us to take care of some critical needs which exist at the present time and assist us as we attempt to accomplish our goals;
3) The additional revenues will also enable us to better prepare for the influx of new students as the result of the development of the Fruit of the Loom plant and other factors. In Vidalia we do not have a single additional classroom available;
4) A recent Kiplinger Washington Letter stated, 'The level of property assessment in any community is directly related to the quality of its public schools'. With this statement, the additional revenues will not only improve our school system, it will also improve the quality of life for all citizens in Concordia Parish;
5) Your yes vote is not a vote to place and additional 1.0 cent tax on the people--it is a vote to let the people decide for themselves whether they want to be taxed an additional 1.0 cent."
Superintendent Lee strongly encouraged a unanimous vote of the following proposition:
Shall the Parish School Board of the Parish of Concordia, State of Louisiana (the "School Board"), under the provisions of Article VI, Section 29 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, and other constitutional and statutory authority supplemental thereto, be authorized to levy and collect, and adopt an ordinance providing for such levy and collection, an additional tax of one per cent (1%) upon the sale at retail, the use, the lease or rental, the consumption, and the storage for use or consumption, of tangible personal property and on sales of services in the Parish of Concordia (the "Parish"), all as defined in R. S. 47:301 to R. S. 47:317, inclusive, for a period of seven (7) years from the date of the first levy of said tax with sixty per cent (60%) of the net proceeds of the tax to be used exclusively for the purpose of giving additional support for curriculum improvement and for the purpose of improving, purchasing and erecting of school buildings and other related facilities and for the operation and maintaining of said schools and other facilities within and for the Parish of Concordia, and the remaining forty percent (40%) of the net proceeds of the tax to be used exclusively to supplement other revenues available to the School Board for the payment of salaries of teachers in the public elementary and secondary schools of the Parish and other personnel employed by the School Board in addition to teachers, including the payment of charges for providing unemployment compensation benefits, and for the payment of the costs of retirement and other insurance programs for active and retired school board personnel?
Following Superintendent Lee's reading and recommendation, Mr. Stampley questioned whether the supplement paid teachers and other employees would increase if the proposition passes and there is a surplus. Superintendent Lee stated that an increase would require Board approval. Superintendent Lee referred to a chart in the informational materials and stated that the proceeds from the proposed sales tax proposition would be spent as follows:
34.8% Instructional supplies and equipment
25% General maintenance, repair and renovation of facilities and equipment
21.8% Restoration of 20% salary supplement cuts to all employees
8.8% Retirees' health insurance benefits
6% Continuation of locally funded step increases for educational support personnel
3.6% Employer's portion of retirement benefits for employees' supplements
It was moved by Rev. Brown and seconded by Mrs. Washington to accept the proposition as read. The motion carried unanimously.
In personnel matters, it was moved by Mrs. Miley, seconded by Rev. Brown and carried unanimously to accept the resignation of Mrs. Mary Johnese, school bus operator, effective July 31, 1993.
Upon recommendation of Superintendent Lee, it was moved by Rev. Brown, seconded by Mr. Partridge and carried unanimously to make the following appointments:
Donna Marie Byrd, special education teacher, FEC, eff. 8/18/93
Johnnie B. Clay, teacher FJH, eff. 8/18/93
Karen Foster, early childhood teacher, eff. 8/18/93
Ruth A. Gray, teacher, FUE, eff. 8/18/93
W. D. Harris, industrial arts teacher, FHS, eff. 8/18/93
Lois D. Jackson, teacher's aide, VLE, eff. 8/18/93
Janice Lee, DE coordinator, FHS, eff. 8/18/93
Brenda Roberts, school secretary, VHS, eff. 8/4/93
Jennine Johnson Wilson, teacher, FUE, eff. 8/18/93
It was moved by Rev. Brown and Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mrs. Miley and carried unanimously to adjourn at 8:22 p.m.
__________________________ __________________________
James E. Lee, Secretary J. W. Calhoun, President