PROCEEDINGS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE PARISH OF CONCORDIA, STATE OF LOUISIANA, TAKEN AT A COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1995.

The School Board of the Parish of Concordia, State of Louisiana, met in Committee at the Concordia Parish School Board Office, in Vidalia, Louisiana, on Tuesday, January 17, 1995, at five-thirty (5:30) o'clock p.m.  The meeting was called to order by the Honorable Manson E. Nelson, Sr., President, who declared that the Board, after prayer by Mrs. Marie Cowan, and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, was ready for discussion.

Members present were Mr. Arthur A. Arnold, Mr. Eddie L. Coleman, Sr., Mrs. Marie Cowan, Mr. Jerry C. King, Mr. Manson E. Nelson, Sr., Mr. Charles Partridge, and Mrs. Georgia Washington.

Members absent:          Mr. Lynn White and Mr. Sam Williams, Jr.

Mr. Nelson thanked the Board members for electing him president of the Board and stated that he appreciated the number of citizens in attendance.  He noted that the Board operates under Robert's Rules of Order and that he expected the meetings to be carried out in an orderly fashion. He requested that anyone wishing to speak be recognized first.

Mr. Tom O'Neal, Director of Business Affairs, presented the Financial Report and answered questions.  Mr. King requested an update on the Clayton School Project. Mr. Lee informed the Board that the target date for the LaSalle Community Action to move the Head Start program to Clayton School is February 1, 1995, pending final approval from the State Fire Marshal's Office.

Mr. Sam Williams, Jr., arrived at 5:40 p.m.

Mr. Nelson distributed information to each Board member regarding the superintendent's evaluation process and requested that observation forms be submitted by February 7, 1995.

Superintendent Lee presented his Annual Message:

                                       SUPERINTENDENT'S ANNUAL MESSAGE

As we begin the new year with a new Board ready take on new challenges, I would like to reflect briefly on some of our accomplishments.  Over the past three years we have overcome some major problems, especially in the area of financial management.  Through careful oversight of expenditures, sacrifices by our personnel, and prudent management of limited resources, we have recovered from a $1.374 million deficit in FY 90, 91, and 92.  In spite of a loss of $457 thousand in MFP funding last year, our projected budget surplus at the end of 1994-95 will be $92 thousand. 

A major factor in this recovery was the passage of an additional one cent sales tax which was accomplished through a coalition of municipal and parish leaders, parents, employees and grassroots supporters in the form of CUBE (Citizens United for Better Education).  This widespread public support for our efforts is allowing Concordia Parish School System to begin making tremendous strides in reaching the System's Goals and in fulfilling our Action Plan.

A powerful spirit of unity exists within our parish today.  Our slogan "Education is Everybody's Business" has become widely accepted, and the overwhelming support of the public has been documented by the success of our Educational Summits, Teen Summit, Parent Fest, and the recent Town Meeting.  The development of strong partnerships between the school system and parents, business leaders and community members has been a major factor in the return of optimism and the development of positive attitudes about what we can accomplish for our children and our parish.

The Fruit of the Loom plant development continues to have a positive impact on the school system, and the Enterprise Community will provide seed money for improved programs because it has a strong educational component.

We are encouraged by the rise in our ACT scores by a full one-half point, by the increase in student enrollment, and by the improvement in state funding through a revision in the Minimum Foundation Program formula.  We have begun to implement the development of enhanced classrooms in which technology and hands-on activities are used as tools for learning.  These programs have been funded by competitive grants which pay for equipment and teacher training.  We have begun the process of coordinating textbooks across the parish, beginning with the new reading series, and of replacing worn-out student desks.

We have taken a building that was a liability and turned it into an asset.  A year ago, Clayton School was being leased to the Town of Clayton for $1 per year, or $25 over the 25-year lease period, and was beginning to show the signs of neglect.  Now, we have a building which has been restored on a cost-shared basis with the lessee, LaSalle Community Action, and which will earn Concordia Parish School Board nearly $1 million over 30 years.  This building will continue to serve children as an educational facility and will stand as a monument to the foresight of those who thought it worthy of saving. 

With these accomplishments in mind, we can now turn our attention to plans for the next few years.  The Action Plan we are currently operating under was for the period 1992-95, and as we approach the end of that time and assess the progress we have made, it is critical that we formulate goals to keep our system moving forward.  With all the input we have received over the past three years from community, business, students and parents, we will be able to design an educational program that more fully meets the needs of our citizens.

Within the next few months, you will be presented an updated Action Plan, which, if approved, will ensure long-range, continued improvement.  The new plan will give attention to (1) system organization to enhance delivery of the academic program; (2) improved employee morale; (3) continued staff development; and (4) management of facilities and equipment.

Three years ago, we restructured our business organization, placing our business affairs under one director, a move which I believed then, and know now, was necessary for us to overcome the financial difficulties we were experiencing.  Shortly, I will be presenting for your approval, a proposal to restructure our academic organization which I believe will be necessary to bring about needed changes and improved communication in academic affairs.  To continue improvements in student achievement, curriculum offerings, and staff development for teachers, we must focus fully on our academic program, and restructuring is critical in accomplishing our goals. 

Serious consideration needs to be given to becoming more competitive in attracting and retaining qualified employees.  For example, a critical teacher shortage is on the horizon, not just across the state, but here in our own school system.  Nearly one-third of our teaching staff has 25 or more years of experience.  An additional 15% have 20 to 24 years of experience. As our teachers near retirement, the number of new, fully certified, applicants is dismally low.  In fact, we have only 8 applicants certified in elementary education in our application file today. 

The picture is even worse when we consider our administrators.  Salaries paid to administrators are ranked equally as low as the salaries paid to teachers.  Presently, of our 21 administrators, 15 or 71% have more than 25 years experience.  Only one has fewer than 20 years of experience.  As you can see, it is imperative that we continue our local Administrative Leadership Training Academy. 

Clearly, we must act rather than react to this situation.  Our teachers' salaries are ranked in the bottom third of school systems in a state which is third from the bottom in the nation.  We need to consider some type of classroom teacher incentive in order for us to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining certified teachers and to provide the kind of academic program our children deserve and our public expects.

Our school bus operators are facing increased costs due to safety regulations from state and federal governments and increased insurance costs. The cost of a school bus has increased more than $10,000 within a five year period. Because of certification requirements, there is a smaller pool of certified substitute school bus operators.  We may need to revisit an operational allotment and develop a formula that can be made a permanent part of our school bus operators' pay.

Our teacher aides are among the lowest paid groups of employees, yet, other than teachers, they spend the most time with our children. Other employee groups should also be considered.  To address these issues, we plan to make a comparative analysis of all support personnel salary schedules to discover how we rank with other parishes in our state.  We hope to accomplish this by working closely with the presidents of CAE and CFT.

In the area of equipment, we have a number of pressing needs.  Once we have completed the purchase of the three new activity buses, I will recommend that we have the old buses completely refurbished inside and out.  When we have completed this process we will have 2 reliable buses at each high school, one at each junior high school and one housed here at the Central Office.

We also need a special education bus which is owned by the Board and driven by a salaried employee.  An 18-24 passenger bus would allow us to provide transportation for students whose behavior prevents them from riding the regular bus, serving both an academic and safety purpose.  Consideration should also be given to purchasing at least two more worktrucks and to replacing the 1985 Ford company car currently in use.

In the area of facilities, we must continue the plan already in place.  Consideration should be given to air conditioning the school cafeterias and gyms as funds become available.

Our Central Office Complex needs to be updated.  We currently lack modern energy features, and we have outgrown our storage space.  We must begin to make the building accessible to the handicapped in order to meet federal guidelines, and we need adequate space for Board meetings with a recording system and audiovisual capabilities. An additional area of need is updating the wiring to accommodate our technological needs.

None of these projects can be accomplished overnight.  Some of these are sensitive areas which invite a lot of attention.  It is important that we work closely together and not become involved in personal or political favoritism throughout this process.  As these proposals are being developed, cooperation and collaboration will be invited and encouraged.  As our updated Action Plan is drafted, it will be presented to the Board for review and comments.

It is important that we count all costs before we implement these changes and not allow ourselves to be pushed too far too fast.  Some projects will be recommended to start July 1, 1995, others will have later implementation dates.

All of us are here for one purpose--to provide appropriate and relevant educational opportunities for children.  I assure you that my heart and mind are set clearly on that purpose.  When the final version of the updated Action Plan is presented, it will be a plan which I believe with all my heart will benefit the children of Concordia Parish. It will be a plan developed with much prayer for divine guidance and in cooperation with Board members, administrators, employee groups, and community members.  It will be OUR plan.

We are accountable to the parents, business leaders and other community members who have worked so hard with us the past three years to provide the funding and the input we need in developing an educational system for the 21st century.  I pray that we can carry out our responsibilities with a positive attitude and a cooperative spirit.

                                                                          •••

Superintendent Lee distributed copies of Board Policy BCBD "Agenda Preparation and Dissemination", and the Board discussed whether to consider any changes to the procedure.

Superintendent Lee provided a brief overview of state funding through the Minimum Foundation Program.  He reviewed the history of the new formula and explained how the new formula has led to a tremendous loss of state funds for Concordia Parish Schools.  He stated that State Superintendent Dr. Raymond Arveson requested all superintendents to be present at the January 26, 1995,  meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education when the MFP for 1994-95 would be approved.  He encouraged Board members and those in the audience to contact their representatives to protect the new formula and to provide safeguards against drastic loss of funds.  He informed the Board that superintendents are requesting that BESE start funding plans earlier in the year so that school systems can make budget plans.  As it is now, seven months into the fiscal year, the school system is just learning what MFP funds will be available for FY94-95.

Mr. Arnold requested that resolution be prepared to express sympathy to Lynn White's family for the loss of his mother.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:35 p.m.

_________________________________                  ____________________________________

James E. Lee, Superintendent                                                             Manson E. Nelson, Sr., President