PROCEEDINGS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE PARISH OF CONCORDIA, STATE OF LOUISIANA, TAKEN AT A REGULAR MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1996.

 

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, October 1, 1996, at five-thirty (5:30) o'clock p.m.  The meeting was called to order by the Honorable Ernest Lynn White, President, who declared that the Board, after prayer by Superintendent James E. Lee, and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, was ready for the transaction of business.

 

Members present were the Honorable Ernest Lynn White, Mrs. Marie Cowan, Mr. Mike Grantham, Mr. Manson E. Nelson, Sr., Mr. Charles Partridge, Mr. Ricky Raven and Mr. Sam Williams, Jr.  Absent were Mr. Eddie L. Coleman and Mrs. Georgia Washington.

 

Mrs. Patricia Bellis, Coordinator of Grants and Public Information, introduced teachers who were awarded $1000 grants through the Louisiana LEARN for the 21st Century office.  Each teacher present gave a brief description of her project.  Teachers awarded grants for 1996-97 are:

 

                        Phyllis Cage                  VLE

                        Betty Cade                   Alternative School

                        Pam Hilton                   VJH

                        Irene Young                 VLE

 

Mr. Coleman arrived at 5:44 p.m.

 

Mrs. Bellis introduced Mr. Ralph Laukhuff, Station Manager of the Louisiana Hydroelectric, Inc., who announced the Sidney A. Murray Student Citizenship awards to be presented monthly.  He stated that the schools would be presented a plaque on which students' names would be displayed.  The following students were presented a certificate in recognition of their selection:

 

            VHS:                Gabe Bailey, 11th grade

                                    Guy Murray, 12th grade

 

            MHS:               Sarah Paul, 11th grade

                                    Tracy Flaherty, 12th grade

 

            FHS:                Sterry Leonard, 11th grade

                                    Chadwick Lyles, 12th grade

 

Superintendent Lee thanked Mr. Laukhuff and the Louisiana Hydroelectric for their efforts in support of education, including their sponsorship of VoiceLink at FUE, FJH, VUE, and VJH.

 

Superintendent Lee recognized Concordia Parish Teachers of the Year for 1997 and stated that they would each receive a check for $100 and one additional personal leave day.

 

                        Elementary Teacher of the Year:                       Deborah Bairnsfather, MHS

                        Middle School Teacher of the Year:                  Gayle Carlock, FJH

                                                  

It was moved by Mr. Coleman, seconded by Mr. Williams and carried unanimously to approve minutes of the August 27, September 3 and September 10, 1996.

 

Mrs. Gloria Dangerfield, Assistant Director of Business Affairs, presented the invoices and reviewed the Financial Report for September.  It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mrs. Cowan and carried 7-1, with Mr. Grantham voting no, to approve invoices in the amount of $1,760,177.12.

 

It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mr. Grantham and carried to hear Mrs. Brenda Carter.  Mrs. Carter reviewed an incident involving her son at FHS on March 8, 1996. She requested that the Board pay her son's medical expenses.  It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mr. Nelson and carried unanimously to take Mrs. Carter's request under advisement.

 

It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mr. Nelson and carried to hear Mrs. Patricia Metcalfe.  Mrs. Metcalfe asked the Board to hear the matter in Executive Session.  It was moved by Mrs. Cowan, seconded by Mr. Williams and carried to go into Executive Session at 6:25 p.m.

 

It was moved by Mr. Nelson, seconded by Mr. Williams and carried to return to Open Session at 7:27 p.m.  President White stated that during Executive Session, the Board had heard Mrs. Metcalfe and had taken the matter under advisement.

 

It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mr. Grantham and carried to hear Mrs. Rose Tillery. Mrs. Tillery read a prepared statement asking the Board to adopt a policy that persons who have substituted in a position be hired, retroactive to July 1, 1996.  It was moved by Mr. Nelson, seconded by Mr. Williams and carried 7-1, with Mr. Grantham voting no, to take the request under advisement.

 

In Mrs. Washington's absence, Superintendent Lee read the minutes of the Building and Grounds Committee meeting.  It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mr. Coleman and Mr. Williams to approve the Committee;s recommendation to purchase two new activity buses from Timmons International at their low bid price of $44,092 each.

 

Mrs. Cowan read the minutes of the Finance Committee meeting which was held to discuss funding for new band instruments at FHS and VHS.  The Committee recommended the following funding plan:

 

3-YEAR BAND INSTRUMENT SUPPLEMENT PROPOSAL

(To be paid from Sales Tax 60% Fund)

 

1.         The School Board will provide additional band instrument supplements over the next three years at the following levels for each band:

 

1996-97                       $10,000    +     Regular band allotment funded at the same level as 1995-96

1997-98                       $ 7,000     +     Regular band allotment funded at the same level as 1995-96

1998-99                       $ 7,000     +     Regular band allotment funded at the same level as 1995-96

 

2.         A commitment is required from the principal and the director that band fees and other costs will be frozen at the 1995-96 level.

 

3.         The school will make an appropriate commitment to the band instrument project.

 

4.         Mr. O'Neal will negotiate the terms of a lease/purchase plan on a parishwide basis.

 

It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mr. Coleman and carried unanimously to approve the proposal as recommended by the Committee.

 

Mrs. Bellis presented an update on the grants awarded to the school system for the 1996-97 school year.  Superintendent Lee commented on the hard work by Mrs. Bellis, other administrators and teachers to benefit our students with these additional funds. 

 

Source

Title

Amount

U. S. Office of  Education

America 2000

 $ 25,000.00

Louisiana LEARN

Gateway 2000

$ 25,000.00

Louisiana LEARN

Northeast Louisiana Consortium

$148,000.00


 

Louisiana Systemic Initiative Program

The Concordia/Catahoula Mathematics Leadership Project

$ 52,538.00


Goals 2000

Mathematics Leadership

$ 40,000.00

U.S. Department of Education

Elementary School Math and Science Materials Equipment Program

$ 95,500.00

Louisiana Family Preservation

Heartland Family Resource Center

$ 23,100.00

Louisiana State University

Positive Behavioral Support Outreach Program

$ 25,000.00

Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund 8(g) Block

Project SACC: Student Achievement Through Computer Centers

$ 22,361.00

8(g) Block

Preschool Early Childhood (VLE)

$ 36,510.00

8(g) Block

SOS: Save Our Schools

$ 11,093.00

8(g) Block

Superior Textbooks, Library Books and/or Reference Materials

$ 11,873.00

8(g) Block

Starting Points (FKC)

$ 39,087.00

8(g) Innovative

In Preparation for America 2000: A Professional Development Project in Instructional Technology

$ 3,120.00

8(g) Innovative

Implementing the NCTM Standards and the Louisiana Mathematics Framework, K-8

$ 25,513.00

8(g) Innovative

Change Without Pain: Is It Possible?

$ 58,500.00

8(g) Competitive

ROOTS: Restructuring for Optimum Outcomes

$ 62,483.00

International Paper EDCORE

The Art of Learning by Pam Hilton (VJHS)

$ 1,000.00

EDCORE

Talents Unlimited by Fran Nolan (VUE)

$ 1,000.00

EDCORE

Bringing Magic to History through Storytelling by Patricia Profice (VJHS)

$ 1,000.00

SCHOOLWIDE REDESIGN - EDCORE

DACE: Developmentally Appropriate Children's Environment by Annette Smith (FKC)

$ 8,492.00

BELL SOUTH Teacher Grant

Growing Minds Reaching for the Stars

by Linda Spinks (MHS)

$    500.00

Louisiana LEARN

PLATO for Students

by Betty Cade (FEC)

$ 1,000.00

Louisiana LEARN

Science and Language for Learning

by Phyllis Cage (VLE)

$ 1,000.00

Louisiana LEARN

The Art of Learning

by Pam Hilton (VJH)

$ 1,000.00

Louisiana LEARN

Backpack Science

by Irene Young (VLE)

$ 1,000.00

TOTAL

 

$720,715

Pending - U. S. Department of Education

Education Connection: A Challenge Grant for Technology in Education

$130,000

 

Agenda item VII.B. was withdrawn by the party making the request and no action was required.

 

It was moved by Mr. Nelson, seconded by Mr. Coleman and carried to open bids for stadium lights.  Mr. Irvin stated that a pre-bid conference was held on September 26, 1996, and that all bidders had attended the conference as required.  There was lengthy discussion about the bid law requiring the license number to be displayed on the envelope.  President White declared a five-minute recess at 7:57 p.m.

 

The meeting resumed at 8:02 p.m.  It was moved by Mrs. Cowan, seconded by Mr. Nelson and carried 7-1, with Mr. Partridge voting no, to move on to the next agenda item while the law was being researched.

 

Superintendent Lee recommended that the Board take over the operation of the vacant special education bus route.  He stated that it would be more cost effective to buy a bus and hire a driver than to contract it out. It was moved by Mr. Coleman and seconded by Mr. Williams to approve the superintendent's recommendation.  The motion failed on a roll call vote as follows:

 

            YES:                Mr. Coleman, Mrs. Cowan, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Williams

            NO:                 Mr. Grantham, Mr. Partridge, Mr. Raven, Mr. White

 

It was moved by Mr. Grantham, seconded by Mr. Partridge and carried 6-2 with Mrs. Cowan and Mr. Williams voting no, to advertise the vacant special education bus route.       

 

It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mrs. Cowan and carried unanimously to approve the following personnel items:

 

Resignation

Lethell Theodore Walker, School Bus Operator, effective 9/4/96

 

Appointment

Tracy Smith, Teacher, FHS, effective 9/12/96

 

Maternity Leave

Stacy J. Allen, Title 1 Teacher, MHS, effective 2/17/97-4/4/97

 

Military Leave

Eddie Carter, Janitor, FHS, effective 10/23/96-11/10/96

 

Mr. Norman Magee, Concordia Parish School Board attorney, addressed the Board regarding the requirement of license numbers on the envelope of bids over $50,000.  Mr. Magee stated that according to the relevant statute, the bid from Miss-Lou Electric could be opened because reference is made on the envelope to R.S. 37:2163 (A) 2; however, the bid can be read aloud only if the amount is under $50,000.  The following bids were opened:

 

STADIUM LIGHTS

 

VENDOR

      FHS

      VHS

Miss-Lou Electric Service

$ 49,995

$ 49,995

Olsen Electric Company

$ 53,900

$ 54,100

WYE Electric Inc

$ 55,752

$ 55,275

 

 

It was moved by Mr. Grantham, seconded by Mr. Williams, and carried unanimously to award the bid to the lowest qualified bidder pending a review of the bids.

 

It was moved by Mr. Partridge, seconded by Mr. Raven and carried to adjourn at 8:35 p.m.

 

 

____________________________                                        ____________________________

James E. Lee, Superintendent                                                   Ernest Lynn White, President