July 6, 2000
THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION, JULY 6, 2000, AT 10:00 A.M.., AT 201 BELVIEW ROAD, LEESVILLE, LA. PRESIDENT WEST CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ON ROLL CALL THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS WERE PRESENT:
LINDA WEST, PRESIDENT
B.R. HARVEY, VICE PRESIDENT
WILLIS FARRIS
M. GENE HAYMON
JANE HOLTON
C.A. HUGHES
TED PARIS
W.W. PARKER
GAYE MCKEE
KIM REESE
MARK SMITH
BETTY WESTERCHIL
MURPHY O'BANION
PHILIP GUNN
COL. THOMAS SITTNICK
ABSENT:A.C. DOWDEN, JR., OUT-OF-TOWN
There was also present Richard Schwartz, Secretary of the Board.
The meeting was opened in prayer by Willis Farris.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Murphy O'Banion.
On motion of W.W. Parker, seconded by Mark Smith, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of June 20, 2000.
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to approve the attached list of employee resignations.
ATTACHED
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Betty Westerchil, seconded by Kim Reese, the Board voted to approve the attached list of sabbatical leave requests.
ATTACHED
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Ted Paris, seconded by Jane Holton, the Board voted to approve the attached requests to rescind resignations.
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Gene Haymon, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to approve the attached list of employee transfers.
ATTACHED
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of W.W. Parker, seconded by Philip Gunn, the Board voted to approve the attached list of new employees.
ATTACHED
On motion of Murphy O'Banion, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to advertise for an additional assistant principal at Pickering Elementary School. Betty Westerchil and Ted Paris opposed.
William Thomas, track coach at Leesville High School, recognized Board Member Philip Gunn who was the recipient of the Region I 4AAAA Track Champions Distinguished Service Award.
Dr. Cindy Gillespie reviewed the proposed changes for the 2000-2001 Pupil Progression Plan.
On motion of Willis Farris, seconded by Philip Gunn, the Board voted to approve the 2000 Pupil Progression Plan.
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Gene Haymon, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board, by roll call vote, named Ann Smith as assistant principal at South Polk Elementary School. The result of the roll call vote follows:
YEA NAY
ALVIN C. DOWDEN, JR. ABSENT
M. GENE HAYMON X
JANE HOLTON X
C.A. HUGHES X
TED PARIS X
KIM REESE X
LINDA WEST X
BETTY WESTERCHIL X
MARK SMITH X
W.W. PARKER X
WILLIS FARRIS X
MURPHY O'BANION X
B.R. HARVEY X
PHILIP GUNN X
GAYE MCKEE X
By a vote of 9-5, Ann Smith was named assistant principal at South Polk Elementary School.
On motion of Murphy O'Banion, seconded by W.W. Parker, the Board voted to open bids for milk and juice for the parish schools for the 2000-2001 school year. Bids received as follows:
WHOLE LOWFAT
BIDDER MILK CHOCOLATE LOWFAT JUICE
Foremost Dairy $.2079 $.2079 $.0279 $.164
Borden Milk Products $.2340 $.2340 $.2340 No bid
On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Ted Paris the Board voted to award the low bid to Foremost Dairy.
On motion of Philip Gunn, seconded by Murphy O'Banion, the Board voted to open bids for bread for the parish schools for the 2000-2001 school year. Bids received are as follows:
HAMBURGER HOTDOG
BIDDER BREAD BUNS BUNS
Flowers Evangeline Maid Bread $1.12 $1.25 $1.25
Cotton's Holsum Baking Co. $ .89 $1.15 $1.15
On motion of Murphy O'Banion, seconded by C.A. Willis Farris, the Board voted to award the low bid to Cotton's Holsum Baking Company.
On motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by Murphy O'Banion, the Board voted to open bids to lease Pitkin School property for oil and gas exploration. Chesapeake submitted the only bid received for $100 per acre the first year and $50.00 per acre for the second and third years.
On motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to take the bid to lease the Pitkin School property for oil and gas exploration under advisement.
On motion of C.A. Hughes, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to open bids for an activity bus at Leesville High School. Bids received are as follows.
BIDDER BID
Kent Mitchell Bus Sales $78,340.00 (72 passenger)
Ross Bus Sales $72,902.80 (84 passenger)
On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Gene Haymon, the Board voted to take the bids for an activity bus at Leesville High School under advisement.
Don Gallemore discussed the limitations of the present telephone system in the central office and recommended that it be replaced with a modern system.
On motion of Willis Farris, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to advertise for bids to purchase new telephone equipment at the central office.
On motion of Murphy O'Banion, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to re-advertise for bids for a portable building at Pickering Elementary School.
In other business, John Norris, Insurance Consultant addressed the Board regarding property and liability insurance. He explained that the coverage renewal date will be August 1, 2000. He further explained that the company which currently provides our property and liability insurance, Scottsdale, no longer provides coverage in Louisiana and recommended that the Board approve the August 1, 2000 renewal through Morris Insurance.
Motion was made by Mark Smith, chairperson of the Insurance Committee, to approve renewal of insurance coverage with Morris Insurance Company and authorize Morris Insurance to secure property and liability insurance for the Board. Mr. Smith recommended that in the future the Board be given more time to study the program before making a decision on coverage.
Mark Smith withdrew his original motion regarding insurance coverage and announced a meeting of the Insurance Committee for Thursday, June 20th, at 9:00 a.m. John Norris will attend the meeting to discuss information concerning the Board's insurance program.
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Gene Haymon, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board, by roll call vote, approved the transfer of Kevin Dowdle, assistant principal at Vernon Middle School to assistant principal at South Polk Elementary School and the transfer of Ann Smith, assistant principal at South Polk Elementary School to assistant principal at Vernon Middle School. The result of the roll call vote follows:
YEA NAY
Alvin C. Dowden, Jr. Absent
M. Gene Haymon X
Jane Holton X
C.A. Hughes X
Ted Paris X
Kim Reese X
Linda West X
Betty Westerchil X
Mark Smith X
W.W. Parker X
Willis Farris X
Murphy O'Banion X
B.R. Harvey X
Philip Gunn X
Gaye McKee X
By the vote of 11-3, the motion to transfer Kevin Dowdle and Ann Smith passed.
Superintendent Schwartz announced the following scheduled committee meetings: the Salary Committee will meet Thursday, July 20th, at 8:30 a.m. and the Insurance Committee meeting will follow at 9:00 a.m.
On motion of Murphy O'Banion, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the members of the Vernon Parish School Board were deeply saddened by the untimely death of John Eric Littleton, a 1998 graduate of Pickering High School; and
WHEREAS, Eric was the son of Mrs. Cathy Littleton, teacher's aide at Pickering Elementary School, the grandson of Rev. John Littleton, retired Vernon Parish teacher and Mrs. Faye Littleton, cafeteria employee at Pickering Elementary School. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution be sent, along with its heartfelt sympathies, to Mr. and Mrs. John Gary Littleton and the entire family at this time of sorrow.
On motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by the Board the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the members of the Vernon Parish School Board wish to express their heartfelt sympathies to the family of Mr. Ronald C. Perkins, of Pitkin, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Perkins was the brother of Mr. Michael Perkins, retired Director of Child Welfare at the central office and the brother-in-law of Mrs. Jan Perkins, educational diagnostician at the Vernon Parish Special Education Department; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Perkins was a lifelong resident of the Pitkin area and he will be sadly missed by his family and friends;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Michael and Jan Perkins and the entire family is time of bereavement.
On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the members of the Vernon Parish School wish to express their sincere condolences to Mrs. Margaruite Smith, retired teacher at Rosepine Elementary School, in the recent death of her husband, Mr.Chester M. Smith, of Rosepine; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Smith was a longtime resident of Rosepine and a great supporter of this school system and he will be sadly missed by his family and friends;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board does, hereby, adopt this memorial resolution and requests that a copy be sent to Mrs. Smith and her family at this time of bereavement.
On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board wishes to express its heartfelt sympathies to the family of Mrs. Mollie Calcote, retired cafeteria employee at Rosepine Elementary School, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Calcote was the grandmother of Ms. Darlene Maricle, cafeteria employee at Rosepine Elementary School and Mrs. Tammy Aycock, teacher at Rosepine Elementary School;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board does, hereby, adopt this memorial resolution and requests that a copy be sent to the family at this time of sorrow.
On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board takes this means to express its condolences to the family of Mr. Dallas Owen Thompson, of Rosepine, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Thompson was the father of Mr. Brent Thompson, retired bus operator at Rosepine High School, the father-in-law of Mrs Bobbie J. Thompson, teacher at Rosepine Elementary School, and the grandfather-in-law of Mrs. Karen Thompson, teacher's aide at Rosepine Elementary School;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board does, hereby, adopt this memorial resolution and requests that a copy be sent to the family at this time of sorrow.
On motion of Philip Gunn, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board was deeply saddened by the recent death of Mrs. Maggie Freeman, retired Vernon Parish teacher and lifelong resident of Leesville; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Freeman devoted forty-two years to teaching children and she will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by her family, friends, and former students whose lives she influenced;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board does, hereby, adopt this memorial resolution and requests that a copy be sent to the family members at this time of bereavement.
There being no further business, on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by the Board, the meeting was adjourned.
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LINDA WEST, PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
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RICHARD SCHWARTZ, SUPERINTENDENT