December 7, 2000

 

THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION, DECEMBER 7, 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

ALVIN C. DOWDEN, JR.

WILLIS FARRIS

M. GENE HAYMON

TED PARIS

GAYE MCKEE

KIM REESE

MARK SMITH

MURPHY O'BANION

PHILIP GUNN

 

ABSENT:               C.A. HUGHES, ILLNESS

                                BETTY WESTERCHIL, PROFESSIONAL

                                JANE HOLTON, FAMILY ILLNESS

                                W.W. PARKER, ILLNESS

                                COL. THOMAS SITTNICK

 

There was also present Richard Schwartz, Secretary of the Board.

 

The meeting was opened in prayer by Philip Gunn.

 

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Gene Haymon.

 

On motion of Philip Gunn, seconded by B.R. Harvey, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of November 6, 2000.

 

On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Ted Paris, seconded by Kim Reese, the Board voted to approve the attached list of employee resignations.

ATTACHMENT

 

On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Murphy O'Banion, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to approve the attached list of sabbatical leave requests.

ATTACHMENT

 

On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Gene Haymon, seconded by Murphy O'Banion, the Board voted to approve that attached request for a leave without pay.

ATTACHMENT

 

On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to approve the attached request to rescind a sabbatical leave.

ATTACHMENT

 

On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by Ted Paris, the Board voted to approve the attached list of employee transfers.

ATTACHMENT

 

On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of A.C. Dowden, seconded by Kim Reese, the Board voted to approve the attached list of new employees.

ATTACHMENT

 

Mr. Curtis Clay recognized Coach John Driscoll and the Leesville Jr. High School eighth grade football team for their unbeaten 2000 season. A plaque of appreciation was presented to Coach Driscoll and each team member received a Superintendent's Certificate of Achievement for the accomplishment.

 

Mrs. Ramona Bennett, assistant principal at East Leesville Elementary School gave an interesting and informative presentation on the school's implementation of programs which are being funded by the Rapides Grant Foundation.

 

On motion of Murphy O'Banion, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following resolution:

 

R E S O L U T I O N

 

WHEREAS, teacher salaries in Louisiana have long fallen short of the SREB average, and

WHEREAS, exploring methods to secure the funding necessary to raise teacher salaries to this regional average was a major objective of the School Finance Commission, which was appointed by the governor and comprised of members of the Louisiana Legislature, the business community, and educational groups at all levels, and

WHEREAS, the Minimum Foundation Program Formula presented by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to the Louisiana Legislature for school year 2000-2001 originally incorporated the School Finance Commission's recommendation to increase teacher salaries, and

WHEREAS, although the MFP finally adopted by the Louisiana Legislature for the 2000-2001 school year provided full funding for the first time, it did not include additional money for teacher salaries, and

WHEREAS, the proposed constitutional amendments which would have provided additional state revenue designated to provide pay raises for K-12 and post-secondary teaching personnel failed to gain voter approval on November 7, 2000, and

WHEREAS, legislation has been introduced in recent legislative sessions to fund salary increases for elementary and secondary school personnel by redirecting dollars from within the MFP, and

WHEREAS, redirecting existing MFP monies to fund teacher pay raises would seriously strain local resources in many parishes, catastrophically for some, and

WHEREAS, a well qualified, adequately compensated teaching corps is absolutely essential to providing a quality education to our children thereby fulfilling our educational mission,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Vernon Parish School Board, hereby urgently requests the Louisiana Legislature to preserve the MFP as structured by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and to refrain from redirecting funds within the MFP to fund teacher salary increases.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Vernon Parish School Board does hereby implore Governor Foster and the Louisiana Legislature to actively pursue al funding possibilities and provide the additional funds needed to raise teacher salaries to the SREB average.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to Governor Murphy J. "Mike" Foster, III, members of the Louisiana Legislature, and the members of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

 

On motion of Philip Gunn, seconded by Gene Haymon, the Board voted to enter into executive session to discuss personnel and possible litigation involving a Vernon Parish sales tax matter. The time was recorded at 10:35 a.m.

 

On motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by Philip Gunn, the Board voted to come out of executive session and resume order at 10:55 a.m.

 

Gene Haymon reported that the District 1/6 Committee met in its regularly scheduled meeting at 8:00 a.m. to take of District 1/6 business. He announced that the Committee had scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, December 12th at 2:00 p.m. to discuss restructuring East and West Leesville Elementary Schools.

 

On recommendation of the District 1/6 Committee, motion was made by Gene Haymon, seconded by Philip Gunn, to extend the school uniform policy to include Leesville High School at the beginning of the 2001-02 school year.

 

A request was made by Murphy O'Banion to also include Pickering Elementary and Pickering High School in the school uniform policy.

 

On motion of Gene Haymon, seconded by Philip Gunn, the Board voted to extend the Vernon Parish school uniform policy to include Leesville High School, Pickering Elementary School and Pickering High School effective at the beginning of the 2001-02 school year.

 

On motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by Murphy O'Banion, the Board voted to receive bids on used student desks and chairs at Anacoco Elementary School. No bids were received.

 

On motion of A.C. Dowden, seconded by Ted Paris, the Board voted to authorize Bill Endris to have the used student desks and chairs refurbished for future use by the school system.

 

On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to receive bids on a used scoreboard at Rosepine Elementary School. The one bid received was submitted by Mr. Dale Peterson in the amount of $100.00.

 

On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Murphy O'Banion, the Board voted to award the bid to Mr. Dale Peterson.

 

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 wishes to express its sincere sincere condolences to the family of Mrs. Susie Kenebrew, of Leesville, who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Kenebrew, a longtime resident of Leesville, was the mother of Mr. Edward Kenebrew, bus operator at East Leesville Elementary School, and she will be sadly missed;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board does, hereby, adopt this memorial resolution and requests that a copy be sent to Mr. Kenebrew and his entire family at this time of sorrow.

 

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 wish to express their heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Phoebe Clemons, office aide at Pickering Elementary School in the recent death of her mother, Mrs. Dorothy Cupit; and

WHEREAS, was a longtime resident of the Leesville area and she will be sadly missed by her family and friends;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. Clemons and her family at this time of sorrow.

 

On motion of Mark Smith, 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 express its sincere condolences to the family of Mrs. Alice Miller, of Leesville, who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Miller was the mother of Ms. Dianne Spear, teacher's aide at Leesville High School, and the mother-in-law of Mr. Marvin Rush, teacher at Leesville High School;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board request that a copy of this memorial be sent to Ms. Spear and Mr. Rush at this time of bereavement.

 

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 condolences to the family of Mr. Mike McDonald, of Pitkin, who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald was the uncle of Mrs. Sandra Whitlock, supervisor of instruction at the central office, and also the uncle of Mrs. Eleanor Rae Strother, central office secretary; and

WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald was a lifelong resident of Pitkin 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 Mrs. Whitlock and Mrs. Strother, and to their 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 were deeply saddened by the recent untimely death of Zachary "Zack" Johnson, grandson of Mrs. Nola Faye Johnson, bus operator at Pitkin School; and             

WHEREAS, Zack was a second grade student at Anacoco Elementary School and he will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by his family, his classmates and friends, and the faculty and staff at Anacoco Elementary School;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution, along with its heartfelt sympathies, be sent to Ms. Johnson and her entire family at this time of sorrow.

               

There being no further business, on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by the Board, the meeting was adjourned.

____________________________________

LINDA WEST, PRESIDENT

 

ATTEST:

_______________________________________

RICHARD SCHWARTZ, SUPERINTENDENT