July 5, 2001
THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION, JULY 5, 2001, AT 10:00 A.M., AT 201 BELVIEW ROAD, LEESVILLE, LA. PRESIDENT HARVEY CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ON ROLL CALL THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS WERE PRESENT:
B.R. HARVEY, PRESIDENT
KIM REESE, VICE PRESIDENT
ALVIN C. DOWDEN, JR.
WILLIS FARRIS
PHILIP GUNN
M. GENE HAYMON
JANE HOLTON
C.A. HUGHES
GAYE MCKEE
MURPHY O’BANION
W.W. PARKER
TED PARIS
LINDA WEST
BETTY WESTERCHIL
COL. THOMAS SITTNICK
ABSENT: MARK SMITH, OUT-OF-TOWN
There was also present Richard Schwartz, Secretary of the Board.
The meeting was opened in prayer by Murphy O’Banion.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Gaye McKee.
On motion of Ted Paris, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of June 12, 2001.
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Murphy O’Banion, seconded by W.W. Parker, the Board voted to approve the attached list of employee resignations.
ATTACHMENT
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of W.W. Parker, seconded by Jane Holton, the Board voted to approve the attached list of sabbatical leave requests.
ATTACHMENT
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by W.W. Parker, the Board voted to approve the attached request to rescind a sabbatical leave.
ATTACHMENT
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Jane Holton, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to approve the attached leave without pay request.
ATTACHMENT
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Gene Haymon, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to approve the attached list of new employees.
ATTACHMENT
On motion of Willis Farris, seconded by Philip Gunn, the Board voted to approve the 2001-2002 Pupil Progression Plan.
On motion of Betty Westerchil, seconded by the Board, the Board approved the following resolution to join other school systems in a law suit to recover reduced State MFP funding.
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Article VIII, Sec. 13 (B) of the Louisiana Constitution provides that the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) shall annually develop a formula to determine the cost of a minimum foundation program (MFP) of education in all public elementary and secondary schools and requires the Louisiana Legislature to annually appropriate funds sufficient to fully fund the cost to the state of such a program, and
WHEREAS, State Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard has notified the State of Louisiana through the Commissioner of Administration that an additional appropriation of SEVENTEEN MILLION TWO HUNDRED TEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS ($17,210,600.00) is necessary to fully fund the MFP for fiscal year 2000-2001, and
WHEREAS, because of this failure on the part of the State of Louisiana, the State Superintendent of Education has been required to reduce the amount of MFP funds flowing to fifty-five (55) districts in Louisiana by amounts totaling SEVENTEEN MILLION TWO HUNDRED TEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS ($17,210,600.00), and
WHEREAS, those funds are vitally important for continuation of educational services to students and, in many instances, have already been budgeted and/or expended by school districts, and
WHEREAS, the issue of whether the State of Louisiana through the Commissioner of Administration can unilaterally reduce the level of funding provided by the state to school districts through application of the MFP is one of importance to all public school systems in Louisiana, and
NOW, BE IT DULY RESOLVED by the Vernon Parish School Board in regular session duly convened that:
1. The Vernon Parish School Board authorizes the special counsel listed below to name it as a party plaintiff in any litigation which may need to be filed against the State of Louisiana, Governor Mike Foster, Commissioner of Administration Mark Drennen or any other agency or individual with regard to the failure of the state to appropriate the SEVENTEEN MILLION TWO HUNDRED TEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS ($17,210,600.00) referenced above.
2. Subject to the approval of the Attorney General for the State of Louisiana, the Vernon Parish School Board employs and retains Mr. Frank Endom, Jr. of the Law Firm of Polack, Rosenberg, Endom, and Ries, L.L.P. and Mr. Fred Sutherland of the Law Firm of Beard and Sutherland to serve as special counsel to represent it and other school systems throughout the State of Louisiana in such litigation. The School Board agrees to reimburse such counsel in accordance with the rate structure approved by the Attorney General for special counsel with the understanding that such fees and any expenses of litigation will be equitably assessed and paid pursuant to a formula to be agreed upon by all of the school systems participating in such litigation.
On motion of Alvin C. Dowden, seconded by the Board, the Board approved a 2000-2001 budget amendment as presented by Bill Endris, Director of Finance.
On motion of Alvin C. Dowden, seconded by Linda West, the Board voted to approve the following proposals from the Finance and Salary Committees:
1. Raise the salary of all support personnel by $1,200.00
2. Teachers and administrators will receive an annual $600.00 increase. Funding for this increase will be generated by sabbatical leave and general fund savings. If sabbatical leave savings generate an excess amount, the excess will be distributed to classroom teachers.
3. Increase funding for textbooks
4. Reinstate the administrator’s index
5. Supplement food service to insure $100,000.00 budget balance
6. Instate a $2,000.00 supplement for all school counselors
7. Raise the index .1 (one tenth) for all central office support personnel who are on an index and have 20 years experience, and an additional .1 (one tenth) for those who have 25 years experience.
On motion of Murphy O’Banion, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to award the low bid, in the amount of $27,000.00, for an additional office building at the Special Education Department, to B & B Portable Buildings.
On motion of W.W. Parker, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to award the low bid, in the amount of $446,000.00, for Hornbeck School renovations, to Westerchil Construction. Betty Westerchil abstained.
On motion of W.W. Parker, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to request assistance from the Policy Jury to dig an oxidation pond at the Anacoco Schools.
On motion of Willis Farris, 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 deepest sympathies to Mrs. Cheryl Maricle, bus driver at Evans School, in the recent death of her husband, Mr. Billy Ray Maricle; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Maricle was a longtime resident of the Evans community at a great supporter of this school system. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board does hereby adopt this memorial resolution and requests that a copy be sent to Mrs. Maricle and her family at this time of sorrow.
On motion of Linda West, 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 Mrs. Lola Pruitt, of Vicksburg, Mississippi, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Pruitt was a native of Zwolle and the aunt of Mrs. Dottie Neugebauer, Director of Special Education, and she will be sadly missed by her family and friends; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board does hereby adopt this memorial resolution and requests that a copy be sent to Mrs. Neugebauer and her family at this time of bereavement.
On motion of W.W. Parker, 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 take this means to express their sincere condolences to Mrs. Clarine Martin, retired teacher at Anacoco Elementary School, in the recent death of her mother, Mrs. Retha Trapp, of Anacoco; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Trapp was a longtime resident of Anacoco and a great supporter of this school system. She will be sadly missed by her family and friends; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. Martin and her family and this time of sorrow.
On motion of Ted Paris, 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 condolences to Mrs. Lynn Dell Pynes, teacher at West Leesville Preschool, in the recent death of her mother, Mrs. Bernice Adams, of Leesville; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Adams was a well-known and very active member of the Leesville community and she will be sadly missed by her family and friends; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board does hereby adopt this memorial resolution and requests that a copy be sent to Mrs. Pynes and her family 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 Vernon Parish School Board takes this means to express its condolences to the family of Mr. Frank B. Brown, Jr., former resident of Pitkin, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brown was the brother-in-law of Mrs. Linda Thompson, custodian at Pitkin School; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board does hereby adopt this memorial resolution and requests that a copy be sent to Mrs. Thompson and the entire family 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 deepest sympathies to the family of Mr. Lavern Sweat, of Pitkin, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Sweat was the brother of Mrs. Carlene Johnson, cook, and Mrs. Mickey Cooley, teacher’s aide, at Pitkin School, and he will be sadly missed by his family and friends; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Cooley, and 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 wish to express their heartfelt sympathies to the family of Mrs. Pauline McCullough Johnson, native of Pitkin, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Johnson was the sister-in-law of Mr. Sybil McCullough, retired school nurse, and the aunt of Mrs. Kimberly Thompson, teacher at Pitkin School; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. McCullough and Mrs. Thompson, and the 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.
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B.R. HARVEY, PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
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RICHARD SCHWARTZ, SUPERINTENDENT
July 5, 2001