November 1, 2001
THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION, NOVEMBER 1, 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
JANE HOLTON
C.A. HUGHES
GAYE MCKEE
MURPHY O’BANION
W.W. PARKER
TED PARIS
MARK SMITH
BETTY WESTERCHIL
LORETTA NALE
ABSENT: M. GENE HAYMON, OUT-OF-TOWN
LINDA WEST, OUT-OF-TOWN
There was also present Richard Schwartz, Secretary of the Board.
The meeting was opened in prayer by Jane Holton.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Betty Westerchil.
On motion of W.W. Parker, seconded by Mark Smith, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of October 9, 2001.
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 employee resignations.
ATTACHMENT
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Jane Holton, the Board voted to approve the attached sabbatical leave request.
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On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Kim Reese, secondedby Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to approve the attached requests for leave without pay.
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On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of C.A. Hughes, seconded by Ted Paris, the Board voted to approve the attached list of employee transfers.
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On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by W.W. Parker, the Board voted to approve the attached list of new employees.
ATTACHMENT
Mr. Glen Keopp, of Redistricting, L.L.C., discussed reapportionment and made available maps of plans for 9, 10, 11 or 12 board members. A decision on the number of board members must be made and a reapportionment plan submitted to the Justice Department by March, 2002.
Dr. Cindy Gillespie presented changes in Vernon Parish’s Test Security Policy for approval and on motion of Willis Farris, seconded by Kim Reese, the Board voted to approve the policy as presented.
W.W. Parker reported that the Transportation and Finance Committees held a joint meeting on Monday, October 29th for the purpose of discussing a fuel supplement for bus drivers. Following a review of the budget, the Transportation Committee voted to delay making any decision regarding a fuel adjustment at this time and to re-visit the issue at the end of January, 2002
Kim Reese reported the District 1/6 held its monthly meeting at 9:00 a.m. prior the board meeting and had nothing to bring before the Board at this time.
On motion of A.C. Dowden, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to open bids on the Simpson School renovations. The bids received are as follows:
BIDDER BASE BID ALT. #1
PAT WILLIAMS (LA LIC.#21023) $348,000.00 $25,000.00
PRIOLA (LA LIC. #16174) $459,000.00 $42,000.00
WESTERCHIL (LA LIC. #10) $373,100.00 $34,625.00
On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Alvin C. Dowden, the Board voted to take the bids under advisement.
On motion of Alvin C. Dowden, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to approve a resolution authorizing the advertising for sealed bids for the purchase of not exceeding $450,000.00 of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2002, of Ward Six Wardwide School District No. 161 of the Parish of Vernon, Louisiana, and providing for other matters in connection therewith.
ATTACHED
On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to change the November 6th board meeting date to November 13th at 5:00 p.m.
In other business, Dottie Neugebauer, Director of Special Education, discussed a requirement for school speech therapists to be licensed by the State Licensure Board in addition to Louisiana State Department of Education’s teacher certification requirement.
On motion of Willis Farris, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following resolution to be sent to Governor Mike Foster requesting that the licensing by the State Licensure Board requirement be eliminated for school speech therapists and that they only be required teacher certification.
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board feels that since school speech therapists are considered teachers and are paid as teachers they should be accountable only to the Department of Education for their certification to work in the public school systems of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board does not feel that theLouisiana Speech Pathology and Audiology Board of Examiners is sensitive to the needs of public education in our parish or state and that licensing should be required only for those who wish to practice privately or in the clinical setting; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Speech Pathology and Audiology Board of Examiners has denied licensure for two speech therapists in our parish during the last six months; and
WHEREAS, we feel in both cases the therapists were treated unfairly and not given proper due process, nor was the Vernon Parish School Board notified of either of these situations; and
WHEREAS, both of the therapists who the Board of Examiners refused to license are certified and have worked as school speech therapist in other states; and
WHEREAS, one has worked in Tennessee as a school speech therapist but cannot work in our state. The second therapist worked in Mississippi before coming to Louisiana and for the past three years she has been licensed, certified and working in our parish. Recently, she was notified that the documentation showing her required supervision was not correct so she could no longer work as a speech therapist in our state, a discrepancy of which no one in our system had been made aware in the three years she has been employed; and
WHEREAS, because of the Louisiana Speech Pathology and Audiology Board of Examiner’s allegation of inadequate supervision the coordinator of Speech/Language Therapy in our parish has been subjected to an investigation by the board and threatened with severe sanctions. The lady has been providing speech therapy in our schools for 30 years and is highly respected by her peers and Department of Education Personnel; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Vernon Parish School Board is asking Governor Mike Foster to consider allowing the Louisiana Department of Education to take full responsibility for certification of school speech therapist thus eliminating the need for these therapists to go through the Louisiana Speech Pathology and Audiology Board of Examiners before they can be certified by the State Department of Education to practice as a school speech therapist.
On motion of A.C. Dowden, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the followingmemorial 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 death of Mrs. Ann Cavanaugh, teacher at Simpson High School; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Cavanaugh, a dedicated and loyal teacher, was loved and will be sadly missed by her family and the administration, faculty, staff and students at Simpson High School; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution be sent, along with its heartfelt condolences, to Mr. Eugene Cavanaugh and his sons, Jim and Jake 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 members of the Vernon Parish School Board wish to express their heartfelt condolences to the family of Mrs. Valrie Sumney, of Leesville, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Sumney was a lifelong resident of Leesville and the mother Mrs. Linda Hagan, teacher’s aide at Leesville High School, and 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. Hagan and her family at this time of sorrow.
On motion of Jane Holton, 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 sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Jim Scogin, of Leesville; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Scogin, a lifelong resident of Leesville, was the father ofMrs. Julie Young, former teacher at West Leesville Preschool Center; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Scogin was a well-known businessman 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 Mr. Scogin’s family at this time of sorrow.
On motion of Betty Westerchil, 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 that heartfelt condolences to the family of Mrs. Flo Howard, of Leesville, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Howard was a retired Vernon Parish educator having taught at East Leesville and West Leesville Elementary Schools. She will be fondly remembered and sadly missed by her family, friends and former students; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. Howard’s 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 Mrs. Sandra Whitlock, supervisor at the central office, in the recent death of her mother, Mrs. Janice McDonald, of Pitkin; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. McDonald was a retired teacher at Pitkin Elementary School and she will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by her family, friends and former students at Pitkin School; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. Whitlock and her 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 members of the Vernon Parish School Board wish to express their sincere condolences to the family of Mrs. Agnes McKee Perkins, of Rosepine, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Perkins was a lifelong resident of Rosepine and the grandmother of Mrs. Lavena McDade, bus driver at Rosepine High School. She will be sadly missed by her family and friends; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests a copy of this memorial be sent to Mrs. McDade and her family at this time of sorrow.
On motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following resolution:
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the members of the Vernon Parish School Board proudly congratulate Mr. Richard Reese upon being inducted into the Louisiana High School Athletic Association/Louisiana High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Reese’s athletic talents were first manifested as a student at Leesville High School where he was an outstanding athlete and was voted the Class 2A Most Valuable Player in 1961; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Reese was voted district coach of the year four times and coached teams to the quarter-finals five times; and
WHEREAS, as an administrator Mr. Reese served on the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s executive committee from 1980-84 and was vice-president for two years; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board adopts this resolution of congratulations and of gratitude to Mr. Richard Reese for his dedication and for his many contributions to the students and athletic programs of Vernon Parish and our state.
On motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following resolution:
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the members of the Vernon Parish School Board proudly congratulate Mrs. Quita Antony upon being inducted into the Louisiana High School Athletic Association/Louisiana High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Antony coached sixteen years at Pitkin High School during which time her teams won eleven district titles, made seven Sweet Sixteen appearances and won Class B state titles in 1982, 1986, and 1988; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Antony’s team was undefeated in the 1992 season and finished as the Class B runner-up; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board adopts this resolution of congratulations and of gratitude to Mrs. Quita Antony for her dedication and for her many contributions to the students and athletic programs of Vernon Parish and our state.
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
November 1, 2001