January 15, 2002
THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION, JANUARY 15, 2002, AT, 5:00 P.M., AT 201 BELVIEW ROAD, LEESVILLE, LA. PRESIDENT REESE CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ON ROLL CALL THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS WERE PRESENT:
KIM REESE, PRESIDENT
WILLIS A. FARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT
ALVIN C. DOWDEN, JR.
PHILIP L. GUNN
B.R. HARVEY
M. GENE HAYMON
JANE HOLTON
C.A. HUGHES
GAYE MCKEE
MURPHY O'BANION
TED PARIS
W.W. PARKER
MARK SMITH
LINDA WEST
BETTY WESTERCHIL
LORETTA NALE (FOR COL. SITTNICK)
There was also present Dr. Cynthia Gillespie, Secretary of the Board.
The meeting was opened in prayer by Murphy O'Banion.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by B.R. Harvey.
On motion of W.W. Parker, seconded by Mark Smith, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of January 10, 2002.
On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board to approve the attached sabbatical leave request.
ATTACHED
On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Jane Holton, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to approve the attached employee transfer.
ATTACHED
Superintendent Gillespie called the Board's attention to a copy of a memorandum from the Secretary of State's office which stated a March 1, 2002 deadline for the adoption of a reapportionment plan. She explained that a proposed plan would need to be on the first or second board meeting agenda in February and that a special meeting would need to be called to vote on a final plan.
Following discussion regarding preferences for either a 12 or 9 member board, a motion was made by Philip Gunn, seconded by Willis Farris, for a 12 member board. A roll call vote was taken with the results as follows:
YEA NAY
Alvin C. Dowden, Jr. X
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 A. Farris X
Murphy O'Banion X
B.R. Harvey X
Philip L. Gunn X
Gaye McKee X
By a vote of 9-6, the motion for a 12 member board passed.
Alvin C. Dowden made a motion, seconded by Mark Smith to request that a plan for an at large district be drawn up for Leesville.
B.R. Harvey made a motion to amend Mr. Dowden=s motion to request a plan for 6 rural members, 5 at large members and 1 minority member.
Mr. Dowden withdrew his motion.
On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to approve the following resolution regarding the Administrative Outreach Program:
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the school districts of Louisiana are in need of additional funding in order to provide education of quality to their students; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and the Louisiana School Boards Association have joined together to establish a program of Medicaid reimbursement entitled the Louisiana Administrative Outreach Project; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislature has created and passed legislation authorizing such a program through a single provider (Jefferson Parish) school district and directing the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals to work with that school district, a billing company and the Louisiana School Boards Association to develop a program that results in maximum allowable reimbursement and to begin in the shortest time practicable; and
WHEREAS, the school districts in Louisiana will realize millions of dollars in new revenue as reimbursement for administrative activities in which they are already engaged and thus will not require adding new program duties or staff through the Louisiana Administrative Outreach Project; and
WHEREAS, the host district and the Louisiana School Boards Association have contracted with Cost Management Services, Inc., an experienced and fully qualified billing company with significant experience in Medicaid reimbursement to provide billings and other services for which the company will be paid when school districts receive reimbursement; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is currently engaged in establishing the procedures for and parameters of the Medicaid reimbursement project in order that the billings may be submitted effective the second Federal quarter (January through March); and
WHEREAS, the overwhelming majority of school districts in Louisiana have previously indicated their support for and intent to join the project; and
WHEREAS, districts must be formally enrolled in the project through an interagency agreement with the host district to participate in the billing; and
WHEREAS, the host district, Cost Management Services, Inc. and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals are in the process of finalizing the contract language with which school districts enroll in the project; and
WHEREAS, time is of the essence and school districts must enroll in the project prior to the end of the year to qualify for reimbursement for the second Federal quarter; now
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Vernon Parish School Board does hereby indicate that it will join the Louisiana Administrative Outreach Project, effective upon the signing of the interagency agreement with Jefferson Parish; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Vernon Parish School Board duly authorizes and directs the Superintendent to enter into the interagency agreement with Jefferson Parish on its behalf immediately upon receipt of such document.
On motion of Willis Farris, seconded by Murphy O'Banion, the Board voted to grant the low bid of $68,700.00, for an activity bus at Evans High School, to Twin State Trucks.
On motion of Ted Paris, seconded by Philip Gunn, the Board voted to proceed with plans for a bond election for Ward I schools to be placed on the May 4th ballot.
In other business, Ted Paris made a motion, seconded by Jane Holton to remove from the table an issue regarding the reduction of board member salary from $800.00 to $500.00 per month, which was tabled September 11, 2001. A roll call vote was taken with results as follows:
YEA NAY
Alvin C. Dowden, Jr. X
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 A. Farris X
Murphy O'Banion X
B.R. Harvey X
Philip L. Gunn X
Gaye McKee X
By a vote of 9-6 the motion did not pass because of a requirement calling for a 2/3 vote to remove an issue from the table and the board members' salary will remain at $800.00 per month.
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 wish to express their heartfelt sympathies to the family of Mrs. Bertha Owers, retired cook at Anacoco High School; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Owers was a lifelong resident of the Anacoco area and she will be sadly missed by her family and friends; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. Owers' family at this time of sorrow.
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 wish to express their heartfelt sympathies to Mrs. Kathy Chance, teacher at Hornbeck Elementary School, in the recent death of her father, Mr. William Ance Ellzey, of Florien; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Ellzey was a longtime and well-known resident of the Florien/Plainview community and he will be sadly missed by family and friends; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. Chance, along with its sincere condolences to her 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 takes this means to express their heartfelt condolences to the family of Mrs. Garland Thomas, of Ferriday, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Thomas was the grandmother of Mr. James Britt, assistant principal at Pitkin 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 Mr. Britt, along with its sincere sympathies to 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 Vernon Parish School Board wishes to convey its deepest sympathies to the family of Mrs. Dorothy Hussong, of Elizabeth, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Hussong was the grandmother-in-law of Mrs. Janine Hussong, teacher at Pitkin Elementary School, and she will be sadly missed by her family and friends; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the members of the Board requests that a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. Hussong's 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 members of the Vernon Parish School Board wish to express their heartfelt condolences to the family of Mr. William F. "Jop" Joplin, of DeRidder, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Joplin was the father-in-law of Mrs. Terry Joplin, teacher at Rosepine Elementary School, at 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. Joplin, along with its sympathies to the entire family, at this time of sorrow.
On motion of Murphy O'Banion, seconded by Philip Gunn, the Board voted to authorize the president and secretary to pay the claims.
There being no further business, on motion of Gaye McKee seconded by the Board the meeting was adjourned.
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KIM REESE, BOARD PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
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DR. CYNTHIA GILLESPIE, SUPERINTENDEN