September 5, 2002

THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION, SEPTEMBER 5, 2002, AT 10:00 A.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 FARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT

PHILIP GUNN

M. GENE HAYMON

B.R. HARVEY

JANE HOLTON

C.A. HUGHES

GAYE MCKEE

MURPHY O'BANION

W.W. PARKER

TED PARIS

MARK SMITH

LINDA WEST

BETTY WESTERCHIL

COL. MARK ROCKE

ABSENT:               ALVIN C. DOWDEN, JR.

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 Gaye McKee.

On motion of Philip Gunn, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of August 6, 2002.

On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Ted Paris, seconded by W.W. Parker, the Board voted to approve the attached list of employee resignations.

ATTACHMENT

On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Jane Holton, the Board voted to approve the attached sabbatical leave request.

ATTACHMENT

On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of W.W. Parker, seconded by Linda West, the Board voted to approve the attached list of employee transfers.     

ATTACHMENT

On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Murphy O'Banion, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to approve the attached list of new employees.

ATTACHMENT

On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Jane Holton, the Board voted to approve employees not named in April but are now eligible to be named.

ATTACHMENT

Vickie Wilson, counselor at Vernon Middle School, gave a presentation on Transition Counselors Institute. The program is designed to enlighten school personnel on problems the military dependent student may encounter with transition from one school district to another.

On motion of Philip Gunn, seconded by Mark Smith to authorize Bill Endris, Linda Cryer and Tim Ward to access all Vernon Parish School Board accounts at Sabine Bank and Trust through the Internet. No one will be allowed to do electronic transfers. 

On motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to adopt the following resolution regarding the MFP Formula for distributing State funds:

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, in 1992 BESE and the Legislature adopted a new MFP Formula for distributing State funds to local school systems; and

WHEREAS, the new formula, based on number of students, and relative wealth of the sixty-six local school systems, was a great improvement over the prior one, and allotted additional State funds to Vernon and other systems with a low tax base and a high local tax effort; and

WHEREAS, even though the wealthier systems continued to be funded at higher levels than their formula allotments, the DOE's measure of "equity" showed a slow, continuous improvement until a couple of years ago when BESE and the Legislature began distributing salary increases to teachers and support workers in direct contravention of the formula precepts; and

WHEREAS, last year the State created a special class for the eleven wealthiest systems, to be funded indefinitely, at a collective level of $85,000,000 above their future formula allotments, no matter what factors may change, and that no other system would be entitled to such treatment; and

WHEREAS, the Constitution mandates that the formula shall be used to determine the cost of a minimum program of education in each system and it is manifest that the cost of facilities are an indispensable part of such cost; to date those costs are ignored in the formula, thus making it much more difficult to build a given facility by a poor system than a wealthy one, and at the same time placing a much greater tax burden on the tax payers of the poor systems; and

WHEREAS, there is no requirement that each system contribute its share of level one costs; and

WHEREAS, this Board is aware that the Governor created a Commission, composed of Legislators, BESE members, and others to review and recommend necessary changes in the MFP Formula in early 2001;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Vernon Parish School Board that we do hereby notify the Governor, the Legislature, and BESE that we believe two years gives more than sufficient time to correct the inequities that are clearly evident by examining DOE's budget letters of 2001 and 2002.

On motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by Murphy O'Banion, the Board voted to adopt the following resolution concerning TOPS.

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board welcomes the opportunity to serve the dependents of the service men and women stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana; and,

WHEREAS, this Board has the responsibility of providing the best possible educational opportunities and for preparing and equipping all students, civilian and military, who are enrolled in our schools, with the background needed for entering a program of higher education; and,

WHEREAS, the Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program for Students makes a college education financially possible for many of our high achieving students; and,  

WHEREAS, the requirement that a legal change in residence must be made within 60 days of arrival makes it difficult for many of our parents to make informed decisions about the change of residence; now

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Vernon Parish School Board requests that the date to change the legal residence requirement be changed from 60 days to 6 months thus allowing more students to take advantage of the program.

On motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to open bids on one acre of land, Assessment #810 915 1504. The following bids were received:

BIDDER                                                                   BID

James Welch                                                         $801.00

James Busby                                                         $750.00

On motion of B.R. Harvey, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to award the high bid, in the amount of $801.00, to James Welch. 

Mark Smith reported that the Finance Committee had held a public hearing on the 2002-2003 budget on September 5, at 8:30 a.m. Mr. Endris, Director of Finance had provided copies of the attached budget proposal for Board approval.

Mr. Endris, Director of Finance, read to the Board the attached budget resolution for the Board's approval and adoption:

ATTACHMENT

On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Philip Gunn, the Board voted to adopt the 2002-03 budget as presented by Mr. Endris.

Mr. Smith reported that the District 1/6 Committee had heard a presentation on energy management by Tom Van Deventer. Mr. Van Deventer then presented to the Board information concerning an energy management system which is designed to improve efficiency and save energy costs.

On motion of Ted Paris, seconded by Mark Smith, the Board voted to appoint Superintendent Gillespie, Bill Endris, Tom Neubert and Ricky Kay to a committee to gather information and further study the energy management program.

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 heartfelt sympathies to the family of Mrs. Vina Blackmon, retired cafeteria manager at Evans School and the mother-in-law of Mr. Ted Cabra, retired supervisor at the central office; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Blackmon was a loyal and dedicated employee 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. and Mrs. Cabra, along with its condolences to the entire family, at this time of sorrow.

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 heartfelt sympathies to Mrs. Charleen Haymon, retired custodian at Evans High School, in the recent death of her husband, Mr. Jack Haymon, of Leesville; and         

                WHEREAS, Mr. Haymon, a lifelong and well-known resident of Vernon Parish, was the brother of Mrs. Faye Littleton, cook at Pickering Elementary School, and 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. Haymon, along with its sincere condolences to the entire family, at this time of sorrow.

On motion joint motion of Murphy O'Banion and 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 express its heartfelt condolences to the family of Mr. Huel Johnson, retired bus driver at Pickering High School, who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson, a native and lifelong resident of Vernon Parish, was well-known and beloved by many and 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 Mr. Johnson's 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. Ernestine Pelt Haymon, of Rosepine, who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Haymon was the wife of Mr. Norman Haymon, retired bus operator at Rosepine High School. She was a longtime resident of the Rosepine area 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. Haymon and his 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 deepest sympathies to the family of Mrs. Yvonne Robertson, of Slagle, who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Robertson was the mother of Mrs. Teresa Chelette, teacher at Simpson High School and Mrs. Toni Snider, teacher at Pickering High School, the sister of Mrs. Leona Wedgeworth, teacher at Anacoco High School and the sister-in-law of Mr. Willis Farris, District III board member; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Robertson was a lifelong resident of the Leesville area 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. Chelette , Mrs. Snider 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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KIM REESE, PRESIDENT

ATTEST:

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DR. CYNTHIA GILLESPIE, SUPERINTENDENT