January 10, 2006

THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION, ON JANUARY 10, 2006, AT, 10:00 A.M. AT 201 BELVIEW ROAD, LEESVILLE, LA.  PRESIDENT PYNES CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ON ROLL CALL THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS WERE PRESENT:

ROBERT PYNES JR., PRESIDENT

RICKY REESE, VICE PRESIDENT

JAMES K. ARMES, III

MEL HARRIS

MARK H. SMITH

BETTY WESTERCHIL

GLENNIE FARRIS

W.R. ”r;RANDY” MARTIN

B.R. HARVEY

GAYE MCKEE

COL. A.WADE WOOLFREY

ABSENT:        PHILIP GUNN, ILLNESS

                        M. GENE HAYMON, FAMILY ILLNESS

There was also present Dr. Cynthia Gillespie, Secretary of the Board.

The meeting was opened in prayer by Gaye McKee.

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Col. A. Wade Woolfrey.

On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by B.R. Harvey, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of January 5, 2006.

 Mark Smith gave a report from the Salary/Personnel Committee and referred personnel action to the Board for vote. 

On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie, and on motion of Mel Harris, seconded by Randy Martin, the Board to approve the attached resignations.

ATTACHED

Lisa Grimes, teacher/Pickering Elementary

Dustin Smith, teacher/LHS

Nancy Haymon, aide/North Polk

Constance Johnson, bus aide/North Polk

Ivy Huglen/teacher/VMS

On motion of Glennie Farris, seconded by Gaye McKee, on a vote of 9 to 1, the Board voted to approve the attached requests for a leave without pay.

A roll call vote was taken to approve requests for leave without pay with results as follows:

                                                                        YEA                            NAY

James Armes                                                       X

Mel Harris                                                            X

Robert Pynes                                                       X

Mark Smith                                                           X

Betty Westerchil                                                  X

Ricky Reese                                                                                             X

Glennie Farris                                                        X

Randy Martin                                                        X

B.R. Harvey                                                           X

Philip Gunn                                                                   ABSENT

Gaye McKee                                                        X

M. Gene Haymon                                                         ABSENT

ATTACHED

Vernon Bruce Stanley, bus driver/VMS/1-2-06/5-1-06

James Coleman, teacher/VMS/1-9-06-1-9-07

Jerry McKenzie, bus driver/Hicks/1-17-06/1-17-07

On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Mark Smith, seconded by James Armes, the Board voted to approve the attached employee transfers.

ATTACHED

Tim Ward, assistant finance director/in-house transfer to finance director-replacing Bill Endris

Emily Lein, teacher/NPE/in-school transfer from K to SPED-replacing Heather White

Heather White, teacher/NPE/in-school transfer from SPED to K-replacing Emily Lein

Torey Calhoun, teacher/Hornbeck/ trans to Anacoco Elem-replacing Shannon Dowdle (SABB)

Wanda Blanco, ESL Aide/SPE/IS transfer to title I aide-replacing Mary Johnson (trns to CO)

Dan Marshall, SPED teacher/LHS-trns to West Pre-School(home base change only)

John Westlake, SPED Aide/LHS-trns to West Pre-School(home base change only)

On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Randy Martin, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to approve the attached list of new employees.

ATTACHED

Maurice Johnson, custodian/LHS-replacing Antonio Davis (resigned)

Erika Johnson, teacher/LHS-replacing Connie Kinsinger (SABB 11-10-05/5-25-06)

Gina Briggs, ½ time custodian/PHS-replacing Vroni Thornock (I/S trns to full time)

Judy Bailey, ½ time custodian/PHS-replacing Amanda Moore (resigned)

Sandra Davis, SPED Aide/Pickering Elem-replacing Teresa Haag (trns to LA4)

Janice Carroll, teacher/VMS-replacing Ivy Huglen(resigned)

Veronica Lynn, teacher/Evans-New SPED Position

Walita McBride, teacher/SPE-New SPED Position

Mary Darby, Cook/NPE-replacing Jennifer Nolen(trns to Pitkin)

On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Randy Martin, the Board voted to approve budget amendments related to personnel changes.

Mr. Jimmy Funderburk, Transportation Director, gave a report from the Transportation Committee.  On recommendation of the Transportation Committee, the following changes regarding bus driver compensation for activity and field trips were presented for approval by the Board:

Driver owned buses from $1.50 per mile to $2.00 per mile with a

recommended minimum of $80.00

On motion of James Armes, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to approve the recommendation which will be paid by the schools.

On recommendation of the Transportation Committee, and on motion of James Armes, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board voted to approve the reimbursement of bus driver certification costs after the driver has driven for 10 (ten) days.

On recommendation of the Transportation Committee and on motion by James Armes, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board voted to pay for the cost of maintenance and repair on child alarm systems on buses.

On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Randy Martin, the Board voted to authorize the president and secretary to pay the claims.

In other business, Dr. Cynthia Gillespie reminded the Board of the LSBA Conference in Alexandria, Louisiana on March 9, 2006 and of the SACS District Accreditation in November, 2007.  Dr. Gillespie also stated that the military student count dropped from 37% to 32% and that student enrollment was down from last year.  Betty Westerchil presented information on an ACT Clinic to be held at Northwestern at Fort Polk and reported that she had met with FEMA regarding Long Term Recovery.

On motion of Randy Martin, 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 their sincere condolences to the family of  William Van Cole Jr., of Carlyss, who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Cole was the father of Debbie Hanchey, teacher at Pickering High School, and he will be sadly missed by his family and friends; now

            BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Debbie Hanchey and her 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 Vernon Parish School Board wishes to express their sympathy to Robert Triplett in the loss of his mother who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Triplett is a former teacher for the Vernon Parish School Board; and

            BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mr. Triplett and his family at this time of sadness.

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

____________________________________

ROBERT PYNES, JR, PRESIDENT

ATTEST:

__________________________________________

DR. CYNTHIA GILLESPIE, SUPERINTENDENT