February 2, 2006                                                                                

 

THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION FEBRUARY 2, 2006 AT 10:00 A.M., AT 201 BELVIEW ROAD, LEESVILLE, LOUISIANA.  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

M. GENE HAYMON

COL. A. WADE WOOLFREY

 

ABSENT:        PHILIP GUNN, ILLNESS

 

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

 

The meeting was opened in prayer by Gene Haymon.

 

The Pledge Of Allegiance was led by James Armes.

 

On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of January 10, 2006.

 

Ruby Smith, counselor at Pitkin High School, and students Jeremiah Johnson and Danielle Tilley, gave information on the Governor’s Program on Abstinence and on motion of Ricky Reese, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board proclaimed February 14, 2006 as Abstinence Appreciation Day for the public schools of Vernon Parish.

 

Tamara Krenek presented Student To Student Awards for Pickering High School.  Tanya Harrell, counselor, Dennis Spires and Stefanie Cortes, teachers, and Andrea Jackson, a student at Pickering High gave a brief description of the program and their training in Austin, Texas.

 

Col. A. Wade Woolfrey thanked for Board for the hospitality shown to the New Orleans Recruiting Battalion during their stay at Fort Polk.  This battalion was displaced because of the hurricane and many are going to stay at Fort Polk until school is over.

 

Mark Smith reported that the Salary/Personnel Committee had reviewed the personnel changes for February and would make its recommendation to the Board at the Tuesday, February 7th Board meeting.

 

The Salary/Personnel Committee also recommended a change in procedure for employees on Leave Without Pay for purposes other than medical.  It was recommended that the Board no longer pay a share of the employee’s health and/or life insurance while on Leave Without Pay unless the Leave Without Pay is medically documented by a physician.  On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Glennie Farris, the Board voted to accept this recommendation to become effective on February 8, 2006.

 

On motion of Ricky Reese, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to approve the RFP Awardings to E-Rate for the 2006-2007 school year.

 

On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Randy Martin, the Board voted to authorize Superintendent Gillespie to sign all Federal Funding, P.L. 81-874 for the Vernon Parish School Board.

 

On motion of Randy Martin, seconded by B.R. Harvey, the Board voted to approve the Change Order for Pickering Schools in the amount of $30,000 for call-in buttons.

 

On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Glennie Farris, the Board voted to approve a resolution ordering and calling special elections to be held in (i) Ward Three Wardwide School District No. 160 of Vernon Parish, Louisiana, and (ii) Ward Seven Wardwide School District of Vernon Parish, Louisiana, to authorize the levy of special taxes therein, making application to the State Bond Commission in connection therewith and providing for other matters in connection therewith.

 

On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Betty Westerchil, the Board voted to advertise for bids to tear down and dispose of an old storage building at Rosepine Elementary.

 

In other business, Dr. Gillespie reminded the Board that the April 6th board meeting would be held at Fort Polk and that central office employees would be going to vehicle registration at Fort Polk next Tuesday at 1:00PM to renew their registrations.

 

Dr. Gillespie also noted that the State FBLA meeting would be held at Leesville High School Saturday, February 4th beginning at 9:30AM.

 

Col. Woolfrey commented on the success of the ”r;Adopt A School Program” and that he had visited West Leesville Elementary and was very impressed with the school and faculty.

 

Dr. Gillespie noted that the bond money for Hicks may be received by the end of the week.

 

Dr. Gillespie stated that the building at the fair grounds needed much work and that the Fair Board was willing to take it over if that was agreeable with the Board.

 

On motion of Mark Smith for Philip Gunn, 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 sympathy to the family of Michael Gilbert, of New Llano, who recently passed away; and           

            WHEREAS, Mr. Gilbert was a retired custodian at Leesville Jr. High School, and the husband of Sheila Gilbert, a retired custodian at East Leesville Elementary; and          

WHEREAS, Mr. Gilbert 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 Sheila Gilbert and her family at this time of sorrow.

 

On motion of Ricky Reese, 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 was saddened by the death of Leidth Harvey, of Anacoco, who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Mrs. Harvey was a life-long resident of Anacoco and will be missed greatly by her family and friends; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Harvey was the sister of Jackie Cryer, Food Service Assistant, at the Central Office; now

            BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. Harvey’s family at this time of sorrow.

 

On motion of Ricky Reese, 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 sincere condolences to the family of Mildred Martin, who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Mrs. Martin was a lifelong resident of the Anacoco-Vernon Parish area and will be sadly missed by her family and friends; and

            WHEREAS, Mrs. Martin was the mother of Loretta Poe, Food Service Assistant, at the Central Office; now

            BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to her family at this time of sorrow.

 

On motion of Gene Haymon, 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 its sincere condolences to the family of Jewel Hagan, of Hicks, who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Mrs. Hagan was a life-long resident of the Hicks/Vernon Parish area, and will be sadly missed by family and friends; and

            WHEREAS, Mrs. Hagan was the mother of Gaytha Wills, bus driver at Hicks High School; now

            BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. Gaytha Wills 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 take this means to express its sincere sympathy to the family of Harvey Lowery, of Rosepine, who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Lowery was a custodian at Rosepine Elementary School and was a loyal and dedicated employee; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Lowery was a long-time resident of the Rosepine area and will be sadly missed by his family and friends; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Lowery was the father-in-law of Lisa Tucker, teacher at Rosepine Elementary School; now

            BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to his 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 Vernon Parish School Board wishes to express its heartfelt sympathy to the family of Betty Wingate, who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Mrs. Wingate was the mother of Kim Cooper, a former cook at Rosepine Elementary School, and she will be sadly missed by her family and friends; now

            BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Kim Cooper 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 Vernon Parish School wishes to express their heartfelt sympathy to the family of Benjamin Mabini Jr., who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Mabini was a long-time resident of DeRidder, and will be greatly missed by his family and friends; and      

WHEREAS, Mr. Mabini was the brother of Rose Jones, teacher at Rosepine Elementary School; now

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Rose Jones and her family at this time of sorrow.

 

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 members of the Vernon Parish School Board wish to take this means to express their sympathy to the family of Jesse Weeks, who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Weeks was a resident of the Leesville area and he will be sadly missed by his family and friends; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Weeks was the nephew of Susan Brown, teacher at Pickering Elementary and of Joyce Ray and Cheryl Sheppard, cooks at Pickering High School; now

            BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests of copy of this memorial resolution be sent to the family of Jesse Weeks at this time of sorrow.

 

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 members of the Vernon Parish School Board wish to take this means to express their sincere condolences to the families of Riley Springer and Russell Springer, who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Riley and Russell Springer were residents of the DeRidder area and will be greatly missed by family and friends; and

            WHEREAS, Riley and Russell Springer were the brothers of Mary Ann Prater, a cook at Pickering Elementary School; now

            BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mary Ann Prater and her family at this time of sorrow.

 

There being no further business, on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by the Board, the          

meeting was adjourned.

___________________________________

ROBERT PYNES, JR., PRESIDENT

___________________________________

DR. CYNTHIA A. GILLESPIE

SUPERINTENDENT