June 1, 2006
THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION JUNE 1, 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 ARMES
MEL HARRIS
MARK SMITH
RANDY MARTIN
MICHAEL PERKINS
MAXINE GUNN
GAYE MCKEE
GENE HAYMON
COL. DAVID G. SAGE
ABSENT: BETTY WESTERCHIL – OUT OF TOWN
BERYL FORD – OUT OF TOWN
There was also present Dr. Cynthia A. Gillespie, Secretary of the Board.
The meeting was opened in prayer by Mark Smith.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Michael Perkins.
On motion of Randy Martin, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of May 9, 2006.
Brenda Bealer recognized Headstart staff and parents for their achievements during the 2006-2007 school year.
Tom Neubert recognized Support Persons of The Year, with a plaque and thanked them for their loyal and dedicated service. Winners for the parish were as follows: Elementary: Roger Brinkley, Pickering Elementary; Middle School: William Fulks, Simpson High; and High School: Jerry Howard, Leesville High School.
Mr. Neubert discussed procedure changes for the nurses as mandated by the state. Mr. Neubert also noted policy changes as follows:
STUDENT TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT
The Vernon Parish School Board shall provide to eligible students school transportation services which shall meet the objectives of safety, efficiency, adequacy, and economy. Through the use of publicly and privately owned buses, the Board shall maintain a student transportation program that shall conform to or exceed minimum standards as set forth by pertinent statutes and the Louisiana Department of Education, as well as regulations established by the Supervisor of Transportation. It shall be unlawful for the School Board to permit the transport at one time a number of children on a school bus that exceeds the number of seats available on that bus.
All vehicles, owned by either the school district or contract bus drivers, shall carry evidence of insurance and be registered, marked, and equipped according to law. Contract bus drivers who purchase their own insurance shall be required to annually submit to the Supervisor of Transportation proof of proper and valid insurance coverage prior to any usage of the bus. Should any coverage aspects or insurance policy provisions change during the year, the bus operator shall notify the Supervisor of Transportation immediately.
All buses and other vehicles used primarily for the transportation of students shall be inspected by the assigned driver and the Supervisor of Transportation on a regular basis. All school vehicles shall be inspected a minimum of twice a year, once during June, July or August and certified as safe prior to the beginning of the school session, and once during December, January, or February of each school year, by an approved Louisiana Motor Vehicle Inspection Station. Buses fifteen (15) years of age or older shall be inspected more frequently than other buses to assure effectiveness of operation and safety of students.
All school buses used to transport students shall at all times be driven by drivers, regular and substitute, possessing a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with proper endorsements, and having completed state-required pre-service certification training, in accordance with provisions outlined in Bulletin 1191, School Transportation Handbook. All school bus operators, including contract bus operators, shall be required to personally operate the school bus assigned or owned, except in the case of illness or emergency. In such cases, a substitute shall be assigned by the Supervisor of Transportation.
Transportation of non-school related students (children) or adults on school buses during the performance of official duties for the Vernon Parish School Board shall be prohibited.
PURCHASE OF BUSES
It is the policy of the Vernon Parish School Board that any used school bus purchased for use in the parish shall meet current statutory requirements for motor vehicles and shall meet Louisiana specifications for school buses that were in effect on the date the vehicle was manufactured. All bus purchases shall require prior approval of the Board.
School buses used to transport students, including activity and backup buses, shall not be more than twenty-five (25) years old. All replacement school buses, at the time they are acquired by the owner, shall be ten (10) or less model years old. The number of years shall be reckoned from the date of introduction of the model year. This shall apply to buses purchased by veteran owners/operators, by newly hired owners/operators and by the School Board, individual schools, booster clubs, etc., for the purposes of transporting children to and from school and school-related activities and for use as spare buses.
When a new bus is purchased or the ownership of a bus is transferred, the driver shall assure that the bus is in compliance with all requirements contained in applicable laws and school district regulations. All buses so purchased shall be required to satisfactorily pass all mandated inspections prior to any usage.
DRIVERS ON LEAVE WITHOUT PAY
Any bus driver on leave without pay, for any reason, shall provide a bus for his/her route during the period of absence.
Revised: November, 1993
Revised: October, 1997
Revised: July, 1999
Revised: August, 2000
Revised: June, 2002
Revised: January, 2004
Revised: April, 2006
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:158 et seq., 17:492, 32:293, 32:378; Olive Morgan v. Livingston Parish School Board, First Circuit Court of Appeals, March 1991; Student Transportation Handbook, Bulletin 1191; Minimum Standards for School Buses, Bulletin 1213; Operational and Vehicle Maintenance Procedures, Bulletin 1475, Louisiana Department of Education.; Board minutes, 7-1-99, 4-11-02, 10-2-03.
STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SAFETY PROGRAM
The Vernon Parish School Board recognizes the responsibility of school bus operators and the need for bus operators to practice extreme caution in transporting children to and from school. Therefore, the School Board shall require the implementation, maintenance, and observance of a transportation safety program.
VIDEO EQUIPMENT ON SCHOOL BUSES
As a means to help ensure safety and proper conduct on School Board owned and/or contracted school buses, it shall be the policy of the Board that video surveillance equipment be allowed and/or required when such equipment is requested and approved by the Transportation Supervisor, and operated under rules and regulations established by the Superintendent.
The purchase and installation of such equipment shall be the responsibility of the Board for Board owned buses, or of the contract drivers for their buses. Ownership of the equipment, including the housing thereof, shall remain with the Board or contract driver.
Strict adherence to laws and rules of confidentiality shall be maintained in the viewing of tapes and use of equipment to assure compliance with laws and regulations regarding the privacy rights of students and employees.
USE OF CELLULAR TELEPHONES
The School Board shall authorize the issuance of cellular telephones to all bus drivers. The use of cellular telephones by school bus operators shall be authorized only in an emergency situation, such as mechanical problem, accident, or illness of the bus driver or passenger. The bus should be pulled safely out of traffic (if possible) and the motor turned off before the cell phone is used.
All school bus operators shall be required to have communication devices as issued on board the school bus and turned to the "on" position while operating the school bus.
ACCIDENTS
Any employee involved in an accident shall report such accident to proper School District personnel utilizing the procedures outlined in the Transportation Handbook. Reporting requirements are applicable to all employees, not just bus drivers.
POST TRIP INSPECTIONS
In accordance with the commercial driver’s license program requirements and the Louisiana Department of Education’s Bulletin 1475, Operational and Vehicle Maintenance Procedures, all bus drivers shall perform post-trip inspections of their buses. Any driver who fails to adequately perform a post-trip inspection that results in a child being left on the bus when the driver vacates the bus at the end of each individual trip (route, run, event, etc.) shall be disciplined as follows:
First Offense: Driver will be suspended for a minimum of 60 days without pay. A full investigation will follow and the Board will decide if further action is necessary. If a bus alarm is found to be disabled or disconnected, the driver will be immediately terminated.
Second Offense: Driver will be immediately terminated.
Revised: June, 2005
Revised: April, 2006
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§32:398, 32:871; School Transportation Handbook, Bulletin 1191, Minimum Standards for School Buses, Bulletin 1213, Operational and Vehicle Maintenance Procedures, Bulletin 1475, Louisiana Department of Education; Board minutes, 31-8-03, 5-1-05.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
The Vernon Parish School Board shall authorize and direct the Superintendent to ensure workers' compensation coverage for its employees and to pay annually all of the necessary premiums. Should a teacher become injured while on duty, the teacher shall be entitled to receive, at his/her option, workers' compensation benefits prescribed under state workers' compensation laws and/or appropriate sick leave benefits. In no case, however, shall the total amount of combined benefits received exceed the total amount of regular salary the teacher was receiving at the time of injury.
REPORTING OF ACCIDENTS
Should an accident occur to an employee while in the course of his/her duties, a detailed report shall be submitted by the employee's supervisor to the Superintendent or designee within five (5) days of the accident. Additional written commentary about the accident may also be required from the employee's supervisor. Periodic medical exams and subsequent reports verifying prolonged disability may be required as needed.
Immediately following any accident, whether or not injury occurs, the administrator of the school or facility shall file an Investigation of Accident Report with the Superintendent or designee. If an injury occurs, an LDOL-WC-1007 Form (Louisiana Department of Labor Worker's Compensation 1007 Form) must also be completed.
BENEFITS
Employees injured while on official school business are entitled to applicable workers’ compensation benefits in accordance with state law. Workers’ compensation benefits are generally paid in accordance with the following:
(1) Weekly workers' compensation wage benefits do not begin until an employee has been disabled for more than one week (7 calendar days). If the employee is absent for more than six (6) weeks, he/she is entitled to receive wage benefits for the first week of that disability.
(2) As a general rule, an employee's weekly wage benefits under workers' compensation can be calculated by dividing his/her annual salary by 52 weeks and multiplying by 66-2/3%, up to the maximum average weekly wage (AWW) calculated by the State each year.
(3) Sick leave benefits may be used to supplement workers’ compensation benefits but only up to 100% of the teacher’s salary at the time of injury. If a teacher chooses to utilize current and accumulated sick leave benefits, his/her balance of current and accumulated sick leave days will be reduced by the corresponding percentage of the teacher's salary paid for with sick leave benefits.
If an employee who has chosen to simultaneously receive both workers' compensation wage benefits and current and accumulated sick leave benefits exhausts all sick leave days, he/she will thereafter receive only workers' compensation wage benefits.
ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE
No workers' compensation benefits shall be allowed for an injury caused by the injured employee's intoxication at the time of injury, with limited exception allowed by law. In order to support a finding of intoxication due to alcohol or drug use, the School Board shall have the right to administer drug and alcohol testing or demand that the employee submit to drug and alcohol testing immediately after the alleged job accident. If the results of the drug test are positive, or the alcohol tests show blood alcohol equal to or greater than the limits outlined in state law, the employee shall be considered intoxicated, in which case the employee shall not be entitled to any workers' compensation benefits.
If the employee refuses to submit to drug and alcohol testing immediately after the accident, then it shall be presumed that the employee was intoxicated at the time of the accident, in which case the employee shall not be entitled to any workers' compensation benefits.
All drug and alcohol testing shall be in accordance with state law and Board policy (see procedures in policy GAME, Substance Abuse and Alcohol Testing).
LOSS CONTROL
The School Board, recognizing the potential severity of on-the-job injuries and its costs to the school system and employees, shall require the Superintendent to maintain an aggressive loss control program aimed at reducing and controlling risks of personal injury to employees and property damage to School Board facilities. The loss control program shall assure compliance with all safety and health laws, ordinances, and regulations that apply to the work place.
SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS
The Superintendent shall be authorized to settle workers' compensation claims after consultation with School Board counsel and the third-party claims administrator.
Revised: April, 2006
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:1201, 23:1034.
TEST SECURITY
The Vernon Parish School Board shall take every precaution to assure that all tests administered within the school system shall be conducted in such a manner so as not to compromise in any way the testing results. For criterion-referenced, norm-referenced, alternate assessments and certain other tests administered by or through the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), testing materials and procedures, as well as any electronic data, computer media, or passwords related to student testing, shall be properly supervised in strict compliance with regulations outlined by BESE and the School Board. In addition, all secure tests and test documents shall be stored under lock and key in designated areas when not in use.
Any teacher or other school personnel who allows or breaches test security, including unauthorized access to electronic data, shall be disciplined in accordance with statutory provisions, policy and regulations adopted by BESE and the School Board, and any and all laws that may be enacted by the state.
All cell phones or other similar technological devices with imaging or text-messaging capabilities that are the property of students, test administrators, and school test coordinators must be placed in and remain in the off position and stored in a secure area as designated and supervised by a school administrator during test administration or any other time that test booklets and answer documents are present.
VIOLATIONS OF TEST SECURITY
It shall be a violation of test security for any person to do any of the following:
1. Administer tests in a manner that is inconsistent with the administrative instructions provided by the Louisiana Department of Education and the School Board which would give students an unfair advantage or disadvantage;
2. Give examinees access to test questions prior to testing;
3. Examine any test item at any time (except the student during the test or test administrators while providing the accommodations Tests Read Aloud or Communication Assistance, Transferred Answers, or Answers Recorded for students determined to be eligible for those accommodations);
4. Copy, reproduce, discuss, or use at any time in a manner inconsistent with test regulations all or part of any secure test booklet, answer document, or supplementary secure materials (e.g. writing prompts, science tasks);
5. Coach examinees in any manner during testing or alter or interfere with examinees' responses in any manner;
6. Provide answers to students in any manner during the test, including provision of cues, clues, hints, and/or actual answers in any form -- written, printed, verbal or nonverbal;
7. Administer published parallel, previously administered, or current forms of any statewide assessment as a practice test or study guide;
8. Fail to follow security regulations for distribution and return of secure test booklets, answer documents, supplementary secure materials, as well as overages as directed; or fail to account for and secure test materials before, during, or after testing;
9. Conduct testing in environments that differ from the usual classroom environment without prior written permission from the Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Student Standards and Assessments; any parallel forms of a test must be kept in a predetermined, locked, secure area at the district office;
10. Fail to report any testing irregularities to the District Test Coordinator (a testing irregularity is any incident in test handling or administration that leads to a question regarding the security of the test or the accuracy of the test data), who must report such incidents to the Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Student Standards and Assessments; all secure materials must be kept in locked storage at both the district and school levels; secure materials must never be left in open areas or unattended.
11. Participate in, direct, aid, counsel, assist in, encourage, or fail to report any of the acts prohibited in this section.
STATEMENT OF ASSURANCE
In compliance with BESE mandates, the Vernon Parish School Board will submit annually a Statement of Assurance regarding the Vernon Parish Test Security Policy to the Louisiana Department of Education Division of Student Standards and Assessments. This statement will include the name of the individual designated by the Superintendent to procure test materials.
PROCEDURES FOR TEST SECURITY
Procedures for the security of test materials will include:
1. The District Test Coordinator will provide for and assure the security of all test materials prior to distribution to the schools and upon return of test materials from the schools.
All test materials, except district and school test coordinator manuals and test administration manuals, test booklets, answer documents, and supplementary secure materials shall be kept in a predetermined, secured, locked storage area prior to, during, and after administration of any test; all secure materials, including any parallel forms of a test, shall be kept in a locked storage at both the district and school levels; secure materials must never be left in open areas or unattended; test administrators are to be given access to the tests and any supplementary secure materials only on the day the test is to be administered, and these are to be retrieved immediately after testing is completed for the day and stored in a locked, secure location each day of testing.
All materials will be kept locked in storage and secured at all times until distribution to school test coordinators. Any access to the storage area while tests are secured at the district level will made through the District Test Coordinator or designated support staff, who must accompany any one needing access to the area and remain until the area can be secured. A record of who entered the area, the date, time and duration, and purpose will be maintained.
Before receipt of the test materials, the school test coordinator and building level principal shall provide to the District Test Coordinator verification that a locked and secured storage area has been designated for test materials. Test materials must be delivered to the school by the school test coordinator and/or principal and immediately be placed in locked storage. The school test coordinator and the building level principal will provide for and assure the security of all test materials prior to, during, and after test administration. They shall also monitor the return of all materials at the end of each testing session and shall document in writing along with each test administrator, the distribution of and return of all test materials checked out. Except during testing sessions, all materials will be kept in locked storage. No one but the principal and school test administrator shall have access to the secured area for any reason. Secured test materials will include test booklets, answer documents, test administrators' manuals, observational answers, videotapes, completed observation sheets, and any supplementary secure materials.
2. Only the principal, school test coordinator, school coordinator and/or assistant principal will be allowed to handle secured test materials prior to and/or during distribution and return of materials. Handling of materials is limited to organizing materials for distribution and specifically does not include reviewing tests or analyzing test items.
3. A list of the names of individuals at the school who will have access to the test materials before and after testing shall be submitted by the school test coordinator to the District Test Coordinator at the time testing materials are received. All individuals who have access to test materials and student test data and/or administer tests must receive professional development on test security and test administration. ONLY personnel trained in test security and administration shall be allowed to have access to or administer any standardized tests. Access to test materials by school personnel shall mean any contact with or handling the materials but does not include reviewing tests or analyzing test items, which are prohibited.
The District Test Coordinator will provide annually professional development for school test coordinators and principals to include all aspects of this policy and all test regulations and procedures presented in the district coordinator's, school test coordinator's and test administrators' manuals and shall maintain documentation of attendance on file for one calendar year. The building level principal and/or school test coordinator will provide professional development as outlined above for all other individuals authorized to handle secure test materials.
The school test coordinator will provide professional development to all test administrators on both test security and test administration as outlined in this policy and in the school test coordinator's and test administrators' manuals. Documentation of the participation of all test administrators in professional development shall be maintained for one calendar year. All test administrators are required to attend professional development sessions related to testing.
4. The Vernon Parish School Board shall ensure that individual student test data are protected from unauthorized access and disclosure. District Test Coordinators, principals, school test coordinators and other authorized users of the LEAPweb Reporting System and LEAPdata System shall ensure the security of passwords, any disks or CDs with downloaded individual student test data, and student-level test data open on a computer screen. All users shall be required to sign a statement guaranteeing they will not share the password with unauthorized individuals and maintain the confidentiality of student data. A copy of the signed statement shall be kept on file by the District Test Coordinator. Users who have access to these systems and leave their positions at a district or school site must not user or share the password.
5. Any testing irregularities or breaches in test security, including access to electronic data, will be reported in writing to the District Test Coordinator, who will conduct an investigation and report the findings to the Superintendent.
Investigation Process
Procedures for investigating any testing irregularities shall include the following:
a. In instances where any testing irregularities may have occurred, an initial written report of the alleged irregularity shall be prepared by the site administrator where the instance occurred. Said documentation shall then be forwarded to the building principal, school test coordinator, the District Test Coordinator, and the Superintendent.
b. The District Test Coordinator shall review the allegation of test security violation and conduct an investigation of any such allegations, documenting all investigative activities. The formal investigation will include, but not be limited to, interviews/statements from witnesses and key players involved in the questioned activity, examination of secured locked areas where necessary, and compilation of any documents to support or to refute allegations made. A written summary of the findings of the investigation shall be provided the Superintendent.
c. A determination of the credibility of allegations of test security violation shall be made by the Superintendent and the District Test Coordinator.
d. If the investigation conducted provides evidence to indicate that a breach of test security did indeed occur, individuals involved in such security breach shall be identified, and depending upon the nature of the violation, appropriate corrective and/or punitive action may be pursued.
(1) Students found to have purposefully violated test security shall have test results voided and will be referred to the site administrator for appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with provisions of Vernon Parish School Board Policy Manual.
(2) Vernon Parish school employees found to have purposefully violated test security shall be charged with violation of state and/or parish policy and disciplinary action shall be pursued in accordance with the provisions of state statutes, with direction from the Vernon Parish School Board.
e. Notification of violations of test security shall be provided to the Louisiana Department of Education, along with notification of corrective and punitive action taken within thirty (30) days of the report of test security violation.
f. In accordance with provisions of BESE's Test Security Policy, it is understood that the Louisiana Department of Education may conduct its own investigation into allegations of test security violations. In such instances, the District Test Coordinator and parish Superintendent will aid and assist state department officials in the conduction of their investigation and provide documentation of information obtained in local investigative efforts.
6. All test materials, including all test booklets, answer documents, administrators' manuals, and supplementary secure materials, shall be accounted for in accordance with the procedure specified in the examination program administration manuals and other communications provided the Louisiana Department of Education. Secure test materials include test administrators' manuals.
7. Vernon Parish will follow all procedures as outlined in the District Test Coordinator's manual, the school test‑coordinator's manual, and test administrator's manual, as well as procedures which govern access to electronically shared individual test scores. Those procedures not already addressed in this policy include:
a. All test booklets, answer documents, and supplementary secure materials shall be kept in a predetermined, secure, locked storage area prior to and after administration of any test; administrators are to be given access to the tests only on the day the test is administered, and the tests are to be retrieved immediately after testing is completed for the day and stored in a locked, secure location each day of testing.
b. All test booklets, answer documents, and supplementary secure materials shall be accounted for and written documentation kept by test administrators and proctors for each point at which test materials are distributed and returned.
c. Any discrepancies noted in the serial numbers of test booklets and answer documents received from contractors shall be reported to the Director, Division of Student Standards and Assessments (LDE) by the designated institutional or school district personnel prior to the administration of the test.
d. In the event the test booklets or answer documents are determined to be missing while in the possession of the school or district, the designated school or district personnel shall investigate the cause of the discrepancy and provide the Louisiana Department of Education with a report of the investigation and plan of corrective action within thirty (30) calendar days of the initiation of the investigation At a minimum, the report shall include the nature of the situation and the time and place of occurrence. Officials from the Louisiana Department of Education are authorized to conduct additional investigations.
8. If during the academic year the person appointed as District Test Coordinator changes, the Superintendent will notify the LDE, Division of Student Standards and Assessments, in writing within fifteen (15) days of the change of appointment.
TEST ENVIRONMENT
Testing shall be conducted in class‑sized groups in accordance with the provisions of Bulletin 118, Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices. Permission for testing in environments that differ from the usual classroom environment must be obtained in writing from the Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Student Standards and Assessments at least thirty (30) days prior to test. If testing outside the usual classroom environment is approved by the Division of Student Standards and assessments, the LEA must provide at least one proctor for every thirty (30) students.
CONDITIONS AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS
The State Superintendent of Education may disallow test results which may have been achieved in a manner which is violative of test security. In addition:
1. In cases where test results are not accepted because of breach of test security or action by the Louisiana Department of Education, any programmatic, evaluative, or graduation criteria dependent upon the data shall be deemed not to have been met.
2. Any individual(s) or student who knowingly engages in any activity during testing which results in invalidation of scores derived from the Graduation Exit Examination shall forfeit the test results and will be allowed to retake the test at the next test administration; beginning in 2000, any individual(s) or student who knowingly engages in any activity during testing which results in invalidation of scores derived from LEAP for the 21st Century shall forfeit the test results and will be allowed to retake the test at the next test administration.
3. Anyone known to be involved in the presentation of forged, counterfeit, or altered identification for the purposes of obtaining admission to a test administration site for any test administered by or through the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or the Louisiana Department of Education shall have breached test security. Any individual(s) or student who knowingly causes or allows the presentation of forged, counterfeit, or altered identification for the purpose of obtaining admission to any test administration site shall forfeit all test scores and will be allowed to retake the test at the next test administration.
4. Test scores may be voided at the school level in cases of cheating or other violations of test security. When either cheating or the violation of test security is suspected, a committee to include at least the principal, school test coordinator, and test administrator will be convened to determine whether or not a score should be voided. A written report documenting and describing the incident(s) will be completed. In the event the decision is made to void scores because of cheating, the student and parents will be notified and offered an opportunity for a hearing to be conducted by the principal with the test administrator and school test coordinator also present. The principal shall make the final decision regarding voiding of test scores or breach of ethics. If the decision is made to void test scores, the school test coordinator must submit a letter on school letterhead with the principal's and school test coordinator's signatures to the District Test Coordinator. Attached to the letter should be the written record of the breach of security or cheating, dates and times of all meetings/hearings relating to the incidents with signatures of all present at these meetings/hearings, and documentation of phone calls to parents. Any witnesses to cheating or breach of security should complete a written statement describing the incident and sign and date the statement. These should be submitted with the written report.
5. Any teacher or other personnel who breaches test security or allows breaches in test security shall be disciplined in accordance with the provisions of policy and regulations adopted by the BESE and any and all laws that may be enacted by the Louisiana Legislature. Any violation of test security or breach of ethics on the part of an employee of the Vernon Parish School Board before, during, or after testing (including erasure analysis and/or other evidence that results in the voiding of test scores) will be investigated by the District Test Coordinator. If the violation occurred at the school level, the building principal will participate in the investigation. In the event sufficient evidence exists to support a violation in test security or breach of ethics, a written report will be submitted to the Superintendent of Schools in Vernon Parish. A hearing will be conducted by the Superintendent with the employee(s) under investigation, the District Test Coordinator, the building principal, and the Director of Personnel present. If the Superintendent determines that a violation of test security or breach of ethics has occurred, appropriate recommendations for disciplinary action will be made to the Vernon Parish School Board.
In the event that an employee has participated in activities to provide answers or otherwise alter test scores, the recommendation will be dismissal. All evidence of violations of test security and breach of ethics reported to the Superintendent of Schools by the Louisiana Department of Education will require a written report from those suspected of violations, the building principal, and the school test coordinator regardless of whether or not the claims are substantiated.
6. Anonymous complaints received by either the Superintendent of Schools or the District Test Coordinator regarding violations of test security or breach of ethics will be investigated by the District Test Coordinator. If evidence exists to support the complaint(s), appropriate action as described above will be initiated.
Revised: June, 2001
Revised: October, 2001
Revised: March, 2003
Revised: April, 2006
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:81.6, 49:953; Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices, Bulletin 118, Louisiana Department of Education; Board minutes, 2-9-99.
SCHOOL WELLNESS
The Vernon Parish School Board recognizes that schools should play a vital role in promoting student health, preventing childhood obesity, and combating problems associated with poor nutrition and physical inactivity. The School Board shall promote a healthy school environment by supporting and emphasizing student wellness, good nutrition, and regular physical activity and making these an integral part of the total learning environment.
Schools have a responsibility to help students learn, establish, and maintain patterns of nutrition and physical activity that facilitate a healthy environment. Well-planned and effectively implemented school nutrition and fitness programs serve to enhance a student’s overall health, as well as their behavior and academic achievement. The School Board shall require that all foods made available on school campuses should offer children nutritious choices, and physical activity should be incorporated into the school day as often as possible.
The Vernon Parish School Board shall develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive plan to encourage healthy eating and physical activity in all public schools of Vernon Parish. The plan shall make effective use of school and community resources and equitably serve the needs and interests of all schools and staff.
SPECIFIC WELLNESS GOALS
Nutrition Education
The school district will:
1. Promote and implement nutrition education that promotes lifelong healthful eating practices.
2. Use lessons that are age-appropriate, with behaviorally focused content that is developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant.
3. Use lessons that are sequential and are correlated with standards, benchmarks, and grade level expectations.
4. Provide hands-on activities that are fun.
5. Provide repeated opportunities for students to taste foods that are low in fat, sodium and added sugars and high in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
6. Focus on positive aspects of healthful eating behaviors.
7. Promote social learning techniques such as role modeling, providing incentives, developing social resistance skills, overcoming barriers to behavioral changes and goal setting.
Physical Activity
The school district will:
1. Promote and implement quality physical education programs that emphasize and promote participation in lifelong physical activities and reaching a health enhancing level of physical fitness among all students.
2. Provide students in grades K-8 with a minimum of 150 minutes per week of health and physical education.
3. Ensure that students in grades K-6 participate in planned, organized, moderate to vigorous physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes each school day.
4. Strive toward having qualified, certified physical education teachers guide physical activity instruction in all elementary grades as well as in middle and high school physical education classes.
5. Provide staff development on standards implementation for physical education instructors.
Other School-Based Activities
The school district will:
1. Offer classroom health education that complements physical education by reinforcing the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a physically active lifestyle and to reduce time spent on sedentary activities;
2. Recognize that daily physical activity is essential to student welfare and academic performance.
3. Encourage physical activity during recess for elementary students, intramural programs, integration in the academic curriculum, and clubs, as well as in physical education programs.
4. Encourage parents and guardians to support students’ participation in physical activities, to be physically active role-models, and to include physical activities in family plans.
5. Provide parents a list of foods that meet the Board’s snack standards and ideas for health celebrations/parties, rewards and fundraising activities.
6. Encourage school staff to participate in physical activities to serve as role models.
7. Support community-based physical activity programs.
Nutrition Guidelines
Student’s lifelong eating habits are greatly influenced by the types of foods and beverages available in their daily environment. In addition to ensuring that reimbursable school meals meet all requirements of the Nutritional School Lunch Program outlined in federal and state regulations, the School Board shall develop and maintain specific nutritional guidelines to address all food and beverages sold or served to students, including those items made available to students outside of the school meal programs.
MONITORING AND POLICY REVIEW
Monitoring
The Superintendent or his/her designee shall be responsible for assuring compliance with established district-wide nutrition and physical activity wellness policies. In each school, the principal or designee will ensure compliance with those policies in his/her school and will report on the school’s compliance to the Superintendent or his/her designee.
School food service staff, at the school or district level, shall assess compliance with nutrition policies within school food service areas and report on this matter to the Superintendent (or if done at the school level, to the school principal).
The Superintendent or his/her designee shall develop a summary report at least annually on compliance with the district’s established nutrition and physical activity wellness policies, based on input from schools within the district. The report will be provided to the School Board and also distributed to the schools, parent/teacher organizations, school principals, and school health services personnel throughout the parish.
Policy Review
To help with the initial development of the district’s wellness policies, each public school in Vernon Parish shall conduct a baseline assessment of the school’s existing nutrition and physical activity environments and policies. The results of these school-by-school assessments shall be compiled at the district level to identify and prioritize needs.
Assessments will be repeated every three (3) years to help review policy compliance, assess progress, and determine areas in need of improvement. As part of that review, the School Board and staff shall review all nutrition and physical activity policies; provision of an environment that supports healthy eating and physical activity; and nutrition and physical education policies and program elements. The School Board and individual schools within the district will, as necessary, revise the wellness policies and develop work plans to facilitate their implementation.
New Policy: April, 2006
Ref: PL 108-265 (Section 204, Child Nutrition and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act of 2004); 42 U. S. C. 1751 et seq. (Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act); 42 U. S. C. 1771 et seq. (Child Nutrition Act of 1966); 7 CFR 210 ( National School Lunch Program); 7 CFR 220 ( School Breakfast Program).
On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by James Armes, the Board voted to receive bids for playground equipment for Rosepine Elementary. Two bids were received as follows: May Recreation Equipment for $36,777 and Planet Recess for $35,998. On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Mark Smith, the Board voted to take the low bid from Planet Recess under advisement.
On motion of James Armes, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to receive bids to sell the Headstart Bus. No bids were received and on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Michael Perkins, the Board voted to allow Mr. Ward and Mr. Funderburk to sell the bus.
On motion of Maxine Gunn, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to receive bids for network switches. Two bids were received from Cytec for 167,853 and $168,611. On motion of Michael Perkins, seconded by Mark Smith, the Board voted to accept the bid that met specifications.
On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by James Armes, the Board voted to receive bids to sell used 1996 bus at Rosepine High School. One bid was received from Bear Lofton for $300.00. On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Mark Smith, the Board voted to take the bid under advisement.
On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Ricky Reese, the Board voted to adopt the LA Compliance Questionnaire.
On motion of Ricky Reese, seconded by James Armes, the Board voted to accept the following updated Internet and E-Mail Code of Conduct.
Vernon Parish School System
Technology Code of Conduct and Internet Safety
Online and Email Usage
Vernon Parish School System has in place appropriate software and electronic equipment to insure that all students, staff, faculty, and administrators with computer access, which might be equipped to access Internet resources, are also being provided with information that has been filtered at a central location. Electronic equipment for monitoring online activity and restricting their travel from sites that might be obscene, relay child pornography, or be harmful to them as end users is constantly operating and being updated on a regular basis. Faculty, staff, and administrators will monitor student use of Internet resources and Internet use will be available only during times when monitoring is in place. Unauthorized use of computer equipment by minors (hacking) and other unlawful activities by minors while online will be dealt with administratively at the local school and central office. Students, staff, faculty and administrators are not allowed to disseminate personal information regarding students via electronic media for other than professional uses. Measures are also in place that restrict student use to chat rooms, electronic mail (except for bona fide educational purposes while under the direct supervision of faculty, staff, or administrators) and other forms of direct electronic communication that may subject minors to inappropriate material via the Internet or the World Wide Web.
Online and Email Code of Conduct and Usage applies to all users of the Internet. Honesty, integrity, and respect for the rights of others should be exhibited at all times. Email shall be limited to teachers and whole classes. In no case will photographs be permitted. The Internet user is responsible for his/her actions and activities. Unacceptable uses of the network will result in the suspension or revoking of these privileges for a period of one year which may include the suspension of the users email account and their use of any email on any school board equipment that is capable of operating on the internet. Examples of unacceptable uses are:
1. Using the network for any illegal activity, including violation of copyright or other contracts
2. Using the network for financial or commercial gain
3. Degrading or disrupting equipment or system performance
4. Vandalizing the data of another user
5. Wastefully using finite resources
6. Gaining or attempting to gain unauthorized access to resources or entities
7. The installation of any software or equipment to bypass these guidelines or bypass our network filtering software.
Examples of Unacceptable Email usage area as follows:
8. Forwarding or relaying of any NON-School related materials, ie, jokes, personal emails, advertisements, pictures, and any other un-requested mailings, etc.
9. Invading the privacy of individuals
10. Using an account owned by another user
11. Posting personal communications without the author’s consent
12. Posting anonymous messages
13. Accessing or transmitting obscene or pornographic material
I agree to comply with the Vernon Parish School System Technology Code of Conduct and Internet Safety, Online and Email Usage.
Faculty/Staff Signature Date
On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie, and on motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board voted to approve the Personnel Evaluation Plan for 2006-2007.
On motion of Gene Haymon, seconded by Mark Smith, the Board approved the loan of $125,000.00 for foam roofing for the Hicks High School Improvement Project.
On motion of Gene Haymon, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board voted to approve the following resolution:
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the Hicks School Project was awarded eighteen months after the bond election; and
WHEREAS, the three bids received were over budget; and
WHEREAS, prices are increasing daily; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Vernon Parish School Board asks the USDA to act in a timely manner to accept this Change Order Request submitted on said project.
Mark Smith reported that the Salary/Personnel Committee had met and reviewed the personnel changes for June and would make its recommendation to the Board at the Tuesday, June 6, 2006 Board Meeting.
On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie, and on motion of Randy Martin, seconded by James Armes, the Board voted to name Hub Jordan as principal of Pickering High School effective July 1, 2006.
In other business, Superintendent Gillespie reminded the Board of the Retiree Reception and of the Special Called Meeting on Tuesday, June 6, 2006.
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 Robert B. (Bob) Thompson who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Thompson was a loyal and dedicated employee of the Vernon Parish School Board in the Maintenance Department; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Thompson was a resident of Rosepine, and will be sadly missed by his fellow workers, friends, and family; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to his wife, Linda, 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 wish to take this means to express their sympathy to the family of Betty Morlan who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Betty Morlan was the mother of Martha Knippers, cook at Hornbeck High School; and
WHEREAS, Betty Morlan was a resident of Anacoco, and 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 Martha Knippers and 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 Vernon Parish School Board wishes to express their sincere condolences to the family of Sidney K. ”r;Pat” Darden who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Darden was the husband of Johnnie Darden, secretary at the Central Office; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Darden was a long-time resident of Leesville and 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 Johnnie Darden 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.
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ROBERT PYNES JR., PRESIDENT
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DR. CYNTHIA A. GILLESPIE
SUPERINTENDENT