September 8, 2009

THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2009 AT 5:00PM, 201 BELVIEW ROAD, LEESVILLE, LA. PRESIDENT WOODS CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ON ROLL CALL THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS WERE PRESENT:

STEVE WOODS, PRESIDENT

MICHAEL PERKINS, VICE PRESIDENT

RANDI GLEASON

MEL HARRIS

ROBERT PYNES JR.

MARK H. SMITH

RICKY REESE

BERYL FORD

RANDY MARTIN

VERNON TRAVIS

GAYE MCKEE

COL. FRANCIS B. BURNS

ABSENT:    M. GENE HAYMON  BUSINESS OBLIGATION

There was also present Mr. Jackie D. Self, Secretary of the Board.

The meeting was opened in prayer by Gil Arthur.

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Randi Gleason.

Leah Williams and Ruby Smith on behalf of all the school counselors in Vernon Parish thanked the Board for their support.   

On motion of Mel Harris, seconded by Vernon Travis, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of September 3, 2009.

Chad Hagan and Kem Johnson gave the annual 4H Report.

On recommendation of Superintendent Self and on motion of Beryl Ford, seconded by Randi Gleason, the Board to approve the following resignations:

Tonia Day, cook/NPE

Kimberly Taylor, LA4 aide/RES

Kathryn Self, teacher/VMS

Susan Swofford, teacher/ELE

Elizabeth Pope, teacher/Simpson

Tully Thornton,teacher/Hornbeck

On recommendation of Superintendent Self and on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board voted to approve the following sabbatical leave requests:

Deborah Hanchey, teacher/PHS-MEDSABB 8-12-09/1-15-2010

Linda Martinez, teacher/NPE-MEDSABB 8-19-09/5-28-10

Forrina Sullivan, teacher/LJHS-MEDSABB 8-12-09/1-15/10

Rhonda McCann, teacher/NPE-MEDSABB 8-19-09/5-28-10

On recommendation of Superintendent Self and on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board voted to approve the following requests for a leave without pay:

Gena Adams, LA4 aide/NPE-OTHER LWOP 8-12-09/5-28-10

Martha Acey, cook/LJHS-OTHER LWOP 8-12-09/1-15-10

On recommendation of Superintendent Self and on motion of Randy Martin, seconded by Randi Gleason, the Board voted to approve the following termination:

Donna Smith, cook/PHS-Job Abandonment

On recommendation of Superintendent Self and on motion of Beryl Ford, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to approve the following list of new employees:

Cindy Brown, teacher/Pitkin-replacing Jerome Henson(instructional coach one year)

David Kennedy, teacher/RHS-replacing Leslie Ortiz(instructional coach one year)

Tara Richardson, Sped Aide/WLE-replacing Jane Mortenson(retired)

Tammy Bourdeu, teacher/LHS-replacing Kyle Walter(I/s trns to Sped APE)

Nicole Guercio, teacher/SPE-replacing Sheila Bradford(retired)

Brittany Welch, teacher/VMS-replacing Kathryn Self(resigned)

Joann Mastrosimone, LA4 aide/NPE-new LA4 class

Amy Johnson, teacher/NPE-replacing Bonnie Hicks-trns to hearing impaired

Leslie Lawrence, LPN/central office-replacing Barbara Cart(sick leave)

Donna Hillman, LA4 aide/NPE-replacing Gena Adams(LWOP)

Shelby Wedgeworth, LPN/central office-replacing Angela Sandell(resigned)

Heather Frederick, Title I aide/WLE-replacing Julia Johnson(trns to teacher)

Karen Simmonsen, teacher/RES-Retiree Return To Work

Amanda Walker, aide specific/RES-student need

Sarah Brantley, teacher/LHS-replacing Mark Mawae(resigned)

John Cook, teacher/PHS(RRTW)-replacing Sam Dalton(trns to another class)

Katie Hines, teacher/NPE-replacing Linda Martinez(MedSABB)

Tori Keel, headstart aide/RES-replacing Kimberly Taylor(resigned)

Margaret Frusha, Sped aide/PHS-RRTW-replacing Joe Smith(I/S trns to teacher)

Amanda Clemons, teacher/PHS-replacing Deborah Hanchey(1/2 year SABB)

Jessica Rusmisel, cook/NPE-replacing Tonya Day(resigned)

Twilla Perkins, cook/NPE-replacing Amber Shade(trns to aide)

Johnny McCullough, custodian/Pitkin-replacing Rita Dixon(resigned)

Bonnie Guillory, cook/ELE-replacing Dortha Robinson

Margie Hopkins, headstart aide/ELE-replacing Tierney Marze(trns to LA4)

Tammy Cryer, headstart aide/NPE-replacing Miranda Randle(resigned)

Brittany Duggins, headstart aide/NPE-replacing Melissa Palmer(resigned)

Lisa Vidrine, headstart aide/NPE-replacing Linda Fox(LWOP 1 year)

Karen Redden, nurse/central office-replacing Gina Grant(retired)

Vickie Lewis, Sped aide/AES-aide specific-student need

Pam Walley, Sped aide/RES-aide specific-student need

Lisa Thomas, JAG teacher/LJHS-new class

Rene Nance, sales tax assistant-replacing Denise White

Jonene Ford, teacher/LJHS-replacing Forrina Sullivan(1/2 year SABB)

Donna Harvey,teacher/Evans-new 1st grade position due to overcrowding

Debra Holt, headstart teacher/NPE-replacing Martha Vinson(trns to RES)

Joe Gibbs, teacher/PHS-replacing Hayley Meek(resigned)

Jimmie Duke, custodian/PES(RRTW)-replacing Verni Midkiff(retired)

Mr. Mark Smith stated that he would like to amend the personnel transfer list to reflect the untimely passing of Mrs Ramona Tuck and to add 9A on the agenda to accept the superintendent’s recommendation for insurance clerk effective immediately and on motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Robert Pynes, the Board voted to amend the personnel transaction list and accept Superintendent Self’s recommendation to fill the insurance position.  On motion of Mel Harris, seconded by Robert Pynes, the Board voted to accept Superintendent Self’s recommendation of Millie Zane to fill the insurance position vacancy.  Mr. Vernon Travis voted nay to this motion.

On recommendation of Superintendent Self and on motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Robert Pynes, the Board voted to approve the following employee transfers:

JoAnn Mastrosimone, LA4 aide/NPE-funding change only from LA4 to 8g

Amanda Shackleford, LA4 aide/PES-funding change only from 8g to LA4

Bethany Hewitt, teacher/NPE-funding change only from LA4 to 8g

Dorinda Richardson, LA4 teacher/AES-funding change  from 8g to LA4

Terrell Spencer, LA4 teacher/PES-funding change only from 8g to LA4

Kyle Walter, teacher/LHS-I/S trns from Tech Prep to Sped APE-replacing William Thomas

Amber Shade, cook/SPE-I/S trns to custodian-replacing Joni Harville(resigned)

Jamie Armbruster, LA4teacher/NPE-funding change only from LA4 to 8g

Donna Hillman, LA4/NPE-funding change only from LA4 to 8g

Donna Busby, insurance clerk/central office-trns toNPE as Headstart teacher-new class

Tammy Moore,headstart aide/ELE-I/S trns from 6/7 to full time headstart employee

Elizabeth Creasey, LA4 teacher/ELE-I/S trns to headstart teacher

Tammy Moore, headstart aide/ELE-I/S trns to LA4 aide

Donna Adams, teacher/VMS-I/S trns from 5th to G/T teacher-replacing Roland Booty

Cha Henry, bilingual aide/RES-trns to ELE-student need

Misty Fink, bus driver/WLE-trns to LJHS(home school change only)

Ramona Tuck, finance secretary/central office-trns to insurance clerk-replacing Donna Busby

On motion of Randy Martin, seconded by Beryl Ford, the Board voted to approve the following employee retirement:

Vernie Midkiff, custodian/PES

On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Vernon Travis, the Board voted to approve a resolution to adopt the 2009/2010 consolidated budget.

September 3, 2009

Vernon Parish School Board

201 Belview Road

Leesville, LA  71446

Re:  Executive Summary for the 2009-2010 Operating Budget

Dear Board Members:

The budget for the Vernon Parish School Board for the fiscal year July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 is hereby submitted.

The board will be asked to approve the 2009-2010 Operating Budget on September 08, 2009.  The proposed resolution follows.

Before the resolution is acted upon, The Board will receive comments and recommendations from the Finance Committee and the public.  The Finance Committee will review the budget on September 3 and a Public Hearing will be held at that time.

Budget Summary

The Vernon Parish School Board is the second largest employer in the parish.  Total budget revenues are $102.9 million and total budgeted expenditures are $101.6 million.

The purpose of each fund and an overview of the changes from last year are:

General Fund

General fund educational activities are accounted for in the General Fund and are supported by local taxes, state entitlements, and federal grants.

Special Revenue Fund

The Special Revenue Fund accounts for the proceeds of specific revenue sources that are legally restricted to the expenditures for specific purposes.

Debt Service Fund

The Debt Service Fund is used to accumulate monies for the payment of outstanding bond issues.

Debt service funds are not required to be included in this budget plan.

Capitol Projects Fund

The Capitol Projects Fund accounts for financial resources to acquire, construct, and improve public school facilities in nine (9) school districts.

Capitol project funds are not required to be included in this budget plan.

Budget Guidance

In developing the budget for FY 2009-2010, the administrative staff was given the following short term and financial operational policies:

1.        Salary estimates include ”r;step increases”

2.        Half of MFP increase budgeted as teacher salaries (no increase this year)

3.        To prepare estimates based on a student population of 9107

4.        To use employer contribution rates of 15.5% for Teachers Retirement System and 17.6% for Louisiana School Employees Retirement

5.        To use the indirect cost rate of 6.3749 %

6.        To budget an increase hospitalization insurance costs of $1.2 million.

7.   To budget for increased student enrollment and possible increase in personnel.

Budget Concerns

The uncertainty of Department of Defense Funding and Impact Aid Funding make the goal of using these funds only for non-recurring expenses imperative.

The declining student count had been a major area of concern. Prior to last year we had lost a total of 823 students. In FY 2008-2009 we had increase of 235 students, the first increase in eight years.  We are looking at further increases this year.

The General Fund had to contribute an additional $200,000 to the Lunch Fund in FY 2009 and will almost certainly need to contribute an additional $300,000 this fiscal year.

Acknowledgements

The preparation of this report could not have been accomplished without the efficient and dedicated services of the entire staff of the Business Department.  We want to express our appreciation to them for this assistance.

We also thank the members of the Board for their interest and support in planning and conducting the financial operations of the School System in a responsible and progressive manner.

_____________________________                               _____________________

Jackie Self, Superintendent                                                  Tim Ward.

Vernon Parish Schools                                                         Director of Finance

BUDGET RESOLUTION

The following resolution was offered by Mark Smith and seconded by Vernon Travis.

A resolution adopting, finalizing, and implementing the General Fund, Special Revenue, and Consolidated Fund Budgets of the Vernon Parish School Board for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009 and ending June 30, 2010, which was accompanied by this budget adoption resolution; and

WHEREAS, the proposed Consolidated, General Fund, and the Special Revenue Fund Budgets and the accompanying budget adoption resolution have been submitted to this School Board for review and consideration; and

WHEREAS, notice of the public hearing on the proposed Consolidated, General Fund, and Special Revenue Fund Budgets, notice of the availability of the proposed budgets for review at such hearing and a general summary of the proposed budgets have been timely published in the Leesville Daily Leader; and

WHEREAS, a public hearing on the proposed Consolidated, General Fund, and Special Revenue Fund Budgets has now been reviewed and considered; now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board that the proposed Consolidated, General Fund, and Special Revenue Budgets are hereby approved, adopted, and finalized.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED actual revenues, expenditures and fund balances for the year ended June 30, 2009 are hereby adopted as the amended budgets for the year, in compliance with the requirements of the state law.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary-Treasurer of the School Board, Jackie Self, or his successor, is hereby authorized and in her sole discretion, to make such changes within the various budget classifications as she may deem necessary provided that any reallocation of funds affecting in excess of five percent (5%) of the projected revenue collections must be approved in advance by action of the School Board at a meeting duly noticed and convened.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Superintendent of the School Board, Jackie Self, or his successor, in her capacity as chief administrative officer of the School Board, is hereby directed to advise the School Board when:

1. Revenue collections plus projected revenue collections for the remainder of the year, within a fund, are failing to meet estimated annual budgeted revenues by five percent (5%) or more, or

2. Actual expenditures plus projected expenditures for the remainder of the year, within a fund, are exceeding the estimated budgeted expenditures by five percent (5%) or more, or

3. The actual beginning fund balance, with a fund, fails to meet the estimated beginning fund balance of five percent (5%) or more, and the fund balance is being used to fund current year expenditures.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary-Treasurer of the School Board, Jackie Self, or his successor, shall certify completion of all actions required by Louisiana R.S. 39:1306 by publishing a notice of the minutes of the meeting in the Leesville Daily Leader.

This Resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows:

YEAS: 11                             

NAYS:  0              

ABSTAINING:     0             

ABSENT: 1

On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Randi Gleason, the Board voted to approve final budgets for 2008-2009.

Mrs. Beryl Ford gave the following Headstart Report:

Head Start officially welcomed staff back on August 19, 2009 with a program and policy overview. 

Head Start is no longer co-enrolled with LA4 due to funding sources.

With the closing of the 3 co-enrolled classes, Head Start opened a new classroom at North Polk Elementary.

Current enrollment is 260 students--4 year olds (68) ---3 year olds (192).

Head Start has 2 new teachers and 3 new paraprofessionals at NPE, 1 new paraprofessional at Rosepine Elementary, and 2 new paraprofessionals at East Leesville.

The first official day of Head Start was Friday, September 4.

The new Policy Council members will be elected the week of September 14, 2009.

Mike Perkins reported that the Athletic Committee had met and reviewed the requirements for non-faculty CECP coaches.  It was recommended by the Committee that the requirement that the CECP coaches not have an immediate family member on the team be deleted.  On motion of Mike Perkins, seconded by Ricky Reese, the Board voted to delete this requirement for CECP coaches and leave it to the discretion of the individual school principal.  There was no opposition to this motion. 

Beryl Ford reported that the Curriculum Committee had met was recommended the following change in the Pupil Progression Plan:

The criteria for placement of a student in a Carnegie credit course are as follows:

A student must have a total of 5 points to be eligible to take the Carnegie credit course.

* If a student scores below 60 % on the 8^th grade GLE exam, at least one of the 5 points must come from teacher recommendation.

8th grade GLE exam will be provided by the district.

On motion of Randi Gleason, seconded by Vernon Travis, the Board voted to accept this change to the Pupil Progression Plan. 

On motion of Beryl Ford, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board approved the addendum to the Pupil Progression Plan for the waiver of the Career Diploma Pathway for one year.  Mr. Perkins reported that Superintendent Self discussed ”r;Race To The Top” and John Farris discussed the Pupil Progression Plan and ACT scores.  There was also discussion of alternate locations for the Optional School.

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

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

In other business, Superintendent Self discussed the possibility of seasonal flu vaccines for the students in Vernon Parish.  These vaccines would be free of charge and would require parental permission.  Dr. John Vanchiere, LSU Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine in Shreveport, has discussed this with Superintendent Self.  On motion of Mike Perkins, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board approved the vaccine for students.

Superintendent Self addressed the need to update and/or change the dress code. On motion of Mike Perkins, seconded by Randy Martin, the Board voted to form a committee of principals and central office staff to review the dress code.

Colonel Burns reported on the signing of the Community Covenant and the Army Family Covenant.  Colonel Burns also discussed the Tutor.com website which is available to all military families free of charge.  Fort Polk will also have a Remembrance Ceremony on September 11, 2009.

On motion of the Board, 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 and Central Office Staff wish to express their sincere sympathy to the family of Ramona Tuck who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Ramona was the wife of Kim Tuck, former employee of the Vernon Parish School Board, the mother of Haley Stevens, paraprofessional at East Leesville Elementary School, and the sister of Mary Lynn Johnson, secretary in the Curriculum Department; and

            WHEREAS, Ramona worked in the Finance Department at the Central Office and she will be sadly missed by her co-workers, friends, and family; now

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

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

____________________________________

STEVE WOODS, BOARD PRESIDENT

ATTEST:

____________________________________

JACKIE D. SELF, SUPERINTENDENT

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