2014-12-04

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

On motion of Jerry Jeane, seconded by Randy Martin, the Board voted to approve the minutes of the November 13, 2014 regular meeting and dispense with the reading of the minutes.

President Michael Perkins nominated Doug Brandon for President of the Vernon Parish School Board for 2015 – there were no objections. Richard Schwartz nominated John Blankenbaker for Vice-President of the Vernon Parish School Board for 2015– there were no objections. President-elect Brandon and Vice-President Blankenbaker will take office on January 8, 2015.

On motion of John Blankenbaker, seconded by Randi Gleason, the Board voted to advertise for principal at Rosepine High School.

Superintendent James Williams, Mrs. Anne Smith and Mrs. Renita Page reported that the Vernon Parish School District has been placed on the College Board’s 5^th Annual AP District Honor Roll for Significant Gains in Student Access and Success. Vernon Parish School District is one of 547 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board.

The following resolution was offered by John Blankenbaker and seconded by Randy Martin:

A resolution providing for canvassing the returns and declaring the result of the special election held in Ward Seven Wardwide School District of Vernon Parish, Louisiana, on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, to authorize the incurring of debt and issuance of bonds therein.

BE IT RESOLVED by the Parish School Board of the Parish of Vernon, State of Louisiana (the "Governing Authority"), acting as the governing authority of Ward Seven Wardwide School District of Vernon Parish, Louisiana that:

SECTION 1. Canvass. This Governing Authority does now proceed in open and public session to examine the official tabulations of votes cast at the special election held in Ward Seven Wardwide School District of Vernon Parish, Louisiana, on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014, to authorize the incurring of debt and issuance of bonds therein, and said Governing Authority does further proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the special election.

SECTION 2. Procès Verbal. A Procès Verbal of the canvass of the returns of said election shall be made and a certified copy thereof shall be forwarded to the Secretary of State, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who shall record the same in his office; another certified copy thereof shall be forwarded to the Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Recorder of Mortgages in and for the Parish of Vernon, who shall record the same in the Mortgage Records of said Parish; and another copy thereof shall be retained in the archives of this Governing Authority.

SECTION 3. Promulgation of Election Result. The result of said election shall be promulgated by publication in the manner provided by law.

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

And the resolution was declared adopted on this, the 4^th day of December, 2014.

PROCÈS VERBAL AND PROCLAMATION OF THE CANVASS OF THE VOTES CAST AT THE SPECIAL ELECTION HELD IN WARD SEVEN WARDWIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF VERNON PARISH, LOUISIANA, ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014.

BE IT KNOWN AND REMEMBERED that on Thursday, December 4, 2014, at ten o'clock (10:00) a.m., at its regular meeting place, the Parish School Board Office, 201 Belview Road, Leesville, Louisiana, the Parish School Board of the Parish of Vernon, State of Louisiana (the "Governing Authority"), acting as the governing authority of Ward Seven Wardwide School District of Vernon Parish, Louisiana (the "District"), and being the authority ordering the special election held therein on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, with the following members present:

Randi Gleason, Robert Pynes, Jr., Jerry Jeane, Steve Woods, Richard Schwartz, Randy Martin, Michael Perkins, Vernon L. Travis, Jr., John Blankenbaker, Gerald Cooley;

did, in open and public session, examine the official certified tabulations of votes cast at the said election, and did examine and canvass the returns of the said election, there having been submitted at said election the following proposition, to wit:

Shall Ward Seven Wardwide School District of Vernon Parish, Louisiana (the "District"), incur debt and issue bonds to the amount of not exceeding $1,200,000, to run not exceeding 10 years from date thereof, with interest at a rate or rates not exceeding 6% per annum, for the purpose of acquiring and/or improving lands for building sites and playgrounds, including construction of necessary sidewalks and streets adjacent thereto; purchasing, erecting and/or improving school buildings and other school related facilities within and for the District and acquiring the necessary equipment and furnishings therefor, title to which shall be in the public; which bonds will be general obligations of the District and will be payable from ad valorem taxes to be levied and collected in the manner provided by Article VI, Section 33 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 1974 and statutory authority supplemental thereto, with no estimated increase in the millage rate to be levied in the first year of issue above the 26.34 mills currently being levied to pay General Obligation Bonds of the District?

There was found by said count and canvass that the following votes had been cast at the said special election IN FAVOR OF and AGAINST, respectively, the proposition as hereinabove set forth at the following polling places, to-wit:

POLLING PLACES			VOTE TABULATION
Ward	Precinct	Location	FOR	AGAINST
4	3A	(IN PART) Pickering High School Gym, 180 LeBleu Road, Pickering Community (NO VOTERS)	0	0
7	1	Elementary School Gym, 1208 Texas Avenue, Rosepine	198	125
7	2	Elementary School Gym, 1208 Texas Avenue, Rosepine	118	51
7	2A	(IN PART) Elementary School Gym, 1208 Texas Avenue, Rosepine	194	132
7	3	Cole Central Fire Station, 7542 Hwy. 399, Cole Central Community	36	39
7	4	(IN PART) Marlow Fire Station, 118 Marlow Road, Marlow Community	0	3
7	4A	(IN PART) Marlow Fire Station, 118 Marlow Road, Marlow Community	26	28
7	5	Elementary School Gym, 1208 Texas Avenue, Rosepine	172	98
7	5A	(IN PART) Elementary School Gym, 1208 Texas Avenue, Rosepine	52	37
7	5C	(IN PART) Elementary School Gym, 1208 Texas Avenue, Rosepine	45	16
ABSENTEE			112	64
TOTALS			953	593
MAJORITY FOR			360

The polling places above specified being the only polling places designated at which to hold the said election, it was therefore shown that there was a total of 953 votes cast IN FAVOR OF the Proposition and a total of 593 votes cast AGAINST the Proposition, as hereinabove set forth, and that there was a majority of 360 votes cast IN FAVOR OF the Proposition as hereinabove set forth.

Therefore, the Governing Authority did declare and proclaim and does hereby declare and proclaim in open and public session that the Proposition as hereinabove set forth was duly CARRIED by a majority of the votes cast by the qualified electors voting at the said special election held in the District on Tuesday, November 4, 2014.

Exhibit "A" attached hereto and made a part of this Procès Verbal is a copy of the Notice of Special Election and proof of publication thereof.

THUS DONE AND SIGNED at Leesville, Louisiana, on this, the 4^th day of December, 2014.

Pursuant to the provisions of a resolution adopted by the Parish School Board of the Parish of Vernon, State of Louisiana (the "Governing Authority"), acting as the governing authority of Ward Seven Wardwide School District of Vernon Parish, Louisiana (the "District"), on May 6, 2014, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special election will be held within the District on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014, and that at the said election there will be submitted to all registered voters in the District qualified and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and Laws of the State of Louisiana and the Constitution of the United States, the following proposition, to-wit:

The said special election will be held at the following polling places situated within the District, which polls will open at six o'clock (6:00) a.m., and close at eight o'clock (8:00) p.m., in accordance with the provisions of La. R.S. 18:541, to-wit:

The polling places set forth above are hereby designated as the polling places at which to hold the said election, and the Commissioners-in-Charge and Commissioners, respectively, shall be those persons designated according to law.

Notice is further given that a portion of the monies collected from the tax described in the Proposition shall be remitted to certain state and statewide retirement systems in the manner required by law.

The said special election will be held in accordance with the applicable provisions of Chapter 5 and Chapter 6-A of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, and other constitutional and statutory authority, and the officers appointed to hold the said election, as provided in this Notice of Special Election, or such substitutes therefor as may be selected and designated in accordance with La. R.S. 18:1287, will make due returns thereof to said Governing Authority, and NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that the Governing Authority will meet at its regular meeting place, the Parish School Board Office, 201 Belview Road, Leesville, Louisiana, on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014, at TEN O'CLOCK (10:00) A.M., and shall then and there in open and public session proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the said special election. All registered voters of the District are entitled to vote at said special election and voting machines will be used.

THUS DONE AND SIGNED at Leesville, Louisiana, on this, the 6^th day of May, 2014.

I, the undersigned President of the Parish School Board of the Parish of Vernon, State of Louisiana, the governing authority of Ward Seven Wardwide School District of Vernon Parish, Louisiana (the "District"), do hereby declare, proclaim and announce that the proposition submitted at the special election held in the District on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, was CARRIED by a majority of the votes cast at the said special election, all as described and set out in the above Procès Verbal.

THUS DONE AND SIGNED at Leesville, Louisiana, on this, the 4^th day of December, 2014.

Curtis Clay presented the Headstart Monthly Report and presented the following policies/procedures:

These policies/procedures will be placed on the December 9, 2014 Agenda for approval.

Vernon Travis reported that the Salary/Personnel Committee had met and Mr. Funderburk reviewed the personnel changes for December. Personnel reduction through attrition was discussed and the number of personnel reductions may fluctuate before February 1, 2015. No action was taken.

On motion of Randi Gleason, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:

WHEREAS, the members of the Vernon Parish School Board wish to express their sympathy to the family of Laura Ann DeTommaso who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. DeTommaso was the mother of Edward DeTommaso, teacher at Evans High School and the mother-in-law of Patti DeTommaso, teacher at West Leesville Elementary; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. DeTommaso was a resident of Port Arthur, Texas and she will be greatly missed by her family and friends; 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.

On motion of Vernon Travis, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:

WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board takes this means to express their sympathy to the family of Esmond Grasty who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Grasty was the father of Theresa Williams, Headstart Coordinator; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Grasty was a resident of Leesville and he will be greatly missed by his family and friends; now

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

On motion of Jerry Jeane, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:

WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board wishes to express their sympathy to the family of John Henry Moore who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Moore was a retired teacher with many years of dedicated service; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Moore was a longtime resident of Vernon Parish and he will be greatly missed by his family and friends; now

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

On motion of Vernon Travis, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:

WHEREAS, the members of the Vernon Parish School Board wishes to express their heartfelt sympathy to the family of Eugene Allen who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Allen was the husband of Lillie Allen, Food Service Assistant at the Central Office; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Allen was a longtime resident of Vernon Parish and he will be sadly missed by his family and friends; now

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

On motion of Jerry Jeane, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:

WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board wishes to express their condolences to the family of Dovie Curtis who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Curtis was a retired custodian at Hornbeck High School and was the sister of Dona Dowden, retired secretary at the Central Office and Deloris Rogers, retired secretary at South Polk Elementary; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Curtis was a lifelong resident of Vernon Parish and she will be greatly missed by her family and friends; 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.

On motion of Michael Perkins, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:

WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board wishes to express their heartfelt sympathy to the family of Stella Danage who recently passed away; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Danage was the mother of Ora Lee Miller, teacher at Pitkin High School; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Danage was a longtime resident of Vernon Parish and she will be greatly missed by her family and friends; 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, and on motion of Steve Woods, seconded by the Board, the meeting was adjourned.