NOVEMBER 6, 2018                                                                

 

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

 

ANGIE DAVIS - PRESIDENT

VERNON TRAVIS, JR. – VICE-PRESIDENT    

DOUG BRANDON

ROBERT PYNES, JR.

JACKIE SELF

JIM SEAMAN

STEVE WOODS

DAVID DETZ

JOHN BLANKENBAKER

RANDY MARTIN

SHAD STEWART

GERALD COOLEY       

 

ABSENT:                    

COL. JARRETT THOMAS II

           

There was also present Mr. James Williams, Secretary of the Board.

The meeting was opened in prayer by:   ANGIE DAVIS  

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by:    ANGIE DAVIS  

 

Item #1: November 1, 2018 Minutes

On motion of John Blankenbaker, seconded by David Detz, the Board voted to approve the minutes of the November 1, 2018 regular meeting and dispense with the reading of the minutes.

 

Item #2: Board Meeting Dates

On motion of Shad Stewart, seconded by Doug Brandon, the Board voted to approve the Board Meeting Dates for year 2019 presented at the November 1st meeting.

 

Item #3: Employee Retirements

On motion of Gerald Cooley, seconded by Steve Woods, the Board voted to approve the employee retirements presented at the November 1st meeting.

 

Item #4:  Head Start Policies/Procedures

On motion of Jim Seaman, seconded by David Detz, the Board voted to approve the Head Start policies and procedures presented at the November 1st meeting.

 

Item #5: Vernon Parish Policy Updates

On motion of Doug Brandon, seconded by Shad Stewart, the Board voted to approve the following policy updates:

File:  IHAD – Parent Conferences

File:  JGCE – Child Abuse

File:  JR – Student Records/Student Privacy and Education Records

 

Item #6:  Budget Amendments Related to Personnel

 

On motion of Jackie Self, seconded by Doug Brandon, the Board voted to approve budget amendments related to personnel changes.

 

Item #7: Claim Payments

On motion of Doug Brandon, seconded by John Blankenbaker, the Board voted to authorize the president and secretary to pay the claims.

 

Item #8: Supervisor Advertisement

On motion of Gerald Cooley, seconded by Randy Martin, the Board voted to advertise for an Elementary Curriculum Supervisor to replace a retiring supervisor.

 

Item #9:  2019 Board Officers

On motion of Jackie Self, seconded by David Detz, the Board voted to accept the nominations of Board President and Vice-President for 2019.  The new Board President is Vernon Travis, Jr. and the Vice-President is Shad Stewart.

 

Item #10:  Employee of the Month

Finance Director, Tim Ward introduced the representative from Taylor and Sons Insurance, Scott Walker and North Polk Elementary Principal, Lee Coriell to the Board.

 

Mr. Coriell talked about the outstanding job performance by Mr. Wendell Miller, custodian at NPE and how he is a very dependable employee at his school.  Mr. Miller was presented with a plaque from Mr. Walker and Taylor and Sons, thanking him for his service and commitment to his duties at North Polk Elementary School.

 

Item #11:  Medicaid Reimbursement

Tim Ward presented the Board with a breakdown of the reimbursement received for the fiscal year 2017-2018.  Speech Therapy - $148,704 and Nursing Services $143, 635 – Total - $292.339.  Medicaid reimburses the Vernon Parish School board for services provided by employees to students that are Medicaid eligible.  These services include speech therapy and nursing care.  Next year this will also include transportation of Medicaid eligible students.  This money is deposited into the Vernon Parish School Board general fund.

 

Item #12:  PBIS/Drug Free School Report

PBIS is a process for creating safer and more effective schools through an important district initiative called positive behavior intervention and support.  Child Welfare Director, Hub Jordan introduced two teachers from Parkway Elementary School who presented an informative printout of their plan of action for their school. This printout is also sent home to the parents so they will be informed of the position behavior with rewards project being conducted at their child’s school.  Elizabeth Cyr and Kellie Meijners explained to the Board the process of Parkway’s program and the rewards for the students when goals are accomplished.

 

Item #13:  CLIP GRANT

Anne Smith, Curriculum Director reported to the Board that the Orchard Foundation has been awarded a total of $4,482,635 by the U.S. Department of Education to recruit, train, support, and retain effective math and science educators in Central Louisiana schools.

 

Vernon Parish is one of the nine central Louisiana parishes that will benefit from this grant. Ten schools in Vernon Parish meet the requirements to be partner schools.  They are Pitkin High School, Evans High School, Simpson High School, Pickering High School, Hicks High School, Hornbeck High, Pickering Elementary, Vernon Middle School, Rosepine Elementary School, and Leesville Junior High School.  The criteria for partner PK-6 schools is at least 60% Free/Reduced lunch eligibility and for partner PK-12 or 7-12 schools is at least 45% Free/Reduced lunch eligibility.

 

Item #14:  Report from Curriculum Committee

Chairman Jackie Self reported to the Board that Curriculum Directors Anne Smith and Renita Page gave an accountability update today in the Curriculum Committee meeting to better understand the new baseline formula that we will be evaluated on.  They explained that the new formula is not just assessment tests but includes several components that are “plugged into” the test scores to get these new grades.  There is now heavy emphasis on growth (how much each student and each school improves).  School scores will be sent home with students on Friday, November 9th.

 

Item #15: Superintendent’s Remarks

Superintendent James Williams discussed the following topics with the Board:

1.  Reminded the Board that performance scores will be released on Friday, November 9th.

2.  Veterans’ Day School Events Calendar in your folders.

3.  Election Day is today

4.  LA School Boards Association ACT 705 Training after 10:00 meeting today.

 

Item #16:  Memorial Resolutions

 

On motion of Gerald Cooley, seconded by the Board, the Board voted to adopt 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 sympathy to the family of Robert Jess Hill who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Hill was the father of Autumn Addison former teacher at Simpson High School; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Hill was a resident of Vernon Parish; 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 Jackie Self, seconded by the Board, the Board voted to adopt 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 sympathy to the family of Jacquelyn Nell Gallia-Adams who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Ms. Adams was a retired Leesville Junior High teacher; and

            WHEREAS, Ms. Adams was a resident of Vernon Parish; 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 David Detz, seconded by the Board, the Board voted to adopt 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 sympathy to the family of Mastern Brack who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Brack was the Father of Kathy Bonner and Omie Riley, bus drivers for Evans High School and the Father-in-Law of Angie Brack a teacher at Evans High School; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Brack was a resident of Vernon Parish; 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, Jr., seconded by the Board, the Board voted to adopt 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 sympathy to the family of David Wayne Johnson who recently passed away; and

            WHEREAS,  Mr. Johnson was the Brother of Edward Kenebrew, bus driver and Polly Gilbert, retired paraprofessional, and Uncle to Lotoria Gilbert, Head Start paraprofessional; and

            WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson was a resident of Vernon Parish; 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.

 

Item # 17:  Adjournment

There being no other business the meeting was adjourned.

 

Authorized Officer

 

_________________________

ANGIE DAVIS, PRESIDENT

 

ATTEST:

 

__________________________________

JAMES WILLIAMS, SUPERINTENDENT