FEBRUARY 8, 1994
THE PARISH BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN SPECIAL SESSION ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1994 AT 10:00 A.M. IN THE BOARD ROOM OF THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, 201 BELVIEW ROAD, LEESVILLE, LA PRESIDENT WILLIAMS CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ON ROLL CALL THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS WERE PRESENT:
CAROLYN WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT
MARK SMITH, VICE PRESIDENT
GERALD BURNS
ALVIN C. DOWDEN, JR.
BETTY WESTERCHIL
T.B. PORTER
ARVIL HARVEY
MURPHY O'BANION
B.R. HARVEY
BENARD MCKEE
WALLACE MCRAE
COL. PETER SUN
Absent: PHILIP GUNN, ILL
There was also present Mr. Sammy L. Hinson, Secretary of the Board.
The meeting was opened in prayer by Mrs. Betty Westerchil, Ward One.
The pledge of allegiance was led by Mr. Alvin C. Dowden, Jr., Ward One.
On motion of Mr. B.R. Harvey, seconded by Mr. McRae, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of February 3, 1994.
Mr. O'Banion asked what Act 936 pertained to in regards to board travel. Superintendent Hinson stated that the law was passed by the state legislature providing that board members could be compensated for travel to board meetings and committee meetings. Mr. O'Banion requested that his vote in the February 3, 1994 school board meeting be changed to no.
Superintendent Hinson read the attached call notice:
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On motion of Mr. O'Banion, seconded by Mr. Dowden, the Board voted to accept the attached list of resignations:
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On motion of Mr. Burns, seconded by Mr. Arvil Harvey, the Board voted to name the attached list of new employees:
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At this time Superintendent Hinson announced that the Quiz Bowl Champions of 1994 were Anacoco High School. Mr. Richard Schwartz, Supervisor, stated the Quiz Bowl was very successful and expressed appreciation to everyone who helped in the event. The Quiz Bowl is co-sponsored by the Vernon Parish School Board and the Chamber of Commerce. The coach for the Anacoco team is Lisa Blakeway. Mr. Porter, school board member, presented each team member with a certificate of outstanding accomplishment.
On motion of Mr. Porter, seconded by the Board, the Board voted to extend their appreciation to everyone who helped with the quiz bowl and thanked all students and their coaches for participating in this academic contest.
Mrs. Nicole Allen, VIGIL grant winner and teacher at Pickering High School presented her journalism awareness program to the Board. Mrs. Allen introduced news paper publishing to her language arts class which is currently publishing the Pickering High School Firehouse.
Mr. Bill Endris, Director of Finance stated that Norris Insurance Consultants, Inc. is meeting with local insurance agents on February 11, 1994 to discuss worker compensation insurance. He stated that the present policy holder shall have first choice of providers, and the other agents shall draw for line of order in choice of providers of workers compensation insurance. He further reported that Norris Consultants shall have prepared for March 21, 1994 quotes from agents on workers compensation insurance for consideration by the Board. This action is being taken due to the March 30, 1994 deadline for workers compensation insurance.
Mrs. Pat Crawford, Supervisor of Vocational Education and Computer Coordinator, addressed the Board. Mrs. Crawford reported that at the recent Future Business Leaders of America competition held in Lake Charles at McNeese State University, that the Vernon Parish clubs placed first in 17 categories out of 24 categories. There were 61 superior and 51 excellent places won by Vernon Parish students. A total of 402 students attended the event from Vernon Parish. Mr. and Mrs. yFBLA winners were both from Vernon Parish Schools. The schools competing against each other ranged in classifications from Class 5A to Class C.
Mrs. Crawford reported that through Chapter II funds, computers will soon be placed in all Vernon Parish second grade classrooms. The placement of these computers comes with training and software for teachers.
On motion of Mrs. Westerchil, seconded by Mr. Dowden, the Board voted to advertise for bids for ceiling tile for Hornbeck High School gym. Bids to be received March 8, 1994.
Mr. O'Banion stated that item #10 (motion to advertise for a back hoe) had not been referred to Maintenance Committee. He requested that item #10 be taken from the agenda and that this item be referred to the Maintenance Committee.
On motion of Mr. O'Banion, seconded by Mr. Dowden, the Board voted to take item #10 off of the agenda and refer the back- hoe advertisement to the Maintenance Committee.
On motion of Mr. McKee, seconded by Mr. Burns, the Board voted to accept the low bid of McElroy Metals for the roofing panels for Rosepine Elementary School. The bid is in the amount of $15,918.42
Superintendent Hinson reported on the status of the situation at Pickering Schools sewage treatment plant. On recommendation of Superintendent Hinson, on motion of Mr. O'Banion, seconded by Mr. McKee, the Board voted to declare a state of emergency at the Pickering Schools as provided by R.S. 38:2211 (A) (D). The state of emergency allows for a public entity to bypass state bid laws.
On recommendation of Superintendent Hinson, and on motion of Mr. O'Banion, seconded by Mr. Burns, the Board voted to authorize the Superintendent, Mr. James Ward, and Mr. O'Banion to negotiate a proposed temporary solution to the Pickering sewage treatment plant situation by:
Step (A): working with the engineer, Mr. Frank Willis, of
Willis Engineering, Inc. in repairing the existing sewage treatment facility with a temporary aeration tank and clarifier set up for approximately $37,000.00 or less with an engineering and survey fee of $4,600.00, or if Step A is not satisfactory then on recommendation of Superintendent Hinson and on motion of Mr. O'Banion, seconded by Mr. Burns the Board voted to go to Step (B): to enter into a contract with Purestream, Inc., the manufacturer of the collapsed sewage treatment plant, for a turn-key job in the amount of $45,000.00 for a GPD wastewater treatment plan to replace the one that failed.
Mr. Asa Skinner, school board attorney, stated that the above actions taken by the Board are feasible and according to state laws.
Mr. Bob Westmoreland, Louisiana State Health Department, stated that he concurred with the actions taken by the Board, and that the Board is satisfying all regulations of the Health Department.
Superintendent Hinson introduced Mrs. Barbara Guidry to the Board. He stated that Mrs. Guidry would address the Board with a Level IV grievance concerning her lateral transfer at Anacoco High School.
Mr. Hinson stated that he and Dr. Monk met with Mrs. Guidry on January 18. 1994. Mrs. Joyce Wright, LAE, representative was with Mrs. Guidry in this meeting. Mr. Hinson read a letter he sent to Mrs. Guidry after this meeting stating to her that he concurred with the recommendation of Mr. Beason, Principal of Anacoco High School and Dr. Monk, to laterally transfer Mrs. Guidry to the ISS program.
Mrs. Guidry addressed the Board. She reviewed the steps she had taken in grievances since her transfer to ISS on November 19, 1994. She stated that she requested she be placed back into her teaching assignment in English III and English IV at Anacoco High School. Mrs. Guidry said that she had not been formally advised of the reasons for her transfer from the classroom, she stated that she had only been verbally told, so therefore she felt she had been denied due process. Mrs. Guidry stated the reasons she was given for her transfer were high failure rate, excessive homework, college level assignments, and her grading scale did not follow the Vernon Parish Pupil Progression Plan. She stated that she had received all satisfactory evaluations.
Superintendent Hinson responded by stating that he concurred with the recommendation from Mr. Beason and Dr. Monk that Mrs. Guidry should be transferred to ISS.
Superintendent Hinson called on Dr. Monk. Dr. Monk stated that Mr. Beason would read a statement to the Board.
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Dr. Monk stated that he has worked with Mrs. Guidry in this situation. He said that Mrs. Guidry had no regard for the Vernon Parish Pupil Progression Plan and the homework policy.
Superintendent Hinson stated that in his meeting with Mrs. Guidry that she was assured that everyone involved was trying to help the situation for her and the students at Anacoco High School.
Motion was made by Mr. Porter, seconded by Mr. B.R. Harvey, that the Board would uphold the lateral transfer of Mrs. Guidry to the ISS program at Anacoco High School.
At this time Mrs. Wright, LAE, stated that Mrs. Guidry may want to request Executive Session.
Superintendent Hinson stated that this meeting was not a tenure hearing, however, if Mrs. Guidry requested Executive Session, then he recommended it.
Mrs. Guidry stated that she wanted Executive Session.
Mr. Porter withdrew his motion.Mr. B.R. Harvey withdrew his second to Mr. Harvey's motion.
On motion of Mr. Burns, seconded by Mr. Dowden, the Board voted to go into Executive Session for thirty minutes on the personnel matter of Mrs. Guidry.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
On motion of Mr. Burns, seconded by Mr. Porter, the Board voted to resume order.
ABSENT: ARVIL HARVEY
MURPHY O'BANION
On recommendation of Superintendent Hinson, and on motion of Mr. Porter, seconded by Mr. B.R. Harvey, the Board voted to uphold the lateral transfer of Mrs. Guidry from English to ISS at Anacoco High School.
Superintendent Hinson announced that the approved Policy changes on February 3, 1994, were placed in Board member folders and asked that each member keep these changes in their manuals.
On motion of Mr. Porter, seconded by Mr. McKee, the Board voted to advertise for a used, 15 passenger van for Anacoco High School. Bids to be received March 8, 1994.
President Williams announced that the Early Bird workshop for school board members at the Louisiana School Boards Convention would begin on the morning of March 3, 1994, which conflicted with the school board meeting date. She asked that if there were no objections, she would request a motion to change the meeting dates for March to March 8 at 10:00 a.m. and March 21 at 5:00 p.m.
On motion of Mr. Burns, seconded by Mr. McRae, the Board voted to change the school board meeting dates of March as listed above.
On motion of Mr. McRae, seconded by Mr. B.R. Harvey, the Board voted to resolve itself into a claims committee and approve the claims.
On motion of Mr. Dowden, seconded by Mrs. Westerchil, the Board voted to authorize the President and Secretary to pay claims as approved by the claims committee.
There being no further business, on motion of Mr. McRae, seconded by Mr. McKee, the Board voted to adjourn.
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CAROLYN WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
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SAMMY L. HINSON, SUPERINTENDENT