August 12, 1999
THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION AT 10:00 A.M., AUGUST 12, 1999, AT 201 BELVIEW ROAD, LEESVILLE, LA. PRESIDENT PARKER CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ON ROLL CALL THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS WERE PRESENT:
W.W. PARKER, PRESIDENT
LINDA WEST, VICE PRESIDENT
ALVIN C. DOWDEN, JR.
M. GENE HAYMON
JANE HOLTON
C.A. HUGHES
TED PARIS
KIM REESE
MARK SMITH
BETTY WESTERCHIL
WILLIS A. FARRIS
MURPHY O'BANION
PHILIP L. GUNN
BENARD MCKEE
ABSENT: B.R. HARVEY, DR. APPOINTMENT
COL. STEPHEN SHAMBACH
There was also present Richard Schwartz, Secretary of the Board.
The meeting was opened in prayer by A.C. Dowden, Jr.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Ted Paris.
On motion of Murphy O'Banion, seconded by Willis Farris, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of August 5, 1999.
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Ted Paris, seconded by C.A. Hughes, the Board voted to approve the attached list of employee resignations.
ATTACHED
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Philip Gunn, seconded by Linda West the Board voted to approve the request for leave without pay on the attached list.
ATTACHED
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Betty Westerchil, seconded by Kim Reese, the Board voted to approve the attached list of employee transfers.
ATTACHED
On recommendation of Superintendent Schwartz and on motion of Benard McKee, seconded by Gene Haymon, the Board voted to approve the attached list of new employees.
ATTACHED
Margie Wright, LAE Representative submitted the organization's request that 70% of the new monies generated by the full-funding of the MFP be designated for employee salaries.
Dennis VanDine, representative for Patient's Choice Insurance, explained an announcement made by Patient's Choice that the company was withdrawing from the HMO market, however, our group nembers will have hospitalization coverage until we change to a new provider.
A combined meeting of the Finance Committee and the Insurance Committee will be held at 4:00 p.m., Friday, August 13th to discuss hospitalization insurance.
Superintendent Schwartz discussed a personnel opening in the Finance Department which was created by a resignation in the Sales Tax office. A plan to reorganize the Sales Tax office by using Finance Department personnel is being considered. The reorganization would leave an opening for a secretary in Finance.
On motion of Willis Farris, seconded by Gene Haymon, the Board voted to leave the hiring of a secretary in the Finance Department up to Superintendent Schwartz. Ted Paris and Philip Gunn voted no.
On motion of Linda West, seconded by A.C. Dowden, the Board voted to approve the 1998-99 operating budget revisions.
On motion of C.A. Hughes, seconded by Kim Reese, the Board voted to approve a parish-wide drug testing policy for interscholastic athletes.
ATTACHED
A motion was made by Betty Westerchil and seconded by the Board to request Tom Neubert, Director of Child Welfare and Attendance, to search for agencies available to help students who have tested positive for drugs and report back to the Board.
A. C. Dowden presented the following resolution regarding solid waste collection to the Board for approval
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the voter of Vernon Parish have approved a sales tax to pay to their collection and disposal of waste;
WHEREAS, the taxpayers of Vernon Parish, including the Vernon Parish School Board employees and parents of our school children, pay tax for waste collection at point of sale;
WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish Police Jury contracts for the parish-wide
collection of said waste;
WHEREAS, the collection of school waste formerly obtained through the City of Leesville and the utilization of landfills at little or no cost to the Vernon Parish School Board; and
WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board does not have additional sources of revenue to pay for the collection and disposal of waste;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Vernon Parish School Board requests that the Vernon Parish Police Jury undertake to study the feasibility of incorporating the collection of waste from the Vernon Parish School Board into the Parish contract.
On motion of A.C. Dowden, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted a resolution to be presented to the Vernon Parish Police Jury.
On motion of A. C. Dowden, seconded by the Board, the Board requested that Superintendent Schwartz, Bill Endris, and Asa Skinner negotiate with Enviroclean, the company that currently collects waste for Vernon Parish Schools, for a contract which terminates on the effective term date of its parish-wide contract or allows for an escape clause from the contract in the event we are incorporated into the parish-wide waste collection contract.
On motion of A.C. Dowden, seconded by the Board, the Board approved the recommendation of the Finance Committee that the Board reinstate the $125.00 teacher supply money which had been taken away at the 1999 Legislative Session.
On motion of Willis Farris, 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 sympathies to the family of Mrs. Doris Busch, of Leesville, who recently passed away; and,
WHEREAS, Mrs. Busch was a great supporter of this school system, a very active member of her community and a businessperson. She will be sadly missed by her family and her friends;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board does, hereby, adopt this memorial resolution and requests that a copy be sent to Mr. George Busch and his family at this time of sorrow.
There being no further business, on motion of seconded by the Board voted to adjourn.
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W.W. PARKER, PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
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RICHARD SCHWARTZ, SUPERINTENDENT