The Washington Parish School Board met in regular session on the above date with the following board members present: President Harold Smith, Karl Bickham, Juanita Barker, Holly James, Susanne Jones, Richard N. Thomas, Jr., Bruce Brown, and Freddie Jefferson. Absent: Hayward Boone.
Agenda Item #1 - Call to order.
The meeting was called to order by President Smith. He welcomed guests and news media present.
Agenda Item #2 - Invocation.
The invocation was given by Bruce Brown.
Agenda Item #3 - Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda Item #4 - Consider a motion to adopt the minutes of the September 3, 1998, special board meeting.
It was moved by Susanne Jones, seconded by Holly James, that the Board adopt the minutes of the September 3, 1998, special board meeting, as submitted to each board member. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #5 - Consider a motion to adopt the minutes of the September 10, 1998, regular board meeting.
It was moved by Juanita Barker, seconded by Holly James, that the Board adopt the minutes of the September 10, 1998, regular board meeting, as submitted to each board member. Motion carried unanimously.
It was moved by Freddie Jefferson, seconded by Juanita Barker, that the following item be added to the agenda: Consider a motion to enter into Executive Session under LA.R.S.42:6.1(A)(4). Motion carried unanimously. It was moved by Juanita Barker, seconded by Richard Thomas, that the Board enter into Executive Session under LA. R.S. 42:6.1(A)(4). Motion carried unanimously.
It was moved by Karl Bickham, seconded by Juanita Barker, that the Board return to regular session. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #6 - Presentation regarding a matter at Thomas Jr. High School (Dennie Fowler).
Superintendent Fowler read the following statement:
Mr. President and Members of the Board:
At our last board meeting, a presentation was given by Parents for Children and Equal Education, a group of parents and concerned individuals from the Thomas community. Spokesperson for the group was a parent, Mrs. Cynthia Smith. Mrs. Smith referred to a problem which had surfaced at the Thomas school, and it had caused strong concerns for several within the community. Within Mrs. Smith’s presentation, she addressed three areas to which the group desired clarification or corrective action. I have investigated the problem, of which I was aware prior to the presentation given at the last meeting on September 10, 1998. As I stated during the last meeting, I had already given some directions to resolve part of the problem which surfaced at Thomas Jr. High.
The first concern mentioned within the presentation addresses the method by which classes were structured. The procedure stated by the group, placing names in hats and drawing names according to race and gender, is certainly not a method conducive to producing the best classroom structure. One recommended procedure for class structure is to have the teachers of the children the previous year get together with the principal and devise rosters based on test results, portfolio assessments, race, gender, and social factors, producing the best heterogenous class possible. This process is recommended to occur at the end of the school year and can allow for future analysis during the summer months, if needed. This process can be used in all grade levels, except preschool. Of course, as with other decisions in the chain of administration, the final decision made at a school site is the responsibility of the principal.
The second area of concern dealt with rectifying an imbalance which occurred during the situation at Thomas school. A racial imbalance did occur when efforts were made to stabilize the problem. Unfortunately, teachers were discussing and, apparently, adjusting the assignment of students within their classrooms without consulting with the administrator at the site, the principal. Had the issues been presented first to the principal, who then could consult with the central office for direction, if necessary, then the matter could have been handled before the fact, rather than after.
In any event, having to handle the situation after the fact, the following actions have been taken. On September 17, 1998, a position at Thomas school was vacated, and one of the teachers within the second grade opted to be placed in this position. At this time, another experienced teacher of second grade agreed she would be willing to move into the vacant second grade position. Also, at this time, it was agreed that the best teaching environment would be to semi-departmentalize the second grade. This would allow for all students within the second grade to be taught by a black and a white teacher. The directive was also given to place the children back into the original class roster settings as they were at the beginning of the school year. However, it should be noted that, because the children had been in school approximately five weeks, if the parents felt it was best for their children to remain with their current class, this would be an allowable option. All teachers involved in the change at the school, along with the principal, thoroughly analyzed the changed situations, and, with parents, all agree with the procedures and have expressed their satisfaction with the change.
The third area of concern deals with alleged derogatory, racial statements. My investigation included interviews with the principal, the two second grade teachers, two other teachers, and two teacher’s aides who may have heard the discussions at issue. The statements obtained vary as to the exact words that were used by the teachers, but it is clear that some comments repeated in the community about what was said were inaccurate. In any event, by taking only the comment by one of the teachers out of the context with the whole discussion, there is a perception that one of the comments could be inappropriate.
Regardless, the situation has created unnecessary racial disharmony in the Thomas community. Professionalism must prevail at all times with all employees. The teaching profession is vital in developing the young lives with which we work on a daily basis. We must all work together to maintain racial harmony within the school system. Therefore, I will issue a directive to the employees at Thomas Jr. High School that comments made that may even be perceived as being racial or demeaning of any student are inappropriate and unacceptable. I will emphasize that the policy and procedures of this Board and the operation of this system are nondiscriminatory.
Individuals involved in the investigation and review of investigative materials and problem resolution are as follows: Principal Carl Merritt, Thomas Jr. High School, Supervisor of Elementary Mary Jones, Supervisor Robert Al Johnson, Assistant Superintendent Richard Kennedy, Superintendent Dennie Fowler.
The Parents for Children and Equal Education, through their spokesperson, Mrs. Cynthia Smith, have brought the matters that needed to be addressed to our attention and have presented the issues in a very thorough and well-organized manner.
Board Member Bruce Brown asked to speak. He said, “First I want to say to everyone who is present, is, unfortunately, I have to leave at this point; I have another engagement, and I’m already late. The last time we met and we heard from the families concerning the incident at Thomas, the Superintendent was directed to go and do some investigating and find out what he could as to what was happening. Since that time, he’s done his investigation, and this is the report he has brought back to us. The Board feels like the Superintendent has done a thorough investigation, and the steps that have been taken, even if it doesn’t satisfy every concern that we have, are steps in the right direction. We would like for you to look it as a honest effort to try to rectify the problem at Thomas. We have problems; we can’t deny that. I feel, as a board member, and I can only speak for myself, and I feel the Board feels the same way, that we have looked at this situation; we have taken some steps to try to rectify the problem. I don’t know if you’re going to be totally satisfied, but it’s my opinion that he has actually done what he said he was going to do. Steps have been taken; some things have been done. At this point, the report back from the school is that things are going pretty smooth, and I just hope to God that we can, as a community, come together and work on our problems honestly and openly and, whenever we have problems, deal with them like we have at this time. I want to say to the concerned citizens and parents to continue to monitor our situation. Any concern that you have, bring those concerns to the principal. If you don’t get satisfaction, do what you did the last time; bring it higher. We’re just going to have to work together. What I’m trying to do is represent our community and try to get our community to come together and work together and be a better community. I just hope that we can do that. I hope we can cooperate together. Anytime you have a problem, just bring it. We don’t solve everything overnight, but we’re working on it.”
Board Member Bruce Brown left the meeting at this time.
It was moved by Freddie Jefferson, seconded by Juanita Barker, that Edward Ratcliff, President, Washington Parish NAACP, be allowed to address the Board. Motion carried unanimously. Mr. Ratcliff stated, “I’m here to represent a good segment of Washington Parish, in particular, the Hackley and Thomas area, and also, more specifically, the concerned parents for children and quality education. What I’d like to do first is to laud you for the efforts you made to conduct a worthwhile investigation. It’s a step in the right direction. You can tell from the attendance at the last two meetings and at some meetings that were held maybe at some point last year, there are some serious concerns about a large segment of the African-American community. I’m really pleased to see that the step has been taken in the right direction, but I must say to the board, in its entirety, there must be more dialog between the board and representatives of the black community. Well, not only the black community, because you can see there are concerns by both the black and white parents about the situations that have existed in this parish. We all are here to do something about improving the situations. My remarks are being made for more positive dialog, and it must be made in smaller bodies that are more manageable so you can have input from the community. On one hand, we laud you for the efforts you have made, but there is still work to be done.”
Agenda Item #7 - Discuss and take appropriate action regarding recommendations from John Norris for purchase of property and casualty insurance for the period October 1, 1998, through September 30, 1999 (Adren Raybourn).
Adren Raybourn, Director of Finance, asked the Board’s insurance consultant, John Norris, to make his recommendations for purchase of property and casualty insurance. Mr. Norris stated that the best combination of coverage and price has been offered by Moore and Jenkins Insurance Agency through Gulf Insurance Company, with a total premium of $134,636.00. He would recommend that company, except the filing the company made with the Louisiana Department of Insurance has not been approved. Personnel with Gulf Insurance Company are of the opinion they can get approval by October 1st. Mr. Norris stated that, if the Board wanted to make a decision today, it could go with the next best quote which, in his opinion, is Scottsdale Insurance Co. through agent Alexander & Alexander, with a premium total of $145,658.00 (includes a charge of $5,112.00 for stand-by bus premium for 10 buses). Another option would be to defer a decision until a later date to allow time for approval of Gulf Insurance Company’s filing.
It was moved by Holly James, seconded by Karl Bickham, that the Board accept the quotation submitted by Moore & Jenkins Insurance Agency (Gulf Insurance Company) in the amount of $134,636.00 for property and casualty insurance coverage for the period October 1, 1998, through September 30, 1999, with the stipulation that the contract (filing) be approved by the Louisiana Department of Insurance by Noon, September 30, 1998; if not approved, the Board will accept the quotation from Scottsdale Insurance Company in the amount of $145,658.00. Motion carried unanimously.
Adren Raybourn then asked the Board to discuss and take appropriate action concerning the extra charge of $5,112.00 for stand-by bus premium for ten (10) buses, which would be applicable if the business should go to Scottsdale Insurance Company, instead of Gulf Insurance Company. Mr. Raybourn explained that he didn’t have the authority to make the determination of who would pay the separate premium charged by Scottsdale. He stated that there would be no separate premium involved with Gulf Insurance Company. Following discussion, it was moved by Freddie Jefferson, seconded by Holly James, that the Board Transportation Committee be authorized to make a decision as to who would pay the separate premium(s) for extra (stand-by) buses, if Scottsdale became the insurance carrier. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #8 - Consider a motion to grant permission for the establishment of a new fund - - Mt. Hermon School Capital Projects Fund - - to account for the proceeds of the Mt. Hermon School District Bond Issue (Adren Raybourn).
Upon the recommendation of Adren Raybourn, Director of Finance, it was moved by Harold Smith, seconded by Susanne Jones, that the Board grant permission for the establishment of a new fund - - Mt. Hermon School Capital Projects Fund - - to account for the proceeds of the Mt. Hermon School District Bond Issue. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #9 - Consider a motion to grant permission to open a checking account for the Mt. Hermon School Capital Projects Fund, with withdrawal privileges given to the Superintendent, or his designee, and the Board President (Adren Raybourn).
Upon the recommendation of Adren Raybourn, Director of Finance, it was moved by Harold Smith, seconded by Freddie Jefferson, that the Board grant permission to open a checking account for the Mt. Hermon School Capital Projects Fund, with withdrawal privileges given to the Superintendent, or his designee, and the Board President. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #10 - Consider a motion to grant permission to open a separate Louisiana Asset Management Pool (LAMP) account for the Mt. Hermon School Capital Projects Fund, with permission given to the Director of Finance and/or the Chief Accountant to invest in that fund and transfer from that fund to other school board owned fund(s)-(Adren Raybourn).
Upon the recommendation of Adren Raybourn, Director of Finance, it was moved by Harold Smith, seconded by Holly James, that the Board grant permission to open a separate Louisiana Asset Management Pool (LAMP) account for the Mt. Hermon School Capital Projects Fund, with permission given to the Director of Finance and/or the Chief Accountant to invest in that fund and transfer from that fund to other school board owned fund(s). Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #11 - Consider a motion to authorize termite treatment at Wesley Ray Elementary School (William Brignac).
William R. Brignac, Jr., Supervisor of Maintenance, reviewed the quotations received for termite treatment at Wesley Ray Elementary School, which were as follows: Southeast Regional Pest Control - $5,830.00; Orkin - $7,280.00; Fischer - $8,250.00; Ja-Roy - $11,256.00. Upon the recommendation of Mr. Brignac, it was moved by Freddie Jefferson, seconded by Richard N. Thomas, that the Board award the contract for termite treatment at Wesley Ray Elementary School to Southeast Regional Pest Control in the amount of $5,830.00, which will be taken from the school’s contingency fund. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #12 - Consider a motion to replace central air conditioning unit in Franklinton Jr. High School band room (William Brignac).
William Brignac reviewed the quotations received for replacing the central air conditioning unit in Franklinton Jr. High School band room, which were as follows: Ingram Air, Inc. - $4,225.00; Brock Refrigeration - Proposal #1 - $5,988.61, Proposal #2 -$5,198.79; Welsh Refrigeration - $5,300.00. Upon the recommendation of Mr. Brignac, it was moved by Karl Bickham, seconded by Susanne Jones, that the Board award the contract for replacing the central air conditioning unit in Franklinton Jr. High School band room to Ingram Air, Inc., in the amount of $4,225.00, which will be taken from the school’s contingency fund. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #13 - Consider a motion to adopt IDEA and Preschool Budget Revisions for the 1998/99 fiscal year (Pamela Williford).
Upon the recommendation of Dr. Pamela Williford, Supervisor of Special Education, it was moved by Holly James, seconded by Karl Bickham, that the Board adopt IDEA and Preschool Budget Revisions for the 1998/99 fiscal year. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #14 - Consider a motion to authorize advertisement for a full-time school lunch worker at Franklinton High School (Marsha Newman).
Upon the recommendation of Marsha Newman, Supervisor of School Food Service, it was moved by Juanita Barker, seconded by Holly James, that the Board authorize advertisement for a full-time school lunch worker at Franklinton High School. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #15 - Discuss and take appropriate action regarding re-classification of school lunch personnel (Marsha Newman).
Upon the recommendation of Marsha Newman, School Food Service Supervisor, it was moved by Freddie Jefferson, seconded by Karl Bickham, that school lunch employees’ classification be the same system of classification used by the payroll department - - Managers and School Lunch Workers. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda item #16 - Discuss and take appropriate action regarding Personnel Adjustments (Richard Kennedy).
It was moved by Richard Thomas, seconded by Freddie Jefferson, that the following Personnel Adjustments be approved, as recommended by Richard Kennedy, Assistant Superintendent:
PERSONNEL ADJUSTMENTS
TRANSFER:
Melanie Knight, Title I Teacher, Thomas Jr. High School, TO Regular Teacher, Thomas Jr. High School, effective September 17, 1998.
EMPLOY:
Thomas Jr. High School: Arlene Magee, Part-time School Lunch Worker, effective September 25, 1998 (pending outcome of physical examination).
Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #17 - Superintendent’s Report.
Superintendent Fowler shared the following schedule relative to the completion of the Design/Construction Documents Phases and the Bidding/Construction Phases for renovations and additions to Mt. Hermon School:
•December 9, 1998 Final review by Community Building Committee
•December 10, 1998 Permission by Sch. Bd. to Advertise for Bids
•January 6, 1999 Project advertises for bids in legal journal
•February 9, 1999 Bid Opening
•February 11 or 25, 1999 Sch. Bd. Approves Bids and awards contract
•March 1, 1999 Notice to Proceed issued to contractor
•March 1999 through Oct. 1999 Contractor renovates Gymnasium
•December 1999 Contractor completes all portions of work
Superintendent Fowler stated he had notified all principals to take simple precautions for the weekend in anticipation of problems due to Hurricane Georges.
Agenda Item #18 - Other business from board members.
Susanne Jones requested that board members receive copies of monthly Special Education and Federal programs budgets.
Agenda item #19 - Consider a motion to enter into Executive Session under LA. R.S. 42:6.1(A) to discuss litigation in the matter of O. Glenn Daughtry vs. Washington Parish School Board, #070471-F, 22nd. Judicial Court, Washington Parish, and under LA. R.S. 42:6.1(A)(4) to discuss allegations of misconduct (Dennie Fowler).
It was moved by Juanita Barker, seconded by Holly James, that the Board enter into Executive Session under LA. R.S. 42:6.1(A) to discuss litigation in the matter of O. Glenn Daughtry vs. Washington Parish School Board, #070471-F, 22nd. Judicial Court, Washington Parish, and under LA R.S. 42:6.1(A)(4) to discuss allegations of misconduct. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #20 - Consider a motion to return to regular session.
It was moved by Harold Smith, seconded by Freddie Jefferson, that the Board return to regular session. Motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item #21 - Consider a motion to adjourn.
It was moved by Holly James, seconded by Richard Thomas, that the Board adjourn. Motion carried unanimously.
HAROLD R. SMITH, PRESIDENT
DENNIE FOWLER, SECRETARY