ST. MARTIN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
DECEMBER 6, 2006
BREAUX BRIDGE, LOUISIANA
MINUTES
The St. Martin Parish School Board convened on this day at 5:00 P.M. at the Breaux Bridge Instructional Center with the following members present: Messrs., Floyd Knott, President, Mark Hebert, Steve Fuselier, Anthony Wiltz, James Blanchard, Rodney Ledoux, Frederic Stelly, and Mrs. Barbara Latiolais.
ABSENT: Mr. Richard Potier and Mr. Paulma Johnson
The meeting was called to order by Mr. Floyd Knott, President. Superintendent Haaga opened the meeting with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
On the motion of Mr. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Blanchard, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the audit report prepared by Kolder, Champagne, Slaven & Company for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2006.
ABSENT: None
Nineteen Ed Leadership Academy Graduates were recognized and honored. Superintendent Haaga presented plaques to the two outgoing Board Members. The meeting was recessed for fifteen minutes for refreshments.
The Board Member’s request relative to student drop off at Teche Elementary was removed from the agenda.
On the motion of Mr. Blanchard, seconded by Mr. Fuselier, and carried, the Board approved the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of November 1, 2006.
ABSTAINED: Mr. Wiltz
On the motion of Mr. Blanchard, seconded by Mr. Johnson, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the December Sales Tax Salary Supplement in the amount of $500 to professional employees and $357 to paraprofessional employees.
On the motion of Mr. Ledoux, seconded by Mr. Blanchard, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the recommendation of the administration for the acceptance
of bids on tires to Wingfoot Commercial Tire ($111,140.55) and Area Wholesale Tire Co., Inc. ($10,364.32).
On the motion of Mr. Ledoux, seconded by Mrs. Latiolais, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the requests for waiver of sales tax penalties, as recommended by the administration, for the following:
a) CDM Resource Management, Ltd.
b) Centennial Communications
c) Hanover Company
On the motion of Mr. Ledoux, seconded by Mr. Hebert, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the purchase of the JPAMS Software.
On the motion of Mr. Fuselier, seconded by Mr. Ledoux, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the request to move excess funding from Adult Education to LEAP/iLEAP Remediation.
On the motion of Mr. Blanchard, seconded by Mrs. Latiolais, and carried, the Board approved the contract renewal with Forethought Consulting, Inc. for the Policy Updating Service in the amount of $2,800 for the period from January, 2007 to December, 2007.
OPPOSED: Mr. Ledoux and Mr. Stelly
On the motion of Mr. Fuselier, seconded by Mr. Wiltz, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the following revised policies for inclusion in the St. Martin Parish School Board Policy Manual:
CBC, Recruitment of Superintendent
DJED, Bids and Quotations
GAK, Personnel Records
GBC, Recruitment of Personnel
GBK, Employee Discipline
OPPOSED: Mr. Potier and Mr. Ledoux
ABSTAINED: Mr. Johnson
On the motion of Mrs. Latiolais, seconded by Mr. Potier, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the request for permission to advertise for a 1 acre campsite in 4 Mile Bayou previously leased by Ervin ”r;T-Man” Bailey.
On the motion of Mr. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Blanchard, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the request for permission to advertise for the Harvest of Alligator Eggs.
On the motion of Mr. Ledoux, seconded by Mr. Potier, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the following resolutions:
a) Teacher Tuition Exemption Program
WHEREAS, the Teacher Tuition Exemption Program has been funded by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education through the 8(g) Quality Education Assurance Fund at a static level of $3.1 million for the last three years; and,
WHEREAS, the Tuition Exemption Program has paid the tuition costs of hundreds of St. Martin teachers who have returned to Louisiana colleges and universities to expand the base of knowledge in their subject area or to gain certification; and,
WHEREAS, due to increasing tuition and fee costs at colleges and universities fewer teachers can participate in this program each year if it is funded at the same level; and,
WHEREAS, additional 8(g) funds will become available during the next fiscal year; and,
WHEREAS, the St. Martin Parish School Board endorses the Teacher Tuition Exemption Program as a valuable resource for teachers to avail themselves in acquiring new skills or needed certification in critical shortage areas as determined by the parish; and,
WHEREAS, site based administrators supervise the teachers of all programs in their schools and may have had little experience with certain areas, to allow administrators to use the Tuition Exemption Program to pay the cost of upgrading their skills in the critical shortage areas as determined by the parish; now,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the St. Martin Parish School Board endorse a funding level increase for Teacher Tuition Exemption and that the selection of critical shortage areas be restored to the local parishes; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Louisiana School Boards Association, to the Governor of Louisiana, to the State Superintendent of Public Education, to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and to all Superintendents throughout the State.
b) Textbook Adoptions and Allocations
WHEREAS, school boards throughout the state are experiencing difficulty in providing new textbooks because of the increasing costs; and,
WHEREAS, the monies allocated per child for textbooks does not cover the actual cost of these textbooks; and,
WHEREAS, the textbook adoption cycle established by the State of Louisiana does not coincide with the states for whom textbook companies make major editorial revisions; and,
WHEREAS, parishes may use allocated monies to update needed textbooks in areas where insufficient monies were allocated; now,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the St. Martin Parish School Board petition the Louisiana School Boards Association to sponsor legislation which will change the textbook adoption cycle to coincide with major states, and allocate sufficient funds to cover actual cost of books; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Louisiana School Boards Association, to the Governor of Louisiana, to the State Superintendent of Public Education, to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and to all Superintendents throughout the state.
c) Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana
WHEREAS, Louisiana ended the 2005-06 budget year with approximately $827 million more revenues than necessary to run the State, and
WHEREAS, Use of surplus money is constitutionally restricted to retiring state debt, coastal restoration, capital outlay projects, highway projects that include federal money and funding retirement system liability, and
WHEREAS, The Unfunded Accrued Liability in TRSL exceeded $6.5 billion on June 30, 2006, due to a 50-year period of underfunding by the State, and
WHEREAS, Active employees in TRSL paid their required contributions over the same 50-year period, and
WHEREAS, The current level of funding in the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana is only about 66.2 percent of its funding needs, and
WHEREAS, Current annual payments from State funds on the UAL do not pay even the interest on the UAL, and
WHEREAS, A substantial payment on the UAL this year will significantly reduce the future interest owed by the State on the remaining UAL, and
WHEREAS, Increasing the funded level of TRSL will significantly improve the bond rating for Louisiana, and
WHEREAS, Reducing the UAL will also reduce the employer contribution rate to the retirement system, thereby reducing the amount that local school systems are required to pay to TRSL, now
THEREFORE, Be It Resolved, that on this 6th day of December 2006, the St. Martin Parish School Board, does hereby urge Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and all members of the Louisiana Legislature to appropriate a substantial part of the $827 million in state surplus money as payment on the UAL and other retirement benefits through the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana.
d) Board Appreciation, December & January
WHEREAS, the St. Martin Parish School Board Superintendent, Directors, Supervisors, Administrators, Professional and Paraprofessional Personnel have selected the months of December, 2006 and January, 2007 for the observance of Board Appreciation Months (B.A.M.). It is our desire to acknowledge the current Board Members in December for their contributions and dedicated service within the St. Martin Parish School District. We would like to acknowledge the induction of the incoming Board in January as elaborate plans have been made for the execution thereof, and
WHEREAS, B.A.M. gives the general public the opportunity to acknowledge the fact that your public service as a School Board Member is vital to the educational process, essential to shaping the young minds of St. Martin Parish students, thus impacting their destiny.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Superintendent, Directors, Supervisors, Administrators, Professional and Paraprofessional Personnel of the St. Martin Parish School District, in official session do hereby publicly announce to you, our School Board Members, that we are aware of and do appreciate your sacrifice of time, sincere devotion, and the indefatigable patience with which you have dedicated yourselves to the educational development of the children of this parish, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we will do our utmost in assisting and supporting you in all your noble endeavors.
The Board discussed the timeline for selection of Superintendent. On the motion of Mr. Hebert, seconded by Mr. Ledoux, and unanimously carried, the Board approved to authorize Mr. Mark Boyer, Attorney, to compose the letter concerning the expiration date of the Superintendent’s contract.
The item relative to Counselors’ extra pay for services with vendors was postponed.
On the motion of Mr. Ledoux, seconded by Mr. Johnson, and unanimously carried, the Board approved a 100 year lease to the Parish Government for the property in Cade, providing it is legal.
On the motion of Mr. Wiltz, seconded by Mr. Stelly, and unanimously carried, the Board went into Executive Session.
On the motion of Mr. Ledoux, seconded by Mr. Stelly, and unanimously carried, the Board came out of Executive Session.
ABSENT: Mr. Hebert and Mr. Johnson
Mr. Mark Boyer, Attorney, reviewed issues discussed in executive session surrounding the interpretation of LA Revised Statue Title 17 Section1201, specifically where an employee’s salary is frozen upon them being injured, which necessarily involves assault and battery. On the motion of Mr. Potier, seconded by Mr. Fuselier, and unanimously carried, the Board approved to allow Mr. Boyer to send a generic letter (without names, just the situation and issues) to the Attorney General to provide us an opinion regarding the issues discussed in Executive Session.
ABSENT: Mr. Hebert and Mr. Johnson
On the motion of Mr. Potier, seconded by Mr. Fuselier, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the following Professional Personnel Changes, excluding the retirement of Mamie Eames:
APPOINTMENT:
Nora, Raymonette, 4th grade, Teche Elementary; effective November 8, 2006. (Certified)
MATERNITY LEAVES:
Dronet, Renee, 5th grade, St. Martinville Junior High; effective February 14, 2007 through March 30, 2007.
Menard, Mindy, 1st grade, Breaux Bridge Primay; effective November 27, 2006 through February 2, 2007.
Smith, Krissa, Art, Cecilia Senior High; effective January 29, 2007 through March 12, 2007.
MEDICAL LEAVES:
Roberts, Johnnie, Adjustment Center, Teche Elementary; effective November 27, 2006 through January 5, 2007.
TRANSFER:
Guidry, Paget, from Art at St. Martinville Senior High to Art at St. Martinville Senior High/Itinerate Art Facilitator; effective December 7, 2006.
SABBATICAL LEAVE:
Hulin, Tammy, 1st grade, Catahoula Elementary; effective January 8, 2007 through May 25, 2007.
RESIGNATION:
Thomas, Tiffany, Technology Facilitator, St. Martinville Primary; effective November 24, 2006.
EXPIRATION:
Daily, Craig, Math, Cecilia Senior High; effective November 31, 2006.
ABSENT: Mr. Hebert and Mr. Johnson
On the motion of Mr. Fuselier, seconded by Mr. Stelly, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the following Paraprofessional Personnel Changes:
APPOINTMENT:
Taylor, Sheena, Food Services Technician, Cecilia Senior High; effective December 7, 2006.
MATERNITY LEAVE:
Barras, Jennifer, Teacher Aide/Even Start, Breaux Bridge Primary; effective February 12, 2007 through March 23, 2007.
MEDICAL LEAVE:
Guidry, Tina, Teacher Aide, Cecilia Primary; effective October 31, 2006 through November 17, 2006.
RESIGNATION:
Calais, Christopher, Custodian, Cecilia Primary; effective November 29, 2006.
RETIREMENTS:
Landry, Alvina, Food Services Technician, Breaux Bridge Primary; effective January 1, 2007.
LeBlanc, Charleen, Bookkeeper, Instructional Center; effective January 1, 2007.
ABSENT: Mr. Hebert and Mr. Johnson
On the motion of Mr. Wiltz, seconded by Mr. Blanchard, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the request for extra employment pay for Sera Centanni, Kim Palomarez, Catherine Guidry, Debbie Guillory, Angela Toncrey, and Regina Guidry for the Parks Primary After-Care Program for the month of October.
ABSENT: Mr. Hebert and Mr. Johnson
On the motion of Mr. Potier, seconded by Mr. Stelly, and unanimously carried, the Board approved payment for the Freshman Football Coaching Stipend at Cecilia Senior High School.
ABSENT: Mr. Hebert and Mr. Johnson
On the motion of Mr. Wiltz, seconded by Mrs. Latiolais, and unanimously carried, the Board approved payment for the Freshman Football Coaching Stipend at St. Martinville Senior High School.
ABSENT: Mr. Hebert and Mr. Johnson
On the motion of Mr. Wiltz, seconded by Mr. Fuselier, and unanimously carried, the Board adjourned.
__________________________ ________________________________
SECRETARY PRESIDENT