CROWLEY, LOUISIANA

JULY 15, 2002

                                The Acadia Parish School Board met in SPECIAL SESSION on this the 15^th  day of July 2002, at 5:00 p.m., in Crowley, Louisiana, with President John A. Suire presiding, pursuant to the following notice given in writing to each and every member thereof and duly posted in the manner required by law, viz.

July 8, 2002

Dear Board Member:

By virtue of the authority vested in me by law by reason of the fact that it is deemed necessary, advisable, and to the public interest that the Acadia Parish School Board is called to a SPECIAL SESSION; therefore, I, John A. Suire, president of the Acadia Parish School Board, do hereby give notice that a special meeting of the said Board will be held at its domicile in the City of Crowley, Louisiana, at 5:00 p.m., on Monday, July 15, 2002, to:

1.  RECEIVE APPLICATIONS FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF ACADIA PARISH PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

2.  RECEIVE QUESTIONS FOR INTERVIEWING SUPERINTENDENT APPLICANTS.

Sincerely,

s/s John A. Suire, President

Acadia Parish School Board

Jm

(Copies sent to Central Office Staff Members, Principals, News Media)

1)             Members present were Lyle C. Johnson, Bill Pinac, Wadie H. Bias, Lynn Shamsie, John H. Quebodeaux, Nolton J. Senegal,  Roland Boudreaux, Rodney J. Trahan, Johnnie L. Smith, Charles F. Daigle, Shirley Vige', Dr. Robert L. McManus and Paul K. Bellon.  Kitty M. Valdetero, Woody Marceaux, and Charles F. Daigle were absent.

                President Suire called the meeting to order.

2,3)          Mr. Senegal led the prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.

4)             Reading of letter calling for Special Session.

                President Suire read the letter calling for a special session.

SPECIAL SESSION ITEMS:

1)             Receive applications for Superintendent of Acadia Parish Public Schools

                Four applications were received and distributed.  One applicant is presently certified to be Superintendent in Louisiana.  The other applicants are working with the Louisiana State Department of Education to be properly certified by the August 5, 2002, deadline.  Mr. Carl LeJeune reviewed this information and answered the Board's queries.  On behalf of one candidate, he asked if the APSB would pay travel expenses associated with the interview.  The consensus of the Board was that such expenses would not be reimbursed.  Discussion continued regarding the timing of interviews on August 5, 2002.  Upon motion by Mr. Senegal, seconded by Mr. Shamsie, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, applications for Superintendent of the Acadia Parish Public Schools were received and interviews of applicants will be conducted  in the opening items of the August 5 meeting.

2)             Receive questions for interviewing superintendent applicants.

                Questions from the last interviews for the position of superintendent were distributed to the Board.  It was noted that input was generated from various groups.  Other questions were presented to the Board for its consideration from AAE and Head Start.  The Board continued to discuss the selection on the interview questions.  It was suggested that each Board member be allowed a question which will not be on the list.

                Upon motion by Mr. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Quebodeaux, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, Head Start questions 1, 2, and 3 were deleted, question 4 was submitted.

                Upon motion by Mr. Pinac, seconded by Mr. Boudreaux, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, AAE question 1 was submitted and questions 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were deleted.

                Mr. Vige’ motioned and Mr. Shamsie seconded to compile questions, make them available to the Board, and allow board members to ask their own follow-up questions.

                Mr. Caswell, attorney, suggested that, for consistency, a pool of core questions be compiled and asked of each candidate.

                A substitute motioned that board members rank from 1 to 5 the top questions with one being the highest and turn this into the Superintendent’s office by close of business on Friday, July 19, 2002, was offered by Mr. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Pinac, and carried by a unanimous voice vote.  A list of the top ten ranked questions will be compiled.  The Board president will ask all questions.

                Mr. Boudreaux motioned and Mr. Trahan seconded to allow board members to ask up to  five follow-up questions per candidate.

                A substitute motion to ask no more than three probing questions per candidate was offered by Mr. Quebodeaux, seconded by Mr. Senegal, and failed by a roll call vote

YEA:        Smith, Vige’

NAY:       Johnson, Pinac, Bias, Shamsie, Quebodeaux, Senegal, Boudreaux, Trahan, Bellon

ABSENT:        Valdetero, Bias, Daigle, McManus

                Discussion continued.  Mr. Quebodeaux called for question to stop discussion.  Another substitute motion to allow unlimited follow-up questions was offered by Mr. Senegal, seconded by Mr. Quebodeaux, and passed by a majority voice vote.

                Upon motion by Mr. Shamsie, seconded by Dr. McManus, and carried, the meeting adjourned at 6:08 p.m.

                _________________________________

                        John A. Suire,  President

ATTEST

__________________________________________

Sherman A. Wilson, Acting Secretary-Treasurer