CROWLEY, LOUISIANA

SEPTEMBER 10, 2007

 

The Acadia Parish School Board met on this the 10th  day of September 2007, at 5:00 p.m., in a regular session at Crowley, Louisiana, with President. Roland J. Boudreaux presiding.  Members present were Mr. Israel G. Syria, Mr. Douglas J. LaCombe, Mr. Lynn Shamsie, Mr. John A. Suire, Mr. Gene I. Daigle, Mr. James Higginbotham, Mr. Milton R. Simar, and Secretary-Treasurer, Superintendent John E. Bourque.

 

2)         Dr. Ezora Proctor led the prayer.

 

3)         Mr. Syria led the pledge of allegiance.

 

4)         Consider approval of a revised agenda, if there are any changes.

Upon motion by Mr. Daigle, seconded by Mr. Shamsie, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the agenda was revised by adding Routine Item 11a (CONSIDER PROCLAMATION DECLARING THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 10-14, 2007, AS ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS WEEK), moving Item 2 to be addressed prior to Item 1, and adding Opening Item 6a (RECOGNIZE MS. EMILY LANDRY, FARM BUREAU RICE AMBASSADOR.)

 

5)         Read and approve minutes of the August 6, 2007, meeting.

Reading of the minutes of the August 6, 2007, meeting was dispensed with (copies of minutes were sent to each member prior to this meeting) and adopted as submitted, upon motion by Mr. Daigle, seconded by Mr. Shamsie, and carried by a unanimous voice vote.

 

6)         Recognize Dr. Mark Dawson, candidate for Acadia Parish Coroner.

Dr. Mark Dawson briefly addressed the Board, citing his 24 years as parish coroner.  He thanked the community for their support as he seeks re-election to this position..

 

6a)      Recognize Ms. Emily Landry, Farm Bureau Rice Ambassador.

Ms Emily Landry, Farm bureau Rice Ambassador, addressed the Board, highlighting the significance of the rice industry to Acadia Parish and encouraged more consumption of rice.

 

ACTION ITEMS:      There were no action items to address.

 

CONSENT ITEM 2 (Taken out of order) 

Consider retirement notification of employees.

       

Upon motion by Mr. Shamsie, seconded by Mr. Higginbotham, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the Board received and approved retirement notifications of these employees.

Item 1a (GRANT PERMISSION TO THE SUPERINTENDENT TO APPOINT AN INTERIM MIDDLE SCHOOL SUPERVISOR IN THE ABSENCE OF MR. REX MILLS) was added to the agenda, upon motion by Mr. Syria, seconded by Mr. Daigle.

Upon motion by Mr. Shamsie, seconded by Mr. Suire, Superintendent Bourque was granted permission to appoint an interim Middle School Supervisor in the absence of Mr. Rex Mills.

 

ROUTINE ITEMS:

1.         Consider recommendation of the Personnel/Insurance/Curriculum Committee regarding nominations for community representatives for the Head Start policy council.

 Upon motion by Mr. Daigle, seconded by Mr. Simar, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the Board approved nominations as recommended for the Head Start Policy council community Representative for 2007-08.  Board Member Liaison, Mr. Israel Syria; Community business Resource Bank, Ms. Judy Capel, home; Family and Children Services Resource, M'elise Trahan; and Education/Literacy resource, Mr. Lyle Johnson.

 

1a)      Grant permission to the Superintendent to appoint an interim Middle School Supervisor in the absence of Mr. Rex Mills.

Superintendent Bourque recommended Mr. Gerald Hardy for this position.  Upon motion by Mr. Shamsie, seconded by Mr. Suire, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the Board appointed Mr. Gerald Hardy as interim Middle School Supervisor in the absence of Mr. Rex Mills, as recommended by Superintendent Bourque.

 

2)         Consider recommendation of the Personnel/Insurance/Curriculum committee regarding a change in the job description for warehouse positions.

Upon motion by Mr. Daigle, seconded by Mr. Simar, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the Board approved a change to include the requirement for a CDL to be part of the job description  for the school nutrition warehouse position.

 

3)         Consider the Superintendent's recommendation for the position of Parent Involvement Coordinator.

Superintendent Bourque recommended Mrs. Antoinette Pete, from a field of nine applicants,  for Parent Involvement Coordinator.  Upon motion by Mr. Shamsie, seconded by Mr. Syria, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the Board approved the Superintendent's recommendation and appointed Mrs. Pete as Parent Involvement Coordinator.

 

4)         Consider the Superintendent's recommendation for the position of Special Education Supervisor.

Superintendent Bourque recommended Mrs. Carol Tall, who has been serving in that capacity for the past 18 months.  Upon motion by Mr. Simar, seconded by Mr. LaCombe, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the Board approved the Superintendent's recommendation and appointed Mrs. Carol Tall as Supervisor of Special Education.

Mrs. Tall thanked the Board for this opportunity.

 

5)         Consider recommendation of the Budget/Finance Committee regarding a request from SLEMCO for a powerline right-of-way on Section 16, south of Eunice.

Mr. Gerard Caswell, attorney, reviewed the proposal and recommended its acceptance.  Upon motion by Mr. Suire, seconded by Mr. Higginbotham, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, approved a request from SLEMCO on Section 16, south of Eunice.

 

6)         Consider recommendation of the Budget/Finance Committee regarding a tenant farmer for Section 16, near Evangeline

Upon motion by Mr. Suire, seconded by Mr. LaCombe, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the Board approved Mr. Jake Dore as tenant farmer for Sect 16 near Evangeline, after a review of his equipment list and assurances of his financial ability to take on additional acreage.

 

7)         Consider recommendation of the Budget/Finance Committee regarding renewal of a hunting lease on section 16 near Evangeline.

Upon motion by Mr. Suire, seconded by Mr. Shamsie, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, a hunting lease on Section 16 near Evangeline was renewed for another year under the same terms and conditions.

 

8)         Consider recommendation of the Budget/Finance Committee regarding board member compensation

The committee recommended restoring board member pay to $500 per month.  It was reduced to $350 per month in 1989 and has remained at that level since then.  A public hearing was held on August 15, 2007, and no opposition was expressed to this change.  Dr. Farris commented from the audience, speaking in support of this action.  Upon motion by Mr. Suire, seconded by Mr. Higginbotham, and carried by a roll call vote of 6 to 2, the Board approved restoring board member pay to $500 per month.

YEA:   Mr. Syria, Mr. Suire, Mr. Boudreaux, Mr. Daigle, Mr. Higginbotham, Mr. Simar

NAY:   Mr. Lacombe, Mr. Shamsie

 

9)         Consider recommendation of the Budget/Finance Committee regarding Head Start application for a training grant in the amount of $2,500.

The committee received a request from Mrs. Sondra Myers to apply for a grant to address childhood obesity.  The grant of $2,500 would cover training costs related to this initiative.  Upon motion by Mr. Suire, seconded by Mr. Syria, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the Board approved the Head Start application for a training grant in the amount of $2,500.

 

10)      Consider recommendation of the Budget/Finance Committee regarding a request by Iota High School to purchase a mower for the athletic department.

The committee reviewed the request from Iota High School to purchase a mower for use by the athletic department.  The mower would be paid for with school funds in five annual installments totaling $27,411.95.  Upon motion by Mr. Suire, seconded by Mr. Simar, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the Board approved a request by Iota High School to purchase a mower for the athletic department at a cost of $27,411.95.

 

11)      Consider adoption of a resolution in support of legislation to allow the exemption of local sales tax on propane used in grain dryers for persons actively involved in farming

Mr. Mike Leonards presented additional information regarding the taxability of utilities in Acadia Parish.  The Board discussed this matter and will consider it further at the next committee meeting in October.

 

11a)    Consider proclamation declaring the week of September 10-14, 2007, as accessibility awareness week.

Mrs. Carol Tall went over the proclamation with the Board.  Upon motion by Mr. LaCombe, seconded by Mr. Daigle, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the board adopted the following proclamation declaring the week of September 10-14, 2007, as accessibility awareness week.

                                                               PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS,   mandates require that all students have access to and make progress in the general education curriculum, and

WHEREAS,   Louisiana has been addressing accessibility through initiatives for universal design for learning, assistive technology, and various programs for students with a variety of leaning styles, difference, and abilities, and

WHEREAS,   advances in curriculum, new resources, and internet tools that promise greater opportunities to students can be a barrier to active learning if these resources are not accessible to some learners, and

WHEREAS,   barriers for participation in the full range of educational activities need to be reduced so that all students can be active learners in Louisiana's curriculum, and

WHEREAS,   universal access to curriculum can be achieved by greater involvement by all participants in the educational process in order to ensure that accessibility is a component of the climate of teaching and learning, and

WHEREAS,   the purpose of this week is to increase awareness of the value and the necessity to provide accessible materials, formats, instruction, and curriculum so that to include all students are involved in the teaching and earning process.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Governor of the State of Louisiana, do hereby proclaim the week of September10-14, 2007, as ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS WEEK.

 

12)      Consider dates for the next committee and board meetings.

Upon motion by Mr. Simar, seconded by Mr. Higginbotham, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the next committee meetings will be held Wednesday, September 19, 2007, and the next board meeting will be held on Monday, October 1, 2007.

 

13)      Correspondence

Superintendent Bourque announced that a Technology workshop is being sponsored by LSBA on October 8, 2007, at the Embassy Suites in Baton Rouge.  He reported that Acadia ranks in the top category in the Financial Risk Assessment.  Mrs. Margaret Jones went over results of school performance scores with the Board.

 

DISCUSSION ITEMS:        There were no discussion items to address.

 

CONSENT ITEMS:

The following action was taken by the Board.

1)         Upon motion by Mr. Shamsie, seconded by Mr. Simar, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, assignments and changes of professional employees were approved.

2)         Consider retirement notification of employees.

This item was taken out of order, prior to Routine 1.

3)         Upon motion by Mr. Shamsie, seconded by Mr. Simar, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the monthly sales tax report showing a year-to-date increase of 37.61 percent was received.

 

SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS:

Superintendent Bourque commented on improved tst scores and school facilities and ongoing implementation of technology throughout the parish.  He invited board members to visit the schools to experience these improvements firsthand.

 

CLOSING:

There being no other business to come before the Board, upon motion by Mr. LaCombe, seconded by Mr. Simar, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the meeting adjourned at 5:58 p.m.

______________________________

Roland J. Boudreaux, President

ATTEST:

_____________________________________

John E. Bourque, Superintendent