CROWLEY, LOUISIANA

October 7, 2013

The Acadia Parish School Board met on this the 7th day of October at 5:00 p.m., in a regular session at Crowley, Louisiana, with President presiding Mr. Douglas J. LaCombe. Members present were, Mr. James Higginbotham, Vice-President, Mr. Israel Syria, Mr. Gene Daigle, Mr. John Suire, Mr. David Lalande, Mr. Milton Simar, Mr. Lynn Shamsie, and Secretary-Treasurer, and Superintendent John E. Bourque.   

2)         Mr. Syria led the prayer.

3)         Mr. Higginbotham led the pledge of allegiance.

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

                        NO CHANGES

            5)         Read and approve minutes of the October 7, 2013 board meeting.

      Reading of the minutes of the October 7, 2013 board meeting were dispensed (copies of minutes were sent to member prior to this meeting) and upon motion by Mr. Higginbotham, seconded by Mr. Daigle, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, minutes of the October 7, 2013 board meeting were approved.

ACTION ITEMS:    

            NONE

ROUTINE ITEMS:

1)         Recognize October as Head Start Awareness Month.

            Sondra Myers announced October as Head Start Awareness month.

2)         Introduce the 2013-2014 Head Start Policy Council Members.

            Sondra Myers introduced the new policy council member representatives for the 2013-2014 school year, who were able to attend, from the Head Start centers in the district.

3)         Consider an acknowledgement from the Personnel, Insurance, and Curriculum committee regarding a post-fire report on South Rayne Elementary.

            Mr. Daigle, Chairman of the Personnel, Insurance, and Curriculum committee, acknowledged that at the committee meeting on September 18, 2013, a post-fire report was presented by Steve Jones regarding the good progress being made on the restoration project at South Rayne Elementary.

4)         Consider recommendation of the Personnel & Insurance committee regarding the requests to attend the 86^th National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY, on the dates of October 28, 2013 – November 1, 2013 received from Church Point High, Midland High, Rayne High, and Iota High.

            Upon motion by Mr. Daigle, seconded by Mr. Simar, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the board approved the request to attend the 86^th National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY, on the dates of October 28, 2013 – November 1, 2013 that were received from Church Point High, Midland High, Rayne High, and Iota High.

5)         Consider recommendation of the Personnel & Insurance committee regarding the request to attend the 86^th National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY, on the dates of November 1-2, 2013 received from Crowley High.

Upon motion by Mr. Daigle, seconded by Mr. Syria, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the board approved the request to attend the 86^th National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY, on the dates of November 1-2, 2013 that was received from Crowley High.

6)         Consider recommendation of the Personnel & Insurance committee regarding the request to attend the National Clusters Conference in Charlotte, NC on the dates of November 21, 2013 – November 24, 2013 received from Midland High School.

            Upon motion by Mr. Daigle, seconded by Mr. Shamsie, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the board approved the request of the FACS sponsor and students to attend the National Clusters Conference in Charlotte, NC on November 21, 2013 – November 24, 2013 that was received from Midland High school.

7)         Consider an acknowledgement from the Personnel, Insurance, and Curriculum committee regarding the donation of a HAAS Control Simulator Module to the South Louisiana Community College – Acadian Campus from Mr. Heath Boudreaux of Machine Tools, Inc., which resulted from the Acadia Parish School Board’s Carl D. Perkins Program interfacing with the Community College.

            Upon motion by Mr. Daigle, seconded by Mr. Suire, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the board acknowledged the donation of a HAAS Control Simulator Module to the South Louisiana Community College – Acadian Campus from Mr. Heath Boudreaux of Machine Tools, Inc., which resulted from the Acadia Parish School Board’s Carl D. Perkins program interfacing with the South Louisiana Community College – Acadian Campus.

8)         Consider the Notice of the Public Sale of salvaged school board property on Thursday, October 24, 2013 from 8:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. at the APEC (old Walmart) buidling.

            Upon motion by Mr. Suire, seconded by Mr. Higginbotham and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the board approved conducting the School Board’s Annual Fall Public Sale of salvaged school board property on Thursday, October 24, 2013 from 8:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. at the APEC (old Walmart) building.

9)         Consider bids received for the Sale of Timber on Section 16, Township 7 South, Range 1 East, pursuant to the proposal from Templin Forestry which were received as the result of the board’s approval to advertise for bids in the regular board meeting on September 9, 2013.

            Upon motion by Mr. Suire, seconded by Mr. Lalande, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the board approved the acceptance of the high bid of $35.00 per ton for hardwood sawtimber, $7.00 per ton for the hardwood pulpwood, $19.85 per ton for pine sawtimber, and $3.00 per ton for pine pulpwood from Southwest Timber Company of Louisiana, LLC at an estimated value of some $77,401 in lieu of the other bid of $23.00 per ton for hardwood sawtimber, $3.00 per ton for hardwood pulpwood, $13 per ton for pine sawtimber, and $3.00 per ton for pine pulpwood from Good Hope Timber at an estimated value of some $49,578.

10)       Consider recommendation of the Budget & Finance committee regarding the need for a walk-in cooler at Crowley High School.

            Upon motion by Mr. Suire, seconded by Mr. Lalande, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the board approved advertising for bids for a walk-in cooler at Crowley High School to replace a dysfunctional walk-in cooler that is more than 30 years old wherein the bids will be received and presented at the regular board meeting scheduled for November 4, 2013 in order for the work to be completed during the Christmas holidays in December 2013.

11)       Consider recommendation of the Budget & Finance committee regarding the approval to pay the Louisiana School Employees Retirement System’s Unfunded Accrued Liability Assessment of $568,446.05 as required by the Louisiana Revised Statutes 11.1195.1 and 11.1195.2.

            Upon motion by Suire, seconded by Mr. Higginbotham, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the board approved the payment to the Louisiana School Employees Retirement System for the Unfunded Accrued Liability Assessment of $568,446.05 as required by the Louisiana Revised Statutes 11.1195.1 and 11.1195.2.

12)       Consider dates for next committee and board meetings.

            Upon motion by Mr. Suire, seconded by Mr. Higginbotham, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the committee meetings will be held on October 16, 2013 and the board meeting will be November 4, 2013.

13)       Correspondence.   

            Superintendent Bourque apprised board members of the LSBA professional development sessions scheduled for November 4^th in Monroe and November 11^th in Lake Charles.  Further, Mr. Bourque shared that finance statements for the schools in their districts were in their folders in preparation for discussion at the committee meeting on October 16, 2013.

DISCUSSION ITEMS: 

1)      Consider a revision of Policy FDC:  Naming of Facilities.

      Pursuant to policy, this item was referred to the Personnel, Insurance, and Curriculum committee for consideration at its meeting on October 16, 2013.

2)      Consider a revision of Policy IHC:  Class Rankings.

            Pursuant to policy, this item was referred to the Personnel, Insurance, and Curriculum committee for consideration at its meeting on October 16, 2013.

CONSENT ITEMS:

            Upon motion by Mr. Simar, seconded by Mr. Syria, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, consent items 1 through 3 were approved to be taken in globo.

1)         Consider assignments and changes of professional employees.

            Upon motion by Mr. Simar, seconded by Mr. Syria, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the board approved assignments and changes of professional employees.

2)         Consider retirement notification of employees.

            Upon motion by Mr. Simar, seconded by Mr. Syria, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, retirement notification of employees was approved.

3)         Receive Sales Tax Report.

            Upon motion by Mr. Simar, seconded by Mr. Syria, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the board received the sales tax report which showed a year to date increase of 3.59%.

SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS:   

            Mr. Bourque encouraged board members to visit schools on Thursday, October 17, 2013 during professional development in-service.  Further, he commented on: (1) parameters for homework; (2) the Common Core State Standards; and (3) a regional superintendents’ meeting with State Superintendent White on Tuesday, October 8, 2013.

There being no other business to come before the Board, upon motion by Mr. Syria, seconded by Mr. Simar, and carried by a unanimous voice vote, the meeting adjourned at 5:41 p.m.

____________________________

Douglas J. LaCombe, President

ATTEST:

____________________________

John E. Bourque, Superintendent