2014-01-16

REGULAR MEETING OF THE

EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

5:00 P.M.

The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board met at the School Board Office at 1050 South Foster Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 5:00 p.m. on this the sixteenth day of January 2014, in regular-session convened. The President called the meeting to order with the following members present:, Mr. David Tatman, President; Mr. Tarvald A. Smith, Vice-President; Mr. G. Thomas “Jerry” Arbour; Mrs. Connie Bernard; Ms. Jill C. Dyason; Mr. Craig Freeman; Mrs. Barbara Freiberg; Mr. Randy Lamana; Ms. Vereta T. Lee; Dr. Kenyetta Nelson-Smith; and Ms. Evelyn Ware-Jackson.

Others present were: Dr. Bernard Taylor, Jr., Superintendent; Mr. Michael Haggen, Deputy Superintendent for Innovation and Reform; Ms. Diane Atkins, Associate Superintendent for Instructional Support and Pupil Services; Mr. Carlos Sam, Associate Superintendent; Dr. Herman Brister, Associate Superintendent for Student Support Services; Ms. Catherine Fletcher, Chief Business Operations Officer; Ms. Millie Williams, Interim Executive Director of Human Resources; Ms. Lizabeth Frischhertz, Chief Officer of Accountability, Assessment and Evaluation; and Mr. Domoine Rutledge, General Counsel.

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School Board Member, Randy Lamana, gave the invocation. Cadet First Sergeant Tiawanda Franklin, Belaire High School, accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Logan, Senior Army Instructor, led the Pledge of Allegiance.

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Approval of School Board Minutes of the December 19, 2013

By Vice-President Smith

Resolved, that, the reading of the minutes of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Meeting of December 19, 2013, be dispensed with and that they be approved as published in the Official Journal.

Seconded by Mr. Lamana

Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Mrs. Bernard was absent.)

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Adoption of Resolution Proclaiming the Week of February 3-7, 2014, as “School Counseling Week”

By Dr. Kenyetta Nelson-Smith

Resolved, That, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby adopt a resolution proclaiming the week of February 3-7, 2014, as “School Counseling Week.” (A copy of the Resolution has been marked “Official Copy” and placed in the files of the Board.)

Seconded by Vice-President Smith

Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Mrs. Bernard was absent.)

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Adoption of Resolution Proclaiming the Month of March 2014, as “Music in our Schools Month”

By Ms. Ware-Jackson

Resolved, That, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby adopt a resolution proclaiming the month of March 2014, as “Music in our Schools Month.” (A copy of the Resolution has been marked “Official Copy” and placed in the files of the Board.)

Seconded by Mrs. Bernard

Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.

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Adoption of Resolution Proclaiming the Month of February 2014, as “National Magnet Schools of America Month”

By Ms. Dyason

Resolved, That, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby adopt a resolution proclaiming the month of February 2014, as “National Magnet Schools of America Month.” (A copy of the Resolution has been marked “Official Copy” and placed in the files of the Board.)

Seconded by Mr. Lamana

Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.

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Approval for Administration to Plan and Implement a Foreign Language Immersion Program to be Housed at Polk Elementary School

By Mr. Freeman

Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval for the administration to plan and implement a foreign language immersion program to be housed at Polk Elementary School, beginning with kindergarten during the 2014-2015 school year, which would require boundary changes that would reassign Polk Elementary School students to University Terrace and Buchanan Elementary Schools, along with assigning an area of Buchanan to Bernard Terrace Elementary School.

Seconded by Mrs. Freiberg

The vote on the motion was as follows:

Yeas: (10) Mr. Arbour, Ms. Dyason, Mr. Freeman, Mrs. Freiberg, Mr. Lamana, Ms. Lee, Dr. Nelson-Smith, Vice-President Smith, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson

Nays: (1) Mrs. Bernard

Abstained: (0) None

Absent: (0) None

The motion was declared adopted.

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Approval for Administration to Open Brookstown as a Middle School

By Mrs. Freiberg

Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval for the administration to open Brookstown as a middle school to accommodate approximately 225 magnet students as well as 260 attendance zone students residing in the Prescott middle area, which will require approval of boundary changes that would reassign students to Brookstown Middle who are currently assigned to Woodlawn, Southeast, Westdale, and Glasgow Middle Schools.

Seconded by Mr. Freeman

Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.

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Approval to Redistrict Students

By Mr. Lamana

Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve redistricting students attending the following schools: (a) Woodlawn Elementary School, and living within the boundaries beginning at the center of Siegen Lane and Interstate 10; southeast along Interstate 10 to the center of Old Perkins Rd. W; west to the center of Perkins Rd.; west to the west side of Metairie Drive; north to the Louisiana & Arkansas Railroad; west to the center of Siegen Lane; and north to the point of beginning, to Jefferson Terrace Elementary School, effective July 1, 2014; and (b) Jefferson Terrace Elementary School, and living within the boundaries beginning at the center of Siegen Lane and Interstate 10; south to the Louisiana & Arkansas Railroad; east to a point west of Metairie Drive; south to the west of Metairie Drive; south to the center of Perkins Rd.; west to the center of Bluebonnet Blvd.; north to Interstate 10; southeast along Interstate 10 to the point of beginning; and also include moving the current line from the center of Bluebonnet Rd. to the center of Bluebonnet Blvd., to Westminster Elementary School, effective July 1, 2014.

Seconded by Mrs. Bernard

Discussion followed.

The following substitute motion was made.

By Vice-President Smith

(a). Students currently enrolled at Woodlawn Elementary and Jefferson Terrace Elementary that live in the areas being moved from these schools will be grandfathered and allowed to remain until they move on to Middle School as long as it is continuous enrollment.

(b). Any newly enrolling Kindergarteners for next year and new students to these effected areas for next year will enroll at the new school according to the new attendance zones for Jefferson Terrace and Westminster.

(c). Any currently enrolled PK students living in these affected areas will enroll at the new school as Kindergarteners according to the new attendance zones.

(d). For families with new students enrolling next year and who currently have siblings enrolled at Woodlawn or Jefferson Terrace and live in the affected areas - if they want siblings to be together, the older siblings will have to enroll at the new school. New students cannot enroll at the school that the older siblings are grandfathered in.

Seconded by Ms. Lee

The vote on the substitute motion was as follows:

Yeas: (8) Mr. Arbour, Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, Mr. Freeman, Mrs. Freiberg, Mr. Lamana, Vice-President Smith, and Ms. Ware-Jackson

Nays: (3) Ms. Lee, Dr. Nelson-Smith, and President Tatman

Abstained: (0) None

Absent: (0) None

The substitute motion was declared adopted.

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Approval of a Resolution Ordering and Calling a Special Election to be Held in Consolidated School District No. 1

By Vice-President Smith

Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve a resolution

ordering and calling a special election to be held in Consolidated School District No. 1 of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, on May 3, 2014, to renew the levy and collection of special taxes therein; making application to the State Bond Commission; and providing for other matters in

connection therewith.

Seconded by Mr. Lamana

Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Mrs. Bernard was absent.)

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Acceptance of Donations

By Mrs. Freiberg

Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby accept donations from the Barry Manilow Foundation Instrument Drive and the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.

Seconded by Mr. Freeman

Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Ms. Dyason and Vice-President Smith were absent.)

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Approval of a Contract

By Mrs. Bernard

Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval of

a contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and Landry and Associates for professional consulting services in the amount of $10,000.00.

Seconded by Mr. Freeman

Discussion followed.

The following substitute motion was made.

By Mr. Arbour

Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval of a contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and Landry and Associates for professional consulting services in the amount of $10,000.00. The Board authorizes General Counsel to use the approved provisions and to incorporate them in our usual and customary contract. The Board further authorizes the Superintendent to execute the contract.

Seconded by Mr. Lamana

Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Ms. Dyason and Vice-President Smith were absent.)

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Approval of a Contract

By Mrs. Bernard

Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval of

a contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and ECRA Group for the continuation of a five-year agreement between ECRA and the Diocese of Baton Rouge in the amount of $14,000.00. - Funding Source: Title II Diocese of Baton Rouge for 2013-2014.

Seconded by Mr. Arbour

Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Ms. Dyason was absent.)

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Approval of a Contract

By Mrs. Freiberg

Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval of a contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and Soliant Health for the provision of school psychology services to students in the amount of $45,000.00. – Funding Source: IDEA.

Seconded by Ms. Lee

Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Ms. Dyason was absent.)

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Approval of a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement

By Mrs. Bernard

Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval of a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) as it relates to the BRCC Perkins Local Area Plan (LAP) Grant.

Seconded by Ms. Ware-Jackson

Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Ms. Dyason was absent.)

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Approval of Settlement of a Law Suit

By Mr. Arbour

Resolved, That, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby accept the recommendation of Mr. Domoine Rutledge, General Counsel, East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, in the matter of: : Judith Rytlewski v. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Freddie Phillips; Suit No.: 592,673, Section 24; 19^th JDC, Parish of East Baton Rouge.

Seconded by Mrs. Freiberg

Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Ms. Dyason was absent.)

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There being no further business, the Board adjourned by acclamation.

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Dr. Bernard Taylor, Jr.,

Secretary/Treasurer to the Board