REGULAR MEETING OF THE
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014
Rescheduled Meeting of April 17, 2014
5:55 P.M.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board met at the School Board Office at 1050 South Foster Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 5:55 p.m. on this the first day of May 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; Ms. Vereta T. Lee; Mrs. Mary Lynch; 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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Approval of Minutes of the March 20, 2014, School Board Meeting, the April 3, 2014, Special Board Meeting, and the April 3, 2014, Committee of the Whole Meeting
By Mr. Arbour
Resolved, that, the reading of the minutes of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Meetings of March 20, 2014, School Board meeting, the April 3, 2014, Special Board Meeting, and the April 3, 2014, Committee of the Whole meeting, be dispensed with and that they be approved as published in the Official Journal.
Seconded Mrs. Lynch
Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason and Ms. Lee were absent.)
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Approval of Consent Agenda Items, Excluding Item #9
By Mrs. Freiberg
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve the Consent Agenda items, excluding item #9.
Seconded by Mrs. Bernard
Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Vice-President Smith was absent.)
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The following items were approved as part of the Consent Agenda:
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Items approved by the Committee of the Whole for recommendation to the Board:
Authorization for staff to award contract renewals for Facility Environmental and Mechanical Systems Services to Corporate Mechanical Contractors, Johnson Controls, Inc., and Star Services, Inc., as stipulated in the Tax Plan continuation.
Acceptance of the Muscle Milk Recovery Grant in the amount of $15,000.00.
Approval of a professional services agreement between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Pearson School Achievement Services for training on the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) for ELL and Exceptional Student Services’ self-contained, resource, and inclusion teachers in the amount of $60,000.00. Funding Source: IDEA.
Approval to name Brookstown Middle School as the Brookstown Middle Magnet Academy.
Approval of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board meeting schedule for 2014-2015.
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END OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
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Approval to Implement Adjustments to the Non-Act I Salary Schedules and Approval of a Demand Stipend
By Mr. Arbour
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval to implement adjustments to the Non-Act I Salary Schedules, effective July 1, 2014, and approval of a demand stipend for employees at designated Low Performing Demand Schools, effective July 1, 2014.
Seconded by Ms. Lee
Discussion followed.
The following substitute motion was made.
By Ms. Dyason
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve taking Item #9 as two separate items; Item #9A (approval to implement adjustments to the Non-Act I Salary Schedules, effective July 1, 2014) and Item #9B (approval of a demand stipend for employees at designated Low Performing Demand Schools, effective July 1, 2014).
Seconded by Mrs. Freiberg
The vote on the substitute motion was as follows:
Yeas: (7) Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, Mr. Freeman, Mrs. Freiberg, Mrs. Lynch, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Nays: (4) Mr. Arbour, Ms. Lee, Dr. Nelson-Smith, and Vice-President Smith
Abstained: (0) None
Absent: (0) None
The substitute motion was declared adopted.
Item #9A
By Mrs. Freiberg
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval to implement adjustments to the Non-Act I Salary Schedules, effective July 1, 2014.
Seconded by Vice-President Smith
Discussion followed.
The following substitute motion was made.
By Ms. Dyason
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve deferring Item #9A to the Budget Hearing meeting after the Budget Workshop.
Seconded by Mr. Arbour
Discussion continued.
Ms. Dyason amended her motion, the seconder agreed, to read as follows:
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve separating Non-Act I Salary Schedules, voting only on the Transportation Department and defer the rest of the Non-Act I Salary Schedules to the Budget Hearing meeting after the Budget Workshop.
The vote on the amended substitute motion was as follows:
Yeas: (3) Mr. Arbour, Mrs. Bernard, and Ms. Dyason
Nays: (8) Mr. Freeman, Mrs. Freiberg, Ms. Lee, Mrs. Lynch, Dr. Nelson-Smith, Vice-President Smith, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Abstained: (0) None
Absent: (0) None
The amended substitute motion failed.
Discussion continued.
The vote on the original motion was unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
Item #9B
By Vice-President Smith
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval of a demand stipend for employees at designated Low Performing Demand Schools, effective July 1, 2014.
Seconded by Mr. Freeman
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
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Approval of Staff’s Recommendation for a Contract Renewal with BlueCross/Blue Shield of Louisiana
By Mrs. Freiberg
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval of staff’s recommendation for a contract renewal between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and BlueCross/BlueShield of Louisiana to provide the East Baton Rouge Parish School System with medical administrative services for a period of three (3) years, beginning January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2017.
Seconded by Mrs. Bernard
The vote on the motion was as follows:
Yeas: (7) Mr. Arbour, Mrs. Bernard, Mr. Freeman, Mrs. Freiberg, Vice-President Smith, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Nays: (2) Ms. Lee and Dr. Nelson-Smith
Abstained: (2) Ms. Dyason and Mrs. Lynch
Absent: (0) None
The motion was declared adopted.
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Approval to Retain and Engage Redistricting, LLC
By Mrs. Bernard
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval to retain and engage Redistricting, LLC, to provide redistricting/reapportionment related services and to provide for related matters.
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 delete Item #17 from the agenda: approval to retain and engage Redistricting, LLC, to provide redistricting/reapportionment related services and to provide for related matters.
Seconded by Dr. Nelson-Smith
The vote on the substitute motion was as follows:
Yeas: (5) Mr. Arbour, Ms. Lee, Mrs. Lynch, Dr. Nelson-Smith and Vice-President Smith
Nays: (6) Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, Mr. Freeman, Mrs. Freiberg, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Abstained: (0) None
Absent: (0) None
The substitute motion failed.
The vote on the original motion was as follows:
Yeas: (6) Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, Mr. Freeman, Mrs. Freiberg, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Nays: (5) Mr. Arbour, Ms. Lee, Mrs. Lynch, Dr. Nelson-Smith and Vice-President Smith
Abstained: (0) None
Absent: (0) None
The original motion was approved.
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Authorization to Advertise, Accept Low Bid Meeting Specifications and Award Contract
By Mrs. Bernard
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give authorization for staff to advertise, accept the low bid meeting specifications and make the award of a contract for the classroom improvements at Mayfair Elementary School, or reject any and all bids for just cause in accordance with the Louisiana Public Bid Law; Louisiana Revised Statutes, Title 38; Chapter 10.
Seconded by Ms. Dyason
Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Mr. Arbour and Vice-President Smith were absent.)
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Approval of an Agreement
By Ms. Dyason
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval of a consultant agreement between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and Henderson Media, LLC, for services relating to video-taping of the 2014 graduation ceremonies.
Seconded by Ms. Ware-Jackson
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
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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