SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 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 the seventh day of August 2014, in special-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; Mrs. Mary Lynch; 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; Mr. Carlos Sam, Associate Superintendent; Dr. Herman Brister, Associate Superintendent for Student Support Services; Ms. Catherine Fletcher, Chief Business Operations Officer; Ms. Lizabeth Frischhertz, Chief Officer of Accountability, Assessment and Evaluation; and Mr. Domoine Rutledge, General Counsel.
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School Board Member, President David Tatman, gave the invocation. School Board Member, Craig Freeman, led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of Professional Services Contracts
By Mrs. Freiberg
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the following entities for the provision of LPN nursing services, sign language interpretation, and related services for ESS students: (a) Healing Hands Home Health, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $98,000.00; (b) Pediatric Services of America, Inc., d/b/a PSA Healthcare in an amount not to exceed $240,000.00; (c) Deaf Resources Center of Greater Baton Rouge, LLC, in an amount not to exceed $25,000.00; (d) Home Health Care 2000 in an amount not to exceed $58,240.00; and (e) Chase Health Care in an amount not to exceed $48,500.00. (Funding Source: IDEA Part B).
Seconded by Mr. Freeman
Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Mrs. Bernard and Ms. Dyason were absent.)
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Approval to Renew Professional Services Contracts
By Mrs. Freiberg
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve renewal of professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the following entities as it relates to the implementation of arts programs: (a) Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge in the amount of $70,000.00: Funding Source - General Fund; (b) Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge in the amount of $20,450.00: Funding Source - Magnet Funds; and (c) Douglas Manship, Sr. Theatre Complex Holding, Inc., (Manship Theatre) in the amount of $80,000.00:
Funding Source – General Fund.
Seconded by Ms. Ware-Jackson
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
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Approval to Renew Professional Services Contract
By Vice-President Smith
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve renewal of professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Education Foundations, LLC, in the amount of $349,389.00 to provide tutoring services to eligible students at Title I non-public schools. (Funding Source: Title I Non-Public Programs).
Seconded by Mrs. Freiberg
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
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Approval to Renew Professional Services Contract
By Ms. Lee
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve renewal of professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) in the amount of $25,000.00 for the VIPS Volunteer Services Coordinator to tutor/mentor students. (Funding Source: 2014-2015 Title I Funds)
Seconded by Ms. Dyason
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
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Approval of a Professional Services Contract
By Dr. Nelson-Smith
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Moving Forward N Education LLC, in the amount of $100,000.00 for Hosanna Christian Academy to provide tutoring for eligible students. (Funding Source: Title I Non-Public Programs).
Seconded by Mrs. Freiberg
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
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Approval of a Professional Services Contract
By Ms. Dyason
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Slow Food Baton Rouge in the amount of $18,000.00 as it relates to the Farm to School Grant. (Funding Source: Federal Farm to School Grant).
Seconded by Mrs. Lynch
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
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Approval to Freeze School Board Members’ Travel Budget
By Mr. Freeman
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve freezing School Board Members’ travel through December 31, 2014.
Seconded by Ms. Ware-Jackson
Discussion followed.
The following substitute motion was made.
By Mrs. Freiberg
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve freezing School Board Member’s travel through December 31, 2014, with the exception of paying only registration fees for any Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA) Meeting in this calendar year.
Seconded by Mrs. Bernard
The vote on the substitute motion was as follows.
Yeas: (9) Mr. Arbour, Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, Mr. Freeman, Mrs. Freiberg, Mrs. Lynch, Vice-President Smith, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Nays: (1) Dr. Nelson-Smith
Abstained: (1) Ms. Lee
Absent: (0) None
The substitute motion was declared adopted.
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Approval of Amendments to 2014-2015 Salary Schedule
By Mrs. Bernard
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve the Revised Salary Schedule for Bus Drivers to reflect more money given to those who are at the higher end of steps as opposed to those at the lower end of steps. The remaining monies will be used to create a Bus Drivers stipend starting with the most senior drivers. The teacher stipend recommendation is to remove the differential for those with a Bachelor degree who are at Step 10 and beyond.
Seconded by Mrs. Lynch
The vote on the motion was as follows.
Yeas: (9) Mr. Arbour, Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, Mr. Freeman, Mrs. Freiberg, Mrs. Lynch, Vice-President Smith, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Nays: (1) Ms. Lee
Abstained: (1) Dr. Nelson-Smith
Absent: (0) None
The motion was declared adopted.
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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