REGULAR MEETING OF THE
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2015
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 twenty-first day of May 2015, in regular-session convened. The President called the meeting to order with the following members present:Mr. David Tatman, President; Mrs. Barbara Freiberg, Vice President; Mr. Mark Bellue; Mrs. Connie Bernard; Ms. Jill C. Dyason; Ms. Vereta T. Lee; Mr. Tarvald A. Smith; and Ms. Evelyn Ware-Jackson. Dr. Kenyetta Nelson-Smith was absent.
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. 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, Connie Bernard, gave the invocation. Cadet Sergeant Kaela Balingit, Broadmoor High School, accompanied by LTC Michael Stewart, Senior Army Instructor, led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Resolved, that, the reading of the minutes of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board meetings of April 16, 2015, Regular Board meeting, May 7, 2015, Special Board meeting, and the May 7, 2015, Committee of the Whole meeting, be dispensed with and that they be approved as published in the Official Journal.
Seconded by Ms. Lee
Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Dr. Nelson-Smith was absent.)
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Approval of Consent Agenda Items, Excluding Items #8, and #10
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve the Consent Agenda items, excluding items #8 and #10.
Seconded by Mr. Smith
Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Dr. Nelson-Smith was absent.)
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Items approved by the Committee of the Whole for recommendation to the Board:
Approval of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Education Foundations, LLC, in the amount of $25,000.00 as it relates to a federally-mandated summer school tutoring program. (Funding Source: Title I Non-Public Equitable Services).
Approval of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Dr. LaTefy Schoen in the amount of $15,000.00 for academic consulting services related to the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) Grant. (Funding Source: 21st CCLC Grant).
Approval of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Laverne Woods Dunn in the amount of $11,000.00 for family engagement consulting services related to the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) Grant. (Funding Source: 21st CCLC Grant).
Approval to negotiate a Scope of Work with the vendor that best meets the needs of the district as it relates to the migration of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System’s e-mail system from Novell Groupwise to Office 365.
Approval of the lease contract extension for the Nicholson Elementary School site between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the Children’s Charter School, Inc., for the period of July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2017.
Approval of proposed middle school assignment changes for the 2015-2016 school year and related matters.
Approval of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board meeting schedule for 2015-2016.
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Approval of a Professional Services Contract
By Mrs. Bernard
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve a professional services contract, renewable for up to five (5) years, between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and the LSU Gordon A. Cain Center for STEM Literacy to create and sustain a comprehensive partnership between Louisiana State University and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.
Seconded by Mr. Bellue
Discussion followed.
The following “friendly” amendment was offered by Ms. Lee and accepted by the originator and seconder.
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve a professional services contract, renewable for up to five (5) years, between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and the LSU Gordon A. Cain Center for STEM Literacy to create and sustain a comprehensive partnership between Louisiana State University and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. The professional services contract will be reviewed after one (1) year by the Board and consideration will be given to extending the program to other high schools.
The vote on the motion was as follows:
Yeas: (7) Mr. Bellue, Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, Ms. Lee, Mr. Smith, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Nays: (0) None
Abstained: (0) None
Absent: (1) Dr. Nelson-Smith
Recused: (1) Vice-President Freiberg
The motion was declared adopted.
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Acceptance of Grant
By Mrs. Bernard
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby accept the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) grant in the amount of $188,333.00 to provide high quality professional development, instructional strategies, and resources teachers can utilize to improve student learning.
Seconded by Mr. Bellue
The vote on the motion was as follows:
Yeas: (7) Mr. Bellue, Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, Ms. Lee, Mr. Smith, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Nays: (0) None
Abstained: (0) None
Absent: (1) Dr. Nelson-Smith
Recused: (1) Vice-President Freiberg
The motion was declared adopted.
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Adoption of Resolution
By Vice-President Freiberg
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby adopt the Resolution, as required by law for the Office of the Assessor, no later than June 1, 2015, for the purpose of levying millages effective on the 2015 Assessment Roll.
Seconded by Ms. Lee
Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Mrs. Bernard and Dr. Nelson-Smith were absent.)
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Approval of Proposed Healthcare Rates, Contract Renewal with Humana, and Contract Renewal with AlwaysCare
By Vice-President Freiberg
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give approval of the (a) proposed 2016 East Baton Rouge Parish School System healthcare premium rates for active employees and non-Medicare retirees;
(b) contract renewal with Humana for 2016 and proposed 2016 East Baton Rouge Parish School System healthcare rates for all Medicare-eligible retirees; and
(c) contract renewal with AlwaysCare and proposed 2016 East Baton Rouge Parish School System rates for all participants.
Seconded by Mr. Bellue
Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Mrs. Bernard and Dr. Nelson-Smith were absent.)
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Approval of New Policy Change
By Mr. Bellue
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve a new policy change: All retirees that become Medicare-eligible on or after 1/1/2016 will only be offered coverage under the Board-approved Medicare Advantage Plan. Current Medicare-eligible retirees participating in the Board-approved Medicare Advantage Plan or the East Baton Rouge Parish School System Self-Insured Plan in the 2014 and/or 2015 Plan years will be grandfathered and will continue to have the option to select between the Board-approved Medicare Advantage Plan and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System Self-Insured Plan.
Seconded by Mrs. Bernard
Discussion followed.
The following substitute motion was made.
By Ms. Lee
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby defer the following item until the Committee of the Whole meeting on June 4, 2015: approval of a new policy change: All retirees that become Medicare-eligible on or after 1/1/2016 will only be offered coverage under the Board-approved Medicare Advantage Plan. Current Medicare-eligible retirees participating in the Board-approved Medicare Advantage Plan or the East Baton Rouge Parish School System Self-Insured Plan in the 2014 and/or 2015 Plan years will be grandfathered and will continue to have the option to select between the Board-approved Medicare Advantage Plan and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System Self-Insured Plan.
Seconded by Mr. Smith
Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Dr. Nelson-Smith was absent.)
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Acceptance of the Recommendation of the Third Party Evaluator Regarding Charter School Applications
By Mr. Smith
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby accept the recommendation of the third party evaluator regarding the following charter school applications: (a) Apex Collegiate Academy; (b) Crossover House Dream Academy; (c) Community Schools of Baton Rouge; and (d) Laurel Oaks.
Seconded by Ms. Lee
Discussion followed.
The following substitute was offered.
By Mr. Bellue
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby defer the following item to a Special Board meeting on June 4, 2015: accept the recommendation of the third party evaluator regarding the following charter school applications: (a) Apex Collegiate Academy; (b) Crossover House Dream Academy; (c) Community Schools of Baton Rouge; and (d) Laurel Oaks.
Seconded by Mrs. Bernard
Unanimously adopted by a vote of the members present. (Dr. Nelson-Smith was absent.)
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Authorization for Staff to Issue a Request for Proposals (RFP)
By Vice-President Freiberg
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give authorization for staff to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to seek professional services for a performance audit.
Seconded by Mr. Bellue
Discussion followed.
The originator withdrew the motion and it was agreed by the seconder.
Discussion continued.
The following motion was made.
By Mr. Bellue
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby give authorization for staff to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to seek professional services for a performance audit with modifications.
Seconded by Ms. Dyason
Discussion continued.
The following substitute motion was made.
By Mrs. Bernard
Resolved, that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve forming a committee, by President Tatman, that will work to bring a final recommendation for a Request for Proposals (RFP) to the Board for approval at the June 4, 2015 Committee of the Whole meeting.
Seconded by Ms. Lee
Discussion continued.
The substitute motion was withdrawn by the originator and seconder.
The vote on the motion was as follows:
Yeas: (6) Mr. Bellue, Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, Vice-President Freiberg, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Nays: (2) Ms. Lee and Mr. Smith
Abstained: (0) None
Absent: (1) Dr. Nelson-Smith
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