EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015
5:00 P.M.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole met at the School Board Office at 1050 South Foster Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 5:00 p.m. on the third day of September 2015, in regular-session convened. The Vice-President called the meeting to order with the following members present: Mrs. Barbara Freiberg, Vice-President; Mr. David Tatman, 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: H. Warren Drake, Jr., Superintendent; Dr. Michelle Clayton, Deputy Superintendent; Mr. Domoine Rutledge, General Counsel; Ms. Adonica Pelichet-Duggan, Chief of Communication and Public Relations; Ms. Catherine Fletcher, Chief Business Operations Officer; Ms. Millie Williams, Chief Officer of Human Resources; Mr. Gary Reese, Chief of Student Support Services; and Mr. Adam Smith, Associate Superintendent of Academics.
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Mr. Montrell Henderson gave the invocation. Girl Scout Troops 10318 and 10314 from Mount Carmel Baptist Church led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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The following items were presented to the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole by the Superintendent and staff:
Professional Services Contract
By Ms. Dyason
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Jennifer Jacobson in the amount of $19,000.00 for professional development. (Funding Source: Curriculum and Instruction)
Seconded by Mrs. Bernard
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of the members present. (Dr. Nelson-Smith was absent.)
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By Ms. Lee
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval of a renewal of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Southern University and A&M College for one (1) extern to assist I CARE with intervention and related matters. (Funding Source: I CARE)
Seconded by Mr. Smith
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of the members present. (Dr. Nelson-Smith was absent.)
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By President Tatman
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval to administer a norm-referenced assessment to all students applying for an admission-based magnet program in Grades 4-11, beginning with the 2016-2017 application period.
Seconded by Mrs. Bernard
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: (1) Mr. Smith
Abstained: (1) Ms. Lee
Absent: (1) Dr. Nelson-Smith
The motion was favorably recommended to the full Board.
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By President Tatman
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval to change the admission criteria for Lee Magnet High School to: eliminate the portfolio and interview requirements; require students to have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average for the last four consecutive semesters; and perform proficiently on a district-based assessment in English Language Arts and mathematics, effective with the 2016-2017 application period.
Seconded by Mr. Bellue
Discussion followed.
The following substitute motion was made.
By Mrs. Bernard
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval to change the admission criteria for Lee Magnet High School to: eliminate the portfolio and interview requirements; require students to have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average for the last four consecutive semesters; and perform proficiently on a district-based assessment in English Language Arts and mathematics, effective with the 2016-2017 application period. The Board has requested that staff provide more information about where the magnets students are attending now and the number of students, along with a map of the school zone.
Seconded by Mr. Bellue
Discussion continued.
The substitute motion was amended. The originator and seconder agreed.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby refer the following item to the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board without a recommendation: approval to change the admission criteria for Lee Magnet High School to: eliminate the portfolio and interview requirements; require students to have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average for the last four consecutive semesters; and perform proficiently on a district-based assessment in English Language Arts and mathematics, effective with the 2016-2017 application period. The Board has requested that provide more information about where the magnets students are attending now and the number of students, along with a map of the school zone.
The vote on the motion was as follows:
Yeas: (7) Mr. Bellue, Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, Vice-President Freiberg, Ms. Lee, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Nays: (1) Mr. Smith
Abstained: (0) None
Absent: (1) Dr. Nelson-Smith
The amended motion was approved for referral to the Board without a recommendation.
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By President Tatman
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval of revisions to the Pupil Progression Plan for the 2015-2016 school year.
Seconded by Ms. Lee
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of the members present. (Dr. Nelson-Smith was absent.)
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Advertise, Accept the Low Bid and Make the Award of a Contract
By Ms. Ware-Jackson
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: authorization for staff to advertise, accept the low bid meeting specifications, and make the award of a contract for the facility modifications and maintenance improvements at Broadmoor High 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 Mr. Smith
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of the members present. (Dr. Nelson-Smith was absent.)
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By Ms. Lee
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval to renew a contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Mercer to provide employee benefits consulting for a period of three (3) years, beginning January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2018, for an amount of $125,000.00 annually.
Seconded by President Tatman
The vote on the motion was as follows:
Yeas: (7) Mr. Bellue, Mrs. Bernard, Vice-President Freiberg, Ms. Lee, Mr. Smith, President Tatman, and Ms. Ware-Jackson
Nays: (0) None
Abstained: (1) Ms. Dyason
Absent: (1) Dr. Nelson-Smith
The motion was favorably recommended to the full Board.
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By Mrs. Bernard
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: to renew a contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Express Scripts Pharmacy for a period of three (3) years, beginning February 1, 2016, through January 31, 2019.
Seconded by President Tatman
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of the members present. (Dr. Nelson-Smith was absent.)
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By Mrs. Bernard
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval of the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Grant in the amount of $20,000.00 for two (2) years for the PLTW Gateway Introduction to Computer Science in Grades 7 and 8 at Northeast High School, $17,000.00 in year one and $3,000.00 in year two, for the period June 15, 2015, through June 15, 2017.
Seconded by Ms. Lee
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of the members present. (Dr. Nelson-Smith was absent.)
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By Mr. Smith
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval of the Believe and Prepare Community Development Grant in the amount of $10,000.00 to develop a new teacher preparation program at McKinley and Lee High Schools.
Seconded by President Tatman
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of the members present. (Dr. Nelson-Smith was absent.)
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There being no further business, the Committee of the Whole adjourned by acclamation.
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H. Warren Drake, Jr.
Secretary/Treasurer to the East Baton
Rouge Parish School Board
Committee of the Whole