EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016
5:00 P.M.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole met at the School Board Office at 1022 South Foster Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 5:00 p.m. on the third day of March 2016, in regular-session convened. The Vice-President called the meeting to order with the following members present: Ms. Evelyn Ware-Jackson, Vice-President; Mrs. Barbara Freiberg, President; Mr. Mark Bellue; Mrs. Connie Bernard; Ms. Jill C. Dyason; Ms. Vereta T. Lee; Dr. Jacqueline Mims; Dr. Kenyetta Nelson-Smith; and Mr. David Tatman.
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.
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School Board Member, Dr. Jacqueline Mims, gave the invocation. School Board Member, Vereta Lee, 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:
Partnership Agreement
By Mr. Tatman
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval to open an EBR Virtual School to include Grades 9-12 with an attendance zone encompassing the entire geographic area of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.
Seconded by Dr. Mims
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of all the members.
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Agreement
By Mrs. Bernard
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval of renewal of a community partnership agreement between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and YWCA Greater Baton Rouge Early Head Start Program.
Seconded by President Freiberg
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of all the members.
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Defer Celerity School Louisiana to Purchase and Install Modular Buildings
By President Freiberg
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby defer the following item per the request of the Superintendent: approval for Celerity School Louisiana to purchase and install three (3) modular classroom buildings and one (1) modular restroom building at the Lanier Elementary School site and six (6) modular classroom buildings and one (1) modular restroom building at the Dalton Elementary School site for the 2016-2017 school year.
Seconded by Dr. Nelson-Smith
The motion was approved.
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Grants
By Ms. Lee
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval of the following grants:
a) Whole Kids Foundation grant and budget for $2,000.00 to purchase a portable greenhouse, a compost tumbler, and fruit trees at Cedarcrest-Southmoor Elementary School.
b) Youth Suicide Prevention grant and budget for $7,353.00 for the development of a district suicide prevention policy, curriculum, and training and professional protocols.
c) Academic Distinction Fund (ADF) MASTER Teachers Math and Science grant and budget for $17,994.00 to eighteen (18) pre-kindergarten teachers at eleven (11) schools for materials and supplies to improve hands-on instructional strategies in their math and science classrooms.
Seconded by Ms. Dyason
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of all the members.
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Amend Original Contract
By Mr. Tatman
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval to amend the original contract for professional services between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Soliant Health in the amount of $26,260.00 to provide services to additional visually-impaired students as determined by an IEP. (Funding Source: IDEA Part B).
Seconded by Mrs. Bernard
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of all the members.
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Defer a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement
By Mr. Tatman
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby defer the following item to the Special School Board meeting immediately following the Committee of the Whole, Thursday, March 3, 2016: authorize Superintendent Warren Drake, along with Board leadership, to finalize and execute a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement and Act of Transfer between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority regarding the proposed Career Academy.
Seconded by Mrs. Bernard
The vote on the motion was as follows:
Yeas: (9) Mr. Bellue, Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, President Freiberg, Dr. Mims, Ms. Lee, Dr. Nelson-Smith, , Mr. Tatman, and Vice-President Ware-Jackson
Nays: (0) None
Abstained: (0) None
Absent: (0) None
The motion was approved to defer the item to a Special School Board meeting immediately following the Committee of the Whole Thursday, March 3, 2016.
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Non-Renewal of Lease
By Dr. Mims
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole does hereby favorably recommend the following item: approval of non-renewal of a lease with the Town South Shopping Center located at 1919 Staring Lane, and approval to relocate the EBR Readiness program to the Northdale Academy site located at 10755 Cletus Drive.
Seconded by Dr. Nelson-Smith
Favorably recommended to the full Board by a vote of all the members.
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There being no further business, the Committee of the Whole adjourned by acclamation.
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Warren Drake
Secretary/Treasurer to the East Baton
Rouge Parish School Board
Committee of the Whole