REGULAR MEETING OF THE
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
December 15, 2016
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 fifteenth day of December, 2016, in regular-session convened. The President called the meeting to order with the following members present: Mrs. Barbara Freiberg, President; Ms. Evelyn Ware-Jackson, Vice-President; Mr. Mark Bellue; Mrs. Connie Bernard; Ms. Dawn Chanet Collins; Ms. Jill C. Dyason; Ms. Vereta T. Lee; 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. Millie Williams, Chief Officer of Human Resources; Mr. Gary Reese, Chief of Student Support Services; Mr. Adam Smith, Associate Superintendent of Academics; and Mrs. Andrea O’Konski, Chief of Academic Programs.
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School Board Member, Vereta Lee, gave the invocation. Cadet CSM Kayla Jones, Northeast High School, accompanied by LTC Shirley Sutton, Senior Army Advisor, led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of the School Board minutes of the November 17, 2016, (Regular), and the December 1, 2016, Committee of the Whole meetings.
By Ms. Ware-Jackson
Resolved, that the reading of the minutes of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board meetings of November 17, 2016, School Board, and the December 1, 2016, Committee of the Whole meeting, be dispensed with and that they be approved as published in the Official Journal.
Seconded by Mr. Bellue
The vote on the motion was as follows:
Yeas: (6) Mr. Bellue, Ms. Collins, President Freiberg, Ms. Lee, Dr. Nelson-Smith, and Vice-President Ware-Jackson
Nays: (0) None
Abstained: (0) None
Absent: (2) Mr. Tatman and Ms. Bernard
Ms. Dyason did not cast a vote.
The motion was declared adopted.
Consent to Consider
By Mr. Bellue
Resolved, that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby “Consent to Consider” an item not listed on the agenda. This item will be presented to the board for a vote as the last item on the agenda.
Seconded by Ms. Bernard
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members present. (Mr. Tatman was absent.)
Approval of Consent Agenda Items
By Ms. Dyason
Resolved, that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does herebyapprove the Consent Agenda items.
Seconded by Ms. Bernard
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
The following items were approved as part of the Consent Agenda:
Approval of the following budgets:
a) 2016-2017 Proposed Plan Budget for the CLASS Pilot Enhancing Instruction for Special Learners for the Early Childhood Community Network.
b) 2016-2017 Proposed Adult and Continuing Education Budgets.
Approval of the following grants:
a) Five (5) Cox Charities’ grant awards in the amount of $12,715.00 to provide direct service classroom projects. The following schools will receive the grants: Baton Rouge Center for Visual & Performing Arts ($2,715.00), Claiborne Elementary ($3,000), Park Forest Middle ($2,500.00), Baton Rouge Magnet High ($2,500.00), and Broadmoor High ($2,000.00).
b) Project SERV (School Emergency Response to Violence) grant in the amount of $404,500.00 to provide short-term and long-term education related services to the East Baton Rouge Parish School System while the system recovers from the August 2016 flood.
c) Louisiana Department of Education School Improvement Grant (SIG) 1003g grant for Park Elementary School in the amount of $729,500.00 over three years to provide professional development for teachers, summer enrichment programs for students, and incentive awards to retain teachers.
d) Britannica/Citelighter Give Back pilot grant in the amount of $11,500.00 to develop student writing skills using a scaffolding approach.
e) Revised LOSFA Field Outreach Services (LFOS) Sub-Grant in the amount of $362,510.00 to assist the following schools with the build college-going culture: Broadmoor High ($28,970.00), Glen Oaks High ($17,272.50), Scotlandville High ($28,925.00), Tara High ($21,992.50), Woodlawn High ($23,320.00), McKinley Middle ($59,220.00), Park Forest Middle ($68,100.00), Southeast Middle ($65,880.00), and Scotlandville Middle ($48,830.00).
Authorization for staff to advertise, accept the low bid meeting specifications, and make the award of a contract for construction of the New Broadmoor Elementary School as specified in A Plan to Improve Facilities/Technology, Discipline, and Compensation in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System (the “Plan”), as revised through January 17, 2008, or reject any and all bids for just cause in accordance with the Louisiana Public Bid Law; Louisiana Revised Statutes, Title 38; Chapter 10.
Approval of the recommendation of Mr. Domoine Rutledge, General Counsel, EBRPSB, in the following matter: Penny Harrell v. Demetrius Gayton, et al, Suit No. 645528, Section 24, 19th JDC, Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana.
END OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
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Approval of Contract
By Mr. Tatman
Resolved that, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve the renewal of a contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and the City of Baton Rouge in the amount of $134,110.00 to allow the Department of Adult and Continuing Education to continue providing adult education classes and HiSET testing for inmates at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017.
Seconded by Ms. Lee
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
Authorization to Develop and Issue a Request for Proposals
By Ms. Bernard
Resolved, that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby authorize the Superintendent of Schools to develop and issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for facility management services and to provide for related matters.
Seconded by Ms. Ware-Jackson
The vote on the motion was as follows:
Yeas: (8) Mr. Bellue, Mrs. Bernard, Ms. Dyason, President Freiberg, Ms. Lee, Dr. Nelson-Smith, Mr. Tatman, and Vice-President Ware-Jackson
Nays: (0) None
Abstained: (0) None
Absent: (0) None
Ms. Collins did not cast a vote.
The motion was declared adopted.
Approval of Lease Agreement for School Buses
By Ms. Lee
Resolved, that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby authorize a lease agreement for school busses and to authorize the Superintendent of Schools to finalize same.
Seconded by Ms. Bernard
Discussion followed.
A friendly amendment was accepted by the originator and seconder.
Resolved, that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby authorize a lease agreement for up to six school busses and to authorize the Superintendent of Schools to finalize same.
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
Approval of Application for the FEMA Community Disaster Loan Program
By Mr. Tatman
Resolved, that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby approve a Resolution making application to the State Bond Commission for approval of the issuance by the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, State of Louisiana, of not exceeding five million dollars ($5,000,000) of Revenue Anticipation Notes (Community Disaster Loan Program), and providing for other matters in connection therewith.
Seconded by Ms. Lee
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
Approval of Revenue Anticipation Notes
By Ms. Bernard
Resolved, that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby authorize the Resolution giving preliminary approval to the issuance of not exceeding thirty-six million dollars ($36,000,000) of Revenue Anticipation Notes, of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, State of Louisiana; providing certain terms of said Notes; making application to the State Bond Commission for approval of said Notes; and providing for other matters in connection therewith.
Seconded by Mr. Tatman
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
Approval of Istrouma High School Facility Modification and Maintenance Improvement Contract
By Ms. Ware-Jackson
Resolved, that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby authorize the program management team to direct the design team to prepare Change Order #2 for field athletic work to be added to the Istrouma High School Facility Modification and Maintenance Improvement contract.
Seconded By Ms. Lee
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
Approval of Notice of Vacancy for District “7”
By Mr. Tatman
Resolved, that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby authorize a Notice of Vacancy for East Baton Rouge Parish School Board District “7” and authorize staff to provide for related matters.
Seconded by Ms. Ware-Jackson
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
Approval of Resolution
By Ms. Bernard
Resolved, that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board does hereby authorize the resolution calling a special election to fill a vacancy for School Board Member in District “7,” East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.
Seconded by Mr. Tatman
Unanimously adopted by a vote of all the members.
Point of Information
Notice is hereby given that at its meeting to be held on Thursday, January 19, 2017, at 5:00 p.m. at the Parish School Board Office, 1050 South Foster Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Parish School Board of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, plans to consider adopting a resolution ordering and calling an election to be held in Consolidated School District No. 1 of the Parish of East Baton Rouge to authorize the renewal of ad valorem taxes.
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There being no further business, the Board adjourned by acclamation.
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Warren Drake, Jr.,
Secretary/Treasurer to the Board