East Baton Rouge Parish School Board
Regular Meeting
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Notice
Notice and Instructions
Notice and instructions for attendance and public comment.
Meeting Opening
Call to Order, Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance
Meeting called to order at 5:00 PM by School Board President Michael Gaudet.
The Invocation was led by School Board Member David Tatman and the Pledge of Allegiance by School Board Member Dawn Collins.
Roll Call
Members present: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Tramelle Howard, Dawn Collins, Evelyn Ware-Jackson, Jill Dyason, Michael Gaudet, Connie Bernard, David Tatman
Others present were: Warren Drake, Superintendent; Adam Smith, Associate Superintendent; Ben Necaise, Associate Superintendent; Quentina Timoll, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction; Amy Jones, Director-Management for Information Technology; and Dennis Blunt, Phelps Dunbar LLP. Andrea O’Konski, Chief Officer for Accountability and Assessments; Stacey Dupre, Chief Officer for Support and Special Projects; Taylor Gast, Director of Communications and Public Relations, and Daphne Donaldson, Interim Director for Human Resources were in attendance virtually.
Minutes
Meeting Minutes
Approval of the School Board minutes of the April 21, 2020, Regular Board meeting, as published in the Official Journal.
Motion by Connie Bernard, second by David Tatman.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Howard, Collins, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Information Only
Monthly Financial Report
Personnel Changes
New Business
Contract Renewal: Unemployment Compensation Control Systems, LLC
Approval of the contract renewal between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Unemployment Compensation Control Systems, LLC (UCCS) in the amount of $144,00.00 each year for a period of three (3) years beginning July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023. Funding Sources: General Fund, Grants Funds, Tax Plan
Motion by Mark Bellue, second by Connie Bernard.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Howard, Collins, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Interagency Agreement-Early Childhood Guide Pilot
Approval of the interagency agreement between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the Louisiana Department of Education in the amount of $224,000.00 to allow the district to approve Child Care Assistance Program(CCAP) applications. Funding Source: Early Childhood Guide Pilot
Motion by David Tatman, second by Tramelle Howard.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Grants (Pre-K)
Approval of the following 2020-2021 Pre-K grants:
a) Cecil J. Picard Early Childhood/LA4 in the amount of $5,038,000.00.
b) Preschool Development Grant B-5 in the amount of $854,205.00.
Motion by Connie Bernard, second by Jill Dyason.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard
Nay: Tatman
Interagency Agreement-Federal IDEA
Approval of an interagency agreement between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and the Louisiana Department of Education in the amount of $100,767.00 to provide high quality curriculum training support and specialized support to special and regular education teachers who teach students with disabilities. Funding Source: Redesign Grant
Motion by Jill Dyason, second by Tramelle Howard.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Professional Services Contracts (Federal)
Approval of the professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the following:
a) Great Minds PBC in the amount of $25,000.00 to provide Eureka Math-virtual professional development. Funding Source: Redesign Grant
b) Great Minds PBC in the amount of $30,000.00 to provide Eureka Math-virtual professional development: Launch, Fluency, and Customization. Funding Source: Redesign Grant
c) The Writing Revolution in the amount of $97,812.00 to provide professional development on Advancing Thinking Through Writing, Part 1. Funding Source: Redesign Grant
d) The Writing Revolution in the amount of $63,577.80 to provide professional development on Advancing Thinking Through Writing, Part 1. Funding Source: Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy
Motion by Connie Bernard, second by Mark Bellue.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Professional Services Contracts (Exceptional Student Services)
Approval of the professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge School Board and the following:
a) Adaptive Solutions and Sherry Hollingsworth in the amount of $20,000.00 to provide Assistive Technology Services and technical support.
b) Audio Optical Systems of Austin, Inc (Kurzweil 3000) in the amount of $47,892.00 to provide professional development, software, and comprehensive, text-to-speech integrated literacy solution to students.
c) Chase Healthcare in the amount of $87,000.00 to provide LPN Nursing Services.
d) D. S. Sullivan in the amount of $20,000.00 to provide Orientation and Mobility Evaluations and training services to ESS students.
e) Deaf Resources Center of Greater Baton Rouge, LLC in the amount of $80,000.00 to provide sign language interpreting services.
f) NOMI Support Services, LLC in the amount of $60,000.00 to provide training for staff for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
g) Pediatric Services of America, Inc., d/b/a PSA Healthcare in the amount of $483,000.00 for LPN Nursing Services.
h) Dr. Kashunda L. Williams, LP,BCBAD, NCSP, Sundry Behavioral Services in the amount of $60,000.00 for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) training.
i) Turner, LLC in the amount of $621,000.00 to provide LPN Nursing Services.
Funding Source: IDEA
Motion by David Tatman, second by Connie Bernard.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Effective Stipend Waiver 2019-2020
Approval of a waiver from the East Baton Rouge Parish School System's Local Personnel Accountability Plan including effectiveness/demand stipends for teachers and administrators for the 2019-2020 school year due to COVID-19 school closures.
Motion by Dadrius Lanus, second by Evelyn Ware-Jackson.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Abstain: Lanus
Revised 2019-2020 General Fund Budget
Approval of the Revised 2019-2020 General Fund Budget for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.
Motion by David Tatman, second by Connie Bernard.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Policy: EBBD & GBRIBC
Approval of the following School Board policies and related matters: EBBD, GBRIBC.
Motion by Connie Bernard, second by Dadrius Lanus.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Superintendent Search Survey Report
Received the Superintendent Search Survey Report for Semifinalists.
Motion by Jill Dyason, second by Tramelle Howard.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Not Present at Vote: Collins
Selection of Superintendent Finalists
Motion offered for the finalists candidate nominations for the position of Superintendent of Schools to proceed as follows:
Each Board member will nominate up to three names on the form provided by the board secretary. The board president will read the nominations into the record. The board secretary and consultant will tally the nominations and announce the results. From these results, the Board will invite the top candidates who receive a minimum of five votes to proceed to the final round of interviews. Should only one candidate meet the five vote threshold for nomination, a second round of voting will be taken with only those candidates who received four votes in the first round above being considered, with each Board member having one vote. The voting will continue until a second candidate reaches the four vote threshold.
Motion by Jill Dyason, second by Dawn Collins.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
The results are as follows:
Leslie Brown-Bellue, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Adam Smith-Collins, Bernard
Quentina Timoll-Lanus, Howard, Ware-Jackson
T. Nakia Towns-Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Tatman
Marshall Tuck-Bellue, Lanus, Dyason, Gaudet
Leslie Brown and T. Nakia Towns met the requirements of the motion and will be invited to the finalists round of interviews.
There being no further business, the Board adjourned by acclamation.
___________________________
Warren Drake, Jr.,
Secretary/Treasurer to the Board