2021-08-19

East Baton Rouge Parish School Board

Regular Meeting Minutes

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Notice and Instructions

Notice

Meeting Opening

Call to Order, Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance

The meeting was called to order at 5:00 PM by School Board President David Tatman.

Roll Call

Members present were Mark Bellue, Tramelle Howard, Dawn Collins, Evelyn Ware-Jackson, Connie Bernard, and David Tatman.

Connie Bernard was absent.

Jill Dyason and Michael Gaudet came in after roll call.

Others present were Sito Narcisse, Superintendent; Gwynn Shamlin Jr., General Counsel; Caron Smith, Chief of Staff; Michael Robinson, Chief Academic Officer; Sharon Williams, Chief of Schools; Alex Stubbs, Chief Communication/Public Relations; Andrea O’Konski, Chief Officer for Accountability and Assessments; Amy Jones, Chief Technology Officer; Barbara Lashley, Chief of Literacy, and Stacey Dupre, Chief Officer for Support and Special Projects.

Minutes

Meeting Minutes

Approval of the School Board Minutes of the July 22, 2021, Regular Board meeting, and the August 8, 2021, Committee of the Whole meeting as published in the Official Journal.

Motion by Connie Bernard, second by Tramelle Howard.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Bellue, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Bernard, Tatman

Information Only

Monthly Financial Report

Personnel Changes

Receive As Information

Update from Superintendent

Consent Agenda

Consent Vote

The following items were approved as part of the Consent Agenda.

Motion by Mark Bellue, second by Michael Gaudet.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Bellue, Howard, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman

Not Present at Vote: Collins

Grant

Approval of the following grants: a) Neighbors Project Grant for Public Schools in the amount of $2,478.96 for The Dufrocq School for robots in the classroom. b) Kelly Gene Cook Charitable Foundation-Deborah Rochelle Teacher Grant in the amount of $15,904.00 to provide funding to four teachers for classroom projects.

Professional Services Contracts

Approval of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and the following: a) City Year in the amount of $121,600.00 to provide evidence-based interventions. Funding Source: Direct Student Services

b) City Year in the amount of $358,400.00 to provide instructional and behavioral student support. Funding Source: Direct Student Services

c) Studyville in the amount of $36,800.00 to provide tutoring for students at Glasgow Middle, Park Forest Middle, McKinley High, and Belaire High schools. Funding Source: Direct Student Services

d) Deaf Resources Center of Greater Baton Rouge, LLC in the amount of $80,000.00 to provide sign language interpreting services to students with disabilities-hearing impaired. Funding Source: IDEA Part B

Professional Services Contracts: ESSER

Approval of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and the following:

a) Instructure, Inc. in the amount of $167,750.00 to provide an online learning management system to access content material, customized online professional development, and additional materials. Funding Source: ESSER III-Action 2

b) Manners of the Heart in the amount of $70,217.97 to provide a social emotional support program based on core values. Funding Source: ESSER III-Action 2

c) Nearpod in the amount of $177,089.90 for an interactive K-12 digital platform for lessons, videos, activities, and formative assessments. Funding Source: ESSER III-Action 2

Contract Renewal: City of Baton Rouge (Adult Education-EBR Prison)

Approval to renew a contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the City of Baton Rouge not to exceed $134,110.00 to allow the EBRPSS 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, 2021, through December 31, 2021. Funding Source: City of Baton Rouge Grant

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): Dual Enrollment

Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) to provide dual enrollment courses for the 2021-2022 school year. Funding Source: SCA

District Mobile App

Approval of a contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and SchoolInfoApp in the amount of $120,102.00 to provide a district multisite mobile application. Funding Source: ESSER III Action 2

Litigation

Approval of the recommendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Counsel, EBRPSB, in the matter of Emmanuel Akinosho and La'Porsche Williams-Akinosho individually and o/b/o their minor child (name redacted) vs. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Lorraine Singleton Suit No: 673,568; Section/Division: 24; 19th JDC; Parish of East Baton Rouge.

End of the Consent Agenda

New Business

COVID-19 Status Monitoring and Testing

Consideration of a request authorizing the Superintendent to implement a plan requiring that all East Baton Rouge Parish School System employees show proof of vaccination for Covid-19 and submit to weekly Covid-19 testing.

Motion by Evelyn Ware-Jackson, second by Tramelle Howard.

A substitute motion authorizing the Superintendent to implement a plan requiring that all East Baton Rouge Parish School System employees show the status of vaccination for Covid-19 and submit to weekly Covid-19 testing subject to waivers to include medical, religious, and philosophical.

Motion by Connie Bernard, second NONE.

Motion by Michael Gaudet, second by Dawn Collins.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Bellue, Howard, Collins, Gaudet, Tatman

Nay: Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Bernard

Policy Revision: GBRIBC

Approval of the revised policy GBRIBC (Covid-19 Emergency Leave).

Motion by Michael Gaudet, second by Dawn Collins.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Bellue, Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman

COVID-19 Learning Loss Professional Development Initiative

Consideration of a request authorizing the Superintendent to pay a stipend to teachers for the "Learning Loss" Professional Development Initiative for the 2021-2022 school year in the amount of $12,000,000.00. Funding Source: ESSER III Action 2

Motion by Mark Bellue, second by Evelyn Ware-Jackson.

Substitute motion to defer the request authorizing the Superintendent to pay a stipend to teachers for the "Learning Loss" Professional Development Initiative for the 2021-2022 school year in the amount of $12,000,000.00 until a detailed plan is submitted by the Superintendent. Funding Source: ESSER III Action 2

Motion by Dawn Collins, second by Tramelle Howard.

Motion Fails

Yea: Tramelle Howard, Dawn Collins, Evelyn Ware-Jackson, David Tatman

Nay: Mark Bellue, Jill Dyason, Michael Gaudet

Abstain: Connie Bernard

Motion by Mark Bellue, second by Evelyn Ware-Jackson.

Motion Fails

Yea: Bellue, Dyason, Gaudet, Tatman

Nay: Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson

Abstain: Bernard

A motion offered to reconsider the request authorizing the Superintendent to pay a stipend to teachers for the "Learning Loss" Professional Development Initiative for the 2021-2022 school year in the amount of $12,000,000.00. Funding Source: ESSER III Action 2

Motion by Evelyn Ware-Jackson, second by Michael Gaudet.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Bellue, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman

Nay: Howard, Collins

Reapportionment/Redistricting Consultant

Motion to approve Strategic Demographics, LLC as the consultant for reapportionment and redistricting services for the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board.

Motion by Mark Bellue, second by Michael Gaudet.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Bellue, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman

Nay: Howard, Collins, Ware-Jackson

There being no further business, the Board adjourned by acclamation.

_______________________________

Sito J. Narcisse, ED.D

Secretary/Treasurer to the Board