East Baton Rouge Parish School Board
Regular Meeting
Thursday, August 18, 2022
A. Meeting Opening
1. Call to Order, Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance
The meeting was called to order at 5:00 PM by School Board President David Tatman.
The Invocation was led by School Board Member Jill Dyason, and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Cadet Staff Sergeant Dailyn Miller of Northeast High School accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Shirley Sutton, Senior Army Instructor.
2. Roll Call
Members present were Mark Bellue, Tramelle Howard, Evelyn Ware-Jackson, Jill Dyason, Michael Gaudet, Connie Bernard, and David Tatman.
Dadrius Lanus came in after roll call.
Vice-President Dawn Collins was absent.
Others present were Sito Narcisse, Superintendent; Gwynn Shamlin Jr., General Counsel; Caron Smith, Chief of Staff; Michael Robinson, Chief Academic Officer; Monique Scott-Spaulding, Interim Chief Operations Officer; Arcelius Brickhouse Jr., Interim Chief of Schools; Andrea O’Konski, Chief Officer for Accountability and Assessments; Amy Jones, Chief Technology Officer; and Stacey Dupre, Chief Officer for Support and Special Projects.
B. Minutes
1. Meeting Minutes
Approval of the School Board minutes of the July 21, 2022, Regular Board meeting, July 14, 2022, Special and Special Meeting-Budget meetings, and the July 14, 2022 and August 4, 2022, Committee of the Whole meetings as published in the Official Journal.
Motion by Connie Bernard, second by Michael Gaudet.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Howard, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
C. Information Only
1. Monthly Financial Report
2. Personnel Changes
3. Public Records Request Monthly Report
D. Receive As Information
1. Update from Superintendent
F. Unfinished Business
1. Professional Services Contracts-Federal
Approval of the professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the following:
a) City Year in the amount of $360,000 to provide support services. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: Title I
b) Achieve3000, Inc. in the amount of $1,391,090 to provide professional development and student web-based activities. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: ESSER II, Action 2
c) CASEL in the amount of $50,000 to provide support services. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement & Employee Development/Funding Source: ESSER II, Action 1
d) National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) in the amount of $454,000 to provide support and professional development on school improvement best practices. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: Redesign
e) National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) in the amount of $120,000 to provide support and professional development on school improvement best practices. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: Title II
f) Rethink Ed. in the amount of $175,000 to provide for social emotional learning and mental health support services. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement & Employee Development/Funding Source: ESSER II, Action 1
Motion by Mark Bellue, second by Michael Gaudet.
Substitute motion to bifurcate the item.
Motion by Evelyn Ware-Jackson, second NONE. Motion dies for a lack of a second.
Return to the main motion.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Abstain: Ware-Jackson
2. Expenditures: Pathways to Bright Futures
Approval of the Pathways to Bright Futures expenditures.
Motion by Dadrius Lanus, second by Michael Gaudet.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Nay: Ware-Jackson
3. Updated/Revised Job Descriptions
Approval of the following updated/revised job descriptions as referenced in the document "Amended Updated-Revised Job Descriptions". Strategic Alignment: Operational Excellence
Motion by Dadrius Lanus, second by Mark Bellue.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
4. Eliminated Job Descriptions
Approval to eliminate the obsolete job descriptions as referenced in the document "Eliminated Job Descriptions". Strategic Alignment: Operational Excellence
Motion by Tramelle Howard, second by Michael Gaudet.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
5. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)-Pre-K Expansion
Approval of the MOU template for childcare centers, charter schools, and private schools in the EBR Community Network for the expansion of pre-k 3 and pre-k 4 student seats. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: LA4, NSECD, ESSER II, B-3
Motion by Jill Dyason, second by Connie Bernard.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
6. Adoption/Ratification of Redistricting Plan
Motion to defer the discussion/consideration for the approval of a resolution for the adoption and ratification of the Ware/Collins Plan 1-11 Redistricting plan to the September 15th Regular meeting.
Motion by Evelyn Ware-Jackson, second by Dadrius Lanus.
Final Resolution: Motion Fails
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Ware-Jackson
Nay: Dyason, Bernard, Tatman
7. Policy Revision: GBRIBC
Approval of the revised policy GBRIBC (Covid-19 Emergency Leave). Strategic Alignment: Operational Excellence
Motion by Connie Bernard, second by Mark Bellue.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Tatman
Not Present at Vote: Bernard
G. Consent Agenda
1. Consent Vote
The following items were approved as part of the Consent Agenda excluding #4, #9, and #18.
Motion by Mark Bellue, second by Connie Bernard.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
2. Pupil Progression Plan
Approval of the 2022-2023 school year district Pupil Progression Plan. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement
3. Superintendent’s Performance Objectives and Targets
Approval of the Superintendent’s Performance Objectives and to amend the Superintendent’s Performance Targets.
5. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC)
Approval of an MOU between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) to provide dual enrollment courses under the Early College Academy agreement for the 2022-2023 school year. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement
6. Professional Services Contracts: IDEA
Approval of professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the following: a) Egan Health Care Corporation d/b/a Egan-Ochsner HCBS River Parishes in the amount of $166,000 to provide LPN nursing services. b) Allied Instructional Services, LLC in the amount of $25,000 to provide orientation and mobility services. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: IDEA Part B
7. Grant: Pre-K
Approval of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) Grant in the amount of $261,756 to provide for teacher and paraprofessional salaries and professional development. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: 8(g)
8. Professional Services Contract: Pre-K
Approval of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Baton Rouge Early Childhood Education Collaborative, Inc. (BRECEC) in the amount of $266,000 to provide early childhood education strategies and support to parents and home-based caregivers. Funding Source: ESSER II, Action 2
10. Professional Services Contract: Career Development
Approval of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Defined Learning in the amount of $176,100 to provide a digital work-based learning platform that supports student career exploration lessons, activities, and experience reflections in grades 4-12. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: Career Development Fund
11. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): Louisiana State University
Approval of an MOU between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Louisiana State University School of Social Work to provide practical experience in the field of school social work under the supervision and direction of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement
12. Memorandum of Understanding: Southern University Dual Enrollment
Approval of an MOU between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Southern University (SU) to provide dual enrollment courses for the 2022-2023 school year. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: SCA
13. Professional Services Contracts: VIPS
Approval of the professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) in the amount of $25,000 and $58,000 respectively for the EveryBody Reads and EveryOne Counts Programs. Funding Sources: Title I and General Fund
14. Litigation
Approval of the recommendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Counsel, EBRPSB, in the matter of: Tiffany Chester, et al; 19th JDC, No.: 655260, Sec. 22, Parish of EBR.
15. Extern Agreement
Approval of an amendment to the Extern Agreement between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in the amount of $397,802 to extend the agreement for one year to provide externs for up to 39 sections. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement
16. Grant: Kelly G. Cook Foundation's Deborah Rochelle Grant
Acceptance of the Deborah Rochelle Teacher Grant from the Kelly G. Cook Foundation for five teachers for a total of $20,557 to provide for classroom projects. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement
17. Extended Day Salary
Amend the Extended Day hourly rate to range from $25 to $35 per hour and approve schools to set a site-specific rate based on the availability of funding. Strategic Alignment: Exemplary Customer Service/Funding Source: General Fund/Grants
End of the Consent Agenda Items
4. Stipend
Approval of a $3,000 stipend for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System employees for the 2022-2023 school year. Strategic Alignment: Operational Excellence/Funding Source: ESSER
Motion by Evelyn Ware-Jackson, second by Tramelle Howard.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
9. Professional Services Contracts: Federal
Consideration of a request for the approval of the professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the following:
a) SCLD-Center for High School Success in the amount of $306,705 to provide training, support, and resources. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: ESSER III Incentive
b) Lexia Learning Systems, LLC in the amount of $302,847 to provide literacy professional learning. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement & Employee Development/Funding Source: Literacy Foundation Training
c) Dreambox in the amount of $682,212 to provide a mathematics program. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: ESSER III, Action 2
d) Nearpod in the amount of $193,027.99 to provide an interactive digital platform. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: ESSER III, Action 2
e) AVID Center in the amount of $153,196 to provide IGP support and professional learning. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: Redesign
f) Studyville LLC in the amount of $78,000 to provide tutoring services to specified schools. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: ESSER III, Action 2
Motion by Dadrius Lanus, second by Connie Bernard
Substitute motion to separate item a) SCLC-Center for High School Success
Motion by Evelyn Ware-Jackson, second NONE. Motion dies for a lack of a second.
Return to the main motion.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
Abstain: Ware-Jackson
18. Request for Qualifications
Authorize staff to issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to seek proposals to provide Construction Management at Risk (CMAR) services for the following tax plan projects:
a) Elementary School in the southern part of the parish
b) Broadmoor Middle School-Arts Conservatory
Strategic Alignment: Operational Excellence/Funding Source: Tax Plan
Motion by Connie Bernard, second by Dadrius Lanus.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
H. New Business
1. Professional Services Contract: School Resource Officers
Authorize the Superintendent to negotiate and execute professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the following agencies to provide school resource officers: a) East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office b) Baton Rouge City Police Department.
Motion by Michael Gaudet, second by Dadrius Lanus.
Substitute motion to defer.
Motion by Evelyn Ware-Jackson, second NONE. Motion dies for a lack of a second.
Return to the main motion.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Howard, Ware-Jackson, Dyason, Gaudet, Bernard, Tatman
I. Presentations
1. LEAP 2025 Presentation
2. HES Presentation
3. Redistricting Report
J. Organizational Items
1. Announcement of Meetings
There being no further business, the Board adjourned by acclamation.
_______________________________________________
Sito J. Narcisse, Ed.D., Secretary/Treasurer to the Board