East Baton Rouge Parish School Board

Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes

Thursday, January 12, 2023

A. Meeting Opening

1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

The Invocation will be led by School Board Member Mark Bellue, and the Pledge of Allegiance will be led by School Board Member Patrick Martin.

2. Call to Order and Roll Call

The meeting was called to order at 5:00 PM by School Board Vice-President Carla Powell.

Members present were Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell, Shashonnie Steward, Cliff Lewis, Michael Gaudet, Nathan Rust, Katie Kennison, and Patrick Martin.

Others present were Sito Narcisse, Superintendent; Gwynn Shamlin Jr., General Counsel; Caron Smith, Chief of Staff; Michael Robinson, Chief Academic Officer; Monique Scott-Spaulding, Chief Operations Officer; Arcelius Brickhouse Jr., Chief of Schools; Letrece Griffin, Chief Communication/Public Relations; Andrea O’Konski, Chief Officer for Accountability and Assessments; Amy Jones, Chief Technology Officer; Shenoa Warren, Interim Chief of Literacy, Kelly Lopez, Chief Financial Officer; James Crochet, Chief Business Operations Officer; and Randy Morales II, Chief of Plant Operations.

B. Receive as Information

1. Update(s) from the Superintendent

C. Items for Consideration

1. Cooperative Endeavor Agreement

Approval of a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Louisiana Department of the Treasury and the State of Louisiana in the amount of $50,000 for Act 170 of the 2022 Regular Legislative Session-State Aid to Local Government Entities to provide internship opportunities for 12th-grade internship workforce development pilot program. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement

Motion by Michael Gaudet, second by Patrick Martin.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Powell, Steward, Lewis, Rust, Gaudet, Kennison, Martin

2. Service Agreement

Consideration of a request for the approval of an agreement between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Dr. David K. Lerch, Educational Consulting, Inc. in the amount of $36,200 to review district documentation, monitor academic and financial progress for 2022-2023 MSAP Grant. Strategic Alignment: Operational Excellence/Funding Source: MSAP Grant

Motion by Mark Bellue, second by Nathan Rust.

Substitute motion to send the consideration of a request for the approval of an agreement between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Dr. David K. Lerch, Educational Consulting, Inc. in the amount of $36,200 to review district documentation, monitor academic and financial progress for 2022-2023 MSAP Grant. to the full Board without recommendation. Strategic Alignment: Operational Excellence/Funding Source: MSAP Grant

Motion by Katie Kennison, second by Shashonnie Steward.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Lanus, Powell, Steward, Lewis, Rust, Kennison, Martin

Nay: Bellue, Gaudet

3. Professional Services Contracts: Federal

Consideration of a request for the approval of professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the following:

a) ResourceFull Consulting, LLC in the amount of $90,000 for implementation of a comprehensive year one plan to expand access to early childhood education to children under five. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: ESSER II

b) District Management Group, LLC in the amount of $48,210 to provide services to improve literacy development. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) CIR/UIR 0-5

Motion by Michael Gaudet, second by Nathan Rust.

Substitute motion to send the consideration of a request for the approval of professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the following:

a) ResourceFull Consulting, LLC in the amount of $90,000 for implementation of a comprehensive year one plan to expand access to early childhood education to children under five. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: ESSER II

b) District Management Group, LLC in the amount of $48,210 to provide services to improve literacy development to the full Board without recommendation. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) CIR/UIR 0-5

Motion by Katie Kennison, second by Shashonnie Steward.

Motion Fails

Yea: Steward, Rust, Kennison

Nay: Bellue, Lanus, Powell, Lewis, Rust, Gaudet, Martin,

Return to the main motion.

Approval of professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the following:
a) ResourceFull Consulting, LLC in the amount of $90,000 for implementation of a comprehensive year one plan to expand access to early childhood education to children under five.

b) District Management Group, LLC in the amount of $48,210 to provide services to improve literacy development.

Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Powell, Lewis, Rust, Gaudet, Kennison, Martin

Nay: Steward

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

4. Professional Services Contracts: General Fund

Consideration of a request for the approval of the professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Kids Orchestra in the amounts of $65,000 and $45,000 to provide services for the Kid's Orchestra after-school program for 2022-2023. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: General Fund/ESSER & Fine Arts (General Fund)

Motion by Patrick Martin, second by Mark Bellue.

Substitute motion to send the consideration of a request for the approval of the professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Kids Orchestra in the amounts of $65,000 and $45,000 to provide services for the Kid's Orchestra after-school program for 2022-2023 to send to the full Board without recommendation. Strategic Alignment: Student Achievement/Funding Source: General Fund/ESSER & Fine Arts (General Fund)

Motion by Katie Kennison, second by Shashonnie Steward.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Lanus, Powell, Steward, Kennison, Rust, Martin

Nay: Bellue, Lewis, Gaudet

5. Internet/WAN RFP Selection

Approval of the recommendation of the committee for the selection of COX Communication as the provider for internet/WAN services and to authorize the Superintendent and General Counsel to negotiate and execute a contract. Strategic Alignment: Operational Excellence/Funding Source: General Fund

Motion by Mark Bellue, second by Patrick Martin.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Powell, Steward, Lewis, Rust, Gaudet, Kennison, Martin

6. CMAR Selection: Brownfields Project

Approval of the recommendation of the CMAR selection committee of Womack-NRK Construction, LLC to provide construction management at risk (CMAR) services for the Brownfields project. Strategic Alignment: Operational Excellence/Funding Source: Tax Plan

Motion by Dadrius Lanus, second by Mark Bellue.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Powell, Steward, Lewis, Rust, Gaudet, Kennison, Martin

7. Professional Services Contract: Domain Architecture

Approval of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Domain Architecture in the amount of $50,708 such amount to be adjusted based on State contract fees, for the CTEC culinary project. Strategic Alignment: Exemplary Customer Services/Funding Source: CTEC General

Motion by Michael Gaudet, second by Nathan Rust.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Bellue, Lanus, Powell, Steward, Lewis, Rust, Gaudet, Kennison, Martin

D. Next Meeting Dates/Announcements

1. Announcement of Meetings

There being no further business, the Committee of the Whole adjourned by acclamation.

___________________________________        

Sito J. Narcisse, Ed.D.

Secretary/Treasurer to the East Baton

Rouge Parish School Board

Committee of the Whole