East Baton Rouge Parish School Board

Regular Meeting Minutes

Thursday, April 17, 2025

A. Meeting Opening

1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

The Invocation will be led by School Board Member Carla Powell-Lewis, and the Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Cadet Sergeant Monte Short, McKinley High School, accompanied by Sergeant First Class (Retired) Travis B. Stewart, Army Instructor.

2. Call to Order and Roll Call

President Steward called the meeting to order at 5:04 PM.

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

Others present were LaMont Cole, Superintendent; Adam Smith, Deputy Superintendent; Gwynn Shamlin Jr., General Counsel; Catasha Edwards, Chief Academic Officer; Amy Jones, Chief Technology Officer; Andrea O’Konski, Chief of Accountability and Assessments; Lisa Smothers, Chief Officer-Human Resources; James Crochet, Chief Business Operations Officer; John McCann, Interim Chief Operations Officer; Kelly Lopez, Chief Financial Officer; Kwesi Gilbert, Chief of Plant Operations; and Stacey Dupre, Chief of Support and Special Projects.

B. Minutes

1. Meeting Minutes

Approval of the School Board minutes of the March 20, 2025, Regular Board meeting, and the March 13, 2025, Committee of the Whole meeting as published in the Official Journal.

Motion by Cliff Lewis, second by Nathan Rust.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

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

C. Information Only

1. Monthly Financial Report

2. Personnel Changes

D. Receive As Information

1. Update from Superintendent

E. Reports from Board Appointees to Committees/Agencies

1. Board Appointees

F. Consent Agenda

1. Consent Vote

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

Motion by Patrick Martin, second by Nathan Rust.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

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

Abstain: Lewis

2. Contract: Pro-Vision Video System

Approval of a contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Pro-Vision Video Systems in the amount of $708,000, a total of $3,540,000 over a five-year period to provide digital cameras, cloud connect services, and installation on buses.

3. Professional Services Contract: Renaissance Learning

Approval of the renewal of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Renaissance Learning in the amount of $171,471.96 to provide for the continuation of the eduClimber data analytics program. Funding Source: EEF

4. Professional Services Contract: Exponent Education

Approval of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Exponent Education in the amount of $92,400 to provide data visualization and analytics consulting and related matters. Funding Source: Gates Grant/General Fund

5. Professional Services Contract: D2i (Data to Instruction)

Approval of a professional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and D2i (Data to Instruction) in the amount of $219,740 to provide professional development for data and academic support. Funding Source: Gates Grant/CLSD Grant

6. Litigation

Approval of the recommendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Counsel, EBRPSB, in the matter of: Rene Smith and John Robins vs. East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Berkley Insurance Company, and Monique Jackson, Docket No. 697,106, Section 23, 19th Judicial District Court, Parish of East Baton Rouge.

7. Litigation

Approval of the recommendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Counsel, EBRPSB, in the matter of: Dynasty Brown vs. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, et al., Docket No. 746987, Section 33, 19th Judicial District Court, Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana

G. New Business

1. RFP: Salary Schedule

Authorize the Superintendent and Staff to solicit proposals for a Professional Services engagement to devise a new and/or revised salary schedule for all district employees in an expedited manner, and, if possible, recommend a preferred provider at the Regular Board meeting in May.

Motion by Michael Gaudet, second by Dadrius Lanus.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

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

2. Student Expulsion

No motion, the expulsion will be upheld.

3. Student Expulsion

No motion, the expulsion will be upheld.

4. Student Expulsion

No motion, the expulsion will be upheld.

5. Student Expulsion

No motion, the expulsion will be upheld.

6. Student Expulsion

No motion, the expulsion will be upheld.

7. Student Expulsion

No motion, the expulsion will be upheld.

8. Student Expulsion

Discussion/Consideration of a request to appeal a student expulsion.

Motion by Carla Powell Lewis, second by Dadrius Lanus.

The appeal will be heard at the May Regular Meeting.

9. Executive Session

No motion, the expulsion will be upheld.

10. Appeal Hearing-Student Expulsion

Motion to enter into executive session.

Motion by Dadrius Lanus, second by Cliff Lewis.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

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

Motion to uphold the expulsion.

Motion by Patrick Martin, second by Dadrius Lanus.

Motion Carries

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

11. Appeal Hearing-Student Expulsion

The item died for lack of a motion.

H. Presentations

1. Budget Presentation

Superintendent Cole asked to postpone the budget presentation.

I. Organizational Items

1. Announcement of Meetings

J. Adjournment

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