SCHOOL BOARD PROCEEDINGS

The Avoyelles Parish School Board met in regular session on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. at the School Board Office in Marksville, Louisiana, with the following members present:

Lynn Deloach, President; Jill Guidry, Vice President; Latisha Small, Keith Lacombe, Robin Moreau, Jay Callegari, Chris Robinson, Rickey Adams, and Aimee Dupuy.

Absent: None.

An Invocation was offered by Dexter Compton, Supervisor of Secondary Education.

The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America led by Board Member Rickey Adams.

1.                  Request to adopt the minutes of the regular Board meeting held on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, as printed and mailed to Board members and published in The Weekly News, official journal of the Board.

On motion by Robin Moreau, seconded by Aimee Dupuy, the Board adopted the minutes of the regular Board meeting held on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, as printed and mailed to Board members and published in The Weekly News, official journal of the Board. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

2.                  Summer Graduate Recognition — Jacory Washington of Bunkie Magnet High School was awarded his high school diploma by Principal Chuck Normand.

INFORMATION ITEMS:

3.                  The principals from each school in the district introduced their respective Instructional Teams, and Assistant Superintendent Thelma Prater introduced the AWARE Team for the parish.

4.                  Jessica Rachal, Sales Tax Supervisor, presented the sales tax report for the month of July, 2024. Sales tax collections totaled $555,015.31. Of this amount, the 1% sales tax generated $138,753.50, the 0.25% sales tax generated $277,507.66, and the building and maintenance fund generated $971,276.47. Ms. Rachal also presented fiscal year comparisons. Mrs. Rachal also gave an updated report on the procedure for delinquent sales tax.

5.                  The monthly maintenance report on expenditures was presented.

6.                  Assistant Superintendent Thelma Prater presented the following personnel changes for the Board's review:

PERSONNEL CHANGES

7.                  Assistant Superintendent Thelma Prater addressed the Board about advertising to hire two (2) additional LPNs to provide medical services to the remaining schools that do not have on-site nurses. This would be funded by General Funds.

CONSENT ITEMS:

8.                  Request to approve the annual BASE renewal contract of ten schools with 7 Mindsets, funded by ESSER III Formula.

9.                  Request approval of the purchase of curriculum material and PD, funded as listed.

10.              Request to approve overnight travel.

11.              Request to approve the contract for professional or technical services between Christine C. Rabalais and the Avoyelles Parish School Board to be paid in the amount of $30 per hour from General Funds beginning August 7, 2024 through May 27, 2025.

12.              Request to approve the contract with Pro Care Therapy to address the needs of our students with visual impairments/blindness at the billing rate of $91 per hour to be paid from General Funds. Contract will begin August 21, 2024 and end May 27, 2025.

13.              Request approval to extend the contract and addendum to continue leveraging virtual speech services with Presence Learning. The service order term is August 21, 2024 — June 30, 2025 at the rate of $84 per hour for virtual speech-language therapy to be paid by General Funds.

14.              Request to renew the contract with Xerox Corp. for the SPED WorkCenter copy machine in the amount of $2,130.60, funded by IDEA.

15.              Request to approve the purchase of ClearPass (access management system for Aruba that seamlessly integrates with our wireless network) with Detel in the amount of $34,785.58, funded by Technology Funds.

16.              Request to post an RFP for Category One E-Rate services for the 2025-2026 year for leased lit WAN and internet access.

17.              Request to use the attached bid list to purchase technology listed for the 2024-2025 school year.

18.              Request to approve the 2024 Handbook revision for Elementary - Lowest F, as per State Law.

19.     Request to approve the MOU between Career Compass of Louisiana and Avoyelles

Parish School Board District, funded by Rapides Foundation and the balance funded by Carl Perkins.

20.     Request to approve the revised policies as follows:

a.       File: EB - Building and Grounds Management

b.      File: GAMA — Employee Smoking, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use

c.       File: JCDAA — Student Smoking/Tobacco and Marijuana Use

d.      File: IDCH — Home Study Program

e.       File: IDE — Co-Curricular Activities and Extracurricular Activities

f.        File: IDFA - Interscholastic Athletics

g.      File: JBE — Truancy

h.      File: JCDAE — Electronic Telecommunication Devices

i.        File: JD — Discipline

j.        File: JDD- Suspension

k.      File: JDE — Expulsion

1.   File: JGCE — Child Abuse

m.    File: GBN - Dismissal of Employees

n.      File: DFK — Gifts and Donations

o.      File: JGC — Student Health Services

On motion by Robin Moreau, seconded by Jay Callegari, the Board approved all of the consent agenda items. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

ACTION ITEMS:

21.     Board Member Rickey Adams addressed the Board with a request to approve the AdHoc Committee's recommendation regarding property at 301 Cedar Street, with sale proceeds to be donated to Bunkie Elementary Learning Academy.

On motion by Rickey Adams, seconded by Jill Guidry, the Board approved the AdHoc Committee's recommendation regarding property at 301 Cedar Street, with sale proceeds to be donated to Bunkie Elementary Learning Academy. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

22.     Superintendent Karen Tutor addressed the Board regarding approval of a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the City of Marksville and The Avoyelles Parish School Board to divide the net revenue collected as a result of electronic enforcement devices on a fifty-fifty (50/50) basis.

No action was taken due to lack of a motion.

23.     Mary Bonnette, Director of Finance, addressed the Board with a recommendation to approve the Louisiana Compliance and System Survey for the Avoyelles Parish School Board.

On motion by Robin Moreau, seconded by Keith Lacombe, the Board approved the Louisiana Compliance and System Survey for the Avoyelles Parish School Board. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

24.              Mary Bonnette, Director of Finance, addressed the Board with a recommendation to approve the Louisiana Compliance and System Survey for LaSAS.

On motion by Robin Moreau, seconded by Keith Lacombe, the Board approved the Louisiana Compliance and System Survey for LaSAS. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

25.              Mary Bonnette, Director of Finance, addressed the Board with a recommendation to approve the 2024-2025 Consolidated Budget.

On motion by Aimee Dupuy, seconded by Jay Callegari, the Board approved the 2024-2025 Consolidated Budget. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

26.              Superintendent Karen Tutor addressed the Board with a request to approve employee stipends at a 2:1 ratio to be distributed on or before September 30, 2024, using excess ESSER III Formula Funds. This will close out our ESSER allocation.

On motion by Jill Guidry, seconded by Robin Moreau, the Board granted approval of employee stipends at a 2:1 ratio to be distributed on or before September 30, 2024, using excess ESSER III Formula Funds, closing out our ESSER allocation. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

27.              Superintendent Karen Tutor addressed the Board with a recommendation to advertise for bids regarding the sale of the Bunkie Detention Center.

On motion by Chris Robinson, seconded by Jill Guidry, the Board agreed to advertise for bids regarding the sale of the Bunkie Detention Center. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

28.              Ray Carlock, Maintenance Supervisor, addressed the Board with a recommendation to approve the Lease of Immovable Property for a 50-foot wide strip of land across the property of Mack Lemoine, Jr. from the blacktop road to the 20-foot strip of property bought by the school district from Champ Hunt, LLC to access Section 16 T1N-R7E for a sum of $300.00 per year.

On motion by Robin Moreau, seconded by Rickey Adams, the Board approved the Lease of Immovable Property for a 50-foot wide strip of land across the property of Mack Lemoine, Jr. from the blacktop road to the 20-foot strip of property bought by the school district from Champ Hunt, LLC to access Section 16 T1N-R7E for a sum of $300.00 per year. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

29.            Ray Carlock, Maintenance Supervisor, addressed the Board with a recommendation accept the low bid of $246,800 by Glendon Normand for the LaSAS Parking Lot 2n^d Addition — this will be concrete with a catch basin on the back side to allow for drainage, funded by LaSAS Funds.

On motion by Chris Robinson, seconded by Jill Guidry, the Board accepted the low bid of $246,800 by Glendon Normand for the LaSAS Parking Lot 2n^d Addition ­concrete with a catch basin on the back side to allow for drainage — funded by LaSAS Funds. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

30.           Ray Carlock, Maintenance Supervisor, addressed the Board with a recommendation to accept the lowest bid of $57,350 by Rusk Carpentry for constructing a Special Education Sensory Building at Plaucheville Elementary School, funded with Special Education Federal Funds and will include Davis Bacon wage documents.

On motion by Latisha Small, seconded by Jill Guidry, the Board accepted the lowest bid of $57,350 by Rusk Carpentry for constructing a Special Education Sensory Building at Plaucheville Elementary School, funded with Special Education Federal Funds and will include Davis Bacon wage documents. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

31.            Ray Carlock, Maintenance Supervisor, addressed the Board with a recommendation to accept the low bid by AIR Plus of Scott, La. in the amount of $110,000 for the Riverside Elementary School Gym AC Project, funded by ESSER 3 funds and includes Davis Bacon Act wage documents.

On motion by Rickey Adams, seconded by Jill Guidry, the Board accepted the low bid from AIR Plus of Scott, La. in the amount of $110,000 for the Riverside Elementary School Gym AC Project, funded by ESSER 3 funds and includes Davis Bacon Act wage documents. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

32.             Ray Carlock, Maintenance Supervisor, addressed the Board with a recommendation to accept the low bid from Rusk Carpentry of Simmesport, La. in the amount of $65,800 for the labor to install the Wall Mount AC Project, funded by ESSER 3 Funds. This is labor to install 28 wall mount units at several schools across the parish.

On motion by Aimee Dupuy, seconded by Rickey Adams, the Board accepted the low bid by Rusk Carpentry of Simmesport, La. in the amount of $65,800 for labor to install 28 wall mount units at several schools across the parish in the Wall Mount AC Project, funded by ESSER 3 Funds. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

33.             Ray Carlock, Maintenance Supervisor, addressed the Board with a recommendation to accept the low bid by Rusk Carpentry in the amount of $171,330 for the Plaucheville Elementary School gym floor repair and replacement; $50,000.00 had been approved through needs assessment, but now that we have estimates, we will need an additional $121,330. This will be funded with ESSER Indirect Cost. This project is due to severe termite infestation.

On motion by Latisha Small, seconded by Aimee Dupuy, the Board accepted the low bid by Rusk Carpentry in the amount of $171,330 for the Plaucheville Elementary School gym floor repair and replacement, funded with ESSER Indirect Cost. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

There being no further business, on motion by Aimee Dupuy, seconded by Robin Moreau. the meeting was adjourned.

AVOYELLES PARISH SCHOOL BOARD