SCHOOL BOARD PROCEEDINGS

The Avoyelles Parish School Board met in regular session on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. at the School Board Office in Marksville, Louisiana, with the following members present:

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

Absent:  Keith Lacombe.

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 Jay Callegari.

1. On motion by Jay Callegari, seconded by Robin Moreau, the Board adopted the minutes of the regular Board meeting held on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 (originally scheduled for January 21 but was rescheduled due to inclement weather), as printed and mailed to Board members and published in The Weekly News, official journal of the Board.

    

2. Superintendent Karen Tutor recognized the Students of the Month for January, 2025, and presented a plaque to each student.  Also, each Board member read a short biography detailing the accomplishments of each student.

    

   The Students of the Month at each school are as follows:

    

   Jacob Moreau, Bunkie Elementary Learning Academy; Layla Sheets, Cottonport Elementary School; Eli Dauzat, Lafargue Elementary School; Salem Harrell, Marksville Elementary School; Kyle Lemoine, Plaucheville Elementary School; Ava Rodriguez, Riverside Elementary School; Cheyenne Dixon, Avoyelles High School; Sebastian Hernandez, Bunkie Magnet High School; Sabian Batiste, Louisiana School for the Agricultural Sciences; and Madison Cooper, Marksville High School.

    

   On behalf of the Board, President Rickey Adams commended the students on this outstanding achievement.

    

3. Assistant Superintendent Thelma J. Prater recognized the Teachers of the Month for January, 2025.  She commended the teachers for their dedication, and Superintendent Tutor presented a plaque to each teacher, as follows:

    

   Connie Ducote, Bunkie Elementary Learning Academy; Linda Carpenter, Cottonport Elementary School; Lisa Russell, Lafargue Elementary School; Gabre Williams, Marksville Elementary School; Ty Wagner, Plaucheville Elementary School; Victoria Williams, Riverside Elementary School; Bailey Gauthier, Avoyelles High School; Sabrina Washington, Bunkie Magnet High School; Tonya Gauthier, Louisiana School for the Agricultural Sciences; and Judd Dupuy, Marksville High School.

    

   On behalf of the Board, President Rickey Adams commended the teachers on this outstanding achievement.

    

4. Amy Volentine, Testing/Media Manager, recognized the 2025 Outstanding School Support Personnel as follows:

    

   Ronald Dupont, custodian, Bunkie Elementary Learning Academy; Shirlene Roy, paraprofessional, Cottonport Elementary School; Annie Tyler, paraprofessional, Lafargue Elementary School; April Brown, paraprofessional, Marksville Elementary School; Randy Bardwell, paraprofessional, Plaucheville Elementary School; Constance Jones, secretary, Riverside Elementary School; Roslan Barnes, financial secretary, Avoyelles High School; Jordan Jackson, paraprofessional, Bunkie Magnet High School; Heather Dauzat, secretary, LaSAS; Elydia Hill, paraprofessional, Marksville High School; Sheila Humphries, secretary, AVAP; and Stacey Bordelon, superintendent secretary, Central Office.

    

5. Superintendent Tutor presented the Differentiated Compensation Awards in recognition of teachers who increased their 2023-2024 assessment mastery scores by 5% or more.  Each teacher received a monetary reward for their commitment to excellence, as follows:

    

   Bunkie Elementary Learning Academy:  Patricia Riche

   Lafargue Elementary School:  Stephanie Bordelon, Casey Dupuis, Kelly Juneau

   Marksville Elementary School:  Pam Laborde

   Plaucheville Elementary School:  Cecilia Clark, Sara Guillory

   Bunkie Magnet High School:  Rhonda Andress, McKenzie Bienvenu, Doris Leary, Debra Leblanc, Dan Murphy, Abigail Turner, Liz Willis

   Louisiana School for the Agricultural Sciences:  Keri Desselle, Katie Green

   Riverside Elementary School:  Samaria Allen, Amber Bordelon, Sherry Reech

INFORMATION ITEMS:

6. Dawn Pitre, Special Services Supervisor, presented the Board with information on the first Cajun Crossroads Classic-Avoyelles Special Education Students, Crossing the Finish Line, One Hurdle at a Time.  This is an athletic event similar to the Special Olympics and will be held on March 26, 2025, at the Marksville High School track for students with disabilities in grades 3-12.

    

7. Dawn Pitre, Special Services Supervisor, presented the Board with information on a Transition Fair for Special Education.  This is geared toward high school students with disabilities (age 16 and up) to assist with employment opportunities and will be held on March 29, 2025, at the LSU Ag Center.

    

8. Assistant Superintendent Thelma Prater presented the Board with information on Media Blast, an upcoming endeavor to promote teacher recruitment.

    

9. The Fiscal Year 2024 Audit Report was presented by Douglas C. Burke with Kolder, Slaven & Company, LLC.

    

10. Jessica Rachal, Sales Tax Supervisor, presented the sales tax report for the month of January, 2025.  Sales tax collections totaled $1,133,450.85.  Of this amount, the 1% sales tax generated $647,686.38, the 0.25% sales tax generated $161,921.28, and the building and maintenance fund generated $323,843.19.

     

11. President Rickey Adams presented the monthly maintenance report on expenditures.

     

12. Mary Bonnette, Finance Director, presented the monthly General Fund 2024-2025 Year-to-Date Report with Comparisons.

     

13. Assistant Superintendent Thelma Prater presented personnel changes for the Board’s review, as follows:

PERSONNEL CHANGES

CONSENT ITEMS:

14. Request to bid on a serving line for Riverside Elementary cafeteria to be paid for out of School Food Service.

     

15. Request to bid for bread/bread products, milk/milk products, produce, supplies, grease trap, non-hazardous disposal and staple food for the 2025-2026 school year.

     

16. Request to approve the lease agreement between Xerox Financial Services, LLC and Avoyelles High School.

     

17. Request to approve the lease agreement between Xerox Financial Services, LLC and Marksville High School.

     

18. Request to approve the revised Policy File: JCDAF-Bullying and Hazing.

     

19. Request to approve overnight travel.

     

    On motion by Jill Guidry, seconded by Lynn Deloach, the Board approved all of the consent agenda items.  MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

ACTION ITEMS:

20. Mary Bonnette, Finance Director, addressed the Board with a recommendation to approve the updated purchasing manual.

     

    On motion by Robin Moreau, seconded by Jill Guidry, the Board approved the updated purchasing manual.  MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

     

21. Ray Carlock, Maintenance Supervisor, addressed the Board with a request to approve termite treatment for the two back buildings at Bunkie Elementary Learning Academy.

     

    On motion by Jill Guidry, seconded by Aimee Dupuy, the Board approved termite treatment for the two back buildings at Bunkie Elementary Learning Academy.  MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

22. Discussion of letter read by Board.

     

23. Discussion of information reporting to the Board.

     

    On motion by Aimee Dupuy, seconded by Robin Moreau, the Board removed Item #22 and Item #23 from the agenda.  MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

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