On Roll Call the Following Members Were in Attendance

11

March 19, 2013

The Ascension Parish School Board met in regular session on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 6:30 P.M. at Dutchtown High School, Geismar, Louisiana. Mr. Troy Gautreau, President, presided.

On roll call the following members were in attendance:

Jamie Bourgeois, District 6, Seat B, Ward 10, ED 13

Richard Brown, District 3, Seat A, Ward 5 and ED 12

Catherine Davis, District 1, Seat A, Ward 1

Kerry Diez, District 4, Seat A, Wards 6, 7 and ED 11

Troy Gautreau, District 7, Seat A, ED 8, 9, 10, 14

Taft Kleinpeter, District 5, Seat B, Ward 9

Patricia Russo, District 7, Seat B, ED 8, 9, 10, 14

Lorraine Wimberly, District 6, Seat A, Ward 10 and ED 13

Absent: John Murphy, District 4, Seat B, Wards 6, 8 and ED 1

A.J. Nickens, District 5, Seat A, Ward 9

Thomas “Moose” Pearce, District 2, Seat B, Wards 2, 3, 4

Mrs. Wimberly opened with a prayer.

Mrs. Davis led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Mr. Diez read the mission statement.

It was moved by Mr. Kleinpeter and seconded by Mr. Bourgeois that the minutes of February 19, 2013 be approved. The following vote was taken:

Yeas: Brown, Kleinpeter, Russo, Diez,

Davis, Bourgeois, Wimberly

Nays: None

Absent: Murphy, Nickens, Pearce

The motion passed.

Ms. Gwen Price was honored to recognize and present a plaque and ribbon to Lorelei Gaffney, 8th grade student from Galvez Middle School for her accomplishment at the recent LSBA Convention Artwork Contest. Lorelie placed third in the art contest with her Victorian Cottage artwork which will be placed in the LSBA Office for one year.

Mr. Johnnie Balfantz called on Eric Kehn, president of the local APEL (Associated Professional Educators of LA) chapter. Mr. Kehn introduced the APEL officers and thanked Dutchtown High School Staff for allowing the organization to hold their reception at the school. He also thanked Dr. Pujol and School Board Members for allowing him the opportunity to recognize volunteers of the year at each school. Mr. Kehn thanked the volunteers for giving the teachers the opportunity to provide excellent education lessons for the students. The following 2013 Volunteers of the Year were presented certificates:

Ascension Head Start Jennifer Valentrie

Central Primary School Gretchen Soniat

Central Middle School Kelly Jessie

Donaldsonville Primary School Amalia Medus

Duplessis Primary School Mindy Wood

Dutchtown High School Becky Pacheco

Dutchtown Middle School Lucille Manela

Dutchtown Primary School Trena Avist

East Ascension High School Glen Robertson

Galvez Middle School Richard Favrot

Galvez Primary School Hannah Schuster

G.W. Carver Primary School Henderson Clark

Gonzales Middle School Shileta Bullard

Gonzales Primary School Michelle Taylor

Lake Elementary School Terri Jacob

Lakeside Primary School Tricia Bourgeois

Lowery Middle School Patricia Rodrigue

Oak Grove Primary School Molly Evans

Pecan Grove Primary School Nathan and Sheila Catlin

Prairieville Middle School Jeana Dorow

Prairieville Primary School Nichole Sitz

Sorrento Primary School Cynthia Brunet

Spanish Lake Primary School Mary Salbador

St. Amant High School Kimberly Schwartz

St. Amant Middle School Val Lambert

St. Amant Primary School Barbara Lee

Each year a Parish Level Volunteer of the Year is selected to represent the Ascension Parish School System at the APEL’s State Reception at the Governor’s Mansion. This year’s parish winner is:

Nichole Sitz, Prairieville Primary School

On behalf of the board, Mr. Gautreau thanked all of the volunteers throughout the parish. He also thanked APEL and Mr. Kehn. Dr. Pujol also congratulated the volunteers and noted the importance of parental and community involvement in our schools and the impact it has on making Ascension a premier school system.

Dr. Pujol introduced and recognized Coach Benny Guilbeau, the new Athletic Director at Donaldsonville High School. Mr. Guilbeau said he appreciates the opportunity to help guide young people so they can experience growth in sports as well as academics. He is looking forward to the challenge.

Mr. Watts said that Ascension Parish Schools have been blessed with great teachers, administrators and support personnel throughout the years. He took the opportunity to recognize some of those who have recently decided to retire. Mr. Watts presented certificates/plaques to the following retirees:

Ms. Cindy Cangiolosi, St. Amant High School, 10 years

Ms. Deborah Capello, Galvez Primary School, 40 years

Ms. Linda Guedry, Central Primary/Middle Schools, 19 years

Ms. Rebecca Johnson, Central Middle School, 34 years

Ms. Carmella Johnson, Spanish Lake Primary School, 24 years

Ms. Rachel Lato, LeBlanc Special Services, 30 years

Mr. Roosevelt McMeller, Dutchtown High School, 15 years

Ms. Lucendia Mulberry, Gonzales Primary School, 32 years

Ms. Cynthia Richard, St. Amant High School, 33 years

Ms. LaFreda Richard, Donaldsonville High School, 18 years

Ms. Deborah Gautreau, Central Office, 25 years

Ms. Frances “Buffie” Grayson, St. Amant High School, 27 years

Mr. Gautreau congratulated all recent retirees.

Dr. Pujol noted that she had previously mentioned a group of districts are banding together to share the best practices, share courses that are difficult to offer and create opportunities for purchasing powers in numbers. The District Cooperative of Louisiana attended the recent LSBA Convention. She recommended that the board enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with District Cooperative of Louisiana (Attachment A). It was moved by Mr. Diez and seconded by Mrs. Wimberly to approve the above recommendation. The following vote was taken:

Yeas: Brown, Kleinpeter, Russo, Diez,

Davis, Bourgeois, Wimberly

Nays: None

Absent: Murphy, Nickens, Pearce

Mr. Gautreau noted that he attended the District Cooperative of Louisiana at the recent LSBA Convention and think it will be great for us.

The motion passed.

Dr. Pujol recommended that the board approve the proposed 2013-2014 Twelve Month Employee Holiday Schedule. It was moved by Mrs. Russo and seconded by Mrs. Davis that the board approve the twelve month employee schedule. (Attachment B) The following vote was taken:

Yeas: Brown, Kleinpeter, Russo, Diez,

Davis, Bourgeois, Wimberly

Nays: None

Absent: Murphy, Nickens, Pearce

The motion passed.

It was moved by Mr. Diez and seconded by Mr. Kleinpeter to approve the following items under consent agenda:

·  Approval of Personnel Change

·  Approval of Revision for the 2013-2014 School Calendar – Previously Approved by Executive Committee (Attachment C)

·  Notification That the Following Administrative Contracts are Being Renewed:

Ø  Mr. Steve Westbrook, Assistant Superintendent

Ø  Ms. Mia Edwards, Principal-St. Amant High School

·  Notification That the Following Administrative Contract Will Expire on July 15, 2013:

Ø  Ms. Patricia Sanchez, Director-Head Start

·  Notification That the Following Administrative Contract Will Expire on July 17, 2013:

Ø  Ms. Susan Jordan, Assistant Principal-Lakeside Primary School

·  Notification That the Following Administrative Contracts Will Expire on July 23, 2013:

Ø  Mr. Roddy Melancon, Assistant Principal-Gonzales Primary School

Ø  Ms. Candace Wikman, Assistant Principal-Pecan Grove Primary School

Ø  Mr. Randall Loving, Assistant Principal-East Ascension High School

Ø  Ms. Caren Kavanaugh, Assistant Principal-Dutchtown High School

·  Notification That the Following Administrative Contracts Will Expire on July 24, 2013

Ø  Mr. Walter Traveler, Jr., Assistant Principal-East Ascension High School

Ø  Ms. Rhonda Gillard, Assistant Principal-Sorrento Primary School

Ø  Ms. Laura Gilbert, Assistant Principal-Spanish Lake Primary School

Ø  Mr. Matthew Geraci, Assistant Principal-Donaldsonville High School

Ø  Ms. Lynn Hathaway, Assistant Principal-APPLe Academy

Ø  Ms. Cindy Richard, Assistant Principal-Lake Elementary

·  Request Permission to Advertise:

Ø  Dry Food Products Parish-wide

Ø  Frozen Food Products Parish-wide

Ø  Bread Products Parish-wide

Ø  Processing Supplies Parish-wide

Ø  Milk and Milk Related Products Parish-wide

Ø  Small and Large Equipment Parish-wide

·  Permission to Advertise Gonzales Primary School Phase II Site Work and Building Renovations

·  Permission to Advertise Central Primary School – LA Hwy. 621 Turn Lane

·  Approval of Out-of-State Field Trip for St. Amant High School DECA to International Career Development Conference (Nationals), Anaheim, CA, April 23-28, 2013, Number of Students Attending=6-10, Number of School Days Missed=4

·  Approval of Out-of-State Field Trip for Dutchtown High School DECA to International Career Development Conference (Nationals), Anaheim, CA, April 24-28, 2013, Number of Students Attending=3, Number of School Days Missed=3

·  Approval of Out-of-State Field Trip for Donaldsonville High School Marching Band to Clark Atlanta University Spring Band Brawl, Atlanta, GA, April 26-30, 2013, Number of Students Attending=58, Number of School Days Missed=3

·  Approval of Out-of-State Field Trip for East Ascension High School Air Force JROTC to Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX, March 23-26, 2013, Number of Students Attending=4, Number of School Days Missed=0

·  Approval of Out-of-State Field Trip for Donaldsonville High School Air Force JROTC to Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX, March 23-26, 2013, Number of Students Attending=25, Number of School Days Missed=0

·  Approval of Head Start Services Report for November and December, 2012 (Att. D)

·  Approval of Head Start Budget as of November 30, and December 31, 2012 (Att. E)

·  Approval of Head Start Monthly Enrollment for November and December, 2012 (Att. F)

·  Approval of Head Start Meal Reimbursement for November and December, 2012 (Att. G)

·  Approval of Head Start Continuation Funding Application – 2013-2014

·  Approval of Personnel Changes for February 1-31, 2013 (Attachment H)

·  Approval of Ten (10) Additional Contract Days for the “Improvements to Service Distribution Center” Project for Inclement Weather Experienced in February 2013

The following vote was taken:

Yeas: Brown, Kleinpeter, Russo, Diez,

Davis, Bourgeois, Wimberly

Nays: None

Absent: Murphy, Nickens, Pearce

The motion passed.

Under Committee Reports, Mr. Diez reported that the Technology Committee met on February 26, 2013. The following report was given:

1)  Technology Project Updates

a)  The Technology Department is comparing Windows and Apple tablets along with their management systems to make a recommendation for the next school year for any device purchases. There are new Windows offerings that are being reviewed closely.

b)  Entrance viewing stations for video security have been added to the four (4) high schools and the Alternative School. Viewing stations and entrance security cameras have been added to Lowery Elementary, Lowery Middle, and Prairieville Middle.

c)  The new intercom setup at the School Board Office has been completed and tested. The Sorrento Complex, Leblanc Special Service Center and the APSB Data Center intercoms are being set up and will be completed shortly.

d)  Upgrades to the Data Warehouse server were completed and tested today. Further testing by School Improvement is going on at a training event at the ITTC this evening. This system is now being used by teachers and we have to upgrade the server to support the increased number of users. We expect to continue to need to add more resources as more teachers learn to use the system.

e)  The Technology Department has used a specific helpdesk/work-order system for one-to-one schools for the last two years. In an effort to streamline support, we are moving all schools to this system before the end of the school year. This system allows us to configure automated solutions and better reporting to increase our efficiency as we continue to add devices.

2)  Technology Goals for 2013

a)  Support the one-to-one project

i)  Mr. Ragusa is planning to have a device recommendation within the next week or so for discussion by the District’s Leadership Team and will report to the Technology Committee in March.

ii)  Working with the student workers, we are planning this year to have all one-to-one devices staged and delivered to all current schools before the end of July.

b)  Complete the video surveillance/security project

i)  This summer we will complete an entranceway viewing system for all schools with a completion of the video surveillance project by the end of the year.

c)  Implement district-wide and site-based intercoms through the VoIP phones

i)  By the end of September, a district-wide alert will be able to be sent to all school offices.

d)  Improve the Time Management in the Technology Department to Support Ongoing Improvement and Upgrades

i)  The Technology Department is working to have a department project dashboard ready for the April Technology Committee Meeting. This dashboard will be available through Blackboard and an iPad app to allow schools, board members, and other interested parties to track the progress of specific projects.

3)  Discuss Establishing Price or Prices for Computer sales to students and guardians

Last year, Mr. Ed Price sponsored legislation to allow the sale of computers to students in our schools and their parents. The board recently adopted a policy to allow APSB to use the new rules. In order to use the new policy, the board must vote to establish prices for the sale of computing devices after they are no longer going to be used in APSB. We should have a number of computers this summer that will be within the rules of this legislation. Mr. Ragusa asked if the committee would like some recommendations or how they might wish to proceed? Computers are sold without any warranty. Mr. Ragusa recommended $10 or $15 for a computer that does not function and $20 to $30 for devices that are functioning. An alternative to the varied pricing would be $20 or $25 for all with no determination as to whether or not they are functioning. We do not expect any tablets to be at the end of their life this school year, but we will have some notebook and desktop computers that will no longer be useful in APSB schools. The committee recommended offering these units for $20 and making clear that it is an “as is” purchase.

Mr. Ragusa asked that we add the appropriate motion to the consent agenda for the next voting board meeting.

4)  Board Comments

5)  Action Item Review

·  Blackboard/Website Implementation

Mrs. Davis reported that the Policy Committee met today. She thanked Mrs. Russo for presiding over the meeting for her. The following job descriptions were reviewed:

·  ECO – Early College Option Program Administrator – New

·  ILP – Instructional Leadership Partner – New

·  SIS Administrator – Revised

·  SIS Coordinator – Revised

The following policies were reviewed:

·  Debt Management Policy (New) File: DE - This comprehensive policy will replace the following policies:

Ø  Debt Limitation File: DE

Ø  Tax and Bond Election and Sales File: DFD