The Washington Parish School Board met on Thursday, February 8. Board President Lesley McKinley called the meeting to order. Following the prayer by Scott Breland and Pledge of Allegiance led by Frankie Crosby, Sr., the next item of business was to swear in Marsha Newman for the vacant District 2 seat. Dr. John Wyble, State Representative of the 75th district, was pleased that Mrs. Newman agreed to the appointment in his place. Mrs. Newman was sworn in by board attorney Wayne Kuhn. This was followed by the appointment of Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Thomas as Interim Superintendent. Mrs. Thomas was named Acting Superintendent in January. The personnel committee recommended her appointment, and she will serve as Interim until a new Superintendent is hired. The board then approved the minutes for the January 11 Regular Board Meeting.
The board then heard a presentation on the Jones Creek Rosenwald School by Brian Davis, Executive Director of the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation. Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Institute and Julius Rosenwald, philanthropist, and president of Sears Roebuck, built state-of-the art schools for African American children across the South. The effort has been called the most important initiative to advance Black education in the early 20th century.
Attending a Rosenwald School put a student at the vanguard of education for southern African American children. The architecture of the schools was a tangible statement of the equality of all children, and their programming made them a focal point of community identity and aspirations. At one time there were 395 such schools and 19 were in Louisiana. Only five percent still exist.
The Jones Creek Rosenwald School is located on the campus of the former Varnado Elementary School. The building is still intact and is one of the best representatives of the architecture in the state. Following a review on March 28, the Jones Creek Rosenwald School will receive an honorary designation as a National Historic Building. There is also a 35 percent state tax credit for anything that is done to the building such as repairs and renovations that reflect the original architecture.
Board President Lesley McKinley thanked Mr. Davis for his informative presentation and then shared that he has fond memories of the school and first grade in Ms. Alice Walker's classroom. He then allowed Mr. William Lewis of Varnado an opportunity to speak to the board. Mr. Lewis attended Jones Creek School, Live Oak School, and Wesley Ray High School and prior to the board realizing the historical significance of the building he had inquired about purchasing the property to provide a community center for the area. He strongly feels that the community needs social and health services and wants to provide these on the property. He is appreciative of the Washington Parish School Board exploring this project and the opportunity to honor students and leaders who attended this historic school. Mr. Lewis is the son-in-law of the late Oneal Moore (one of the first black deputies with Washington Parish Sheriff's Office who was murdered while on duty) who attended the Jones Creek School and Wilton Moses who was a principal and integration advocate.
Mr. Lewis also mentioned the many veterans who attended the school, some of whom died in service to the United States. He is interested in obtaining the property and hopes the board will take into consideration that the school was originally donated by Mr. Rosenwald and the "blood, sweat and tears" of the African American community in Varnado who constructed the building. President McKinley responded that the board is going to research the issue and will let Mr. Lewis know soon.
Next on the agenda was the presentation of December 2023 financial statements. This was done at the Monday night committee meeting and Director of the Business Office Dana Knight was on hand to answer any questions.
Then the board then approved a motion to authorize to advertise for the Superintendent position.
Mike Ingram, Maintenances & Transportation Supervisor asked the board to take appropriate action regarding the H-Vac preventive maintenance contract renewal of Metro Building Services. This was approved.
The board also adopted the 2024/2025 school calendar. Of note is that school will begin for teachers on August 1, 2024 and students will report on August 7, 2024. The school year will have essentially the same holidays as the 2023/2024 calendar with an added day off on November 5, 2024 for the Presidential election.
Three items on the agenda were requirements by the legislature. These included adopting revised Washington Parish School Board Policy Files: DFK-Gifts and Donations; CN-Administrative Records; Probation; Parent Conferences; Use of Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and Cardiac Emergency Plan; School Wellness; and Student Health Services.
The board then voted to add an item to the agenda which was to approve Bill McGehee as the agent on record for Washington Parish property insurance.
The personnel report was then approved. Of note is the retirement of Stanley Magee, custodian at Pine High School and Tim Brumfield, school lunch worker at Franklinton High School. Coordinator Sheryl Holiday also retired but entered in a contract to continue working for the Special Education Department until June 30, 2024.
Interim Superintendent Jennifer Thomas reported that this has been National Counselor's Week and thanked all the district's counselors for their hard work and dedication. She then called on Director of Instruction/Curriculum Lisa Magee to tell the board about the recent Coffee and Careers. Suzette Nielson, CTE Coordinator, hosted the event which was attended by numerous businesses. The purpose was to build relationships and find out what is specifically needed for students to enter the workforce directly after graduation. A job fair is scheduled for these students in April.
The board members ended the meeting by welcoming Marsha Newman to the board as well as congratulating and thanking Jennifer Thomas for her Interim Superintendent post.
Board member Frankie Crosby explained that his fervent support of Franklinton High School sports recently resulted in a social media post that some found offensive. He apologized and stated that he does not intend to disparage others, but he is a fan and grandfather of several FHS athletes and supports them and their programs. He also mentioned a community clean up on April 27 and invites everyone to "Team Up to Clean Up." He also announced that July will kickoff a drive with 2nd Harvest Food Bank to feed Washington Parish one box at a time.
Other members' comments mentioned appreciation for the information on the Jones Creek Rosenwald School as well as thanking Bill McGehee for his efforts for the district. President McKinley reminded everyone that it is African American History Month and quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." He then spoke of the challenges ahead for the system and the many decisions that will need to be made as the board tackles hiring a new superintendent, a millage renewal, a five percent teacher pay raise, and a proposed one cent sales tax. He also lamented on the dangers of social media and the use of cell phones and apps by students which must be addressed. Despite his concerns, President McKinley ended with "There are good students in this system."
