The June meeting of the Washington Parish School Board was held on Thursday, June 8. After meetings featuring outstanding students for the past nine months, this one was relatively quiet. In the absence of President John Wyble, Vice President Lesley McKinley presided.
Following the adoption of minutes from the May meeting, the first item on the agenda was a short question and answer period concerning the April 2023 financial statements. Moving on, Business Office Director Dana Knight recommended the board approve a motion to re-appoint The Era Leader as the official journal for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024. Mrs. Knight then asked for appropriate action in engaging Star Insurance for Excess Worker's Compensation at a cost of $59,410 for the upcoming fiscal year. Both items were approved by the board.
The next item on the agenda was to consider a motion to change the rate paid to drivers of district-owned buses for extra-curricular overnight bus trips. This particular item was tabled at the May meeting.
Mrs. Knight explained that the purpose of the motion was to "level the playing field" when teachers are driving district owned buses on overnight trips. Previously, the rates for an overnight trip were a $225 flat rate and $10 per hour. This policy was amended to $325 flat rate and $20 per hour. However, when the trip involves a school day, the teacher is a salaried employe and cannot be "double-paid." Therefore, once the teacher's 7.3 hours of salary pay is deducted, it leaves them earning only a $179 flat rate.
The new motion will have the teacher/driver earning a $450 flat rate with teacher pay deducted bringing the flat rate pay to $304. District 4 board member Kendall McKenzie expressed that the board still needed more clarity before approving this motion and asked for another postponement to study the issue more thoroughly.
Mrs. Knight then presented bids for the purchase of School Supplies for the 2023/2024 school year. Three bids were received and a "test-run" of the copy paper was conducted to see the most efficient brand the vendor will be supplying. Ultimately, GBP was approved by the board at a cost of $39,939.50. If paper jams become a problem and a significant amount of paper is discarded as a result, the vendor will be asked to consider the issue on its end. Finally, Mrs. Knight asked the board to consider a motion to adopt a budget revision for the Special Federal Funds Budget for the 2022/2023 fiscal year.
She further explained that as this is federal money, if the budget expenditures exceed 5% of the budget, a revision must be made. The board approved this motion.
The board then authorized withdrawal privileges for new principal Misty Polk on all Franklinton Junior High School bank accounts and terminated the withdrawal privileges for former principal Tiffany Hughes-Smith. The board also authorized withdrawal privileges for Willian Stubbs on all Thomas Elementary School bank accounts and terminated the withdrawal privileges for Lisa Magee. Both actions were effective on June 8, 2023.
Next, School Food Service Supervisor Amanda Stafford asked that Prairie Farms be awarded the bid for the purchase of milk for the School Lunch Program for the 2023/2024 school year. She then asked that the bids for the purchase of food for the School Lunch program be awarded to Pon Food Corporation and Forecom Solutions and explained that the bids are awarded on a line-by-line basis. Pon Food Corporation and Economical Janitorial were approved for the paper and cleaning supplies for School Lunch and are also considered on a line-by-line basis. Finally, Mrs. Stafford asked that Economical Janitorial and Equipment Concepts and Designs be awarded the bid for small equipment on a line-by-line basis as well. The board approved all the bids.
Finishing out the night's agenda, Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Thomas reminded the board that all personnel changes were discussed earlier in a committee meeting. Superintendent Frances Varnado presented the Transportation Adjustments in the absence of Transportation Supervisor Steve Knight. The only item was the increase in bus driver James Tate's route by 6.8 miles.
Superintendent Varnado then gave a brief report reminding anyone with a child who will be age four by September 30 to enroll in Pre-K4 and anyone with a child who will be age five by September 30 to enroll in Kindergarten. She also reminded the board that on July 20 at 5:30 pm, school system retirees will be honored at a reception. Mrs. Varnado added that the sheetrock is being hung at the Thomas Early Learning Center and the building process is moving quickly towards completion.
Following the personal privileges of the board which included commending the system's summer programs, condolences to board attorney Wayne Kuhn on the loss of his nephew, frustration that the state only awarded one-time stipends to school employees versus a raise in pay, and continuing discontent with code of conduct issues, all were in agreement that the system is moving in the right direction with its top priority the safety and well-being of the students and teachers. The meeting was then adjourned.
