Port Allen, Louisiana

March 20, 2019

 

A regular meeting of the West Baton Rouge Parish School Board was held this date with the following membership:

 

Present:  Dr. Atley D. Walker, Sr., Vice President, Craig Sarradet, Toby Sarradet, Ronald P. LeBlanc, Chareeka Grace,  G. Alden Chustz, Jr., Michael A. Maranto, Teri Bergeron

Absent:   Jason Manola, President, Leon Goudeau, Sr.

 

Dr. Atley D. Walker, Sr., Vice President, conducted the meeting in the absence of Jason Manola,President of the Board.

 

Laila Williams, Brusly Elementary School student, and Zuri Thibodeaux, Cohn Elementary School student, led the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

The next item was approval of the minutes of the regular board meeting held on 2/20/19.

 

Whereupon, the following resolution was offered by Mr. Craig Sarradet and seconded by Mrs. Bergeron:

 

Be It Resolved, That the minutes of the regular board meeting held on February 20, 2019, be approved as presented.

 

The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:

Aye:                 Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Dr. Walker

Nay:                 None

Absent: Mr. Manola, Mr. Goudeau

 

The next item was Educational Presentations: Introduction of Port Allen High School Boys Basketball Team & Coaches/Class 2A State Runner-Up.  Whereupon, Head Coach Derrick Jones introduced Mr. Earnest Porter, Assistant Coach, and Mr. Kevin Lawrence, Volunteer Coach, and presented the following members of the team with certificates:

Lekelvin Battiste, Marcus Joseph, Jr., Tawasky Johnson, Julien Jarvis, Gerrod Franklin, Jeremiah Dehon, Billy Ferguson, Jacoby Howard, Jy’ron Allen, Desmond Flemings, Kentae Williams, Jalen Knox, Eric Antoine, Jordan Brooks, Lionus Wilson

Team Manager: Samahd Watson   Team Book Keeper: Consuela Franklin

 

Coach Jones complimented the members of the team for their team spirit & pride, and for their outstanding accomplishments working together to represent Port Allen High School.

 

Dr. Walker and the members of the Board expressed their congratulations to Coach Jones, members of his Coaching Staff, members of the team and Mr. James Jackson, Principal,

Port Allen High School.

 

  The next item was the Superintendent’s Report:

a)     Informed the members of the board that the Head Start Director’s Report for February, 2019 prepared by Crystal Leon, Director, was in their packet of information.

b)     Presented the hiring timeline for the vacant Secondary Supervisor position and Principal of Brusly Elementary School: Advertisements were posted for both positions on March 11, 2019; Interviews are scheduled; Applications will be accepted until positions are filled.

 

The next item was presentation of the following items on the Consent Agenda:

8.         Consideration of a request for approval to advertise for bids for Food Service items for the 2019-20 School Year/Vivian Landry (Finance Committee Report 3/12/19)

 

9.         Consideration of a request for approval of the monthly expenditures and financial reports for February, 2019/Jared Gibbs, Supervisor of Business Services, (Finance Committee Report 3/12/19)

 

10.       Update on Construction Projects/Earl Kern, Program Manager (Recommendation from February 20, 2019 board meeting that Mr. Kern present a “visual report” on the Construction Projects at the March 20, 2019 board meeting.)

 

Whereupon, Mr. Earl Kern reported that success with the contractors has been good.

He presented the following update on Construction Projects:

1)     Due to all the recent rain, the contractors were unable to pour slabs until this week; Poured the slab at Port Allen Elementary, Monday, March 18th and poured the slab at Lukeville Upper Elementary School today. (March 20th)

2)     Caneview K-8 School is also able to move along now since the rain has stopped. Contractor had to put down 500 mats in order to access the wet and muddy areas. The retention ponds are draining. We had to use a pit in Donaldsonville and that pit went under water also. Seventeen concrete trucks were rejected and sent back to the plant due to unacceptable concrete. The issues above as well as the rainy weather and river stages were major factors in the delays at Caneview.  Metal studs are being installed instead of dry wall. The bricks are being installed at this time.

      Mr. Watts and I have scheduled a group meeting for Monday, March 25th with the owner of the construction company and all major players involved in the project will be in attendance at this meeting.  We are informing the contractor that we expect a weekly construction plan in writing with an action schedule.   

3)     The exterior metal walls on Port Allen Elementary and Lukeville Upper Elementary Schools will go up fast once the seven day waiting period on concrete strength is approved.

4)     Port Allen High School: All of the brick work is completed on the theater.  The green board exterior walls will not be finished with bricks.  The Commons area is under construction at this time.  This project should be 100% completed in May or June.

5)     New Brusly High School: The wet and muddy conditions at the BHS site delayed getting surcharge completed as timely as we had expected. All piles were driven in a week and a half. Multiple tasks being done at this time.  Very impressive.

6)     PAMS: As of this date, we are scheduled to bid in April.  The overall presence of the school will be much better when the windows are replaced.  The school will also have a new roof which is a $400,000 expense we did not expect.

7)     We will restart design during the summer.  Conversion projects for BMS and BHS will have to be reviewed financially.

8)     Lukeville Upper Elementary School: We added 750 feet of new sewer line that we had not expected to do.  An added expense we had not anticipated.

9)     Groundbreaking at Brusly High School on Thursday, March 21, 2019 at 9:30 A.M.

 

The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment.

 

Upon completion of Mr. Kern’s update, the following resolution was offered by Mr. Toby Sarradet and seconded by Mrs. Bergeron:

 

Be It Resolved, That the board approve and adopt Consent Agenda items #8, #9, and #10 as presented this date.

 

The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:

Aye:                 Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Dr. Walker

Nay:                 None

Absent: Mr. Manola, Mr. Goudeau

 

The next item was End of Consent Agenda Item #11: Update by Mr. Heath Morris, Sugar West, Inc., relative to the 2018 crop production on Section 16 farmland/Jared Gibbs.

 

Mr. Gibbs informed the members of the Board that Mr. Morris was not present and suggested that consideration of this item be tabled until another date is scheduled by Mr. Heath Morris.  Mr. Gibbs will contact Mr. Morris to see if he would like to be on the agenda on April 17th.

 

The next item was announcement of the committee meeting date of April 9, 2019, and the regular board meeting date of April 17, 2019.

 

There being no further business to come before the board, the following resolution was offered by Mr. Chustz and seconded by Mr. LeBlanc:

 

Be It Resolved that the meeting be adjourned.

 

The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:

Aye:                 Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet,  Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Dr. Walker

Nay:                 None

Absent: Mr. Manola, Mr. Goudeau

 

Wesley Watts                                        Atley D. Walker,Sr.

Secretary-Treasurer                                            Vice-President