8,128
Port Allen, Louisiana
February 19, 2020
A regular meeting of the West Baton Rouge Parish School Board was held this date with the following membership:
Present: Jason P. Manola, President, Craig Sarradet, Toby Sarradet, Dr. Atley D. Walker,Sr., Ronald P. LeBlanc, Chareeka Grace, G. Alden Chustz,Jr., Michael A. Maranto, Teri Bergeron
Absent: Leon Goudeau
Peyton Boudreaux, Brusly Elementary student, and Ben Radford, Brusly Middle student, lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
The next item was approval of the minutes of the regular board meeting held on January 22, 2020.
Whereupon, the following resolution was offered by Mr. Chustz and seconded by Mr. LeBlanc:
Be It Resolved, That the minutes of the regular board meeting held on January 22, 2020 be approved as presented.
The above resolution was adopted by the following vote
Aye: Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Dr. Walker, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Mr. Manola
Nay: None
Absent: Mr. Goudeau
The next item was Educational Presentations: Head Start Director’s Report/Crystal Leon
Mr. Watts informed the members of the board that the report for January 31, 2020 was included in their packet of information.
The next item was presentation of the Consent Agenda:
7. Consideration of request for approval and adoption of the proposed School Calendar for 2020-21/Wes Watts (Academics Committee Report 2/11/20)
8. Consideration of request that new employees hired in WBR beginning with the 2020-21 school year will receive an August paycheck and be paid on a 13 month pay cycle./Wes Watts (Finance Committee Report 2/11/20)
9. That Mr. Watts and his staff provide further details at the February 19, 2020 Board meeting regarding the estimated number of new employees and the approximate cost to provide a payroll check in August, 2020 to new employees hired in the system effective the 2020-21 school year. (Finance Committee Report 2/11/20)
10. Consideration of the request that the staff be authorized to begin the process to advertise for lease of Chamberlin Elementary School and Devall Middle School property. (Finance Committee Report 2/11/20)
The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment.
Whereupon, it was requested by a member of the board to pull Consent Agenda items #8, #9, and #10 for further discussion.
Whereupon, the following resolution was offered by Mr. LeBlanc and seconded by Mr. Toby Sarradet:
Be It Resolved, That Consent Agenda Items #8, #9, and #10 be pulled to be considered separately, and
Be It Further Resolved, That Consent Agenda #7, approval of the proposed School Calendar for 2020-21, be approved as presented.
The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:
Aye: Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Dr. Walker, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Mr. Manola
Nay: None
Absent: Mr. Goudeau
President Manola requested that the board consider Consent Agenda Item #9 next which is information by Mr. Watts and staff to provide further details relative to the estimated number of new employees and estimated cost to provide a payroll check in August, 2020 to new employees hired in the system effective the 2020-21 school year.
No action was required on Consent Agenda Item #9 which was an update by Mr. Watts and Mr. Gibbs relative to the estimated number of new employees and estimated cost to provide a payroll check in August, 2020 to new employees hired in the system effective the 2020-21 school year.
The next item was presentation of Consent Agenda Item #8.
The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment.
Whereupon, the following resolution was offered by Dr. Walker and seconded by Mr. Maranto:
Be It Resolved, That the board approve and adopt Consent Agenda Item #8 as presented.
The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:
Aye: Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Dr. Walker, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Mr. Manola
Nay: None
Absent: Mr. Goudeau
The next item was presentation of Consent Agenda Item #10.
Whereupon, Mr. Manola requested that the language in the recommendation for Consent Agenda Item #10 be revised to read as follows:
Recommendation:
That the staff request that Mr. Charles Hardie, Attorney, attend the March 11, 2020 Finance Committee meeting to inform the board relative to the legal options and guidelines for the sale or lease of the Chamberlin Elementary School and Devall Middle School property
The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment.
Whereupon, the following resolution was offered by Mrs. Bergeron and seconded by Mr. Toby Sarradet:
Be It Resolved, That Mr. Charles Hardie, Attorney, attend the March, 2020 Finance Committee meeting to inform the Board relative to the legal options and guidelines for the sale or lease of the Chamberlin Elementary School and Devall Middle School property.
The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:
Aye: Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Dr. Walker, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Mr. Manola
Nay: None
Absent: Mr. Goudeau
The next item was presentation of the following item on the End of Consent Agenda:
11. Consideration of request for approval of the 2018-19 Annual Audit Presentation and Report by Mr. Rodney Combs, Audit Director, Postlethwaite & Netterville
Whereupon, Mr. Combs presented the Annual Audit Report for 2018-19. He commended the staff for their cooperation.
The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment.
Whereupon, the following resolution was offered by Mr. Chustz and seconded by Mr. Maranto:
Be It Resolved, That the board approve and adopt the Annual Audit Report for 2018-19 as presented by Mr. Rodney Combs, Audit Director, Postlethwaite & Netterville.
The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:
Aye: Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Dr. Walker, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Mr. Manola
Nay: None
Absent: Mr. Goudeau
The next item was presentation of End of Consent Agenda item #12:
12. Consideration of request for approval of the monthly expenditures and financial report for January, 2020/Jared Gibbs
Whereupon, Mr. Jared Gibbs presented the monthly expenditures and financial report for January, 2020.
The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment.
Whereupon, the following resolution was offered by Mr. Toby Sarradet and seconded by Mr. Maranto:
Be It Resolved, That the board does hereby approve and adopt the monthly expenditures and financial report for January, 2020.
The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:
Aye: Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Dr. Walker, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Mr. Manola
Nay: None
Absent: Mr. Goudeau
The next item was presentation of End of Consent Agenda Item #13.
Whereupon, Mrs. Barbara Burke, Human Resource Director, presented a policy update pertaining to dismissal of employees revised by Forethought Consulting, Inc., based on statutory revisions/ Policy GBN-20 Dismissal of Employees. Mrs. Burke also reported that the policy revision had been reviewed by the board’s attorney.
The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment.
Whereupon, the following resolution was offered by Mr. Maranto and seconded by Mr. Chustz:
Be It Resolved, That the board does hereby approve and adopt Policy GBN-20: Dismissal of Employees, as revised by Forethought Consulting, Inc., based on statutory revisions.
The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:
Aye: Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Dr. Walker, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Mr. Manola
Nay: None
Absent: Mr. Goudeau
The next item was presentation of End of Consent Agenda Item #14: Review of Expulsion Appeal of a certain student enrolled in Brusly High School, SIDNO8019925/Charlotte Blanchard, Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance.
The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment.
Whereupon, the following resolution was offered by Dr. Walker and seconded by Mrs. Bergeron:
Be It Resolved, That the Board go into Executive Session for an Expulsion Appeal of a certain Brusly High School student SIDNO8019925/Charlotte Blanchard, Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance.
The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:
Aye: Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Dr. Walker, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Mr. Manola
Nay: None
Absent: Mr. Goudeau
Upon completion of the Executive Session, the following resolution was offered by Dr. Walker and seconded by Mr. Maranto:
Be It Resolved, That the Board return to Open Session.
The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:
Aye: Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Dr. Walker, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Mr. Manola
Nay: None
Absent: Mr. Goudeau
President Manola stated, “If there was no action taken on the Expulsion Appeal, the Expulsion would be upheld as recommended by the administrative staff of the school and the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance.”
The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment and motion. There was neither.
The next item was introduction of item #15 on the End of Consent Agenda:
Organizational Items: Committee meeting date: March 10, 2020 and regular board meeting date: March 18, 2020.
There being no further business to come before the board, the following resolution was offered by Dr. Walker and seconded Mr. Craig Sarradet:
Be It Resolved, That the meeting be adjourned.
The above resolution was adopted by the following vote:
Aye: Mr. Craig Sarradet, Mr. Toby Sarradet, Dr. Walker, Mr. LeBlanc, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Chustz, Mr. Maranto, Mrs. Bergeron, Mr. Manola
Nay: None
Absent: Mr. Goudeau
Wesley S. Watts Jason P. Manola
Wesley Watts Jason Manola
Secretary-Treasurer President