TANGIPAHOA PARISH SCHOOL BOARD PROCEEDINGS

 

October 7, 2003

 

            The Tangipahoa Parish School Board met in regular session on Tuesday, October 7, 2003, at 6:30 p.m., in the School Board Meeting Room, School Board Office, 59656 Puleston Road, Amite, Louisiana, with President Robert Caves, Presiding.

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:           Robert Caves,  Al Link,  Carl Bardwell, Sandra Bailey-Simmons, Leonard Genco, Robert Potts,  Donnie Williams, and Maxine Dixon 

 

MEMBERS ABSENT:             Jimmy A. Richardson, I

           

Superintendent Joseph introduced Cub Scout Pack #181 along with their sponsors: Mr. Jeff Blackman and Ms. Tammy DiMattia. Members of the pack gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Mrs. Sandra Bailey-Simmons, Board Member – District H, introduced Ms. Brittany Jenkins, a Ponchatoula High School graduate. Ms. Jenkins sang a patriotic song.

 

It was moved by Mr. Bardwell, seconded by Mrs. Bailey-Simmons, to approve the Board Minutes of September 23, 2003 as distributed. Hearing no objection, the motion was adopted, Mr. Richardson.

 

It was moved by Mr. Potts, seconded by Mr. Genco, to approve the resolution on the Rejection of Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage. Hearing no objection, the motion was adopted, with Mr. Richardson absent.

 

 

         RESOLUTION

 

          

BE IT RESOLVED, That the Tangipahoa Parish School Board does authorize the Superintendent to sign the required Louisiana Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist form reflecting a selection of Rejection of Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage. This selection is applicable to the Commercial Automobile Coverage for the period September 7, 2003 through September 6, 2004.

 

 

CERTIFICATE

 

I, the undersigned Secretary-Treasurer of the Tangipahoa Parish School Board, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a true copy of a resolution adopted at its Regular Board Meeting of October 7, 2003, at which time a quorum was present and that same is in full force and effect.

 

Dated at Amite, Louisiana

this 7th  day of October  2003.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                             ____________________________________

                                                                                   Louis L. Joseph, Secretary-Treasurer

                                                                                   TANGIPAHOA PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

 

It was moved by Mrs. Dixon, seconded by Mr. Richardson, to approve the Personnel Committee Report of October 1, 2003 and Addendum #1. Hearing no objection, the motion was adopted, with Mr. Richardson absent.

 

1.         Teacher – New Hire

 

Randall Kinsey, Teacher – Independence Middle, effective September 22, 2003.

 

2.         Teacher - Transfer

 

Beryl Johnson, From: Special Education Teacher – Hammond Westside Upper To: Special Education Teacher - Loranger Elementary, effective September 22 2003

 

3.         School Food Service - Reclassification

 

Rose Robinson, From: 4 hour technician – Hammond Westside, To: 7 hour technician – Hammond Westside, effective September 12, 2003

 

4.         Transportation – New Hire

 

Stephanie Paige, Lift Bus 19 – Westside Middle, effective August 14, 2003

Franklin Morgan, 37-H – Hammond

 

5.         Transportation - Transfer

 

Tim Wells, From: Bus 37-H – Hammond, From: 21-H – Hammond

 

10.       LEAVES* RESIGNATIONS* RETIREMENTS

 

LEAVES:

 

Melissa Adams, Teacher – Independence Elementary (Extended Sick Leave due to maternity using sick days first – September 29, 2003), effective August 18, 2003

Melvin Holmes, Bus Driver – Independence (Straight Leave without pay due to personal reasons  – August 2004, effective October 1, 2003

Mary Crouch, Teacher – Westside Middle (Extended Sick Leave due to illness -using sick days first – undetermined), effective September 10, 2003

 

RETIREMENTS:

 

Gwendolyn Lee, Teacher. -Ponchatoula High, effective January 20, 2003

 

11.       Substitute Teacher List

 

ADDENDUM #1

 

1.         Teacher – New Hire

 

Jessica Egle, Teacher - Hammond High, effective September 29, 2003

 

2.         Support Personnel -  New Hire

 

Yvonne Perry, Janitor – 9 months 6 hours – Amite High School, effective September 2, 2003

Jamie Cryer, Janitor – 12 months 7 hours – Amite High School, effective September 2, 2003

 

3.         Support Personnel - Reclassification

 

Albert Brown, From: 4 hour Janitor – Champ Cooper, To: 8 hour Janitor – Champ Cooper effective September 30, 2003.

 

            It was moved by Mr. Link, seconded by Mr. Williams, to approve the Policy Committee Report of September 23, 2003. Hearing no objection, the motion was adopted, with Mr. Richardson absent. Following is the report as approved.

 

 

   1.      The committee discussed revising Policy GBM – Personnel Transfer. This matter was taken under advisement.

 

2.            Approved the policies listed below.

FILE: EBC

Cf: KG

 

BUILDING AND GROUNDS SECURITY

 

 

Buildings of the Tangipahoa Parish School Board constitute one of the greatest investments of the school district. It is deemed in the best interest of the district to protect the investment adequately.

 

Security should mean not only maintenance of secure (locked) building but protection from fire hazards and faulty equipment and safe practices in the use of electrical, plumbing, and heating equipment. Access to school buildings and grounds outside of regular school hours shall be limited to personnel whose work requires it. An adequate key control system shall be established which will limit access to buildings to authorized personnel and will safeguard against the potential of entrance to buildings by keys in the hands of unauthorized persons.

 

Records and funds shall be kept in a safe place and under lock and key when required.

 

Protective devices designed to be used as safeguards against illegal entry and vandalism shall be installed when appropriate to the individual situation. Employment of watchmen may be approved in situations where special risks are involved.

 

ELECTRONIC TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICES

 

            No person, unless authorized by the school principal or designee, shall use, possess, or operate any electronic telecommunication device including any facsimile system, radio paging service, mobile telephone service, intercom, or electro mechanical paging system in any elementary or secondary school building, or on the grounds thereof or in any school bus. A violation of these provisions shall be grounds for disciplinary action, including but not limited to, suspension or referral of the pupil to the juvenile court of the parish. Appropriate law enforcement agencies shall be notified of any person, other than a pupil or school employee, who violates this policy while on school property without authority and such person(s) shall be dealt with under the criminal laws of the state.

 

SEARCH OF PERSONS OTHER THAN STUDENTS

 

            Any school principal, administrator, teacher, or school security guards may search the person, book bag, briefcase, purse or other object in the possession of any person who is not a student enrolled in the school, or any school employee, while in or on school grounds. This search may be done randomly with a metal detector, or physically when there is reasonable suspicion that such person has any weapons, illegal drugs, alcohol, stolen goods, or objects in violation of School Board policy.

 

 

FIREARM-FREE ZONES

 

            The areas surrounding the school campus or within 1,000 feet of any such school campus, or within a school bus, shall be designated Firearm-Free Zones. It is unlawful for a student or non-student to intentionally possess a firearm on school property or within 1,000 feet of school property or while on a school bus. The School Board, in cooperation with local governmental agencies and the Louisiana Department of Education, shall designate and mark Fire-arm Free Zones, which surround all schools and school property.

 

DRUG-FREE ZONES

 

            The area within l,000 feet of any property used for school purposes by any school, or on a school bus, shall be designated as Drug-Free Zones. It is unlawful for anyone to use, distribute, be under the influence of, manufacture or possess any controlled substances ad defined by statute in a Drug-Free Zone. The Tangipahoa Parish School Board, in cooperation with local governmental agencies, and the Louisiana Department of Education, shall designate and mark Drug-Free Zones, which surround all schools and school property.

 

Revised:   August, 2003

 

FILE: BBBE

Cf: DJD

 

 

BOARD MEMBER COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES

 

 

The Tangipahoa Parish School Board shall provide an expense allowance and provide for expense reimbursement for its members in accordance with state law. Board members shall receive an expense allowance of $800 per month with an additional $100 stipend for the Board President. Board members may also be authorized to receive reimbursement for mileage going to and from meetings as well as reimbursement for actual travel and related expenses outside the jurisdictional boundaries of the Board while on official School Board business, all in accordance with Board policy, to the extent that expenses incurred outside the Board's jurisdictional boundaries do not exceed the limits established by state law.

 

Any action increasing the compensation for Board members shall require a two-thirds vote of the total membership. Before any action is taken, however, the Board shall advertise the time and place where the meeting is to be held to consider the expense allowance in the official journal of the Board on at least two (2) separate days during the fifteen (15) days immediately preceding such meeting.

 

Board members shall be reimbursed up to $2,000 annually for travel expenses incurred in accordance with the Board's travel regulations. Any travel that would cause the limit to be exceeded shall require Board approval prior to the travel commencing.

 

 Reimbursement for routine travel to regular meetings of the Board shall not be allowed.

 

 

Revised: March, 1985

Revised: November, 1993

Revised: February 18, 1997 Revised: May 13, 1997

Revised: August, 2003

 

 

NEW POLICY

FILE: JCDAE

Cf: JD

 

 

ELECTRONIC TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICES

 

 

No student, unless authorized by the school principal or his/her designee, shall use or operate any electronic telecommunication device, including any facsimile system, radio paging service, mobile telephone service, intercom, or electro- mechanical paging system in any elementary or secondary school building, or on the grounds thereof or in any school bus used to transport public school students. A violation of these provisions may be grounds for disciplinary action, including but not limited to, suspension from school. Nothing shall prohibit the use and operation by any person, including students, of any electronic telecommunication device in the event of an emergency. Emergency shall mean an actual or imminent threat to public health or safety, which may result in loss of life, injury, or property damage.

 

For purposes of this policy, the terms use and operation shall mean whenever the electronic telecommunication device is turned on.

 

Revised: August, 2003

 

FILE: BH

Cf: ABC

 

SCHOOL BOARD ETHICS

 

 

Recognizing that as a member of a public school board and that each Board member is filling a position of public trust, responsibility, and authority endowed by the State of Louisiana, the Board, individually and collectively, shall subscribe to the principles of the Louisiana School Boards Association, by which a school board member should be guided.

 

In addition, certain actions of elected officials may be considered improper, and in some circumstances, illegal. Actions which may present a conflict of interest, acceptance of gifts, or solicitations, or gratuities, abuse of authority of office or position, and decisions regarding the employment of a family member of an official are all subject to statutory restrictions. The ethical conduct of Board members, as well as other designated officials, shall be in accordance with state law.

 

NEPOTISM

 

No member of the immediate family of an agency head shall be employed in his/her agency. No member of the immediate family of a member of a governing authority or the chief executive of a governmental entity shall be employed by the governmental entity, except that the School Board may employ any member of the immediate family of any Board member or the Superintendent as a classroom teacher provided that such family member is certified to teach. Each member of the Board which employs a member of the immediate family of a School Board member or the Superintendent shall recuse himself/herself from any decision involving the promotion or assignment of teaching location of the employee.

 

The provisions above shall not prohibit the continued employment of any public employee nor shall it be construed to hinder, alter, or in any way affect normal promotional advancements for such public employee where a member of a public employee's immediate family becomes the agency head of such public employee's agency, provided that such public

employee has been employed in the agency for a period of at least one year prior to the member of the public employee's immediate family becoming the agency head.

 

PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS

 

            Any School Board member, Superintendent, or employee is prohibited by state law, with limited exception as provided in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §42:1120, from participating in a transaction in which he/she has a personal substantial economic interest

of which he/she may be reasonably expected to know involving the governmental entity. Also, any School Board member, Superintendent, or employee is prohibited by state law, except as provided in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §42:1120, from participating in a transaction involving the governmental entity in which, to his/her actual knowledge, any of the following persons has a substantial economic interest:

 

(1)               Any member of his/her immediate family.

(2)         Any person in which he/she has a substantial economic interest of which he/she may reasonably be expected to know.

 

(3)               Any person of which he/she is an officer, director, trustee, partner or     employee.

(4)        Any person with whom he/she is negotiating or has an arrangement concerning prospective employment.

(5)        Any person who is a party to an existing contract with such public servant, or with any legal entity in which the public servant exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent, or who owes any thing of economic value to such public servant, or to any legal entity in which the public servant exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent, and who by reason thereof is in a position to affect directly the economic interests of such public servant.

 

Every public employee shall disqualify himself/herself from participating in a transaction involving the governmental entity when a violation of state law would result.

 

ABUSE OF OFFICE

 

No School Board member, Superintendent, or employee shall use the authority of his/her office or position, directly or indirectly, in a manner intended to compel or coerce any person or other public servant to provide himself/herself, any other public servant, or other person with any thing of economic value.

 

No School Board member, Superintendent, or employee shall use the authority of his/her office or position, directly or indirectly, in a manner intended to compel or coerce any person or other public servant to engage in political activity.

 

            No School Board member shall act in an individual capacity without the authorization of the School Board to use the authority of his/her office or position as a member of the! School Board, directly or indirectly, in a manner intended to compel or coerce any personnel decision, including the promotion, discipline, discharge, or assignment of work to any school employee.

 

No School Board member shall use the authority of his/her office or position as a member of the School Board, directly or indirectly, in a manner intended to compel or coerce any school employee to make any decision concerning benefits, work assignment, or membership in any organization.

 

 

TRANSACTIONS AFTER TERMINATION OF PUBLIC SERVICE

 

No former agency head or elected official shall, for a period of two (2) years following the termination of his/her public service as the head of such agency or as an elected public official serving in such agency, assist another person, for compensation, in a transaction, or in an appearance in connection with a transaction, involving that agency or render any service on a contractual basis to or for the Board.

 

No former member of the School Board shall, for a period of two (2) years following the termination of his/her public service on such Board, contract with, be employed in any capacity by, or be appointed to any position by the Board.

 

DEFINITIONS

 

Agency means a department, office, division, agency, commission, board, committee, or other organizational unit of a governmental entity. For public servants of political subdivisions, it shall mean the agency in which the public servant serves, except that for members of any governing authority and for the elected or appointed chief executive of a governmental entity, it shall mean the governmental entity.

 

Agency head means the chief executive or administrative officer of an agency or any member of a board or commission who exercises supervision over the agency.

 

Immediate family as the term relates to a public servant means his/her children, the spouses of his/her children, his/her brothers and their spouses, his/her sisters and their spouses, his/her parents, his/her spouse, and the parents of his/her spouse.

 

Public servant means a public employee or an elected official.

 

Political activity means an effort to support or oppose the election of a candidate for political office in an election.

 

Substantial economic interest means an economic interest, which is of greater benefit to the public servant or other person than to a general class or group of persons, except:

 

(a)                The interest that the public servant has in his/her position, office, rank, salary, per diem, or other matter arising solely from his/her public employment or office.

(b)        The interest that a person has as a member of the general public.

 

Transaction involving the governmental entity means any proceeding, application, submission, request for a ruling or other determination, contract, claim, case, or other such particular matter, which the public servant or former public servant of the governmental entity in question knows or should know:

 

(a)        Is, or will be, the subject of action by the governmental entity.

(b)        Is one to which the governmental entity is or will be a party.

(c)        Is one in which the governmental entity has a direct interest. A transaction involving the agency of a governmental entity shall have the same meaning with respect to the agency.

 

 

 

 

 

Revised: October, 1997

Revised: November, 1999

Revised: August, 2003

 

 

 

FILE: CEA

                                                                                                                        Cf: ABE, CE

 

SUPERINTENDENT QUALIFICATIONS

 

The Tangipahoa Parish School Board shall select a Superintendent for the school system who possesses the following minimum qualifications: has met or has been certified as meeting the requirements for superintendency certification as set by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). Additional qualifications may be stipulated by the Board.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

 

The minimum criteria required for superintendency certification are the following:

 

A.                 Hold a valid type A Louisiana Level 2  Educational Leader Certificate.

 

B.         Have had five (5) years of successful educational administration experience or equivalent, three (3) years of which must have been within the last five years; administrative or management experience in education at the level of principal or above, or experience certified as equivalent to any of these by BESE.

 

C.        Hold an earned master's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. which includes courses required for state certification.

 

D.        Have completed forty-eight (48) semester hours of graduate credit, to include the following:

 

1.         Thirty (30) semester hours in educational administration and supervision of instruction;

2.         Twelve (12) semester hours in professional education; and

3.         Six (6) semester hours of electives from cognate fields outside professional education related to educational administration and supervision in business, political science, psychology, sociology, or speech.

 

E.         Satisfactorily passed the School Superintendent Assessment (SSA) as approved by BESE in keeping with state requirements.

 

Applicants for the position of Superintendent shall be required to provide assurance that certification for the position is current and valid.

 

 

 

Revised: August, 2003

 

FILE: GBRHA

 

 

SABBATICAL LEAVE

 

The Tangipahoa Parish School Board shall grant sabbatical leave for the purpose of professional or cultural improvement or for medical leave to all teaching personnel in accordance with statutory provisions- Teaching personnel shall include any person employed by the Board

who holds a valid teaching certificate issued by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and any social worker or school psychologist employed by the Board who holds a valid professional auxiliary certificate in school social work or school psychology issued by the State Department of Education.

 

MEDICAL  SABBATICAL MEDICAL LEAVE

 

A teacher may make application for medical sabbatical leave, which shall be accompanied by a statement from a licensed physician certifying that the leave is medically necessary.

 

            A teacher is eligible for sabbatical medical leave is the teacher’s regular sick leave balance is twenty-five (25) days or less at the time leave is set to begin. Applications for sabbatical leaves for medical purposes must be accompanied by a medical statement by the attending physician of the applicant. Medical statements accompanying requests for leaves for medical purposes will be referred to the School Board physician to determine if leave is warranted. A favorable report by the School Board physician must be obtained prior to any action by the School Board to approve a leave for medical purposes.

 

Should the School Board physician return an opinion which disagrees with the applicant’s attending physician, the matter will be referred to a third physician who will be selected from a rotating list of physicians provided by the local medical society.

 

If the Board, upon review of the application, questions the validity or accuracy of the certification, the Board may require the applicant, as a condition for continued consideration of the application, to be examined by a licensed physician selected by the Board. In such a case, the Board shall pay all costs of the examination and any tests determined to be necessary. If the physician selected by the Board finds a medical necessity, the leave application shall be granted.

 

If the physician selected by the Board disagrees with the certification of the physician selected by the applicant, then the Board may require the applicant, as a condition for continued consideration of the application, to be examined by a third licensed appropriate physician whose name appears next in the rotation of physicians on a list established by the local medical society for such purpose and maintained by the School Board. All costs of an examination and any required tests by a third physician shall be paid by the Board. The opinion of the third physician shall decide the issue.

 

The opinion of all physicians consulted shall be submitted to the Board in the form of a sworn statement. All information contained in any statement from a physician shall be confidential and shall not be subject to the public records law.

 

 

 

SABBATICAL LEAVE FOR PROFESSIONAL OR CULTURAL IMPROVEMENT

 

Every person on sabbatical leave for the purpose of professional or cultural improvement, shall during each semester of leave, pursue a program of study, earning at least nine (9) undergraduate credit hours, provided such hours directly improve the person's skills and knowledge as a teacher, or six (6) graduate credit hours, or be certified as a full-time student at an institution of higher learning accredited by the respective State Board of Education or territorial board in which such institution is located. If less than fifteen (15) weeks is spent as specified above, the number of weeks less than fifteen (15) shall be spent in either of the two (2) alternatives specified below:

 

(1)        Pursue a program of independent study, research, authorship or investigation which involves an approximately equivalent amount of work and which is approved by the Board.

(2)   Engage in travel which is so planned as to be of definite educational value and which has been approved by the Board.

 

 

 

ELIGIBILITY

 

Sabbatical leave may be granted on the ratio of two (2) semesters for twelve (12) or more consecutive semesters of active service within the employ of this Board or one (1) semester for six (6) or more consecutive semesters of such service.

 

At no time may more than five percent (5%) of the total number of teachers employed in a school system be on leave. Selection of employees among those who qualify for sabbatical leave must be based on years of continuous service and other criteria as specified by statute.

 

PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION

 

A.                 Application for sabbatical leave shall be made on a form provided by the Superintendent of Schools. Applications shall be sent to the Superintendent by registered mail at least sixty (60) days preceding the beginning of the semester of the scholastic year for which leave is requested, with the following exception; if a teacher or other professional employee has become sick during a semester and requests medical sabbatical leave, it shall be sufficient to mail said application to the Superintendent thirty (30) days prior to the date upon which the requested leave is to commence. The Superintendent shall inform the teacher of the approval or denial of sabbatical leave at least thirty (30) days preceding the beginning of the semester of the school year for which the leave is requested, except that, where a teacher has become sick during a semester and has requested medical sabbatical leave, the Superintendent shall inform the teacher of approval or denial of such leave as soon as possible after receipt of his/her request for leave.

 

B.         Whenever in accordance with statutory provisions some of the applications cannot be granted, from among those, which would otherwise be granted, those to be granted shall be determined in the following manner:

 

(1)        Preference in every case shall be given to the applicant who has rendered active service in the school system for the greatest number of consecutive semesters immediately preceding the period for which leave is requested.

 

(2)        Where any two (2) ap