001Exactly at 3:15, May Ms. George >> Here. >> Ms. Laws >> Here. >> Ms. Broy >> Here. >> Ms. Laws, you have the floor. >> Good evening. All members actually still morning. One of one of our community meetings are broadcast live. To access the live stream, there's a video icon located in the online meeting agenda. And also, there's a link located on our district website, Facebook, and X. The first agenda item is to discuss to discuss and approve the revisions to policies DJD, travel expense reimbursement, and JDE, expulsion, as presented and sent to the full board for approval. >> Make a motion. >> I second. >> Second. >> This yellow packet here. >> The first one I'd like to go through is travel reimbursement. Just to kind of put into policy what has been in
002practice from a practical standpoint. And then another piece that we're finding some anomalies with some of the reimbursement requests that we had gotten. So, the first part y'all can get that attachment up. What you see in blue I got that up. What you see in blue will be what we're adding or recommending to add to the rule book to All right, under the transportation section, when it comes to air fare, we want to specifically clarify in our policy that current employee you will be reimbursed one standard rate check bag. And excessive weight fees will not be reimbursable. Uh there's some instances recently where uh receipts were submitted for multiple check bags on one conference that was only like four nights. So, there was a provision a little bit later on this policy that other expenses
003can be included with appropriate justification. Our finance department has traditionally only reimbursed the one. But we have been questioned by some individuals, so we thought the best way to handle that was to put it into the policy. And then the next part, uh Ms. Stewart and Ms. Jones and I in the finance department, because I've asked them while we're addressing this policy, what are some of the issues that we're seeing a problem with? That we can go, you know, and try to get them all done. And one of the items dealt with cabs and other transportation uh standard rates that were a part of the auto receipt for the from airport to the hotel, from the hotel back to the airport, and the $10 for hotel day for charges that may occur during. But if
004you have a receipt, the school system pays the full amount. And so, we have four more people using ride share right now as opposed to taxis. One is generally cheaper. But we have gotten some requests for reimbursement here, and I'll use this as one of the more extreme. Uh that is a 30-mile Uber ride from the hotel to a restaurant, and back, which was over $100 for an Uber ride, and you know, I could not live, you know, but people are going to be doing it, and if they want to have a choice restaurant that they want to go have dinner at, it shouldn't be on the school board dollar to provide that kind of transportation. So, with the language that we're asking you to approve here, you know, we added a detailed receipt indicating
005start point and destination, because that's been another issue where people have submitted receipts from an Uber, but it's not showing where it started or where you are. So, that needs to be the law. Uh and then also adding in excessive transportation expenses related to dining maybe even not with comparable dining options were available, also transportation costs exceed reasonable meal costs, and or a common appears to be personal or recreation. You know, we wanted to put some teeth in here that it's going to be denied. Inevitably, they're coming in and questioning us and wanting to know, well, where is the policy, you know, and so we want to put this into the policy. Um you know, we also, if you scroll to number six under other expenditures, uh we're recommending this adding that superintendent's approval on
006this is required. There could be other expenditures that take place during uh during the travel or during the conference that if the receipt is there, it's properly adjusted. I use this as an example. We all get food in the type of food, you know, where additional expenses were incurred or all of these delays and all our flight attendants, and and we can stand in the waiting room longer than they ever thought we would. But But we didn't have an approved meeting. Uh line of process, so we're asking for that. So, that's the travel reimbursement policy. Uh we have both of these policies on one agenda item, but I will ask that when we go to the board meeting, if the committee approves that, we separate it tomorrow. Well, we need recommendations for the calendar team.
007All right, then on the next policy, which is our expulsion policy. I'm making this recommendation so from this point forward, we have consistency in how we deal with this. So, last year's legislature reduced the mandatory expulsion time for following knives and drugs from four consecutive semesters to two consecutive semesters. And four semesters. So, if you end in September, you end in October, it didn't matter. You had to do two full. So, four. You had the following four semesters. When they reduced it to two, they also took away the mandatory expulsion if students are caught with marijuana or THC on their first offense. So, year one has been completed. And I began the school year because I had the discussion with the superintendent to determine how long the assignment to our turning program is. My intent
008at the beginning of the year was to get caught you on for the rest of the school year, not subject to the mandatory two semesters. Well, as the school year progresses, then the rest of the school year becomes less time. So, as we started with the beginning of the spring semester, then we had a couple instances at the very beginning that we then tried to work out in the law. So, now here we are in January, uh rest of the school year is less than a semester. So, we started doing some contracts with counseling and drug testing and this kind of stuff. Well, then we get to later on in the spring semester, and somebody gets caught in April. What am I supposed to do with them at that point? Try to have some kind
009of consistency. So, I did check with some neighboring parishes and other superintendents, and they they're handling this different ways. Some of them are still doing the four semesters. Regardless, you know, cuz we can do more than what the legislature says. Some of them are doing the 12 months, and that's what I'm recommending, is that we put in our policy that a student found guilty of possession of marijuana or THC or derivatives, they shall not be subject to such expulsion of the minimum semesters, which is what the statute reads. However, if they are in possession, then they will be sent to the alternative program for 12 months. That way it doesn't matter when it happens. Everybody gets the exact same consequence for the exact same infraction. And that makes this consistent, if they're caught in August
010or if they're caught in May, it's 12 months, and it's consistent. >> So, if you get caught I mean, the So, you get caught in May, and you go to the next May? >> Yes. Or August to August, December to December, it's it's 12 months. Because I can tell you we've gone through this for this first year and trying to make sense of this and trying to lose some different options. It ain't an creative inconsistency. >> They just being sneaky. >> Correct. And I can tell you we had an uptick in the fees in the last month and a half of school because they thought they just going to put me out the rest of the year and I'm going back home. I'll accommodate for that putting me until next December, but it still creates
011this inconsistency. So, I think putting this in a And look, I can do this without this warning in the policy. I want to make that clear. I have the authority as superintendent to implement this without being in the policy. I'm asking that you put it in the policy to ensure policy perspective moving ahead into the future that I'm gone, y'all are gone, that there is a consistent consequence for this infraction that it doesn't matter who said it or not. And when board members get called, you have a policy that you can refer to at any time. >> I'm good with I'm good with it, but I'm going to ask a question. Do we and I know this is kind crazy family, but when you have a child that goes to school and they smell like
012weed, are they getting something done? I know. I'm just >> [clears throat] >> I I don't even tell you how times I've had children coming school. And I'm just curious. >> Yeah, we have evidence that's observable that we think a kid is under the influence of an illegal substance, we can take disciplinary action. Uh we cannot compel a kid to drug test. That we cannot do. So, in some instances where they get suspended, uh we'll contact the parents. And the parents generally been very cooperative with volunteering that the kid take a test. And if it comes back positive, then we've got some disciplinary things we can do, and then we've got some intervention type things that can take place for as well. >> I mean, I'm talking about like small children. >> Yes. >> That
013the parents are openly doing it in the car. >> All right. And that's generally what we would determine is that the kid wasn't but they were around somebody >> Okay. This I just wondered. Cuz I've had to literally tell a parent, "You know you can get in trouble if you if your child goes to school smelling like it." >> And you know, a whole another layer of this is we're obligated by law as mandatory reports. So, if we suspect that a child is being exposed to illegal drugs, then we are mandated to report that as a child abuse child neglect type issue. So, the report to DCFS would get made in the case. >> Okay. >> Now, after that I will uh >> I'm taking the classes so I know what I know what we're
014supposed to do. >> And we are very we probably will refer things that may not need to be referred to err on the side of caution. I don't want any of our employees in this district to show up on the news because they did not make mandatory reporting uh they didn't make the report. There are stiff legal penalties if somebody doesn't report to the district head. I think last night there was one in the media. And then I will also reiterate that there's things that apply to employees as well. The difference with the employee is we can enforce drug tests if there are observable behaviors. One of which can be the odor. And we have sent people to have the test done due to those instances and those people no longer are employed by the
015school district. >> So with item number one uh are everyone in favor? >> I. Hearing none motion passed. Do I have a motion to adjourn? >> I second. >> Second. >> Meeting adjourned. All right, Thank y'all so very much.