001File PCV, schoolboard meeting rules of procedure. An individual speaker who appears at a school board meeting to speak on agenda item must register prior to the meeting and will be allotted three minutes to speak on agenda item prior to schoolboard discussion on agenda item. I will now call to order the Jeffos Care School Board agenda meeting. Miss Debbie, >> sure. >> Mr. Arseno >> here. >> Mr. Borlaw here. >> Mr. Brook House here. >> Mr. Dobson here. >> Mr. Doy, >> Mr. Fry, Miss Jones, >> Miss Paula Lashern, >> here. >> Miss Summer Lashern here, >> Mr. Patterson here, >> Mr. Petri, Mr. Trhan here, >> Mr. Walker, >> here. >> We do have a quorum, sir. And I have had no request for public comment or request to speak. >> Thank you. I also
002remind everybody that uh it is livereamed and the link is on the top of the agenda page. We'll now uh stand for prayer and pledge of allegiance. I'll have Miss Paula Raj say the prayer and Mr. Paul Trong lead us in the >> Lord. Once again we thank you for letting us live in the freest and most prosperous nation on the planet. Thank you for the unity and the harmony that exists in this room among the board members. I ask that you bless each one of them as well as our employees and our students in our parish. Help us as we make decisions that affect each of them in Jesus name. Amen. >> Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the republic for which it stands. One nation under the
003indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> I need a motion a second to approve the school board meetings of our regular meeting held on February 12th, 2026. >> Got a motion by Mr. Walker, a second by Mr. Paul Tron. Any board discussion? Hearing none, we'll go to a vote. All in favor say I. >> All oppose. Eyes have it. Motion passes. We do have a couple of recognitions. I will like to call up our architect, Steve Hoart, for any updates on current projects. >> Hi. Hello everybody. It's been a while. >> Yeah, >> been a while. Um, okay. So, uh, five projects in total that I want to talk about today. Um, first one is Jerry Simmons, which is wrapped up. Um, I'm sure you've all seen it. I've gotten a lot of positive
004feedback from the public. I hope you all have as well. Um, a lot of people just really talk about how well it dressed up the stadium and um, honestly made the made the street a better street and made the football stadium have a nice front to it. So, uh, very excited about that and I think the entire community is very happy. Um uh so that there's just a couple of small things that the contractor still has to do. Um he was waiting on some last minute things to complete some punch list items. So that's but it's 99.99% finished up. Um uh moving forward, we have two projects that are currently under construction that I know y'all are aware of, but um first one would be uh Lake Arthur uh high school and elementary school. And
005those were some security upgrades, a new vestibule, um new track resurfacing. Uh at Lake Arthur, the track resurfacing like Arthur High School, the track reserving is complete. um we've already punched it out and we've uh we've already given that to the school for their youths. So, um if you get a chance to swing by Lake Arthur High School, they got a brand new track. It looks fabulous. Um uh still waiting on the press box for that uh football field will be delivered uh this summer and um and then they're completing the vestibule and the new office renovation currently now as we speak. um all looking forward to all of that. So, that's going well. We're um trying to push the contractor to get finished completed by August so that the administration can move in uh
006for the new school year next next year. Um next, uh under construction currently, as y'all are also aware, uh Welsh Elementary School, the new um uh for third, fourth, fifth grade is being completed now. Um, and uh, we're trying to get them in for August as well. Uh, the contractor has made a great deal of progress over the last two months, I'd say. Um, it's looking really great. If y'all have a chance to swing by, uh, Welsh, do a drive by. It's looking really good. I think the roof's completely on right now. Went by today. All of the, um, uh, storefront is up. They're waiting on some door frames and some windows which I think will come in uh either this week or next week and then they will be off to the races. So,
007um they were they had all the trades there today all working uh feverishly. So, they're trying desperately to make sure that they meet that August deadline. Um so, that's the projects under construction. And then our new exciting news, I guess, is that we have two projects that are out for bid. Um, two weeks ago we released the food services building, which I know you're all um, looking forward to. Uh, and today we had the pre-bid meeting for that project and we had an incredible turnout. Um, I think there may have been 30 people there. >> Yeah, I haven't counted the signin sheet. So, we had the sign-in sheet, but we may have had I know for a fact we had six general contractors there. I we may have had as many as eight or nine.
008I like I said, I haven't looked at the sign-in sheet yet to see who all was represented, but one of the contractors told me he was disappointed so many people showed up because he liked the project because it was a nice clean new project and um good budget. So, uh so they they're I think we're having we're having we're going to have a lot of success with that project at least with a lot of people looking at it. So, that's a that's a big plus. Um so that will bid in two weeks roughly. Um and uh the end of the month. And then um in addition to that, we also have Welsh phase 2 which is going out and that is going to be a new uh six classroom building for the high school. Um
009and some canopies and walkways and a new secure vestibule over there as well. So, keeping in mind security's been a big part of all of these projects. Um, so that just went out on uh Wednesday. So, yesterday that came that went out for bid. So, the contractors now have it. Um, we'll have a pre-bid in a couple weeks and that'll bid about a month from now. So, um, uh, that's what's going on in my world. Um, you all have any questions about any of this? How about a Jennings softball and baseball fields? >> That's uh I have not I have not gone forward with anything on that. I think Mr. taking care of >> No, it's okay. I think Mr. Sean is it's a it's a scope that he can handle on his own and
010I think that he's taken care of that. >> But of course if anybody needs if he needs anything I'm always just one phone call away. So >> done a lot of back stops in my time. So Anybody else? Feel good on my car? >> Looking good. Oh, >> Wes looks great. They put that roof on it. Really? >> Yeah. I think I think everything's everything's looking good. There's always problems with every project. We're always dealing with issues. >> Testing time frame with the construction. >> Yeah, you're talking about leap testing and Yeah. So, we went over that in detail last week. Uh gave them the dates. They I don't remember the dates right now, but we gave them the dates. Miss Arabie gave them the dates and they know that they have to be quiet.
011>> Okay. >> So, they're trying to get to a point. They're hoping they will be at a point where >> they can just focus on like sheetrock and and painting inside during that week so they're not disturbing uh any test. So, we always take that very seriously. >> Um Yeah. Anything else? All good. >> Thank you, sir. >> All right. Thank you. Appreciate everybody. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Right. We'll call up our second speaker of the night, Miss Christian Reard, our finance director, to give us a FEMA. >> I sort of just got Thank you. >> So, I just wanted to provide a a um >> I I know poor Mr. Brook House asks every month about his project and um I had also kind of our FEMA liaison had reached out to
012me because he was concerned just about with the government shutdown and things like that it's affecting FEMA and so I figured it'd be a good time especially to follow up Steve just with an update on that. So uh we are bidding out the hurricane repairs in several packages. Package one, which included Elton Elementary, Elton High, Finton Elementary, Welsh Elementary, Welsh High, and Welsh Ron Oak with the exception of the Elton Aag building, um is all complete. Uh phase one is done. And so phase two actually just got put out for bid. Um bid openings are scheduled for April 13th. It's a Monday. Um and FA package two will cover Elton High, Hathaway High, um Weston or James Ward Center for Excellence, sorry. Jennings High, Laxine High, Lake Arthur Elementary, Lake Arthur High, um Southside Elementary,
013which is actual the Head Start because it is our building, so we have to cover that. Um Tech Center and Welsh Elementary. So, uh, any hurricane damage at those buildings is will be addressed in phase two that has not been addressed by say like our maintenance department or through the emergency repairs in the very beginning five years ago. Um, package or phase three will just be the Elton Elton A building. Um the reason we're having to hold off and put that one off is we are trying desperately working with FEMA to get them to agree to do a total replacement um because it sat for so long. Um there's additional damage that has occurred. Not to mention the fact that just the simp the first initial um I guess uh appraisal of the damages is
014not quite right. there's a whole lot more damage there and then especially now and so um once we the architect and the contractors got in there they realized it was a whole lot more entailed than what was initially spelled out by FEMA and so if we could possibly get them to agree to do a total replacement it would be well worth our wait even though I realize that Elton and I are are excited and anxious for that but I think it is well worth the wait rather than us just repairing a building that will still be in disarray when it's done. And so, just to let you know where we stand with that. So, phase two will be um you'll have to approve the the hopefully it should be at the April meeting. you'll approve
015the bid if we if we get some bids. And also our liaison um let me know just there is this is the third time in six months that FEMA has shut down or the government has shut shut down and FEMA is under one of those areas and uh that is shut down whenever there's a partial even when there's a partial shutdown FEMA shuts down and so um all non-emergency recovery work um including planning and project formulation is paused which also means means trying to address if we're approved for a total replacement. Um it also means paused on any um reimbursement request that we've received. I will say just an update that so far we have not because we got insurance money and we got a portion of the money up front. We have yet to
016have to um quote unquote come out of pocket or general fund has not had to absorb any cost just yet. But I do believe that by the time phase two starts and we start paying into then we will start coming out of our general fund until FEMA can kick back up and start reimbursing. Um funding for all obligated projects has been appropriated and paid by GOEP to the state. However, the reimbursement process and necessary approvals to advanced projects are significantly delayed due to these shutdowns. So just uh you know that um they always have been a little slower to respond and now I'm afraid that it's a little a little more to that. But um I do have a great liaison that we work with. So if anybody has any questions, he does have some
017contacts even with the shutdown that he still is able to um get. They just can't make any moves I guess but they can answer questions. So does anybody have any questions? Yes sir. >> Topic a little bit on insurance. Are you seeing any rates going down any? >> So, they do anticipate an additional like decrease because we were able to last summer without any storms. So, they're hoping that the decrease the rates will continue to decrease again this year. We are on the second year of the two-year um RFP that we accepted last year, but they do have to um either come in the same price or under and or we have the ability to go back out for bid again. Um so, but I actually spoke to him the other day. he called just
018to give me a heads up that he's seeing rate decreases and he thinks he'll be able to get us in even better again. So, we're hopeful that that's actually is the case when it comes to it. So, I'll have that information probably um for the mayor June meeting for y'all. Any other questions? >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> We will now start our board committee reports. I will turn it over to Miss Paul. >> Thank you. On Tuesday night, the finance committee met and we have the following recommendations. Number one, consideration of accepting the state contract quote from Silven Special Systems of $47,66 for a security system upgrade at James Board Center for Excellence to be paid with $40,000 from safe schools grant and balance from the general fund. >> I'll second that motion. A
019motion by Miss Polo and a second by Mr. Phil Arsen. Any board discussion? >> Was there any other bids? >> State contract. It's a state contract. >> Cameras are on. >> They didn't get any. >> It's all state contract. >> Okay. So, so we can't use somebody else. We have to use ceiling. >> No, we could. Um, we use Silven on everything. >> I know. And I would I would >> because I was approached by the person that does Allen Parish >> or Silver or another company, >> another company. >> He he could call me and then I could, you know, we could >> That's all I'm getting at. Okay. >> Is he on state contract? Do you know? >> He does. Allan Parish. >> That's kind of what you know, if all these companies
020are on state contract, they they're exactly the the same. and Silvin is unbelievable. They're they're at these schools the next morning, you know, and so but but give him my cell phone call. We know how much the rest of the balance from general fund 7,000 >> 7,66 >> we take care of James >> any more board I'm sorry >> give you a vote sorry any more board discussion sorry >> now vote a vote all in favor say I >> all oppose eyes Seven. Motion passes. >> Item number two, consideration to approve the yearly cost of Munis through Tyler Technologies at a cost of $83,232.86. This is an increase of >> a motion by Paul. A second by Mr. David Doings. Any board discussion? Hearing none, we'll go to a vote. All in favor say I.
021>> All opposed? Eyes have it. Motion passes. Item number three, consideration of adopting the following resolution for the Jefferson Davis Parish School Board. >> Motion by Misser and a second by Miss Pa. Any board discussion hearing? None. We now go to a vote. All in favor say I. >> All oppose. Eyes have it. Motion passes. >> Number four, consideration of granting permission to Jennings Elementary School to purchase a 100. A motion by M. Pauler, a second by Mr. Philip Arsenal. Any board discussion? Hearing none, we'll now go to a vote. All in favor say I. >> All opposed. Eyes have. The motion passes. >> Item number five, consideration of granting permission to Line High School to upgrade its security camera system. This project has two phases. Phase one focuses on upgrading current system including the
022server encoders and camera licenses. >> I got a motion by Miss Pauler and a second by Mr. Russell Walker. Any board discussion? Hearing none, we will now go to a vote. All in favor say I. >> I. All opposed? >> Eyes have it. Motion passes. >> That concludes our report. >> Thank you. Uh insurance Mr. Blake Petri. No report buildings and grounds of Mr. David Owens. >> Uh, no report, Mr. President. >> Thank you, sir. Policy committee with Mr. Russell Walker. >> Uh, Tuesday night we discussed uh just had a discussion on naming schoolboard assets and then we all kind of talked about a little bit and basically the the link between naming a field or naming a building. So, uh, we kind of tabled it and we're going to bring it up next month
023before the board and have a full board discussion. So, our discussion or we're going to have a vote. There's no table. >> What did we do? >> There was no table. Oh, there's no table. >> We'll have a break as a policy. We'll bring it up at a policy meeting, but Okay. And then it'll go to the full board that Thursday. >> Thank you, sir. Transportation committee. Greg Bordon, >> no report. >> 16th section, Mr. Charles Brooks. >> No report. >> Board two, Mr. Phil Arsenal. Report. legislation involved. Greg, board alone. >> I see our rep is here. Did you want to address the board >> or you're just here as observer? >> I'm here as observer. >> Okay. >> Try to answer questions, but uh you say >> skip on the education. >> Thanks
024for being here. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> All right. There's no report. All right. Thank you, sir. Long range planning, Mr. Pot. No reports. >> Food service committee, Miss Sumer. >> No report. >> Thank you. We'll now have our tax report by Amber Miller. >> Oh, since Mr. Borglone didn't want to talk about the legislature, I got Jack. >> You got it. >> I got >> But first off, for um schoolwork elections this month were $1.3 million, which is um I'm sorry. Yeah. 1.34 million which is 315,000 over the same time last year. We are at 8.3 million which is 831,000 over the same time last year. But okay guys, so let me tell you, I've already talked to Miss Lross. What um made it so high this time? We had a company that
025we were going to audit, but we decided to wait till after they started their project, and they voluntarily disclosed all the taxes they owed, and it was an $800,000 check to spread across the parish. So, that's why it's so high right now. At the same time, I have a $500,000 refund claim that is valid, and I was going to net them, but it's not in the same jurisdictions. So, City of Jennings would have had a negative for this month. So, what's going to happen over the next few months when we um start that claim, it's going to be a little bit lower than usual, but it's still still going to net out to where we are about 200,000 a little bit over in the black between the two. So, just wanted to let y'all know
026like you can get excited, but not too much about the 800. >> You're saying we had 800? >> Yes. But um okay, so the other thing I wanted to tell y'all about is it is session time and it's a fiscal session. So right now we are looking at two new House bills. One of them is House Bill 620. It's the constitutional amendment to let um to go to the voters again for them to get rid of having one local collector for each jurisdiction. they want to move it to state central. That's going to go to a vote of the people. If the people vote to amend the constitution, then house bill 658, if that would pass, would set up the program of state centralization. Um, this is going in the back of your information. I
027put a little bit extra on there right now that the tax department collects for y'all. This would add a layer to it to where if they do move to state central, the state will now charge you extra on top of what we charge you to collect the taxes and remmit them back to us. And so for one year, the average cost to the school board, you'd be losing almost $70,000 each year just for a to collect it when we're already doing that for y'all. Um, >> that account that counts labor and everything that we we're paying. >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. And um actually the way it's written for um written for State Central right now, everything stays with us except the collections. The money goes to them. They cut the checks back to us
028after the fact. Um they expect if they get checks, they'll have a 20-day turnaround to get us the money. If they have digital um credit card payments, they have 4 days to get us the money. And when they report it back to us, there's no detail. We don't get the information that we have now. So, if y'all have questions about businesses and stuff, we won't be able to answer them. >> How many times have we voted on? >> It has been voted at least twice in the past. Um, since 2015, it has been up at the legislature four to five times. >> Yeah. >> And think of this, every other year is fiscal. So, you could only four or five times in the last 10 years. That's every time they had a chance to do
029it, >> right? >> So, um, some >> failed every time >> it has, but it keeps getting closer. >> Yeah. >> So, we just want to make sure everybody um is aware of what's going on. I have some talking points on there for y'all just to kind of explain. That's from our attorney that we use for Jeff Davis and um also the Louisiana Association Tax Administrators. We had a special board meeting this morning and we passed a resolution opposing it and that will go out to the um chairperson of ways and means and fiscal committees. >> So >> that guy right behind you right there. >> Yeah, I just told Mr. Skip that I was going to bother him pretty soon. So >> to see who authored that 620 bill >> um they it's out
030of Lafayette. >> Yes, he did both of them. The language in the bill, does it say how this is supposed to benefit us as a parish or as a board? >> No. >> I've asked that question before and they could tell >> they couldn't answer it. I don't I don't >> The reason they keep saying they want it is to simplify collections, have one audit, one system of um filing. Well, we have a multi-parish audit system that we set up for them. It's been open for almost a little bit over three years. Not one person has requested to do a one allin-one audit. >> So, that's not why they want to do it. Um, we were forced in the last um session to set up a combined filing system for everybody. And I don't know
031if any of y'all have had to deal with that lately. If anybody has businesses, it opened um for the January returns and it's not going great. >> Um you file your state, you only put in a couple numbers and then it files all the rest of the locals for you, which is a great thing once it starts working, but they're already saying, "Well, we're going to get rid of that to do this and it's only been in play for a month." I've had to talk to own businesses, CPAs. They've been on phones for two to three hours at a time on hold trying to get help. But they do promise in the state central bill that they will have an employee dedicated 247 at the state to answer your questions if it passes. >> I
032don't know. >> You want us to vote no? >> I would. >> I'm giving you the information from the tax department of what happens and if you have more questions, I can answer those. But I cannot tell you to vote yes or no. I can just tell you what happens if they do. We will see. It's And this is another thing that I told y'all when we first started. Um it it's not going to affect my job. >> I'm not going to lose a job. My department's not going to lose their job. So this isn't something like please save our job and vote no. This is what is best for the community. We audit people. We help the locals. if they have questions, anything, we go out to help them. They come here. We get
033it all taken care of. We audit our audit um findings. If it's $500 or something, yeah, we're small, so I'm going to take that $500. Um the state, their base is $20,000. So, anything under that, >> they're not going to go after. So, it's just little things like that that we do. at an extra cost. >> Yes. >> Come in as an extra >> cost as an extra cost >> basically. >> Yeah. And they're just going to run as a like kind of POS system for us. >> So, >> I do want to say thank you for sending out the letter reminding everybody about April 1. I know I personally got a letter in a couple of weeks ago. I had another business owner came in and said to tell you thank you because he
034got one in reminding him. And this is just another reminder, guys. If any businesses call, the tax rate does go up April 1st. >> Yes. And Miss Doris um wrote about it and Miss Sheila is going to be writing about it. We have it on our Facebook page. Um I haven't had time to actually keep up with the Facebook page, but over the last few weeks we have been posting about this. So, um it's all out there. If anybody has questions, let us know. >> Thank you. >> You can send one to my state office. >> All right, guys. We'll now go to new business. I need a motion, a second to considerate approving I A I F S I S E USA moved. >> I got a motion by Mr. David Doy, a second
035by Mr. Greg Bordon. Any board discussion hearing? None. We'll now go to a vote. All in favor say I. I. >> All opposed. I have the motion passes. I need a motion, a second considering of approving the revised 2026 20227 Jefferson Davis pair school board calendar. >> Motion a motion by Miss Paul a second by Mr. Paul Trong. Any board discussion? I think we're bringing this back to y'all because fair day >> switched for the first time in forever. >> So bringing it back up >> just for this. So, any more board discussion, guys? >> I'm assuming there's a calendar that we can read on the website. >> Trust me, it's on there somewhere. >> Thanks. >> All right. Hearing none, we'll go to a vote. All in favor say I. I. >> All opposed.
036I have it. Motion passes. Uh, need a motion, a second to consider adopting the following school board member training resolution whereby each member of a city or peer school book. I got a motion by Miss Summerjourn, a second by >> Miss Paul. >> Any board discussion? >> I got something. >> Okay. Where on there does it say vector training here? So, they just threw that on us last year. >> The state required training. That's mandated by law. >> People are required to do that. That's way more than six hours when you add all that together. >> Yeah, but it can't count as your six hours. >> No, >> some of it does. Yeah, >> it does. You have to have one hour of ethics and five hours of the other ones, but those classes that
037are required are in excess of five hours. They're like 6 point >> two hours. Yeah. >> So, basically are are doing a minimum of six, seven, probably right at eight hours. Your name's on there that you've passed. So, >> are we going to be required to do that when we not going to be here? >> You'll have to complete it this year. >> Before December, before December, because you're an active board member right now, >> that's no big voted. >> Yeah. >> I don't want to find out this lawyer. Facebook. Don't Don't find out. Go through ethics. They can find you. I don't know about you. >> No, don't don't find out. >> Great. Look, you don't do yours. Everybody else will and you tell us what happened. >> You do that. You be the
038guinea pig and let us know. >> I'm do board discussion hearing. None. Let's go to vote. All in favor say I. All oppose. Eyes have. Motion passes. Need a motion a second to consideration of approving the following non-faculty coaches. I got a motion by Mr. Phil Arsson, a second by Mr. Paul Cron. Any board discussion hearing? None. We'll go to a vote. All in favor say I. >> I. >> All oppose. Eyes have. The motion passes. Informational piece consolences are extended to the families of Luis Mleen, Elton High School teacher who retired in 1978 with 35 and a half years of service. Norman Sonier, Welch High School cafeteria, who retired in 1998, 14 years of service. Monty Salute, Elton High School teacher, who retired in 1996 with 25 years of service. And Raymond Sigiraa, Elton
039Elementary School principal, who retired in 1999 with 30 years of service. Number two is the LSBA 2026 annual convention will be held in Baton Rouge on March 29th through the 31st of 2026. >> I'd like to recognize Mr. Borlaw and uh Mr. Dobson and Mr. Brook House will be honored at the convention for 24 years of service. be there. >> Just bring your gift certificate when you >> How many years, Miss De? >> 24. >> They're recognizing anybody with 24 and above. >> I don't think I had that. >> You don't. >> You have 20. >> All right. Well, now turn it over. >> Anyway, I said I said I'm sorry. >> We can go into executive session. Guys, I will need a motion, a second to enter into got a motion by Mr. Walker,
040a second by Miss Summerlander. >> Any board discussion? >> Hearing none, we'll go to a vote. All in favor? All opposed? Eyes have it. Motion passes. I would like to excuse everybody out of the room besides all active board members. Mr.