001File BCB, school board minute rules of procedures. An individual speaker 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 the agenda item prior to the schoolboard discussion on the agenda item. I will now call the Jeff Davis Pier School Board agenda meeting to order. Thursday, May 8th. Roll call, Miss Mr. Arseno here. Mr. Borlone here. Mr. Brook House here. Mr. Dobson here. Mr. Doies, Mr. Fry, Miss Jones, Miss Paula Lern here, Miss Summer Lern, Mr. Patterson here, Mr. Petri, Mr. Trhan here, Mr. Walker here. Somebody doesn't have their mic muted. Sorry. Um the record will reflect that I have no um request for public comment. Thank you. We will now have the prayer by Miss Summer and our
002pledge by Mr. Phil Arseno. Father, we come before you today, Lord, and we humbly ask that you bless this meeting. We thank you for the men and women that have come here tonight that could be spending time with their family or doing anything at their leisure, God, but are taking the time out, Lord, to make decisions for our schools. Lord, I pray that you just keep us in one mind and one accord and give us wisdom to do what's right for our students and our staff, God. And we thank you for the ability to do this, God. It is a privilege. It is an honor, God. And we love you and we thank you, Jesus. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands,
003one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Guys, I need a motion, a second to approve the schoolboard minutes of the regular meeting on April 7th. I got a motion by Mr. Borderline. A second by Miss Bajar. Any board discussion? All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Eyes have it. Motion passes. And a motion, a second to vote to change the order of topics to be addressed in the add new items not on the original agenda. So move. I got a motion by Mr. Troa, a second by Phil Arseno. Any board discussion? All in favor say I. I. All oppose. I have the motion passes. We'll now start on our board committee reports. I will now turn it over to finance committee. Uh we're going to have Mr. Walker read the
004first one for Mr. Phil. Finance committee request from the finance committee chairman, Mr. G Arsenal, that the school board grant permission to accept the following donations. Elton Elementary School, Agnu Agnu Pharmacy Lux, $100 funds to be used for teacher and staff appreciation week. Jennings High School, the Jennings High Jazzers to accept the following donations to be used by the F various activities and needs for the team. Donations of $300. Hat Creek Cattle donations of 250. Tiffany Caesar donations of 200. A1 Travis Bells donations of $100. Sam Bowden Services, Little Lamb Daycare, Carter Creative LLC, Leier Family Dentistry, Christian Cassidy LPC Nutrition Center, Farley's Automotive, Efficient Hair Systems, Sigma Healthc Care Consulting, Tibido Transportation Services, Young's AC, OP PH KPC, A1 Travis Bailbonds, Jackie Marso Jubert Family Dentistry Helping Hearts Transportation Lauren Heinen Don Dons Bale
005Bonding um Angel Jenkins Crawfish to Go Southside Automotive Daryls of Jennings Young's AC Brian Wilder Internal Mediana Farm Bureau Wilson's Plumbing OS Delhi Studio Go, Cassidy Insurance, MTS Services, Sparks Law Firm, DI's Restaurant, Showtime Detailing, um, Schultus, Schultus and Associates, Grass Co. LLC, Stanley and Tanya Boule, Toshco Sewer Systems, Port Aggregates, Edwards Family Med, donations of $50. WR Parker, Inc. 50 bucks. Tyrone and Marquet Anthony um $50. Mmic LLC 50 $50 Stewart Drum Store $50. These are all 50. Jennings Credit LLC, Jennings Living Center, Brown's Boiling House, Trisha Seon MC, Blackwater Gun Company, Toby's Barber Shop, Rita's Quicks Stop, Jennings Pediatric, uh, Royal Horizon, Lad Hedalgo Agency. Donations of miscellaneous amounts, Sharon Jackson, $30, Caroline, $27. Family drugstore, $25. Showtime deta detailing and other anonymous donors. $500 to the Jennings High School Key Club. Funds
006to be used for international convention. Welsh Elementary School. Donations to be used for library endofear splash bash celebration for students who earn 30 AR points. The Bank of Welsh 500. Mr. Ronnie Petri $125 Morrison surveying David and Ronda Mott $200 Mr. Paul Trohon school board member $100 Sheriff Kyle Mir Mir I'm sorry $100 Blake Mr. Blake Fry, schoolboard member, $100. Welsh High School funds to be used towards student rewards. Welsh Donuts, 300. Pat Desertel, 100 funds to be used toward good behavior rewards throughout the year. Mr. Clint 100 9 stops 1,000. Welsh varsity cheer parents $10,671 to high school cheer funds to go towards cheer cost throughout the year. Welsh Welsh softball backers $75657 to softball funds to be used towards expenses. Mr. President, um I'd like to go on the record and said I
007need to recuse from voting. You need to recuse. Okay. I think we have a couple more. I think Mr. Trul Arsenal and myself, Greg Patterson. We all need that you miss. I have a motion by Mr. I mean by Walker. I have a second. I have a second by David Owies. Mr. David. Any board discussion. I'd like to just say thank you for everybody. Yes. No response. Thank you for reading it all. Thank you. All in favor say I. All oppose. Eyes have it. Motion passes. Accept the lowest bid from waste connections for the 25 2025 2028 Jeff Davis Paris School Board Parishwide garbage collection and disposal of refuse for total base cost of the three-year contract $263,95160. I have a motion by Mr. Arsenal, a second by Summer. Any board discussion? Hearing none. All
008in favor say I. All oppose. I have it. I'm sorry. I have it. Motion passes. Let the record reflect that Miss Jones did enter and she hears present today. Thank you. Accept the catalog bid from the treehouse for the 2025 2026 Jeff Davis Parish School Board Parishwide computer printing supplies bid. Second. I got a motion by Mr. Phil. I got a second by Mr. TR. We have any discussion. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Eyes have it. Motion pass. Grant permission to the child nutrition program accept the bids on the following small items for the 2025 2026 school year. I got a motion by Mr. Arsenal. I got a second by Miss Summer. Any board discussion? All right. All questions for Miss uh Coleman. Miss Coleman is here. Mr. Coleman, uh on the
009the feeding program, Mr. Hall kind of answered, but we weren't 100% sure. But if they have kids at home that are not in school age yet, they can sign up those kids, too. You're talking for the boxes? Yeah. Yes. It's open for anyone zero to 18. Zero to 18. Yeah. newborn. I don't care if they were born that day. They are eligible, but we do have a registration online only this year. There is no paper registration. So, we're encouraging everyone said the 28th and then we'll open it up again on the uh starting June the 2nd on-site registration and then June 9th. Oh, okay. After that, we will have no more registration. Let's pick up them at schools, right? They pick them up at the school. The same schools except for Jennings High. We're going
010to do Jenny's Elementary. Due to the flow of the traffic, they have that downp packed. We just need to figure out logistically how to do that. Okay. I appreciate it. Thank you. That's why I'm looking like this today. I've been out there sweating trying to figure out how we're going to get all this done, but we're going to get it done. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Co. All right, we'll go to vote. All in favor say I. I oppose. I motion passes. Grant permission to approve the proposed 2025 2026 technology budget submitted by Lori Duhan technology supervisor the largest increase I got a motion by Mr. Arsenal a second by Mr. mailing box. Any board discussion? We'll go to vote. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Eyes. Motion passes. Grant permission
011for the purchase of 50 Dale computers at a cost of $641.73 each to continue to update to our existing BCA labs. These I got a motion by Mr. Arson, a second by Mr. Bordalong. Any board discussion? All in favor say I. I. All oppose. I have it. Motion pass. Grant permission for the purchase of 25 Dale computers at a cost of 64173 each to update the second BCA. I got a motion by Mr. Arsenal, a second by Miss Janet Jones. Any board discussion? All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Eyes have it. Motion pass. Grant permission to accept change order number one on the Jeb Davis Paris School Board Jennings Ward 2 improvements phase 4 Jerry Simmon Stadium's improvement project. I got a motion by Mr. Arseno. A second byp. Any board discussion hearing?
012None. We'll go to vote. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Eyes have it. Motion passes. That will conclude my report. Thank you sir. We'll now go to insurance. Mr. Blake Petri hearing none. No report. Buildings and ground committee. David Dodies. No report. A policy. Mr. Russell Walker. No report. Transportation committee. Mr. Greg Bordon. No report. 16th section. Charles Brooks. No report. War two. Miss Paul. No report. Legislative. Greg Bordal. I'm just going to get Mr. Hall. It's our pass committee. U but it has gone to the full going to Senate next possibly next week which allows us to get a half a cent tax to give all our employees raises been working on it for about three years. So we're finally coming together with it. Yeah. It allows it to go before the
013vote. It's got to go to the vot. All the parishes around us have already passed one. So, so we'll give our voters of Jeff Davis Parish the ability to give our teachers and staff a just to be clear on that. Yeah. What's the range? $1,000 or It would be depending on the sales tax. It could it could go it could fluctuate every year, right? And it it would be a one time was that? Yes. It would be like it would be a stipen. It would not go into their salary schedule. So it would be a stipen because it would be based on the amount of collections in taxes that year. Yearly. So every year it could fluctuate depending on the amount of taxes. We had a hurricane that is so busy. Might get a good
014one. Yeah. I do want to say this. Mr. Paul went and testif uh gave his testimony at the legislature. So he's trying too to help the employees too. So for that thank you. Thank you. That conclud. Yes sir. Awesome. Thank you. Long range planning Mr. Paul. No report. And food service committee Miss Summer Leger. Um this Tuesday I went and met with Miss Tina at the um the warehouse and just got a tour of everything because I didn't get to go the first time and there's a number of projects that need to be done to you know that need to be done but I think Mr. Risho already has those on his list to get done like the roof and the there's a tour upstairs and stuff like that. Um and she also um is
015getting a fresh quote because the last quote she got for that big freezer that they are desperately in need of was from 2023. So, she's getting a fresh quote from I think it's another vendor, right, Miss Gina? Or is it the same vendor? Different vendor. And u I believe it's going to have the installation with that as well on in the quotes. So, we could see I like I told them, I know it's we can't get them a new freezer next week, but and we already got the budget set for next year, but we definitely need to work towards that, I believe, because it's it's dire need. But it was a good meeting. Thank you. Yeah, it was fun when we went out there, too. Well, I'm going to go back in July if anyone
016that didn't get to go the first time. Um because they're not doing cold pools right now because school's almost done. But in July, she said they're going to be doing the process where they have to take all the food out and put it all. So, y'all want to come with me? I'll let y'all know if I'm available. Yeah, that sounds good. Just let us let us know. I appreciate it. We will now move on to sales tax report by Miss Amber Miller, our tax collector. Hello everybody. How are y'all doing? Hey, how are you doing? I am happy. I don't know if you noticed, but I changed the color to green this month. Pep it up a little bit. But um let's see. For April 2025, the school board collected 1.2 million and some change,
017which is $95,000 over the same time last year. So year to date, we are at just over 9,725. So we are $70,000 over year to date last year. So we're doing good. We're getting better. Now I don't have the same experience at the legislature as the good news that you had. So um we were there this week. We are going to be there next Monday and Tuesday again. Um, I wanted to let y'all know a couple things coming up that if you have somebody you can talk to, please talk to them, our representatives, everybody, and let them know that this will very much affect us negatively. So, these brain numbers will be read if this goes through um for a long time. Uh, Monday is House Bill 229 by McCormick. Food for home consumption. That
018is any food that you buy at the grocery store that you will um or a restaurant or a bakery or anything like that that you take to eat at the house. I was able to do an estimate for this um in 23 and 24. If we took those num the amounts that we got from those taxes, the school board would take a loss of almost $1.1 million. Wow. For the year. And sales tax district one is also y'all's. Um that's $172 to $180,000 a year if they exempt that. Um the plan is the state they want the tax bases to come together. The state exempts that parishes have the option to. Well, the state has 64 parishes that they get other taxes from. We are a parish by ourself and we have these businesses. We
019don't have a way to recoup that money if they exend it from us. and they're not giving us a way to recoup it. It's just it's going away. That's it. So, they will that's going before Ways of Means Monday. We will be there to testify and put in opposition cards if anybody would like to take a visit to the capital. Be a great day to go. Even better day to go would be Tuesday for House Bill 606. That is Representative Turner and that exempts prescription drugs and insulin. So all prescription drugs, everything will be exempt. There's no way for me to get a estimate on that because it's mixed in with everything else the um businesses sell. Like if you go to CVS or something, it has everything. So I can't there's no way to
020separate that. But these are two that would really hurt us if they exempt them. So just be aware. And if y'all have anybody to talk to or you want to kind of let your representatives know, it would be a good time to get in their ear before next week. Thank y'all. All right. Now, moving on to new business. Um, a motion a second to approve the following job description. Jeff Davis Paris School job description created May 2025 title literacy mentor on a SL move. I have a motion by Mr. Bill Arson. I got second by Miss Summerlearner. any board discussion? We're gonna let John go ahead and kick it off first, guys. He's gonna talk to us about this grant. Yeah. So, this this is really good news for us. Uh Dr. Cheryl wrote a
021grant. Um it was a long shot to begin with. Matter of fact, whenever we first started, it was we we kind of knew the odds against us and uh whether or not we wanted to put that much manpower into it. Uh she said, "Give it to me. I got it." She went with it. and um only or right at only 20% of the people who or the parishes who uh apply for the grant got it. So we were we were very fortunate. So what this does is it creates two positions uh that are kind of like our instructional coaches except it it is specifically for literacy and monitoring uh literacy in schools that are struggling in literacy. So, um, so it's really good because, you know, we're we're trying to we already have instructional coaches
022and those were positions that were year-to-year and with our budget and this came in and and so now we're able to uh to at least have two people. Now, what we're going to do is we're going to interview for these two positions. So, uh anyway, it's really good. I just want to reiterate again, thank you for Dr. Cheryl to uh doing this. I think she's she's watching. Doug Cheryl, thank you. $185,000. So, are you going to raise someone from with within the school system already or something? We're gonna Well, we Yeah, we we would like to always hire from within. Uh we're going to hire the two best people that we that we have apply. Mr. Hall, I did speak with Mr. Oellet on that and he told me there was over 96 applicants and
023they only handed out 25 of those um grants. So I mean we hats off to Dr. Cheryl. Yeah, absolutely. And um and I if I'm understanding that's going to serve us through the schools in our parish, correct? And that was junior high schools. Do you want to Well, I'm not I don't want to answer that question. Um, Dr. Cheryl can, but uh I I'll get I'll let y'all know tonight. Not now, though. Let know later once I get the answer. Don't raise Dr. Cheryl for that. Any more uh board discussion on this, guys? All right. We'll now vote, guys. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Eyes have it. Motion passes. Grant permission for the following out of state travel Jes principal David Reed to travel to Bentonville, Arkansas. June. I got a motion
024by Mr. Bordal. A second by Phil Arseno. Any board discussion? You're going to refuse? I guess me too. So, uh, we have Charles Brook House and David Owies recusing vote. All righty, guys. We'll now go to vote. All in favor say I. I. Oppose. Eyes have it. Motion passes. There's a tie for Oh, okay. Thank you. Dilly noted. Sorry about that, S. Now, uh, amendment to new business grant permission for the following out of state travels high school senior beta students and sponsors to travel to Orlando, Florida. I got a motion by Chara. I got a second by Mr. David, I'm sorry, by Mr. Charles Brook House. Any board discussion? All in favor say I. All oppose. Eyes have it. Motion passes. Discussion of new business. uh school dress code for 2025 2026 and I
025think Miss Paula Leern yes was approached by some school administrators wanting to remove the words no exposed labels or logos from our policy manual in regards to shirts and it's also there for pants and shorts but they didn't say that they just feel like it's kind of an outdated policy because with secondhand stores, Goodwill, you can sometimes get those shirts that are a better quality for a cheaper price than a cheaper shirt. And uh also the kids are going around it with uh I think the intention behind the policy was to put everyone on an equal level and um their tennis shoes are kind of the status symbol for the schools right now. And so they just felt like uh the kids who want to wear polo, as long as they're in the right color
026or Tommy Hilfiger or whatever, they should be allowed to wear those. When we did that quite a few years back, we were having bullying problems, right, with the shoe brands and the clothes brands. And that's why we did that. But there's no policy still on shoes. There's none on shoes. No, I thought we had done it on shoes, too. But I know we did. Several kids at my church how much their shoes were last night, and nobody had shoes that under $100 a pair. Yeah, I guess I'll buy at a cheaper store then. You know, it's Yeah, like Mr. Bord Mr. Bordon, I remember when we did this. And me personally, I'm not in favor. I think every kid should be dressed the same and on equal playing field. Uh that's just we had a
027lot of issues back then and I really don't care to go through that again. That was more than we thought. Okay. You just open for discussion. We just promised we would bring it up. They did say they had good kids putting that logo out to be able to and sewing it up. Oh, it to me it just became a competition. It became who could wear the most expensive. I just rather keep everybody on the same. That's just my opinion. That's the status system they were looking for. Yes, sir. Yes. I think you could tell the difference though. But even in the quality of shirts if you go to Walmart or if you go to Old Navy. So to me it's like because I went to school whenever you had to have uniforms and um people
028got picked on because they had the cheaper uniform looking shirt. So it's like kids are going to pick on each other. Kids look cool. Yeah. Kids be like you got the see-through shirt. Is that Is that Miss Paula? Yes. Unless do we need to put it in there for a vote or she can make a motion if she wants to put it to that would have come before the policy committee right now. But if you'd like to, we can put it before policy committee for the next meeting. Okay. Can we put it before the to vote on if we're gonna allow allow the take out the wording? Yes. Just the wording. No, exposed labels or logos. I Miss Francis said just let her know. Okay. All right, guys. We have a couple of uhformational pieces
029that um Okay, we'll read number one. The Jeff Davis Pair School Board job fair will be held on Monday, June 10th, 2025 from 8:30 to 11:00 at Welch High School and also the uh Jeffos Parish Department. June 2nd. You said June. I'm sorry. June 2nd. Awesome. Okay. All righty, guys. And then we have some uh personnel changes that y'all can read. We'll go down to the superintendent comments. Yes. I um some more good news came. Um, and I I want to I'd rather start off by asking Mr. Rishard to let y'all know what's going on in detail about the HVAC. U Mr. Hall's leadership, he uh signed us up for Energy Louisiana HVAC tuneup program. So the company's M3 services, they come in, they clean, check your pressures, check all your voltage, and document all
030your AC and heat equipment, and they give you a full report. make any minor corrections or adjustments to all of your HVAC systems free of charge through the energy solutions grant program. Um in St. Tam they spent 450 hours they service 55 sites and 840 air conditions free of charge to St. Tamony Parish and the goal is to lower your energy costs through cleaner better operating HVAC systems. So, Miss Lro and her staff got all our utility bills, sent it sent it in. We mailed our application and we're pending um approval and set up. Every school except for the two schools that are not on energy in our district. So, 11 of 13 those two schools Welsh schools. Okay. Yeah. Welsh Ron Oak is but Welsh Elementary and Welsh High. So, um, thank you, Mr.
031Hall, for for that. And I think it's going to be great for our district. Thank you. But this adds a lot to your plate, you know, so because you're you're you're gonna this is going to be for [Music] that concludes. Can I say something real? Yes, you sure can. I'm so sorry. Um, Miss Lero kind of reminded me that I didn't say this. Um, sorry. It goes before the House next week. If it dies there, it dies. If it go if it passes there, it goes to the Senate and then it can die or go further to the floor. So, we have two more times after this. Yeah. It's not all next week, but they're both in committee next week. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Sorry about that. Very nice. Can I get a motion to
032adjurnn in a second? Move. Got a motion by Mr. Dobson. Second. Second by Mr. Tro. Any board discussion? All in favor? Say I. I. All oppose. I s we are done.