001[music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] Hey, Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Hey. [music] [music] Hey. Hey. Heat. [music] [music] Heat. [music] Hey, hey. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. stairs. There's more. [music] >> [music] [music] >> 2026 St. Tammy Parish School Board meeting is called to order. Miss Kley, please call the RO. >> Miss Martin, >> here. >> Mr. Green, Miss Hans, Miss Rutherford, Miss Flor, Mr. Harold, Miss Moore, Dr. Peterson, Miss Baker, Miss McCullum, Miss Lamey, Miss Hers, Mr. Bro, Mr. Kuzanne, Miss Rafino. >> Tonight, our invocation and pledge will be led by Mr. Heavenly Father, watch over us >> and guide us. >> Keep us safe as we make decisions that affect the lives of students of St. Amy Parish
002School. >> And we pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. >> Amen. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the stand one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Do I have any board members who would like to recognize any visitors? Miss Gallagher, >> you know, it's not necessarily visitors, but um good luck tonight to Mandville High School girls soccer team who plays in the second round of the playoffs. Good luck to the Northshore High School boys who played tonight in the second round of the playoffs. Congratulations to the Northshore girls who won last night and are on their way to the quarterfinals. And I would like to recognize Grace Keane who came here before she was the state champion. She also went to
003the last chance qualifier indoor track meet and she set the meet record in the 1600 meters with a time of 4 minutes 57.27 27 seconds I think that is and I believe she was named LHSA cross country player person whatever of the year. So congratulations to all of them and best of luck to [applause] them all. >> Anyone else? [laughter] >> That's right. >> Next we have our superintendent update. Mr. Mr. >> Thank you, President Martin. board members. Um, quick week just a few updates for you guys. We hosted leadership St. Tam uh on Wednesday. Great group of people. Uh, love telling our story. Uh, got to have some great conversations and welcome to our schools. They got to come in person with our kids and our administrators and uh just appreciate that organization. It's
004a great group. uh our leadership groups on both sides of the parish uh do a great job preparing future leaders of St. Tammy. So I appreciate all they do. Uh today went to Coven Elementary for a cool parade this morning to start off our day and then Shima hosted their annual parade. Moore, thank you for having us. Miss Moore had central office there and Mr. Ibisada, our parish councilman there to be in the parade. Great turnout. Uh lots of parents came out which was absolutely amazing. Kids did a tremendous job. So I just appreciate that opportunity to be part of that. So thank you Miss Thank you very much. Appreciate you. >> Um last thing uh I'm asking principles to think outside the box and create a way for students to um >> get their
005inner competition spirits out a little bit. So let's check out a little video of a math challenge created by Carol Park and Florida Avenue. >> So this was the I Ready Math. So that was the I Ready Math Challenge against Florida Avenue and us here at Carolyn Park Middle School. It started in the fall in October [music] where we started by judging the students participation on a monthly basis and then it ended with our middle of the year diagnostic showing which schools showed the most growth overall. So here at Carolyn Park our middle of the year diagnostic showed that we have more than doubled student growth from how they started this school year [music] and where they are now. As educators, we realize that good positive competition encourages growth. [music] Um, for the students is
006no longer a task. It takes on a whole meaning because at that point it's them believing [music] in themselves and putting forth that effort and seeing what they can do. >> I'm extremely proud of our math [music] students for winning this math challenge. It increased their confidence and it showed them that when they [music] work really hard, they can achieve all of their goals. >> It is so awesome to win this math challenge because it shows me I can work hard and get great results. >> This competition helped me to believe in myself [music] and now I realize that I can do anything. [music] So, like I said, I've been asking principles to think outside the box. You know, testing, unfortunately, that number is going to define all of us. Uh, so I've asked him
007to really think outside the box and think about some ways to create some competitions or to challenge kids to to work a little bit harder or, you know, let their inner competition spirits come out. So, I really appreciate them thinking outside the box. And really, I'm going to encourage more schools to to shoot for goals and have goals, whether it be through LEAP or other assessments uh to try to find some way to reward kids uh for going a little above and beyond. So, I just appreciate the principles taking a little time again to think outside the box and our teachers thinking outside the box. So, that kind of wraps up our week for this week, Miss Martin. Thank you very very much. >> Thank you, Superintendent Jav. Do we have any questions from the
008board? I want to ask that all students or is it like >> that that was all students in that grade level? Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. We were very excited. >> All right. Next, we have our curriculum and instruction school counselor spotlight by Dr. >> Thank you, President Martin. Um, tonight Miss Holt is here and she is going to share uh just information about our unbelievable counseling program and our counseling instructional leadership team. So, I'm going to turn it over board member, superintendent, and gas. As a secondary supervisor, I have the wonderful opportunity of working side by side with our high school and junior high counselors. >> Visiting so many schools and having the opportunity to work with so many talented individuals is very inspiring. ing and I want to share some of the
009work that they do with you. >> The vision of our counselor team, that's an instructional leadership team, >> we call it an IL, was to create a group of practicing school counselors who could come together to support and to strengthen our counseling departments across the district. This team focuses on professional growth, mentoring, communication, and building systems so that every counselor has the tools and the guidance that they need to have successful schools and effectively impact students. I'd like to share a video with you highlighting just a glimpse of what our counselors do and what is >> [music] >> So a counselor's job is extremely challenging um most days, but it's so rewarding. A counselor's impact is not seen immediately most of the time. So the benefit is years later when I run into parents, students
010and they're in the community and they're very successful working as doctors, lawyers, teachers, firemen, that is the fulfilling part of our job. >> The instructional leadership team is represented by several counselors throughout the district through grade levels, elementary, middle, junior, and high school. Its purpose is has been and is intended to be um an opportunity for school counselors to sit down at a table and focus on clear guidance, shared learning opportunities, and system support for both new [music] and seasoned school counselors. High school counselors are heavily involved in instructional leadership team meetings as this is where we look at data to get information to provide supports for parents, students and teachers. >> So the purpose of instructional leadership teams is is just that um to be leaders for your school um to be leaders for
011your students, for your staff and it's setting some precedents. It's setting a tone for what things should look like and best practices. >> The best part of my job is getting to work with [music] students and to hear their story and getting to support them through difficult things and or challenges that they may be facing. And the leadership [music] team helps me to be more intentional in finding the need that that's out of school. >> [applause] >> Tonight, I'd like to introduce you to the six counselors who volunteer their time outside of their school day to be leaders for counselors across the district. Some of them are here with us tonight. So, if you please stand when I say your name. We have Stephanie Bordon representing Fifth War Junior High. Michelle, Lakeshore High School. Michelle
012Eckles, Project Team East, [applause] and she's present. [laughter] Kimberly McKinley, South Blue High, >> Carolina Morris, Folsam Junior High, [applause] and Haley Soas at Fountain Blue Junior High. Thank you for your knowledge, partnership, and leadership. [applause] As we recently celebrated National Counselor Appreciation Week on February 2nd through the 6th, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of our counselors across the district. Counselors wear so many hats serving in so many numerous roles and their work is often quiet, but the impact is profound. So with great respect, I want to say thank you to all of our professional schoolers. >> Thank you. [applause] >> And if any counselors are listening and they're interested in joining the IL team, please send me an email. Thank you. [applause] >> Do I have any comments or
013questions from board members? Don't go home without your little >> misser. Dr. Peterson was not here to see his daughter on TV. Just so you know. So, thank you to each and every one of you out there. Um, we've dealt with many of the counselors at the schools and we appreciate all that you guys do. >> Mr. school. >> It varies based on student enrollment. Um, but typically one in the elementary, middleles, and junior highs and anywhere from, you know, two to four in our high schools. >> Two to four in high school. What about the elementary school >> and five high elementary schools? >> one. >> Okay. Do we have any professional compounds that go into the elementary schools? >> We also have MHP. We have MHPS and we have a counselor for this,
014you know, two in different roles at each high school at each school, elementary, middle, middle, middle, and junior high. >> Thank you. Thank you, >> Mr. Ky. And I'd just like to clarify. So, I'm the secondary. Um, so I support their junior high and high school, but I have a counterpart who supports elementary counselors. So, my shout out is to all of them, but the team is strategic to junior high and high school. >> I think they're definitely needed in all schools. as many comments as we can get. The way the way the situation today, we need as many comments as we can get. Thank you very much. >> I agree. Thank you, Mr. >> Next. Um, Miss Pos, will you please introduce our guest and go over a few financial items? >> Yes. Thank
015you, Mrs. Martin. Good evening, board and superintendent Javia. Um, the next three items uh relate to my finance department, so we ask that you hold your comments and questions till the end. At this time, I'd like to introduce Lester J. Rishu the third CPA. He is a partner with Modlin and Jenkins LLC. It was formerly Leaport CPAs and Business Advisors. And he heads up our audit team. So, he's going to present some awards and present our audit tonight. >> Good evening everyone. I'm here tonight to present two awards to the St. Tony Paris School Board's finance department. And these are the the highest award you can get as far as financial reporting. They're the certificates of excellence in financial reporting. One is from the GFOA, the Government Finance Officers Association. The other is from the
016Association of School Board Officials International. And I think we did the count. This is 37 years in a row. So if you think about it, what's happened in 37 years, just go back in time, think about I guess that puts us somewhere in the in the '9s. So for 37 straight years, the St. Timothy Parish School Board's finance department has been >> achieving excellence in their financial reporting. So certainly a significant award. So Gary, why don't you come on up and take these? And congratulations again on once again getting the certificate of excellence. [applause] >> So next up, we'll talk about the the 2025 fiscal year end audit. Um so hopefully we'll get another certificate next year and I'm I'm confident that will happen again. Uh we completed our audit, you know, again, uh this
017is for June 30, 2025 year end. So, we finished that. Uh, we're compliance wise, we're required to submit that before December 31st. We met the deadline. Um, we conducted our audit and once again um I think you're probably used to I've done this a couple years in a row now. It's it's a clean audit, no modifications to the opinion. And what that essentially means is um and and I can't recall, but you know, I've never can't remember a time when we would even contemplate a journal entry. Um, it's very clean set of books and just so you know, you know, I know you look at this every month. I think the information you're getting is very reliable, something you can use to make your decisions on a monthly basis, but certainly when we get to
018year end, these financial statements are unmodified. We issue a clean report. Uh, the other the other part of that audit that we do, you know, we think about it, we issue a report on internal controls and compliance. Those are kind of the things that we're looking at from the legislative audit perspective where they want us to look at certain laws and regulations that you have to comply with. And that report was a clean report as well. No issues to report there. And then the the next report that we issue is that federal awards um >> opinion where we look at the federal programs that you receive the money and we can once again we didn't have an issue there. So you know we do a lot of testing. It takes about I guess we probably
019come in around right after you finish the AFR. we kind of invade your office October 1st or so and get in the business and uh we sit around conference room and spend a lot of time testing and looking through things and you know again I do want I just want to first first take a take a moment thank Terry and her staff sitting here you know we couldn't do this without them you know so first of all [applause] >> you know a clean opinion is is a testament to to their hard work and what they're doing every day but we didn't have any issues with any of the controls that we test. And again, um it's a it's a difficult task and we're kind of getting in their business on a on a daily basis
020while they're trying to do their day jobs and we're we're looking back into the past. So, I do want to thank them for all their help. So, I'm happy to answer any questions about the audit. I know this is an extensive document. I'm sure each one of you have gone page by page and read all this. It's very thrilling, but I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Any questions by board members for >> Mr. Speaker Speaker, >> just for clarity, did you say there were Did Did you say zero journal entries? >> No, we never we've never I can't recall a time when we've proposed a journal entry or anything that would need correction or anything like that. So, it's a clean set of books when we get them and we just uh you know,
021and they prepare the financials. No issues there. >> I I've never [laughter] heard that in my life. >> Just a we have had one, but it was many many years ago like like 20 something years ago. Um but yeah, we had had things that came up before that is truly so >> Mr. Green. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. >> I was just wondering so 37 years times two plaques. >> So whose office has a wall big enough for 74? [laughter] >> They're all across the conference room down the hall. >> No, that's great. Congratulations. welld deserved. We we know that >> the work that you guys do is is tremend like the line items in our budget. You know the just the way you have to track all that the transparency that we have with
022our taxpayers in terms of what we provide >> in terms of information for all these groups that are kind of looking after us and making sure that we're spending dollars where they need to be spent. So congratulations to your team. We thank you for your hard work and uh you know your tireless efforts. Miss Pos, I will get to board member comment on just a second. I just wanted to thank my staff. I do have some of them here. They don't get to come to these meetings very often. So, I have Gary Silva. Could you stand up? >> He's our [applause] He's my chief accountant. He's mainly responsible for the financial statements. So, he does all the puts that that big document together. Um, I have Tammy Ryan here. She's a supervisor of payroll. So,
023as you know, >> [applause] >> And we have Ron Randolph here. Of course, everyone knows him. He's supervisor. [applause] All my 21 staff members are outstanding. I'm very proud of them and the work we do. Um it's it's it's a a tight operation and um it's amazing what they get done. Um a lot of people don't realize how much that goes through our department. So just to thank them from the bottom of my heart. So >> thank you. Thank you >> Miss Moore. >> Sure. >> Um one of the things when I first became a school board member I I was fiscally responsible for whatever. So thank you for making us look very well very good. All of your staff I know how much goes into it. Just my little accounting for my you know
024is a lot. So, thank you again for keeping it together and making us look fantastic. Thank you so much, >> Mr. Bro. >> Thank you. >> Um, 37 years, the highest awards for excellence. >> Uh, you know, it speaks for itself. We kind of get blas. We almost spect. But, but very few school systems can can claim this uh this kind of record. And and you know I think I speak for the whole board when I say congratulations. You know you really demonstrate your professionalism and I thank you very much >> Mr. >> I'd just like to say how proud I am of one of my former students part of that team for a great number of years. Mr. Randolph was a student of mine at SL High School. I just want you all to
025[applause] >> Miss McCullum. >> Well, most everyone that has commented I share your uh your thoughts already. I just this is as Miss Baker said, everyone this is amazing and I just want y'all to know we do appreciate you. Uh this is a tremendous I mean all you have to do is look at this and know how much work has to go into this and uh we really appreciate all of your hard work. Even though we don't always say it, we know you're doing it and um and it is amazing work. Thank you all so much. >> Mr. just just I wanted the board members to finish their comments. As Terry stated, I I can't say enough about our finance department. The volume of I don't think I don't I don't think you quite understand
026how many transactions happen in that department from Miss Ryan payroll to purchasing to Miss Silvin all he does every day with keeping the books with Terry and his team her team manages. I don't think anybody quite understands the volume when you have 6,000 employees, 55 schools plus our sites that need things done right away and they are amazing. So, Mr. Rishu, thank you for taking the time. I really do appreciate the awards. I just our team is amazing. So, thank you all very much. Thank you. Thank you. >> More more thing. It's my understanding and you please confirm this, Miss Pos, but y'all are doing this amazing work and this massive amount of work with less employees than you've had in the past. Am I correct about saying that? That's correct. We had 30 at
027one time when I when I was first appointed CFO and through attrition, we've eliminated non-positions. >> So, and we're doing it better and more efficiently. >> All right. Right. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right, moving along. Next, we have our consent agenda. Uh, are there any board members who would like to remove an item from the consent agenda? >> Okay, I will read them all. Approval of minutes for the regular meeting held January 15th, 2026. Recommends acceptance of the high school science instructional materials as presented. recommends acceptance of the proposed calendar for the 2027 2028 school year. Recommends acceptance of a resolution adopting portions of executive order JML25-104 for the purpose of procurement of copyrighted materials and publications other goods and services. recommends acceptance of the low base bid submitted by Blanchard Construction
028Company LLC in the amount of $789,000 for the Campus Electrical and Special Systems Refeed at Cington Elementary School STPS project number 1918. Recommends acceptance of the low base bid submitted by My Services, Inc. in the amount of $34,850 for the new paved parking lot at Little Oak Middle School STPS project number recommends acceptance of the low base bid submitted by Mark G. in the amount of $276,150 for the cafeteria building addition for restroom and alterations to stage area at Pearl River High School STPS project number 1954. That that's all the consent items. Do I have a motion? Mr. Bro, do I have a second? Mr. Kuzanne, comments by the public, >> comments by board members. >> Everyone, please vote. And that passes unanimous. Okay, that passes unanimously. Well, I'm sorry, that passes with one abstension.
029>> Um, next we have two retirement resolutions. Mr. Alto, >> thank you, M. Martin. Superintendent Javian board appropriate retirement resolution of the following certificated personnel subsequent to the January 15 2026 meeting Cara El Twilly Florida Avenue Elementary 24.89 years 20.06 years in St. Tam Parish Lynn M Crawford Northshore High 34.62 years 19.65 in St. Tam Parish Christine L Schneider Pontraran Elementary 34.57 years 19.61 61 years in St. Tam Parish and Sandra H. George Funk Middle 33.59 years 26.59 years in St. Tam Parish. >> Do I have a motion? Mr. Bro, do I have a second? Second, >> Miss Moore. Uh, comments by the public. >> Questions from the board. I >> ask it all the time. Do we have um replacements? I'm assuming certified personnel or either a teacher, a counselor, somebody has tested. Yeah,
030the these positions here are mostly for the end of the school year. Only one that I'm looking at is right now and that is covered, but these will be advertised at [clears throat] transfer. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Everyone please vote. That passes unanimously. Mr. >> Thank you all again. Appropriate retirement resolution of the following employee support services personnel subsequent to the January 15th, 2026 meeting. Wanda C. Yates, Little Pearl Elementary, 19.61 years, all in St. Tam Parish. Nancy L. Brown, Riverside Elementary, 28.79 years. 26.79 years in St. Tam Parish. and Sheridan M. Lang transportation center 28.32 years all in St. Parish. >> Do I have a motion? >> Mr. Susan, do I have a second? Miss McCullum. >> Question. Sorry. Comments by the public. >> Questions by board members. >>
031Everyone, please vote. Vote. And that passes unanimously. Thank you. >> Uh next we have correction to uh uh certification of board member training hours from the January 2026 meeting. Superend. >> Yes. Thank you, Miss Martin. >> So, so as reported the training hours by about our board members training time uh in January, they were incorrect. Uh so I've given you on board docs the updated uh numbers and the correction uh duly noted as Miss Martin had 42 hours 8 hours were missing from our October 2025 LSBA trail uh blazer convention. So again those are on board docs and for the record uh that that correctly uh outlines the number of hours that our board members received. So sorry for that miscalculation. >> Thank you. Next we have three minutes public comments. >> It does not.
032It's just a report. Just a report. >> Um Mr. Brent Osborne. >> All right. He waves it. So there will be no uh public comment. Next we have announcements. Our schools will be closed February 16th through the 20th for our Montyra holidays. Central office and sites will be closed February 16th through the 18th and our March committee meeting will be on Thursday, March 5th at 6:00 p. p.m. in Covington. Uh we do have an executive session tonight. Uh do I have a Do I have to read? >> Do you have to read them? >> You're no. >> Does she do you have to read all those? >> No. Okay. Uh, do I have a motion to go into Miss Baker? >> I have to. >> Yeah. Um, do I have a second? >> Mr. Green.
033All right. Any comments by the public? Questions from the board? All right. All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? All right. We are now in executive session.