001Heat. [music] [music] Hey. Hey. Hey. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. [music] Heat. [music] Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. [music] Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Welcome to our meeting tonight everyone. This is our board meeting for January 15,
0022026. Miss Kley, would you please take the role? >> Miss Martin >> here. >> Mr. Green. >> Miss Hansen, >> here. >> Miss Rutherford >> here. Miss Font Laoy >> here. >> Mr. Harold. >> Miss Moore >> here. >> Dr. Peterson he's here. Miss Baker >> here. >> Miss McCullum >> here. >> Miss Lamey >> here. >> Miss Hurst. Mr. Bro >> here. >> Mr. Kuzanne here. >> Miss Profino Gallagher >> here. >> Our invocation tonight will be given by Aaron Anderson from Covington Elementary School. And our prayer will be given by Zamir uh Houston from Cington High School. Flag of United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please bow your heads. Dear God, thank you for bringing us
003here tonight. Please bless our school board, our leaders, our teachers, and our families with wisdom and strength. Help us be respectful, responsible, and kind in everything we do. Thank you for the Lions Link program and for the chance to grow as leaders on and off the court. keep our school safe and help us make choices that make you proud in Jesus name. Amen. >> Aaron Zamir, thank you. Y'all did a great job. Uh board members, do I have anyone who would like to recognize anyone here? Miss Hansen, >> I'd like to recognize again Coington Elementary. It's my school. So glad to have y'all here, Miss Houston. Nice to see y'all and happy new year. And what a wonderful way to start off the new year. And also to coach Rushing and Coington High basketball members
004and beautiful prayer words of words to live by. >> Mr. Kuzian, >> I'd like to recognize Brock Elementary School for for an honor they bestowed on me for National School Board Member Week Month. And I'd also like to thank Fifth Ward, Covington Elementary, and for the course that they gave us to all schoolboard members. Thank you very much, [applause] >> Miss Lambie. >> I just want to give a shout out to Mayfield Bayers and to Miss Singleton specifically um for just honoring me for school board appreciation. I'm really thankful. I don't know who gave them to us, but I'd like to say thank you for the cakes. [clears throat] >> All right, next we have our superintendent update, Mr. Jabies. >> Thank you, Miss Martin. Well, first off, happy new year, everyone. Uh, I hope
005everyone had a amazing vacation, uh, a restful vacation, a wonderful new year. Uh, it is great to get back at it and we are so looking forward to the second semester. Um, first day back this year. Uh we thanks to the calendar committee uh overwhelming response from teachers. They enjoyed having that first day back half PD half recordkeeping so that they could get some things done. They didn't feel rushed getting back in. They kind of gather themselves uh and get going. So thank you to all the administrators, teachers, and everyone that made that first day uh back so positive. uh everyone knocked out a lot of uh work with our data that we got back so that we get back so late from the state uh and so it's our first time to really take
006a deep dive in it and kind of get our feet wet and get ready to go for the second semester. So I thank everybody for making that possible. Uh we kicked off our principal and AP meeting over the last two weeks and we set the bar for 2026. So we're really excited about where we're going. Uh and we look forward again to an amazing second semester. Uh thank you to Northshore leadership. Uh we we had leadership Northshore yesterday. We had about 16 classmates yesterday that came in and learned a whole lot about our school system, about the community, and they visit our schools, gave us tremendous feedback back. They were very impressed with everything yesterday. So I really appreciate uh leadership Northshore and the time you guys spent with us. So thank you very much
007for that. And then once that was over with, I headed over to Saint Parish uh opioid task force. I went and talked with them um yesterday about possible supports that they could give us moving forward of how we could make a greater impact in our community and educate our community and our students about a lot of the challenges that we have throughout our community. So, it was great to get with them. uh great group of people and uh we are going to be working to see what we can do to grow uh some of the programs that we do through Red Ribbon Week and through some of our other events to try to educate our kids and educate our community. So, I really appreciate them taking the time to spend a little time with me
008yesterday. Um at this time, I'm going to turn it over quickly to Miss Gardner uh for a leader and me presentation. >> All right. Good evening, Chair Martin, Superintendent Jaby, and board. Today, we're excited to share a powerful example of leadership, connection, and growth in action. Y'all cut me off. No, there you go. Never mind. What you're about to see is Lion's Link, a meaningful partnership that brings high school students together with our elementary students in a mentoring relationship built on trust, guidance, and leadership. Through Lion's Link, high school students serve as mentors, working closely with our young students to teach and model the seven habits. This initiative was created through the vision of students, Principal Houston, Coach Rushing, and Miss Majori, our behavior coach, and is directly connected to leader in me. As you
009watch, you will see how leading students leading students can make a powerful impact. And I have to say thank you to Rhett for taking time out of his Christmas break to capture this moment. Thank you, >> [music] [music] >> night. Tonight is our blue line. >> When I became principal of Coington Elementary, the Coington High School community as a whole reached [music] out to me. Anything you need, Miss Houston, let us know. And we came up with the Lions Link. Um, it's kind of a play on words, the big lions and the little lions linking together. They come once a month. We work on um one of the 16 leadership competencies for students who attend [music] leader and me schools. >> So today they worked on goal settings. Our big lions kind of just kind
010of help them um listen about their goals [music] and gave them action plans to make sure that they can try to achieve those goals and give them a way to be successful. >> What started off as a small idea has has now developed into something much larger. And [music] I think the big Lions get just as much out of the program as the little Lions. >> Gives [music] them an incentive and something to look forward to uh each and every day when they're in school. Uh that they know if they hit their marks behaviorally, academically that we're going to continue to come and that they'll have those times to just interact and play with the big lions. >> Coach put together, he wanted to do a toy to toy drive for our little lions. I
011thought it was a wonderful idea. That way they also have [music] like a little meaningful Christmas gift um from us because you know they put a smile on our face so we like to do the same. >> We're just so grateful for everything that they've done for us this year. >> They're better allaround students because of the program. [applause] >> So we have two of our students that speak about it. My link has helped me grown as a leader because my learning how to make better choices even when no one is watching. The boys that come as mentors on the Carton High basketball team has made me feel more confident in reaching my goals like not getting sidetracked with my work and we and reading more. We have folders that help us stay in charge
012of our behavior with when all when my teachers fill these this out. It shows me what I need to fix, what I did white each day, and what I need to fix. I have also grown in my skills as a basketball player. >> Yeah, you're right. [applause] >> Uh Lola, [laughter] uh this program has helped me become a better role model for the kids and has helped me grow as a leader and as a role model for these kids. And I'm just I'm blessed every day to be able to go down and, you know, hang out and get to play with the kids and play basketball, show them stuff, some cool stuff. And it's really a great program. I'm blessed to be a part of it. [applause] >> That's it. Thank you. >> Thank you
013all so much for being here. really appreciate what [clears throat] we're doing to grow our our young leaders and what you guys are doing to make that happen. Y'all make me proud every day. So, thank y'all very much. Thank you to all the administrators that make this happen. All of our teachers, uh, everyone in our schools that are making this possible and thanking Miss Gardner and her team that brought this program to St. Tammy is really making a a tremendous difference every day. So, thank y'all very much. Appreciate it. Yes. [applause] If you don't mind, if if all the students that are here and parents, supporters, please stand and be recognized, please. [applause] [applause] Thank y'all so much. Truly appreciate y'all's time. Uh, and last not least before I turn over to the board members,
014uh, I just want to tell the board this is January is board member appreciation month. So, I just want to tell all the board members, we provided a a small token of our appreciation. We put a certificate in your in your folder there. Uh, and I just want to tell you guys, thank you for all you do for us. Uh, y'all sacrifice a lot of time and a lot of energy to help out our community, to be there for our kids, uh, and to be there for all of us. So, I truly appreciate your sacrifice and your time and uh thank you for all you do. >> Thank you for all you do. Um and I appreciate everything you guys do for me every day. So, thank y'all very much. And that ends my update
015this morning. >> All righty. Thank you. Um next we have a >> Oh, all right. Anyone have any comments or questions for Superintendent Javier? >> Did we buzz in? >> Yeah, you did. I'm first. >> You're first. Miss Lammy, >> make sure I wasn't cutting anybody. >> No, you're good. >> I just want to say thank you for showing up tonight. I know you've been in school all day and that program is amazing and that's something that both the big guys and the little guys will remember forever and ever and ever. But I also know for the big guys, I know what your schedule looks like for academics and practice and workouts and all the things that you have to do. So, the fact that you not only take your time, but that you truly
016like you came here tonight to say it was a great thing and that it blesses you also, it's just very powerful. So, keep doing what you're doing because you're going to change lives. And for you little guys, when you end up at Cington High, you need to go back to Covington Elementary and you need to mentor those kids, right? So, keep learning to be a leader because y'all are doing a great job. I'm just so proud. Thank you to everybody who's part of that program and getting it going. That's amazing. And I wanted to just say um thank you to everyone who has acknowledged us for schoolboard um appreciation, but truly it is an honor to serve you. And I know we don't make everybody happy all the time and sometimes we look like a
017circus up here, but we genuinely do it because we have a passion and a heart for our students and our teachers and this system. So, thank you for letting us do that, >> Miss Baker. >> Well said, Miss Laney. I just I concur with everything she just said, but um congratulations my um my fellow Lions and once a lion, always a lion. So, y'all make us so proud. Thank you, >> Dr. Peterson. Yeah, I just want to [clears throat] reiterate when what's already been said, but I served in a program when I was in high school like you guys did and it was such a privilege to work with the young children like and I know you feel that you feel privileged to have that blessing. And uh it's like you're moving forward with your
018life, but you're you're lifting somebody up along the way. And guys, it's just I I think that had more to do with me becoming an educator than anything in my life was spending time with the young folks. It just made a difference. And I'm sure it makes a difference in your life, too. But thank you for doing that, guys. Appreciate it. >> Miss Foy, um I'm not going to be long. I want just ditto what Miss Lamey said. She But I I do want to say um thank you to all the adults who make that program happen. Um it I only know one of the big lions and then I've had the privilege of hearing two others speak tonight and um I I know that the one I know is an excellent role model. You're
019blessed to have him. Um, and I'm sure that the others are as well, just from hearing them and the fact that they're here tonight says a lot. So, um, I encourage y'all to keep that program going. So, thank you, >> Mr. Kuzanne. >> Is this the Covenant High School basketball team? >> Y'all want a big one tonight, huh? [laughter] Uh I I like to say I was coach at Slaughter High School and when we went to the finals in uh baseball the Coington High School the Mr. Jack Ser was the coach there >> and I'll tell you what he was one outstanding man and he was the very first person to call and congratulate us for for getting that for. So, I just want to say we've always had a good relationship with Coven High
020School Lines, but once a tiger, always a tiger. [laughter] >> All right. Anyone else? Okay. Thank you. Next, we have a special recognition um of one of our students, Mr. Owen Estee. And Mr. Jabby is going to go ahead and do that. >> Thank you, Miss Martin. Tonight is an honor. Um, one of our own, uh, Owen Estee, who is a member of my superintendent advisory committee, uh, has been just has been recognized for an amazing opportunity and has earned a tremendous opportunity. And so, I don't I don't want to steal the thunder, so I'm going to first start off with a little video uh, that channel 13 has put together uh, about Owen. >> [music] >> We are so proud of Owen Estee being selected as a Senate [music] page. I've known Owen since
021he was born and he has worked his entire student career up [music] to this point to achieve these kinds of things. So, it's just truly remarkable but not surprising at all. >> I serve the Senate whether [music] it's in session or out of session. Um if they need water, they need a lect turn, [music] they need something delivered anywhere in the capital, I do it for them. Um, if there's a vote happening, I call [music] senators. I deliver votes. I make copies. Um, I basically go all over the capitol campus doing whatever the senate [music] needs. >> You, Mr. Essay, especially uh, make me proud from St. Tam. Go Fountain Blue Bulldogs. >> He will have everyone [music] charmed within 30 seconds because he uh, is just so engaging and fun. And I think he's
022[music] going to gain a lot. I mean, I know looking forward he's looking into this type of career, politics and law. And so I think he's going to gain a lot of connections and a lot of knowledge that will [music] help him in his undergraduate and then graduate degree. >> Everyone has been really supportive. I would say Mr. Hurst [music] has been a very supportive arm to lean on or talk to whenever I've needed to make a decision or whatever. And then Mr. Jabia and central office helping [music] me with my potential transcripts. and he'll have an opportunity to take some classes that um may look a lot like ours but are going to have different content, [music] different teachers, and probably some really great experiences. >> I don't even [music] know. It's It's going
023to be different. It's going to be different, but I'm excited for it. It's going to be a different way of life, and it's going to I've always wanted to travel and just [music] experience something new. And so, I'm really excited for the experience to see something new. >> [applause] >> So, I'm going to invite Owen down here to come kind of explain what's going on and uh kind of tell what tell us what's happening, what's what you got going on starting next weekend. >> So, uh yes, if I was chosen as a United States Senate page, I was appointed by um Senator Cassidy and I like I said earlier, I will be literally serving whatever the Senate needs. Um whether it's in session or out of session, we've been getting new information pretty much every
024day. I got an email earlier this morning. And then I got another email literally just sitting here uh about 5 minutes ago about uh tax withholding and from my paycheck and housing and all that jazz. It's it's going to be very different from what we have down here. It's going to be very fast-paced, very indepth. I have they're very [snorts] strict. the the handbook. Well, they I was connecting with other pages from uh this past summer and uh spring 2024 and they were like, "Oh, you better memorize that handbook. Boy, if you don't memorize that handbook, it's going you you got to know I they're going to give me flashcards in my first week and I have to memorize all 53 senators by face how to spell their last name and what state they're from.
025Uh because I was appointed by uh Senator Cassidy, a Republican. I will be serving the Republican caucus and I will be supervised by the Republican cloak room, which sounds kind of funny, but the Senate has cloak rooms and it's a like a private little lobby because you got the public lobby outside and then the cloak room and then the chamber. So my supervisors will be the cloak room and then I work in the chamber. And so I gotta get up at five o'clock in the morning every day, which is four o'clock central time. And so basically just everything's going to be in Easter. I'm gonna say it like it's uh Eastern time, but you can figure it out what it is in central time. I got to get up at 5 in the morning. I
026go to school at about 6:00 in the morning and then I go until at the latest 9:45 in the morning and then I walk straight to the capital. I prepare the chamber. Uh whenever the presiding officer is ready, we bring in the gavels. They have I learned this last week, they have three different gavvels from all dating all the way back from when the capital was first built and when the Senate first held sessions in the capital. Um so someone's going to get the honor of doing that. And then the what's it called? the prayer, the invocation, and then the opening discussions, the opening statements by senators. Usually the president prompor, Senator Grassley from Iowa, um, usually gives an opening remark every day if he's in Washington. But then I sit on the dis if
027it's a slow day, which I' I was I've been watching C-SPAN and watching Senate recordings since I found this out on my birth on the day before my birthday, December 2nd. Um, so I'll say it's a very nice birthday gift. But I have been watching C-SPAN and it's a lot of sitting. Sometimes it's a lot of listening. You got to listen to everything uh that the senators say and sometimes that could be very insightful. Um, and then or if it's a what's it called? A uh filibuster. If it's a filibuster, someone speaking for a long time, I still got to be in the chamber. So, I got to be in there from opening uh gavvel in to gavvel out. So, that could be a 12-h hour day, it could be a 8 hour day, it
028could be a 24-hour day. Who knows? Um, and if I'm thinking correctly, the week that I get there, which will be my first day is January 26th. So, I leave next Saturday um with the first week I get there will be budget reconciliation week. And I believe that if they're not passing the bills right now, uh the shutdown will be on the Saturday after I get there. So, December 31st if no budget is passed. So, guess who still has to go to work? Me. Uh so, I'm I'm labeled as an accepted worker. So, I I have to be I my schedule is non-existent. I my schedule is the Senate schedule. Um it's it's very intense. And then we just got an updated schedule today about what our afterchool activities are like, what our school field
029trips are. And they do a lot of field trips. It's like every other day I feel like. And we're going to get to go to the Supreme Court. We're going to listen to oral arguments. We're going to go to the National Archives. We're going to get to uh go to Library of Congress, Mount Vernon, um Annapolis to go see, I believe, the Naval um Naval Base in Annapolis. And that's the training grounds up for belief for the Navy if I'm uh correct. So it's a huge honor and I would very sincerely like to say thank you to every single person on this board in central office at Fountain Blue High School because the training that I've had in leadership in academics has been invaluable. Uh like I said in the video, Mr. Hurst. One of
030my first conversations with him as principal, cuz he got there this summer, was about something revolving around the Senate, the US Senate Youth Program, which I also got accepted to. So, I got accepted to two different Senate programs. And I found the Senate Youth Program out on December 1st, and I found out the Paige program the next day while I was on a bus down to uh Bonable to go play in a soccer game, and I was like, "Oh my goodness, what is going on here? um this cannot be happening. And so I had to choose. And I believe that I think I'm I think I made a pretty good choice. Uh because you can only do the PAGE program your junior year, which is kind of bonkers. Uh if you if I have to
031say, but once again, every single person that I've encountered has been phenomenal. Uh Miss Stratabburgger has been helped me out with figuring out my transcript. Mr. uh Hurst, Miss PB, figuring out how my credits would transfer and what I'd need to do to still stay on track um for graduation. And I'll still be on track for graduation. I got enough credits. I'll be having enough classes. So, I'm all good for whenever I get back. And it's just going to be full send from the moment I get there. I get I get about 24 hours from when my plane lands and then I'm going boom right in. So, and then it's so it's 30 kids. The page program is 30 kids from around the country. It is 16 appointed by the majority, 14 appointed by the
032minority. And the rule, it's not technically a rule, but I believe it's not a rule, but to increase what was a traditionally allmale thing. Um, in the past 20 25 years, there has been a standard of 15 boys, 15 girls, splitting it half and half. Um, and I I think that's amazing. Everyone deserves this chance. It's a great opportunity and I'm pumped for what I'm about to see. And I'm hoping that this will enlighten me as to maybe wanting to go further in maybe going into politics um or staying may maybe not that. Um, and just interacting with everyone on Capitol Hill, I think is going to be very insightful. And I was watching the last story real quick and I'm going to cut myself off because I'm I talk too much. But literally whenever
033I got home today, I was saw I was scrolling on YouTube because I was kind of bored and I shouldn't have been cuz I always have stuff to do always and forever. But I was on YouTube and I saw that the Senate was in session and I was like, "Oh, let's go tune in, see what's happening." And I kid you not, as soon as I turn in, and I'm still baffled by the coincidence of this, Senator Booker from New Jersey and Senator Katie Britt from Alabama, uh, who are notoriously very friendly [snorts] and like to talk with the pages because not everyone does, not all the senators uh, traditionally do, but those two uh, are two that very much like to, from what I've heard, they were presenting their uh, Booker Brit top honors for
034page poetry and they were uh reading them into the record and they each read in their own uh poetry that they wrote the day before. And so I thought that was I thought that was frankly kind of cool. Um I thought it was pretty interesting. And so I'm just at a loss of words. Um it's this last not really. I lied. I'm not at a loss of words. I can talk forever. [laughter] I can talk forever, but the last month, so basically from the beginning of December till now, almost every day has been something. Either going to get new clothes cuz it's going to be cold up there. Um going to get new clothes, doing paperwork, having to go to the doctor for a physical. Almost every day has been filled with something either to
035prepare me or to enjoy the moments right now. and I'm leaving right at the end of soccer season. So, I'm missing our last two games against Slidel, St. Paul's, and then playoffs. But my coaches, I I told them this on the bus ride, and they said point blank, you got to go. And so, that's the kind of support that I'm I've been talking a lot about support. That's the kind of support that I'm so glad to have from people that I trust, people that I see almost every day. That's the kind of people that I enjoy being around and that I am so glad to have a relationship with. So once again, thank you everyone on the board. Thank you Mr. Jabia. Thank you Mr. Hersus. I was thinking of Mr. Jabia when I was
036talking saying your name. Thank you mom and dad. My mom and dad are can't see it on their faces but they're quite sad right now. Um no I was going to thank them. Um no. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. and my brother. Um, he said he's gonna take over my room and that's a bold-faced lie. Um, I'm going to make sure that that doesn't happen. Uh, because I have 200 stamps, so I can send 200 letters. Um, and I fully 100% intend to send 200 or more letters um to all my friends. And since I'm leaving right at the end of graduation, I'm sending them all to my senior friends. Once again, thank you, mom and pop. Love you all. Thank you. My grandparents who are here. Um that's awesome. They are they've also been I think
037my grandparents, my grandmother. Um my my nanny Ginger, my great grandmother who we call grandma. We love her. And Nana and Granny. Um and mom and dad and Elliot. So, thank you. Thank you everyone. [applause] >> [applause] >> question. >> And Owen, if you want to stay up there just for a second. I know some people have some things they'd like to tell you. >> I didn't bring I didn't break Thank y'all very much. I got one week left and I'm living it to the to the fullest. >> Stay there, Owen. >> Stay there. Okay, >> Miss Galler. >> So, amazing opportunity, right? Um, so are you gonna You still have to go to school. I was like, where'd he go? >> Sorry, I was putting that stick. I was didn't want to >> No,
038that's fine. one of those. >> So, on top of all the things you just listed that you have to do, you're also going to be a student. >> Yes, ma'am. >> So, you're a junior this year? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. >> It's So, I have to I'm only taking my four core classes because I don't have enough time to add anything else, right? So, I'm I whenever I filled out my paperwork, I put on my schedule request uh I think it was American literature, either American or British literature, uh which would be like an English four type thing because I've already I've took English three this past semester. >> I put chemistry. >> I put >> pre-calculus. Thank you, M. um and government because the two social studies that I had to offer to
039choose from were either US history or government and I already taken both and so I was like why not take government while I'm basically living at the capital and uh the principal who we talked with said it's it's like nothing else learning from learning literally two blocks away from the capital. So that so that's what I'm saying. You'll be going to school up there. So you're not going to be okay. >> Um >> it's so our our our dormatory it's also a school. It it's a three it's I believe it's two layers and then a basement. And the basement is the school. Y >> and we have everything we could ever need. We have day rooms on each uh floor. We have dormitories. I think it's three or four people, but we each have like
040a a loft, a bed, and a desk. and we have everything we could uh we could need to help be productive. >> Okay. Exciting experience. And just so you're aware, I will be at your game on Friday because my kids are at Northshore High School. So I am staying for the boys game. So I'll be while I'll pull in for the Northshore. I will be cheering for you in your last game of the season. >> Well, no. Actually, no. My last game will be I'm playing the >> the night before I leave. I'm playing against Ponchula. So that's I'm staying here so that I can play soccer because I love myself. >> I'll be looking for you on the field. What's your number? >> 16. >> Okay. I'll be looking for you. Congratulations. >> Thank
041you. >> Uh Miss Rutherford. >> Yeah. >> Wow. I want to say how proud I am of you, Owen. I taught Owen in sixth grade and um we have a very um close bond because we're both history buffs. and um he also helped me with my campaign and I hope to help him one day in his campaign. So I s I'm sorry I didn't bring you donuts. >> Oh, it's perfectly fine. >> Um he's a big donut person and I always brought donuts on Fridays and so Owen would always help me carry in the 10 to 12 dozen donuts I would walk into school with on Fridays. >> Parking in front, bring them all in. >> That's right. and help me bring them on to my classroom and um but I did bring you candy
042that will sustain you for a while, you know, >> to get through the next few days. But anyway, love you. Can't wait to see you. Can't wait to hear about it. I expect to get one of those envelopes in the mail. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. >> I have I have a uh I bought a little address book. We went to Target, like a $5 little address book, and I just been filling it with everyone. Got everyone's name, address, phone number because I do get I don't get a cell phone. My cell phone gets confiscated. >> Um, >> I love that >> it gets confiscated. Not really confiscated. It gets put in a safe. Um, and I get I'll get a Senate email. I'll get access to Senate computers. But I can bring a laptop and a
043that because it can't access cellular data. And I bought a wi a Wi-Fi. I did not buy a Wi-Fi. I bought an we bought an iPad which cannot connect to cellular because as long as it can't connect to cellular I can just go to like a coffee shop down the road and connect there and but I don't know how reliable that's going to be. So right now as far as I'm concerned letters are my most efficient way of communicating with the outside world communicating. >> Well, we look forward to hearing from you and um keep us posted. >> Yes, ma'am. >> All right. Love you, Miss Baker. >> Congratulations. I'm so very excited for you. Thank you. >> Um, do you get to go to the um DC Marty GR ball and bring lots of
044beads? >> I do not know. I have a about 40 different people that have asked me that. Uh, my my one of my very good friends, my hair's messed up. Um, I just saw that. One of my good friends, Miss Megan Bella, who works in the Louisiana Senate, um, whenever I was on LA, she was the moderator. She was like, "Oh my god, are you going to be able to go to uh Washington Marty Gro?" And I was like, I really hope I can because I don't know how many other people from Louisiana are going to be working in the capital. You got the six You got the six representatives, two senators. I might be the only other one. So, I'm hoping that I'll be able to go. Yes, ma'am. >> Yeah. My daughter worked
045for Cassidy as a college student one summer. And the opportunity that it affords is is really really invaluable. So, congratulations. Make the most of it. >> Thank you, Miss Baker. >> Miss McCullum. Yes. Hey, >> Mike. Hey, Owen. Again, u we've talked many times about this application process and and I just want to speak publicly that I have written to you sever on several occasions since I've gotten to know you since you've been a student and a student of the year at Fountain Blue Junior High. I think that's was my first introduction to you. You have just impressed me immensely and I wish you the best. Uh I feel like you are going to represent your family uh found blue high school, this school system, St. Tammy school system, as well as our state in
046such a wonderful manner. Uh we're just so proud for you and so proud that you're going to be representing us. >> Thank you very much. Thank you so And if I could also say, um, Miss McCullum and, uh, Representative Kim Carver, uh, I don't even know how much thanks I I can't give enough thanks. They helped me out so much. Representative Carver uh, got a letter of recommend, sent a letter of recommendation. He asked a lot of the people from the St. Tam Caucus to either email, call, or text Senator Cassid's office um asking, "Hey, why not Owen?" And then Miss McCullum um reached out to Senator John Kennedy um and helped me with that. And I did I do believe I reached out to John Kennedy and I was like, why not? Because the
047more I can get my name out there and uh was like push my name as much hopefully the better chance I have. And turns out I got it. >> And by the way, I think Representative Carver is planning to go to the Monter. So maybe we need to make that connection again with >> He did text me. He was like, "Yeah, I I'll be up there in Washington, Marty Gro. Will you be able to come up there?" And I was like, I basically gave the same answer. I was like, "Don't know if the Senate's working. can't um if we're on a field trip can't if it's if we're not on a field trip and I'm in my free time probably I can go but I have to check out with another page but I bet
048it won't be hard to convince someone else to go to Washington Marty girl >> and it was my pleasure to reach out to all of our Saint Tamony caucus and Mr. Carver as well. It was my pleasure to do that and you're very deserving. >> Yes, ma'am. Miss McCullum and Representative Carver are two great people and I will forever remember what y'all did for me. Um I once I can't I can't I'm at a loss of words and that's very that's very rare. That's very rare um because I can just go on speaking forever. But thank you very much Miss McCullum. You're welcome. >> Thank you Owen. We're super proud of you. >> Thank you Miss Martin. Don't want to drop. >> All right. [applause] >> You're good. >> There was no names on there.
049>> Is there something you want to say? Miss Hansen. Okay. Um, any of our guests, if you would like to leave at this time, this is this is the time you want to do that, unless you want to stay for the rest of the meeting. Um, thank you for being here tonight. We appreciate you guys. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Next, we have the approval of minutes for the regular meeting held on December 11th, 2025. Do I have a motion? Miss Font Laoy? Do I have a second? Mr. Harold, any comments by the public? questions from the board. All right, everyone, please vote. [laughter] Mr. Bro, Miss Lamey, and Mr. And that passes unanimously. Next we have appropriate retirement resolutions for the following certificated personnel. Mr. Alonso. >> Thank you Miss Martin. Superintendent Jab
050and board. Amanda N. Smith Educational Center 20.15 years 6.51 years in St. Tam Parish Dedra B Perkins Folsam Junior High 27.52 years all in Staint Tam Parish Leslie H Pontilla Fountain Junior High 36.52 years 15.52 years in St. Tamony Parish Allison Oondan Little Oak Middle 25.1 years 22.86 years in St. Tamony Parish. Laura T. Bjun, Mandavville High, 27.02 years. 21.02 years in St. Tamony Parish. Vicky R. Walls, Pearl River High, 37.52 years. 29.52 years in St. Tamony Parish. And Marty L. Mangus, Salman High, 34.02 years. 17.52 years in St. Tamony Parish for a total of 207.85 years. Do I have a motion, Miss Hansen? Do I have a second? >> Miss Isabel Moore. Um, any comments from the public? Comments or questions from board members? Everyone, please vote. >> [clears throat] >> And that passes
051unanimously, Mr. Alonso. [clears throat and cough] >> Thank you again. Appropriate retirement resolution on the following employee support services personnel subsequent to the December 11, 2025 meeting. Roy L. Baham, Coington High, 17.39 years, all in St. Tammy Parish. Patrick L. Cyprien Coington warehouse 33.09 years all in St. Tamony Parish. Alvin Wilson Lakeshore High 16.68 years all in St. Tamony Parish. And Tina C. Pulk Pearl River High 18.52 years all in St. Tam Parish for a total of 85.68 years. >> Do I have a motion, Miss Rutherford? Do I have a second? Miss Font Laoy, any comments by the public? >> Questions or comments by the board? I'll look that way next time. Uh, everyone, please vote. >> And that passes unanimously. Next we have agenda item D recommending substantial completion of Pont Train Elementary and
052Chafuna Middle Schools replacement of cafeteria and gymnasium HVAC units. >> Miss Martin, I'm sorry real quick. I thought you were going to ask if we had any questions because I had something for Mr. Alonso from his stuff. Can we not ask him about something else that's on his report? >> Sure. only because I saw the as the personnel changes the number two under the retirements or whatever for all the resignations like do we have people fill in those spots from December 11th all the teachers that >> Yes ma'am was lined >> yes ma'am we have they haven't yes ma'am >> okay that's what that's what I I just wanted to make sure that's the only question I had because I saw I was like that's a that's a few of them >> well it's mid
053year and you usually get a lot of that mid year at I just wanted to make sure we had them in place. I don't know if they teach, but >> the principles the principles really are doing a great job filling positions. >> Okay. Thank you. Sorry, Miss Martin. >> Miss Typton, >> thank you. We're recommending substantial completion of Punch Train Elementary and Chapuna Middle School's replacement of cafeteria and gymnasium HBAC units. Stamony Parish School Board project number P0411. And these are subject to the engineers recommendation submission of all regulatory requirements and approval of superintendent Javia. >> Do I have a motion, Miss Baker? Do I have a second? Miss Lambie? Um, any comments from the public? Questions by board members? All right, everyone, please vote. >> [clears throat] >> a second >> and that passes
054unanimously. Next, we have the uh certification of board member training and instruction for the 2025 calendar year in accordance with act 705, Louisiana revised statute 1753. Mr. Jabia, >> you Miss Martin, I do here certify that all school board members have successfully completed their training in accordance with act 705 for the 2025 school, excuse me, calendar year. and those are put on board docs for the public to view. Uh thank you Miss Kley for helping us put those together and keeping those straight. So thank you Christie. >> Okay just as a reminder we are required for to do six hours a year just >> uh next block scheduling update by Dr. Langwa. >> Thank you so much President Martin members of the board Mr. Javia. So, as you know, our high schools moved to a
0554x4 block scheduling this year and we have finished our first semester. Um, we've had some great wins. We have learned a lot of lessons and we are absolutely going to keep tweaking as we move. And so, at this time, I'm going to turn it over to Miss Fuller and she's going to share some of those great wins and lessons and tweaks that we're going to make. Great. >> Thank you. This is an early look, but it gives us an important insight into how the schedule change is impacting student learning, behavior, and overall school operations. We're seeing positive movement across key areas. It's not Here we go. Well, let me go out. Sorry about that. Okay, let's try it again. We tried it earlier. You have the clicker. >> It's not working. Okay, >> let's see.
056I have it downloaded on a flash drive. Sorry about that. Let's see. >> Where am I? >> That's why you always have a backup, right? All right, Louis, you might need to help. This is not There we go. All right, here we go. Here's our fall data. [laughter] All right, starting with academics, we are very encouraged by our early leap results. Across tested subjects, we saw about a 6% increase in proficiency. That tells us that the extended instructional time is beginning to make a difference while also helping us identify where students may still need support. We also saw improvement in course success. The percentage of students failing one or more courses decreased by 5%. Due to students not juggling seven courses, only concentrating on four, and longer class periods have also helped teachers be able
057to intervene sooner and give that extra support through reteing, doing small groupoup instruction as well. Attendance increased as well. Average daily attendance went up. 26 percentage points with high schools averaging 92.39% in daily attendance. And finally, student behavior improved. We saw 88 fewer referrals. Along with fewer classroom and transitional related incidents, schools are reporting that fewer class changes during the day has really helped. Now, instead of me just telling you about the data, I would like to show you what this looks like. And thank you to STPPS production team for capturing this in real action. >> The block schedule has benefited all of the school in a number of ways from the [music] students to the teachers to the administrators. The students are able to get so much [music] more indepth information and learning in
058a single class period because of the extended time [music] as opposed to just 50 minutes that it really is enriching the depth of knowledge that [music] they're receiving. >> In talking with students, they just feel like the burden has been lifted. They don't have to juggle seven classes at one time. And so they I've gotten a ton of students to tell me that they really love the fact that they're only having to focus on four. The feedback that I've gotten from students so far is that they have liked [music] being able to have the class only for one semester and be in there longer and get the deeper instruction and get all their questions answered. >> I'm able to like very much hone in onto [music] like four subjects and I'm really able to dive
059deep into those. Um, I find I'm able to process [music] more information a little bit better. >> The block has allowed us to spend more time [music] individually with the students. something that I would have just talked about and then moved on, we were able to turn it into an activity. >> Not only have they been able to get deeper in the content, but the students who need a little bit more support, they've told me that they're able to get it in class and they don't necessarily have to use their lunchtime to go get tutoring or stay after school. >> Having longer time with my teachers, I feel I've been able to instead of just cover the topics, like [music] fully understand what I'm learning. >> [music] >> On the teacher side, teachers are, you
060know, having a significantly reduced class load. They're only having to [music] deal with three classes as opposed to six classes. >> Way block works, it's kind of like college. I mean, you know, you have your first semester and your class is done at Christmas. Then once we get back from the new year, you start over. Our students expressed how much more they enjoyed their [music] Christmas break and they were actually looking forward to the change of four new classes to start [music] that spring semester. Well, it is a good thing. It is a good thing based on everything that supports right brain training which [music] is giving the student the opportunity to further engage with that [music] instructor in order to further develop their skill sets in use of either materials and or subject matter.
061>> I feel like I've been a lot less stressed this year. Um, it's just kind of broken things up a little bit more. So, I'm able to take it in bigger chunks, but also in a slower pace than I would be if I was taking seven classes [music] for the full year. >> I mean, you have an opportunity to earn another full credit um, versus what we've been able to do in the past. Like, you can earn eight credits in a year instead of seven. And so, I think a lot of students have been excited about that. >> It's four extra classes and it prepares you for college if you're going that route or anywhere honestly just with time management. It gives you lifelong skills [music] preparing for adulthood. We are in the business of
062preparing kids for the future. I really think that [music] making that shift from a 7 period day to a 4x4 block was the [music] very best thing that St. Tam Parish could have done to prepare kids for that transition. >> Overall, I would say that the reception and the results that we've gotten from both the students and [music] teachers about block scheduling has been overwhelmingly positive. Administrators are pleased. Discipline numbers are extremely low compared to previous years. Test scores are higher compared to previous years. Teacher [music] morale seems to be going up because of the level of depth they've been able to get into with these classes. And it just has made for an overall better environment. I'm so glad that we made the move that we did. >> [applause] >> When we look at
063the data and and what we're seeing in schools, let me go. You can tell that block scheduling is already making a big difference this spring. Our focus is on strengthening implementation and addressing challenges based on what we learned in the fall. That includes supporting students through AP and ACT boot camp, reviewing pacing to see if any adjustments are needed, continuing to refine scheduling practices, and making procedural improvements to support the day-to-day operations. And just as important, we'll keep listening to students, teachers, parents, and administrators as we continue to improve. I would like to thank all of the staff and students at Salman High under the leadership of Principal um Liza Jacobs and Northshore High led by um principal Will uh Bill Gallagher. He would hate me if I said William on here. Um and to
064our STPPS TV production team for capturing it. I am very proud of how all of our students, our staff, our administrators, our curriculum specialists, our supervisors, how proud I am of how they've embraced this change and are really excited to see the continued success. So, this that concludes my presentation and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. >> I'm about to >> Thank you, Miss Hansen. >> Thank you, Madam President. Um, thank you very much. Uh, I I know that initially prior to us implementing this, there was a lot of concern about, you know, the the the details and devil's always in the details. Um, and I I I think it's very logical to see that of course we're, you know, the disruptions, they're only changing classes three, four times as opposed to
065six, seven times a day. So, I think that's that's huge. Um, attendance, I think that's huge as well. You know, if you miss, then it's it's not like you miss one day in one semester. It's like you've missed, >> you know, um, a whole lot more. And you know, which does concern me somewhat for students who get sick, you know, uh I know, you know, if you get, you know, you're out for a week with strep throat and let's say mono or something like that, it can be huge, especially if you're not a strong student to be able to catch back up. I think the longer class periods do provide for in you know that extended instruction and more of that um you know um feedback from the teacher and more formative assessment along the
066way as opposed to we get to the end. Um, I do have a couple of questions as it, you know, as and nothing I love what the student said about, you know, I really looked forward to my break, my Christmas break because I could really just take a break like a student in in college that I'm I don't have anything to over my head for the second, you know, I start new with all new classes and there's only four as opposed to seven to have to keep up with. couple of areas and I know I've spoken with y'all both about this before before so but I think that this is the opportune time to bring it for the public one though as a followup on the leap the 6% increase I think that's great are
067we seeing that in proficiency are we seeing it um in mastery we're seeing more kids getting mastery in advance or we just like from the proficiency level which is basic and no it's mastery Okay. So, that that's a good thing because you concern yourself that you >> get too bogged down in instruction that you cannot, for lack of a better word, cover, but really get through the entire unit, I mean, the entire um course in one, you know, a year's worth of a course in one semester. So, that's good to say. Okay. In terms of those students who did fail to meet the credit, how we what is our plan for those who failed to meet those credits? So those students can be put right back in that course right away. So it's fresh. They're
068not waiting a whole year. So, let's say like last year, you failed a semester. You wait a whole year or you can take it in the summer to retake that. Now, it's still fresh with them. Boom. I'm putting them right back in that class. >> So, let me ask you, for example, in an algebra 1 student who does not meet algebra 1 credit for the first semester, they can take it beginning second, I say second semester, but it is second semester immediately take it. >> But that means it's another course that they're not taking. So does that mean extra courses built in by having 32? >> I'm just trying to help the our parents to and those who may look at this to understand how it's going to happen that you you know you'll end
069up perhaps doubling up. You may have a an math and science or let's say you've passed science you may have your math your English your social studies and then an elective whereas before you may have had two elective or >> Oh I see what you're saying. So before it was split with like two core >> on each side and then electives. Now that student would have three core in an elective possibly, >> but it's immediately following the course that they've just had. So hopefully that it'll just keep reinforcing, keep reinforcing. >> Okay. The other question I have, and I'm glad you saw y'all played some of, you know, like the band was in there, art and all that. Um I know from the very beginning I've expressed my concerns with you know especially like the
070arts being a music being a performance um type of course. Well for that matter visual arts too because you're you're performing you're practicing it. You're you're applying it. Those students who don't who take it first seme first semester the whole course and then they're don't take it again till the following year. That's a lapse of practices. >> So they are dealing with that. >> So they have the opportunity to take it both in the fall and in the spring. We have built courses where there are eight courses for our band, chorus, talented, all of those where a student can absolutely choose to be in it in the fall and spring. They choose to do that. >> And I know we've spoken to this. I'm sorry to take this time but I think it's important that
071parents in the talented program also know because if you're taking let's say and I you know marching band marching band is very different than say your instrument of choice say a piano or a vocalist and you're in talented music how is that working out I mean is the student taking six I mean um you know three hours of music every day for the whole year >> no so we have different models where the student is solely in that class and then they're doing marching band after school like when they're practicing or we have opportunities where they're pushing in and that talented teacher and chorus teacher let's say it's talented music and chorus they are sharing students so it's like hey we're about to do this performance I need to borrow this student and help them
072practice so we are going to continue to evaluate the program and get feedback from all of the stakeholders involved. But so far, I don't know about you, Dr. Lingwell, I have not gotten um any complaints from schools or teachers or Mr. Brian Strand. >> The flexibility of all the different options that we're been able to provide has been meeting to to what has been reported to us their students needs. Well, I think that's what's going to be important that that parents understand that because when a student is coming from eighth grade to nth grade, they a parent and especially if it's their first child going into high school and they're a talented student, they're in theater, talented theater, which is another performing thing. They don't know what they don't know. So I think it's important
073that we continue to educate them on how we can meet both the high academic rigors to prepare them for college and career as well as continuing to meet their exceptionalities. And then I think it's also important we continue to be very flexible in how we schedule these things and not get pigeonholed into doing one or the other. >> Absolutely. So you may have seen this in some of the high schools. they're already starting to schedule for next year. And so that communication, that education, that, you know, just trying to make sure they heighten everyone's understanding of what this is, adapting to the lessons we're learning along the way, that's happening right now. And so it is very fluid, very evolving to do just that. Well, and and as I've told y'all both when we've met
074before, obviously the test scores matter. Okay. Well, they they matter to LEAP. they were mattered to, you know, school performance scores and all that. Um, but you know, I don't want us to trade one for the other that we're solely focused on academics and I I love that. But I mean, the arts support the academics, >> our athletic programs support the academics and help. You saw the, you know, the gentleman here tonight. They have to go hand in hand and we need to make sure we're making that both of them work effectively and efficiently. >> And I've heard too like my son is a freshman at Mandavville High and an athlete. He's able to only concentrate on four classes. So that homework load after practicing football till 5:30 at night has helped a lot. He's
075like, "Mom, I am so glad this is just four. I couldn't imagine having to study for seven classes. And so I think that it does. And as far as the arts go, a student needs 24 if they're a tops university, 24 credits to graduate. We're offering 32. And so we've got plenty of room built in there to concentrate on whatever you're interested in. >> And a f, you know, final thought. I know a final thought. My grandson had indicated I was purely thought that he was going to tell me that he didn't like this the the long classes and all that. Um especially when he got sick and had to catch up. >> He they he loves them, his friends love them, and they're thoroughly engaged in their classes and it does lessen the burden
076of of um what they're having to do as far as homework is concerned and balancing athleticism and all that. Thank you, >> Miss Gallagher. >> Um Everybody knows I'm not a fan of LEAP, but that is what it is. So, um, the numbers are, I would say, look good, but I just want to make sure I understand this. So, the increase in LEAP, if I'm not mistaken, technically that could only be half of the students taking them. So, next semester will be another set of LEAP scores, will you be able to give it to us just based on that semester and then give us the average so we can see? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. Um, these are just a couple of things that I've talked to parents because I um have one student who
077hates it and I have one student one one kid who hates the schedule and one kid who likes it because she's home by 10:30 and can take a nap. She's a senior. Um, but some of the things that um parents had said and I would like some clarification like in the beginning of the year we have two smart start days. one, do those days even count towards your days for school? And two, we don't give that in the end of the school. So, it's if you're saying it's to get the teachers used to the students, we don't do that in the spring. Um, do high schools really need those two days? I don't know the answer to that question. Any teacher from there can answer that question. Send me an email or whatever. But I
078feel like if we're given two days in the fall, we need to give it in the spring. Or you only give one in the fall and one in the spring. Um, other parents have said open house was great and they're like, "Okay, after you go to the four classes, you can go to your room and see if your other teachers are there and maybe they can talk to you." But it's never dedicated. So even if I went in the fall to my kids's class, then my kid failed algebra, which my kid did not, but then I then I have another teacher. So that's those are some things that parents have said just because spring is starting. I've seen it, they've asked and I'm like, I don't have an answer for you. So, I'm bringing that
079up on that. So, if the smart start days, if we're like just saying everybody showed up, even if they didn't, then that's just a waste of a day. So, if we could do that the other way and just give the kids a used to like, okay, I used to have to go these four classes, now I got to do a whole new route in the school. Like, we don't give them a chance to figure it out unless it's during the other semester when they're also trying to do that. So, those are the two things for that. Um, >> do you want me to go ahead and answer those? >> Yeah, just a smart start real quick. So, smart start days, they're more about routine at school. They're setting buses. It's getting food services. It's about
080all the support groups. Those don't change. Those stay the same. So, they're there to get the routine going. Uh, our bus drivers learning their routes. We've had a lot of turnover with transportation, with school food services, and just school operations in general. It's really to get the kids accompanied and get them going back to school after being away. So that's what the that's why the smart start days are at the beginning. We had three, we've reduced it to two so we could do half and half. So I feel like we've kind of met everybody in the middle there. >> Okay, that's fine. Um and as far as the um open house, so per collective bargaining, we have it written in there that they come to one open house that they're required to do that. we
081can't require um teachers to come. I know that some schools did have I guess you could call it like a meet and greet where they could come and stuff like that, but as far as requiring open house, we cannot uh do that at this time. >> Understood. So, I will just say that that would be something that some people should consider. I don't name names, but they can talk about it. >> We can talk about that. And then I know you said like if if my kid fails, she'd probably die if she was listening to this. If she failed algebra one this semester, >> um schedules already made. So what if all of our algebra one classes that are available in the spring are full? We cannot put a kid in one just to get
082that kid in there. So then because we don't we can't go over the numbers that the state requires. So what do we have? I'm not saying it happen or if it will, but what do we have a plan for that? That's question number one while I'm talking about algebra. And then two, are we making sure that if I take algebra one in this fall and I pass that I'm taking algebra 2 or another math in the fall because if not, I'm going a year without math. >> Yes. >> And while social studies, science, whatever they whatever, I think going a year without math is is is a lot. >> Yes, I I would agree with you. So, um you can have up to 32 students in a class. None of our classes, especially for math,
083because it is a testing subject, we like to keep those around 25, 20 to 25. So, we don't ever overload our math courses. So, not a problem um with that. in we have a district scheduling guidance that is in our guidance about making sure that you're looking at transcripts to make sure that you're putting students in the class where they're not going any longer than a six-month window. >> Okay. And then um I had something when you're saying that but um given this the only thing that I think we need to figure out some kind of way and the excuse of choose your rate, choose your fate or choose your job, choose your fate or whatever. Um the discrepancy in planning periods because teachers get an hour and a half off in high school and
084they don't in any other grade is um we just have to try to figure something out on that to give some um relief to the younger grades. Um because the whole choose your rate, choose your fate we say in the Coast Guard when they got a job here, that's what their schedule was and then we went and changed it. So maybe they would have pursued something different or tried to go high school instead. So I just think that's something that should be thought of and tried to figure out some kind of way. Thank you, >> Miss McCullum. >> Thank you, Madam President. Um I just have a quick question about the uh the LEAP test for the like algebra and English. Okay. So if they if they are failing the course for the first term,
085do they have to go ahead they do have to go ahead and take the LEAP test? Then are they allowed to retake it if they take the course over again? I couldn't remember. So like if they fail the course, they still if you are scheduled in that course, you are required to take the LEAP. Let's say that they make an approaching basic on the LEAP. They met their graduation requirement of the LEAP, but they still need to repeat the course. So then that student can retest if they choose to or they can bank their approaching basic as their exam grade. So only would a student have to retake the leap is if they made an unsat would be required to take it retake it >> but they could choose to take it even if they
086scored approaching basic >> right uh Dr. Yes. To get a higher score cuz it's they're >> encourage them to [laughter] >> so we can try to use in their final exam. So like Miss Fuller said, if they fail the course and they retake the course, but they technically pass the LEAP, they either can bank that score and go in there and not take it. Or if they're like, hey, I want I think I'm going to do better on it and they'll give me a higher score, they can retake it >> because that's 20% of their overall grade because that's their exam. But no matter what, the initial test for all students is what counts in accountability regardless. >> The school never gets the first test. >> So let's say they retook it and made a
087mastery. You don't get >> of course mastery. >> How did I not that was the case? >> Thank you, Miss Font Laoy. >> Yes, ma'am. Really quick question. So I do see something legitimate about the days. If a kid's sick, you know, and they're sick three days, that's a lot of class. So, do we allow the kids to join the class by Chromebook? >> Not at this time. No, ma'am. >> Okay. Is why I guess >> that's a good question. >> Yeah. I mean, in terms of when you say join like virtually streaming it live, no, that is not something you know that we have had in place since co but the materials and the classwork is available through the Google classroom. Um, and a lot of teachers will post their notes after the fact,
088but live instruction streaming because from a from a standpoint trying to run that dual hybrid model is very challenging when you're, you know, teaching in person as well as um virtual. We found that out with COVID do doing that hybrid. And so at this time, we have just not opened that up. But all always teachers are always posting their materials and resources and assignments that they're working on in class. >> The kid couldn't just sit in on a live stream type the teacher that's too much of a burden on the teachers. It's it's impossible for them to do that. We did it during co because we were had platoon classes uh but we haven't done that since then because it is an extreme burden. But that's why Google classroom and all of the supports we
089do u through the Google classroom helps so much >> and during that we have flex period. So during that time each day, they can also get support from their teachers if they need to make up tests or even get some tutoring during that flex period each day of 25 minutes. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Dr. Peterson. >> Yes. Um, thank you so much for the presentation at the beginning of the con conversation because you did highlight the positive aspects and it was so far ahead of anything we've had before. And if you miss a few several weeks or a few days of school and you had seven periods a day, you got a heck of a lot more to put it back together than four. So that's just add that up. Uh but there's there's
090just something that we've had in the past that I'm so familiar with the seven period day like all of us are but this schedule is far better and it's something you can build on and you have flexibility in the way that you manage it and with the STEM research availability for students in the future it's going to go handinand glove with that. So that's an eye on today, but an eye on the future. This fits and what we had before is just antiquated. But thank you so much for that presentation. >> Thank you, >> Miss Martin. May I say because she's not going to say this, you know, um, Miss Fuller thanked, you know, Salomon and Northshore, but I got to say the secondary team, Miss Fuller, uh, the supervisors, Miss Stratenberger, Miss Holt, Miss
091Pharaoh, Miss Jones, all the administrators, the APs, the principles, the counselors, the school to work coordinators. I mean, this has truly been an all hands- on deck and they have done an unbelievable job of being available, being flexible, being adaptive, being resourceful, being creative, being student focused, and I just wanted to give him a shout out if that's okay. >> Great [applause] job, everybody. >> Thank you, Miss Fuller. >> I'm just going to stand up here because I'm going to do her clicker for [laughter] her. >> Next, we have attendance goals. an attendance school update by Miss Gardner, assisted by Miss Fuller. >> Oh, thank you. That's my mana. So, I do want to start before I get into the presentation just to remind everyone. Um, each of you should have gotten a flyer that
092we have our annual crew to kids. I can't believe this is the fifth year that we're doing this coming up February 11th for our LA4 and early childhood registration. So it will be held at train technology center February 11th from 5 to 7. That is when our prek application will open. So I just want to make sure that I go on record and say please do not submit an application in the 2526 school year which is this school year. It will not count for next school year. So please make sure you wait until the 2627 application opens. And I also want to remind everyone so that we're aligned with state funding that if tuition next year will be 550. And also we have um our second line to success that is our second event that
093we're having and that will be the following night. I know it's a board meet night but we kind of we kind of go back to back so that we don't have to reset up and that is for our students exiting St. Tam Parish going into the workforce or to college and we have a lot a lot of things there for them from job applications to we take high school pictures for them. We help them write resumeumés. We have information for parents for their students transitioning into adult life and you may not know how to navigate that with a student with a disability. So, it's both great events. Shelley Morris spearheads this with the early childhood team and our sweet team and they've done a great job the last couple of years putting this together and
094it's a ton of people that come out for that. So hopefully everybody comes out. All right. Oh, go back Katie. >> Oh, sorry. >> That's okay. [laughter] >> So the next um thing that we're going to talk about is our district WY important goal. I mentioned this a couple of months ago that the district this year for our WY important goal will be tracking teacher attendance. And we've done that every month. We've given awards to schools every month that have um met their goal which is St. um exceeding their attendance from the previous year or staying the same. So, I'm going to go over those numbers with everyone. So, I just to start off, I kind of wanted to give everyone a glance at just the last couple of years of what it the attendance
095looks like comparing staff to students. So, as you can see, students have kind of consistently stayed within the 93% range of attendance and teachers are around the 83% of attendance for the last four years that's shown here. So this is the award that schools receive at every principal's meeting if they meet or exceed their daily attendance average. And we do this every um principal's meeting we hand them out and they get really really excited and it becomes very competitive. So that's the award that they'll get. So this is this year. So what we've done is every month as I said we track it. So this is August through December. So, if what you're looking at here, the students are blue and the t the staff's um the orangey color and this is the percent of
096students or staff that came to school or came to work for that month. So, as you can see, we had a big dip in December. I will point that out because everyone will see that. And based on what we've looked at, that's just from taking time before the Christmas break. So, this is the average of the teacher to student attendance. And when you look at that, because I know this is a percentage, but I do want to connect it to days and money. So if you look at it for this fall semester, I didn't do January, this is just the fall semester, we had approximately 14,935 absences. And it's important to note that this is only sick and personal. I removed all vacation um from this. This is only sick and personal. And these are
097our 55 schools. is not the other, you know, um, >> sites. This is just school information. And that equated to 1,700 I'm sorry, that's not right. 1,721,48 in either time sheets or for substitutes. So that's where we are. So the last slide, this so based on that information is why we kind of came up with our wildly important goal. And even though we're not where we want to be, these are the schools that have shown growth. So in August, we did have 34 out of our 55 schools meet or exceed their goal where they had higher attendance than they had last year. In September, we had 40% of schools show better attendance than they had the for 2024 um 25 school year. October, it was 33 out of 55 schools show growth. And for December,
09812 out of 55 schools show growth from their previous attendance. So, I just wanted to give that update to you guys because I know that was mentioned at the last board meeting and we are tracking that data and that concludes my presentation. >> Mr. Bro, thank you Miss Garner. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you. Um, in the in the graphs they said staff and you kept saying teachers. >> So, what what is the definition of staff? >> The schoolbased staff. So, those are out of school. So that's all job cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers. >> School site. I don't I don't track bus drivers. It's anyone that's assigned to a school. Bus drivers are not assigned to a school. So it's anyone cafeteria workers, secretaries, paris, teachers, >> administration, administration. >> So do you get
099substitutes for all job classes? So So only certain ones would be subs. >> Teachers, paras, correct? Teachers and paras >> and secretaries. >> All right. Thank you. >> Yes. Miss Gallagher. >> So I have a couple things. So given that it was $1 something million in just parent and teacher subs and stuff we had to pay >> parents, teachers, secretaries >> and that was for the fall. >> Correct. >> That was your thing for the fall. >> August through August through December. Yes. >> Okay. Yeah. Um, is there a possibility, and this is going to go to Miss Fuller and Miss Langa, is there a possibility that we can get the attendance percentages of teachers that are on block scheduling? Yeah. >> If we're going to track how many students come to school and how
100many how it's been up or down, can we track the teachers at high schools in that situation, too? Because this is everybody lumped together, right? Um, and I'm I'm sure everybody on this board when we got that thing was like, "Holy moly, like 60, we expect our kids to come to school and you're getting paid to come to school." And I get adults have different things. They have kids they got to take care of, you know, all kinds of stuff. And I to I totally get that, but you know, if we're that's a lot of people to not come to school in the in December, and you only had two and a half weeks in December. So, um, I'm I'm I'm not and look, I'm not dogging people. I know it sounds like I am,
101but from our standpoint, That's a lot of absences. And this other slide was 62% people showed up to work. That's that's a little only a little over than half. That's that's not >> So, all right. >> I want to point something out because Mr. Alonso wanted me to say it. So we get subs for bus attendants, bus drivers, lunch technicians, custodians, paris, teacher, clerical. But the ones that we feel pretty much are teachers, paris, and clerical, but I'm I in this what I gave you is not the bus drivers are not on here or the bus aids. >> Okay. So it would be cafeteria workers, custodians. So the 1.2 or whatever you said is seven is for >> everybody but bus drivers, >> substitutes. >> Yeah. >> Okay. But it's rare that you get a
102custodian substitute or a cafeteria substitute. >> Right. Right. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Miss Font Laoy. >> Uh, thank you so much for the presentation. I was one of the people who was interested and basically that's $3.5 million in a year if we double the semester, right? 1.7 doubled. I mean, we're >> That's a step raise. Terry Terry can tell you how much we budget for substitute. She probably knows that off the top of her head. Substitute budget >> and and I did [laughter] >> in her room. >> I I don't need an ex I'm just I'm just the trajectory yet. I'm just kind of astonished honestly that it's that much. Um you don't have to look up the number. Um but >> 4.1 million budgeted. Okay. That's That's a lot. Um, and
103I did want to mention um, you mentioned that you sent us the flyer for the crew to view. Can you email it cuz >> we didn't get it. >> It's attached to >> Okay. Well, I saw it on there, but Okay. I thought you meant she emailed it to us. Okay. Thank you, >> Miss Moore. >> Thank you. First of all, I want to thank you. I know my schools have been very positive about you giving them awards coming in and rah we've got stuff in the hallway. I was in a classroom where the kids are filling in the days they're there so they can see that. That's awesome. And you think we ought to do this with the teachers and the other staff members. I'm asking as a former principal, can the principal have
104a come to Jesus meeting with these people that are perpetually looking at my union man over there perpetually out Fridays after a holiday before a holiday. I mean, it's this is I if the public saw this, I am very very scared about what's going on with this. It's terrible. The teacher shouldn't be missing this. I mean, I had babies. I had surgery. And I still had days when I finished after 38 years. So, there's no reason you have to use every one of your days. You don't have to use every one of your days. Um, so we need more incentives maybe. I don't know. I'll be glad to go with pompoms or whatever I need to go. But anyway, I want to thank you for what you're doing. We obviously need to do more. Uh
105this is not the way I want to see this school system. Thank you, >> Miss Baker. >> Um yeah, I I think this is totally unacceptable that our kids are doing better than our paid professionals. So, um I know that that's administration's going to have to come up with something, but there is no way that we can add days in grievance when we're having this kind. And that's why this came up. I think that's why Miss Font Laoy asked for this because it kept coming up because um when we had the discussion about the grievance days but but when kids are I mean that December number and and I don't know what you do but I know it's it's it's a it's a you problem. Um and I again I'm with Miss Moore. I mean,
106I'll be happy to help however you need us to help, but this is um because the reality is if there was a flu epidemic or a a horrible virus, then it would be neck and neck with the kids, and it's not. So, it it this is disappointing. This is really really um unacceptable. >> Miss McCullum, >> uh just a quick question. Yes, I agree this is quite disappointing and thank you for requesting it. Thank you guys for gathering this data. On the very last side slide, Miss Gardner, was that school attendance improvement? Is that strictly students or is that everyone? >> That's the last slide is only the adults. >> Only the adults the adults. >> All right. I wasn't clear on that and you may have said that and I just missed it. I'm
107sorry. But >> so that's just adults. That's the number of adults. >> So we I mean >> when you bring attention to something, you know, they say where attention goes, energy flows. So >> looking at it, we've had growth because it's now a conversation. You know, they're bringing away. They're tracking it. The teachers want the award. The principal wants the award. So >> overall average has been about 46% increase from where we were last year. We just have to kind of maintain that to be able to in to be above where our attendance were for staff last year. >> Yes. Okay. This question probably is for Mr. Jabia at Okay. I've been I'm I'm like Mr. Kuzen. I've been around school system for a long time and Miss Moore some of the rest of them.
108[laughter] But and I can't remember I can't uh senioritis is hitting me I suppose but I can't remember if it was this school system or when I was in Mississippi but there was a time and I think it was this school system maybe you can help me remember or some of you guys can that the day before a holiday >> and the day after a holiday you could not miss without a doctor's note. Now, did that happen in St. Tammy? I live with >> That's never happened here. It does happen in >> other districts. Um where >> I was involved in it at some point >> where where I got the the idea to do um the second semester kickoff day came from a district in Texas in Dickinson, Texas. And that's how they operate
109that you can only take off the day before or the day after holiday. If you have approved by the principal and you have like a doctor's or a something you have to attend according, you know, it has to be something documented. You can't just take off. >> Um, but it's never that's it's never been the way it's worked since I've been here. >> Okay. >> Since I've been a teacher or in my 32 years, it's never been that way. >> Um, >> well, I was involved with the school system at one time. It must have been in Mississippi now that that you're saying that that we were not allowed to miss on a Friday before a well a day before a holiday or the day right after coming back from the holiday. I think the
110the staff development day was a wonderful idea and I've heard great things about that. I don't know how the attendance was with that, >> but I agree and you know, obviously it's going to be your job and your staff's job to look at that and if you need to seek our support in doing it and I think the union needs to get involved with helping with that as well. >> Yeah, I think look um you know a lot of our teachers have family and you know no one can care for their child when they're not there. So, I think there are some, you know, some situations and and well, we we we've just been we have been having conversations with principles over the last few years, um, basically since we returned from COVID of just,
111you know, we we need our people there. Our kids, we we cannot you look, y'all y'all know how it is. The the the teaching profession is is scarce now coming in as far as developing. And so no one can teach our kids like our like our our people can. No substitute. No, no one can replace our our our staff, any of our staff, our bus driver, anybody. Um and so we just we need him to be at work. Uh Steve has had conversations with many administrators uh to have heart-to-hearts with people. not necessarily a discipline thing, but just to reiterate that about how important they are to our students, to our staff, to our families, to our campuses. So, you know, people have hardships and and I think we're just we just want to make
112sure that that, >> you know, we we're there every opportunity we can be. Uh and because our kids need them. Our kids need our people. They need them. >> Dr. Peterson. >> Yes. Um I would just uh ask the question, have we done any recent research since as far as other school districts our size in Louisiana or other parts of the country? What if they have any innovations that address these concerns? >> I haven't any conversations in my superintendent uh region 2. We have discussed this and this is this is in my entire region. they're experiencing the same thing with with employee attendance >> because some of this as you as you alluded to earlier are there are a lot of life things going on I mean you can't see doctors like you used to
113be able to see your doctors you can't uh daycarees don't carry the same days as school days they take off before the school days are out and parent has to go home and because the school the daycare is closed so there are a lot of things that chime in and I understand that's that's just life you know whether what there's an answer out there I don't know but I would like to see what other other districts uh larger than ours or as much are doing and see if anyone's doing this effectively >> absolutely we'll have that conversation >> and thank you >> Mr. Kuzanne >> I I would just delight observation here I agree with Dr. Peterson a lot on on what he said. Uh the main thing that is happening is when people are
114absent, students miss instruction time. That's most important. I think you're going to find this in all districts. Now times have changed. There's a lot of things as far as things that Dr. Pson said. You have a shortage of teachers. You have a shortage of specialists in different areas. And when they miss a day, that's very, very difficult. I think you have to watch about legality when you go to try to limit what when a person can take a day off. When you say, "Hey, you can't miss this day or you can't miss this day." And then a certain thing come up and and you maybe dock them or do something, then you then you find yourself getting in trouble. So those are just the observations that I have and I just feel that it's a
115it's a big thing. But the most important thing to me is that the students are missing the observation time, the missing instruction time. That's the most important thing. But as far as us limiting people when they when they can miss a day and miss a day, I I think we could a long time ago, but I don't think you can do that now. But it is prominent in all other districts now. I can I can say that, you know, it's not just here in St. Tim. It's all over. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, board members. Next we have our human resources update. >> Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Miss Martin, Superintendent Jaby, and board. I have a short HR update and also I have a couple things with admin. Uh, currently right now, um,
116myself, Mr. Bod, and Miss Pennison. After tomorrow, we would have visited five learning communities. What we're doing is we're we're out projecting staffing for next year. So, by the end of next week, we'll be complete. Um, I just want to thank uh Katie Fuller and Dr. Langwa. We we did something different this year. They're they're u accompanying us to the high schools because of block scheduling to make sure that because of block schedule that they're staffed appropriately and uh the you know CNI staff they going through what the co course offerings and things like that to make sure blocks going well. So thank them for that. Uh once we return from projections at the schools, we then meet as a I meet with the CNI staff and I meet with Miss Gardner and her staff
117and what happens is we we help to build we get back with the administrators and help them to build their master so they can build their master schedule. We give them their staffing aotment. Um when we go out and we doing the staffing, it's we do both certificated and support and we discuss with the principles their current vacancies and what's the plans. Um I don't have a current vacancy list right now regarding certificated which is teachers right now because uh George Bod and myself we'll build we're building the transfer fair vacancy list based off of projections. So we'll have that coming out soon. Um I do have the support numbers. If if you want any numbers from that please ask. Our sub numbers continue to climb. Uh this past month we added 11 teachers. We
118have 961 subteers and we have 1153 across all job classes. Another thing that's going on that's going very well with with our support employees, Miss Gardner and Miss Pennison are working together to coordinate par training particularly CPR. We're getting that going and they're working together to do appropriate placement. We we're in a very good spot. If I look back last year, last year at this time we had like 37 PAR vacancies. Right now we only have 10. So that's that's really a good thing for our school system. So with Belinda and and Miss Gardner working together, we're going to be ready to go with our paras for the 2627 school year. Another thing that we're doing new this year is regarding our emergency operation plans. This is moving on to admin. Uh Jennifer Alam and
119Mr. Bob Donald working together um to formulate a way for electronic way for schools to update their emergency operation plans and we're now going to make that part of the administrator checkout excuse me [clears throat] the administrator checkout process at the end of the year. So just so you understand excuse me [clears throat] what I'm saying is uh at the end of the year we have administrator checkout closeout for schools. So check they come in they turn in evaluation they meet with Dr. Tilman checkout. They do some things with HR and now we're going to add the admin portion where they're going to have a updated EOP plan and they're going to check out with Miss Jennifer Alamman and Mr. Bob Donald also. So, that's a good thing. Uh, school food services, Miss Lane asked
120me to just to let you guys know this. She said food services has a few more breakfast items to taste test with students and then then we'll work to finalize menus for the 26 27 school year. So, she's moving forward. And the last thing is uh public records request, you know, due to our break. We're just coming off break. We had seven public records requests. Three involving construction construction and one for food services, IT, student records, and uh sweep policies for a total of seven. And that's my update. Any questions, I'm here to answer. >> Do I have any questions from board members? >> No. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Rono. Thank you, sir. >> All right. Next, we have our threeminut public comment. Uh, Mr. David Merrick. >> Good evening. Uh, Mr. Jaby,
121board members. It ain't going to be like other times. I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. I did originally come here and I just want to put it on the record. I'm not going to try to pronounce your last name, so I'm going just call you Miss Melissa. Um there's issues in not involving my kids, but eventually could potentially involve my kids where it comes to um they were given eighth graders were given a list to choose to do a project from. My problem with it along with a lot of other parents, it had prostitution. It had recreation marijuana. You know, if that's the curriculum, I don't know, and she's going to get me with that, then I'm going to pull all three of my kids out of school. All right? I'm not going
122to touch base on that. But that's wrong. All right? Especially when this same board simply for my kid looking up his interest and look what y'all did. Another thing I want to touch on, sometimes you got to be lenient. You know, giving kids infractions. I got a text and it's kind of funny because I addressed this with a principal. I got a text about one of my kids and I had my wife check it, but uh but I got the text through the phone about an infraction for not bringing a school ID. I mean, come on. How many times have y'all forgot something? All right. How many people walk out the door and forget their toup pay? I mean, come on. Seriously, that's just a little overreach. Last thing I want to say, and god,
123I might make my time limit this time for once, is I also saw another parent where they posted where now they're doing a lottery for uh if you want to go on a field trip, they're only going to allow two parents. Why wouldn't you want parent involvement on field trips? Number one, it's more eyes on the kids. And I want to address something as far as it's his job, but I'm gonna address it as far as the teachers and them taking off. I stand with teachers. They got a hard job. Some of y'all are former teachers as well. You know what? They can only take vacation there when they off in the summer. Some people like to go see snow that we don't hardly often see here. You know, if you micromanage people, you're going
124to keep losing people. And that's just my that's just my take on that. And look, I still got 40 seconds. So, I'm going to say this. I do appreciate y'all. And I know I I just wish and and if I go over 30 seconds, just let me get this out, please. Because this is actually good. Frank, he might like this. This is the first I'd love to see the cameras in Frank's face when he sees me walking the door cuz not this guy again. And some of the other board members. But to all the other uh board members that you know my times in the past of of coming and and addressing stuff and uh that's actually took the time to come and talk you know thank you. You know I think that's a perfect
125role model. Look y'all got elected to do a position. That's all the parents and the public want you to do is hey hear us out. You know y'all don't want y'all's kids you know subjected to some of this other stuff as well. And so that's but I look forward to hearing you and I'm not gonna pronounce your last name. Thank you. >> Good job with your time, Mr. Mayor. >> Look, I I didn't even go too bad. >> Miss Barbara Sharp, Barbara Sharp, bus driver. Um, just a comment about the time off. Um, if I need something done, surgery, procedure, or whatever, I'm going to look at when I'm off on a holiday and schedule it immediately prior to or whatever, so that I'm in not infringing on the schedule that much. So, or even
126if I have it done over the holiday and it goes into the return to school, I'm looking for that. and other people are doing that too because you're taking less time away from from the school system. But that's just my comment on that. I'm up here to talk about bus drivers. Of course, currently there's a minimum of 12 bus driver vacancies. That's retired, resigned, or you know, whatever. But just drivers, minimum positions. Okay. Um my question would be how long is the process taking to hire drivers, advertise, hire them, train them, screen them? Are the gaps in that process? Is everybody doing their utmost to get these people in these positions as fast as possible? because I know right before the holidays there was like 51 drivers vacancies out. So, and I know of another
127case where there's a driver waiting for the process to be finished and there were gaps. So, that's a question there. I would like to see a more concerted effort not only to recruit drivers but to see that the training screening process is expedited. We've got too many children relying on this and I hear it on the radio constantly. I know Mr. Jabby is hearing this too. The coverage is extensive every day. And I don't mean Fridays and I don't mean Mondays. It's every day of the week. There is not enough substitutes to fill these positions. What are we doing? I know the pay for substitutes is great, but the hiring of the drivers is where we need those 12 positions at least filled. So they're not taking away from subs. It's it's a tough job.
128It's a serious job, especially when you're getting out there and covering multiple routes for other drivers at the same time. I'm sure you can see it in everything from um accidents, late schools, dismissals, teachers having to stay longer to cover to wait for that bus to get there. You need to look at those things. Thank you, M. Announcements. Schools and offices are closed this next Monday, January 19th, for Martin Luther King Day and my birthday. Just kidding. Um, and our February committee as a hold meeting will be held on Thursday, February 5th at 6 PM. The board meeting will be held February 12th at 6 p.m. And both of those meetings are in slidel. This meeting is adjourned. [music] Heat. [music] Heat. [music]