STPPS Board Meeting – 8/14/25

001[Music] What am I filling out? You don't have anything. If everybody can take their seat, we will get the Sainty Parish School Board meeting for Thursday, August 14th underway. Miss Kley, will you please call the role? >> Mr. Green, >> here. >> Mrs. Hansen, >> here. >> Miss Rutherford, >> here. >> Mrs. Foy, >> here. >> Mr. Harrell. Okay. >> Mrs. Martin here. >> Mrs. Moore here. >> Dr. Peterson here. >> Mrs. Baker. >> Mrs. McCullum here. >> Mrs. Lamey, >> Miss Hurst, Mr. Bro, >> Mr. Kuzanne, Miss Rafino Gallagher. >> Thank you. Miss Lamey will lead our invocation and pledge today. >> Pray with me. Father God, thank you so much for your love, your mercy, your grace. We ask you to be with us tonight in this meeting and with us each and

002every day. Lord, we lift up our students and their families, our teachers, administrators, all school staff and employees, Lord, up to you. We ask that you just guide us, guard us, and protect us as we go through this school year. We thank you for a great start to the year. And we just pray that we always remember the awesome responsibility we have for those students that have been entrusted to our care. Help us to always put them first, Lord. It's in your precious name we pray. Amen. >> Amen. Now the pledge. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Uh before we seated, I'd like to uh invite Miss Gallagher to

003say a few words. >> If you could all please remain standing for a moment. Um, I would just like to add a little extra prayer for all those involved in the accident um that took the life of a Cypress Cove child yesterday. Um, and if you could please take a moment of silence to pray for him and his family at this time, please. Thank you. Would any board members like to recognize visitors this evening? Miss Hansen, >> I don't want to steal anybody's thunder, but I do want to recognize our former superintendent, which everybody can obviously tell he's on the agend agenda. No, you can't tell. Anyway, um like to recognize Mr. um false and inviting him to be. Thank you for being here tonight. And I have one more recognition and that is to

004one of my very first principles who hired me to teach at Aida Springs Junior High. God love her and God love me. Do you remember? Do you remember? Um so and she then became my supervisor at when I was principal at C pitcher and at Coington High. And then I tried to fill her shoes as supervisor of art. So we welcome you and your beautiful family. >> Thanks, Miss Hansen. >> Peggy Sharp. Sorry. >> Thank you. >> I'd like to recognize Mr. Johnny Vanrano standing in the back there, former principal at Fountain Blue High School, and uh my driver's ed teacher. I've only been in a few racks, so I mean it's uh >> Thank you all for being here. >> Yes, Miss Gallagher. >> So, usually we recognize students for this, but I would

005like to um give a shout out to a high a health and PE teacher and head football coach at Creekide High School, Mr. Mark Liebrich. Um he was the international powerlifting federation North American powerlifting federation regional equipped open champion in squat bench and deadlift and the total was 1856 pounds. So total so congratulations to him and um we're proud to have him as part of the team. >> Thank you Miss Gallagher. Any others? See none. So I'll turn it over to Mr. Jabier for our superintendent update and Katrina tribute. >> Great. Thank you Mr. Green. Uh, as you can see, tonight is uh oldies night, throwback night. No, I'm just kidding. Uh, it is it is just joking. They know I'm kidding. No, it's it's great to have you guys here. I truly truly appreciate

006you guys being here and we are looking forward to our tribute here in a few minutes. Um, as we kick off school, it's always so important. We do so many different drives to try to try to help our students and our families uh get what they need uh to start school so that no one feels ostracized or in a in a in a difficult position. So, I want to take a couple minutes just to thank some of our key sponsors that went above and beyond this year to help us with our supply drive. Keesler Federal Credit Union, Mike Bruno's Northshore Harley David Harley-Davidson hog chapter. I had to make sure I said that. We have gotten so much traction on our picture I took at Harley in the with the Hog chapter. They have been

007blowing it up. So it is I really appreciate them and I realized how important and how involved Harley-Davidson is. So it is we really appreciate them for all they did. Southern Air Northshore uh the Walmart and the Walmart in Coington specifically. Uh WVUE uh Fox 8. So Fox 8 um we we we work around them and they they do a great job of promoting it so we can get maximum turnout. So the only day they had available was last Friday when we started school that Friday. Um so it was a little bit different than it is because we usually try to do it before school starts. Um but we had to move it back a little bit. But I really appreciate them working with us. Uh Church of the King does a tremendous job. I

008just can't say enough uh to Mr. Amanda Williams and the entire serve team. they helped us from start to finish in making that happen uh and getting the supplies. They're helping us distribute those supplies to all of our schools. So, we really appreciate them. They always they never tell us no. Uh and I just really appreciate Amanda and her group for doing a tremendous job. And last but not least, um we have a bus driver that works for us, Miss Angela Horde. And every year she helps us with this drive. She gives up her time to do it. Um she because we were in school, she left her route, came and checked on us at uh the Coington Walmart after she finished her route, went back and ran her afternoon route, then came back to

009help us disperse we needed and to put our bus back where it goes. So I really appreciate Angela and the entire group. Uh it wouldn't be possible without everybody that makes that that possible and I know our kids reap the benefits, especially our students that really needed uh the supplies. So, I really appreciate everybody's hard work. Tonight, before we do Katrina video, I'm going to kind of we we we did my a little video of of kind of visiting the first day and and interviewing some people, but Channel 13 got a chance to take a deep dive with a couple teachers and talk to them about what really has taken place on the first few days of school. So, let's take a look at that video. [Music] And the first few days are where you

010kind of establish the uh flow of things. I find it's really important to come in and immediately get talking about expectations, policies, procedures, and then as quick as we can get into school and do school work. But I do think it is good to set that tone that we're not here just to hang out. Especially with junior high kids, they want to do a lot of hanging and goofing. And it is good to let them know that yes, you can have fun at school, but it is very important to know this is a place for learning. Um, and for, you know, as long as we do what we need to do, we're in a good place. >> Well, it's always exciting to get to know a whole brand new set of kids. So, I love

011to get to meet them. And we're always really excited at the beginning of the school year. >> I love learning a new set of kids. It takes a lot. There's a lot of them, so learning names is always hard, but it's fun to meet your new friends and get to really establish these new relationships and get to know them. And so the more organic matter she saw, she wanted to see if there was more phosphorus. >> It's pretty good because during the summer, you don't really do as much work. So when you go back to school, you like rejogg memory about all that stuff that you learned. >> I'm just like ready to like do what I do what it takes to like make good grades and like get a good education and like get

012us some scholarships maybe. We're hitting the ground running and we're already learning stuff that we have learned from last year and uh it's fun. It's very fun. >> There's a lot of nerves, a lot of jitters, but then when they get here and see that there are teachers and admin that are super awesome and you know caring and considerate and going to work with them and care about them, they are very excited to be here. And it's nice. They might not necessarily be excited to come to my class to learn science per se, but they're excited to come to my class cuz they know it's a place where they are supported and loved. Hopefully they know that anyways. >> And uh you know it I I this has been a tremendously smooth start to school.

013Uh we have a lot of challenges always uh that look differently all over the place. But what our faculty and staffs have done to welcome our kids and get started uh it's really been a smooth transition. So I want to say thank you to everybody that's made that possible. Uh it's been a it's been a great first week of of school all week. Well, tonight is a special night. Um as we've said, we've got we've got some guests that have joined us tonight. Um tonight is real special. Y'all know I'm a softy. Uh so I'm going to try and and get through some of this. Um this is is really difficult for the people that are here. Uh and me especially, Dr. Peterson, who was who we were together when this all kind of went

014down. Um, so although August 29th is still a couple weeks away, this is our last full board meeting of the month. So I want to take a pause and recognize a milestone that will forever be part of the history and the story of St. Tammy Parish and that is the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Katrina was more than just a storm. It changed our lives. It changed the city of Sladel and it changed St. Tammy Parish forever. And it tested our school system in ways we couldn't even imagine. In the faces of all those challenges, our community and our school found strength and determination and hope to get through all of our challenges. Red Sharp and Channel 13 have put together a special look back at those days and the remarkable journey that we went

015through to get to where we are today. So, if y'all would join me and take a look at raise at raising from the storm and the path will continue here to bring heavy rain and possibly damaging winds even. Here's the winds we're looking at 7:00 in the morning. Very strong, intense hurricane. >> We've been having a tough time here. >> Whoa. Be careful. >> Head out towards that mailbox right there and get a glimpse of what I can see. All right. >> Maybe about 11:00 last night. This thing made a right hand turn. >> The powers are going out in many areas and that's going to be I mean it's just going to be out now. >> School but for the children whose lives have been turned upside down by hurricane Katrina. Life is >>

016absolutely nothing here. We advise people that this city has been destroyed. [Music] The way that you communicated 20 years ago is certainly different than how we communicate today. So getting the word out to everyone, making sure they realize it went from Friday, oh, we're going to be okay to automatically you need to prepare for the worst. >> This is for real and now it's coming right when when you see reports of, you know, what forecasters say you don't want to happen is exactly what the tracking was coming. >> I tell you, one of the things that that I remember the most is the guy on television said, "Good night, New Orleans. take a good look cuz tomorrow it won't look the same. And that frightened the heck out of me. >> And then Monday it

017hit. And that was the 29th. And it was horrible. The wind started, the noise started, you could hear the trees breaking. It was just awful. So all day Monday, it just raged. [Music] you want it to get over with and you want to get out as soon as you can to put eyes on it because you know growing up and being a product of the school system you know how important your whole life the school system is to the community and then again 45 minutes >> and been there for a while it was just watch the radar because there was the weather was so bad uh and I was in North Louisiana and then we realized you know what we had just gone through And uh we made the decision. Um my father of course

018was with us as assistant superintendent and me and two of my friends and my brother to come into Slide to see if we what we could see, what we could understand. >> We're cut off. We're isolated. We our telephone system is totally down. Sell towers are down. Uh you know, our power lines are down. So we have no telephones. We have no contact with the outside world. >> And Slottell was was devastated by the storm. what I saw. I can't unsee what what I saw in Sladel with just debris with destruction with down trees, down power lines, completely devastated, destroyed homes and and the flooding that had taken play. It was it was unbelievable. >> It was a blur for several reasons. It's been a while, but it was also shocking. It was devastating to

019all of us. I started hearing the severity. Um, all of the schools were damaged. Salmon was gone basically. It was tough to get here. Um, but I did and went in the fieldhouse and saw the water line above the doors. Um, 7 1/2 ft of water in the fieldhouse. Um, wait room devastated. Um the school itself devastated. >> Everything was totally knocked over and destroyed and it wasn't just water. It was just mud like you know maybe a foot of mud through every the gym that I had coached in and played in and all that just to walk through that. Um I remember you know there was alligator tracks through the gym floor. >> The damage was just on a scale that was you know not the news couldn't do it justice. You couldn't you

020couldn't pick up the scale of the damage by watching a news broadcast. You couldn't see a way out of it. You didn't know if it was ever going to be you knew it wasn't going to be the same, but you didn't know if it was ever going to come back. And that was that was the the gut-wrenching part of it. I actually got a call from the fire department, one of the chiefs, saying, "Look, we got to evacuate the fire station down on 59 down there by the lake. Can we stage at Farm Blue High School?" I said, "Absolutely." You know, I'll call Gail. And Gail said, "Give them whatever they want." Then the DEA is setting up on the football field. You know, they took over the football field in the fieldhouse over there.

021We had two helicopters on the football field and it just kept growing and growing and growing that uh you know the first responders and police and all were coming here. We were feeding three full meals a day about 250 people. It was just amazing to walk around here because it was just a city you know with different uh municipalities and enforcement officers just running this place. I mean it was crazy. >> I like to think that St. Tam and he sort of set the tone that if you have a can do attitude, you know, and you and you move to rally your people that you can make things go faster. >> Gail was in Baton Rouge and she was kind of making contact with the State Department. Trey was at the old courthouse where he

022had ridden out the storm with the uh emergency crews. I stayed I I lived at the courthouse and I was the liaison between all the different agencies and the school system and every single agency, every single parish person wanted to take care of the school system first. I mean, I still to this day I remember Kevin Davis walking into the room, we called them the mayor's meetings. It was all the different ones. Kevin Davis's parish president walked in the room and said, "What does the school system need?" And I think everybody knew that if the school system comes back, then it certainly everyone else will be right there with them. >> We had families and employees that we knew were, you know, very much wanting to know what's happened to our jobs, what's happened to

023our schools, you know, are we going to have to settle for some long amount of time where we are? And it was real important, we thought, to to make a decision and to send a signal about what was going on in St. Tam. Eventually, after about a week or maybe two weeks, we wound up uh having a meeting of the principles who were available for their school at Fountain Blue High School. Uh Gail got up and said, "We're going to open. We're going to open soon." >> No one on August 30th thought there was any chance that we could open up the first week of October. There's just no way. There's just no way that could happen. And it happened. >> I mean, I still remember Gail and I talking when we set that date,

024you know, like people gonna like no, no way. But we did it, you know, but we could have just pushed it down the road and it would have been easier, but it wasn't the right thing to do. Gail made the tough decision and then we ran with it for sure. You know >> because of that call people came back because again that that gave you a sense of okay we could come back and could try and eventually the trying became a reality. It was amazing give it to you. You remember August we opened up in October. And so Mike Leland was the athletic director at the time. Byron obviously was the uh was the principal. >> Basically it was um a situation where Byron said, "Can you feel the football team?" And I said, "I

025don't know." I said, "But I can sure try." >> We had 17 kids show up and I had a Nerf football. It was my son and we practiced with a Nerf ball and 17 kids. That was our first practice. Gradually kids started to trickle in. Um not not many at one time, but gradually they start trickling in. We didn't get pads until the day before we were supposed to go play West Jeff on a Friday night. So I had to call West Jeff and say, "Look, I can't in good conscious put kids on a field not having been in pads in in months. Um you know, can we push the game back a day?" So, we pushed the game back to Saturday afternoon. So, I was able to Friday get kids in pads, you know,

026make sure everything fit. Um, get them hitting a little bit, get them comfortable, and um we went over there with 36 kids, 37 kids, um, to play West Jeff, who was wasn't really affected by the storm. And, um, we got our bus handed to us. Um, but we were able to get a team back on the field, which was a huge accomplishment. [Music] It wasn't about how many games we could win at that point, if any. Um, it was it was about [Music] it. It was just about coming back. Our school system had to find its way back through intense devastation to recover and reopen our schools. >> It's not going to be business as usual on October 3rd, but we will be in business and every day will get a little bit better. >>

027Gail and I drove that whole weekend. We went on that Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We went to every school in St. Parish and put our eyes on it. And the thing that blew me away the most were the um parents that were at the school doing work. >> It just showed how connected a community is and how much they wanted to get back to normaly and how much they love this area and they wanted to come home. >> I mean school was just full of parents and volunteers and teachers and principles and everyone there. They were determined to make a great first impression on that first day back for everybody was there. So much so that they sacrificed what needed to be done at their own home to come to their child's school to do

028it. It's unbelievable. >> They feed three meals a day. Breakfast at 7:00, lunch at 12:00, and dinner at 6:00. >> The back end of it was it became a great experience. became a great experience in, you know, community and, you know, cohesiveness and people working together and having a goal and and accomplishing it. I remember how good it made us feel that we could help help each other. >> After the first couple weeks, things got back to somewhat, you know, normal school. We we you know we were teaching science, math, you know, we were doing our our stuff. But those first couple weeks were really about just just kind of just talking about what we had all gone through and and where we were headed from that point on and getting back to normal. Having

029your story heard, it was important and we were able to do those things. >> It was hard to live through something like that. Um, it truly it divided your life before Katrina and after Katrina. >> As I travel across the state and and do work, there's still people when they come up to and say what we accomplished in after Katrina here is still something that people across this entire state are are proud of and happy that we were able to do. >> The commitment to this area and St. Tammy and our school system number one uh was amazing for to be able to reopen and give people a reason to come home and they came home and Saint Tammy Parish right now is is booming because of some of the connections some of the things

030that happened 20 years ago. [Music] [Applause] I can't say enough um the job that Rhett did, the entire channel 13, our entire communications department, but Rhett Rhett did a tremendous job. So, thank you Rhett. very much for capturing capturing it for us. Thank you. >> Before I close out, I would like to invite Mr. Fol, Miss Peggy, Johnny, if y'all would like to come say anything. Uh, it's up to you guys. I want to give y'all the opportunity if you'd like. First, I just repeat what Superintendent Jaby has said to Rhett and the team for what a great job they did in captioning all that is just amazing to do that. Uh, thank you, Superintendent Jaby, for making this a special night. Um, when you reached out to me the other day and told me

031about it, it just really touched my heart that we're able to do something like this. Um, for someone who's been born and raised in Sladell and knows how important this whole South side of Sladell is to our community, it's just amazing to be here today standing with you and knowing what was went through and what was accomplished by all the work that goes together to do that. And there are so many unbelievable stories of that. And one of the most special ones for me, Mr. Superintendent Jebby mentioned, is do with Dr. reason is when Salman High School and Northshore High School came together as one school. And I can still see the banners that say Spanthers on the walls. And I can still see the videos of the Northshore students leaving and the Salmon students

032coming on campus and the hugs that were exchanged between those students as they came and go went on that day. And there all the schools we know that were damaged across the entire St. Parish, but nothing is as worse as these here. But that story to me just kind of sums up how everybody came together to do what was needed to make that special for as well. visiting that Salman campus knowing my first job in the system was a teacher and coach at Salman High and then being sent to go see the damage on that some his school is something that I'll I'll never ever forget. And then being able to be a part of the ribbon cutting of the new school and what came from that is something that we will always cherish as

033well. Just saying that no matter how bad things can be that God always has a plan and this is what we can take from that. And I truly believe that every single one of our teachers, our principles, our administrators, our parents, our faculty staff, every one of these people that were here and still working here, we did that. We took what was given to us and we turned it into something that was special for sure. And I think to me the biggest thing that we take out of this is the community support. It was seen the video. Kevin Davis, I actually talked to him just the other day and it what I said is totally true. Every single meeting opened with what can we do to support the St. Parish public school system and you

034had every mayor in there. You had the parish president. You had all the different agencies. You had all the GOEP. You had all these different National Guard people. Every single meeting, what can we do to help the school system? because everybody knew once the school system came back that everything else was coming back and that's how important it was then and that's how important it is to this day the school system and what it represents in St. Parish and I can tell you as well working across the state the same feeling of respect for St. Parish in this school system resonates in across this entire state of Louisiana. So in closing, I would just say that the old saying of teamwork makes the dream work and it was a great example of teamwork and everybody

035pulling together and I still believe that lessons learned from that can help us each day as we work together as a team to do whatever is needed for this school system, our community in the great state that we live in. So it's great seeing everyone here tonight. Um, thank you for the time and thank you for recognizing this and work and continue to pray for you and bless you all as we all continue to do work uh for the students across this entire state. Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Trey. As Trey stated, um, you know, the relationships we have right now with the municipalities, with law enforcement, with first responders, they are what they are now because of the relationships that we built, as Johnny talked about at what went on at Fountain

036Blue. Those relationships we built at that time in a time of crisis are why we have our SRO's now, why we have the relationships with law enforcement, why we have the relationships with all the municipalities. It makes us what we are today. And and 20 years later, um the proof of what this school system is is built for and why we're here is shown in that video. And as Trey said, it it is the reason why people came home. If our kids look as Dr. Peterson as we were as we were at Northshore High School at that time uh as Salmon High School was completely destroyed. There was really nowhere to live. We we I got interviewed the other day by Channel 6. They're doing a thing and they were asking me one of the

037questions was well how many kids did s the school system take on? I would say probably no more than a thousand. But we took everybody and anybody. We had kids in band uniforms from their high school. We had cheerleaders and dance team people that were on their teams that were no longer there were on our teams. So, we did everything we could, but there was no housing. There was no housing cuz every house that was available, if it was available, there was a family living there or there was a FEMA trailer there or there was a a fifth wheel or a regular trailer there. It was it was unbelievable. And so, you know, but to see once the school system opened, our kids that were enrolled around the nation as fast as they could come

038home, they wanted to come home. So, and I I think that really changed the it changed the trajectory of St. Tam at that time because we were teetering at that time like are people going to come back? Is are people going to just walk away and say I'm not doing this anymore? That was all things that went through all of our heads. So, I just appreciate you guys, everyone being here tonight, the board members giving me a chance to to play this video and and and have a program tonight. Uh, so, Mr. Green, I'll turn it over to you and board members, if y'all would like to say anything. >> I'd like to say something. I I want to make sure that we remember and appreciate the courage it took of our leadership. I mean,

039Gail, I was with Gail when we were left because of hurricane. And all she kept saying was, "I got to get back so we can get started on doing something." But then to get back and to make the decision, I get that meeting with Trey and Gail that we're going to open up in October. How in the heck are you going to how you going to do that? But also then as you mentioned Frankie, how the community at Found High School, we had fire department, sheriff's office, every EMT or first responder you could think of before the DEA and FBI came in there. But to this day, in my old office, there's still a a list of all those people that would call me in August to make sure that if something happens, they can

040use a Fountain Blue High School. And there's a list of all the schools up and down 59 and the keys to those schools so that the food did not go bad. And the fire department and the sheriff's office would always would tell me that they'll have a a generator and a and a freezer truck so they could save the food. That's why we were able to feed 200 and something people three three meals a day because of that. And the fire department would go out every day. They they commandeered they said chainsaws and stuff from Walmarts and those places. So they were clearing away all the debris up down 59 looked like a a war zone. They were clearing away 59 sharp road. Okay. 1088 so that when things got better the the fire department

041could get down those roads so that when things got a little bit better it was a lot less problems for people to communicate or to transverse through those places. So that community connection would still exist today of of the fire departments, sheriff's office, and EMTs that if there's an emergency, right, the first thing they can do is contact the schools to make sure that schools are okay, but that they have the uh the access to those places. So yeah, and I want to thank Rich for that was outstanding and I don't ever want to live through that again. >> Amen. >> Okay. Thank you for >> Thank you, John. True. kind of hard to trump what's been said, but I will um ask board members if they'd like to queue up and say a few

042words. Miss Hansen, that video was amazing and um it brings you back to them, but it also brings you back to the hope that we did have for coming back. And so I would like to again personally thank uh Superintendent Folz for everything he did to help get our schools back. when you said as far as housing goes, you know, if there was a house, there was a family living in it or possibly two or three families. Um, we had evacuated. I'll keep this brief. We evacuated. We came back to five trees in our home. And so, we couldn't live there. Southeastern had started up, so two of my children were able to go back to school. My oldest had just gotten married and we moved in >> to our in-laws house with my two

043children who were in commuting to Southeastern, my daughter who was a junior in high school and our two dogs and that's where we stayed for almost two months until my in-laws had electricity. We moved in with them for two and a half months. So living at the the the at at the sec courthouse, the former courthouse for that length of period of time, I couldn't wait to get home. So thank you for the sacrifices I'm sure you made in order for our kids to be back. And the part that really got me was when Jerry Leonard was talking about the football team coming back. Because to a high school child or to any child, but to a high school child and to a parent of a high school child and my baby not being able

044to go back to her school, do we enroll her in another school over here because it's her junior year. What if she I mean, she's got to graduate next year. She was on the dance team. Am I going to miss seeing her on the dance team? And I know I'm not alone. A lot of parents felt this way. But you gave them that experience and we were able to come back and I saw my daughter have a normal junior year in high school. I wasn't worried about the trees in the roof. I wasn't worried about when we did or would or wouldn't get electricity. I wasn't worried about anything. I was just worried about her getting back into classes. So, thank you for doing that, >> Miss Foy. >> Thank you. I real briefly, I

045just want to echo a thank you. I was an employee at the time for the leadership the um you know Miss Gardner there's a they they could have done your leader and me book um and used it with ours. I mean and one thing that wasn't mentioned that I kept thinking about was Miss Sloan and and your commitment to make sure that every single employee got paid. Nobody went without a paycheck and no one lost their job. And to me that was amazing after everything we had been through. So, thank you, >> Dr. Peterson. >> Um, wow. It's wonderful to see the um support and just uh but it's also heart-wrenching to see some of the video and the comments that were made during that time. And tonight I just uh recall that uh the

046most challenging aspects of of all of that was amongst ourselves. You know, we we battled our leadership, our superintendent, Trey False, Gail Slong, all the principles, they battled every day and tempers were like shortened, like short fuses. But we all fought for one thing. No matter how frail we became, we fought for the kids. We knew we had to do better. And every day we came back with hardly with very few of any resources and tried to do a better job one day at a time. And uh you you know so well stated how relationships were built uh as as you went along with community resources, but even deeper than that, the the families and the kids built relationships within those schools. And it was it was just phenomenal. And I and I'll say this,

047he's not here, but good friend of mine, Mr. Byron Williams. Uh for me, he became the face of Salman High School because he took the group of kids that were just hundred or so, maybe 120 kids, and I watched that number grow month after month after month, and and move from spending a good bit of time at Northshore High School, which we were so glad to do that with them. It was a great experience for our kids, but to move to another school and to another school, and the families supported those moves. And then I wanted to say too is that the employees uh our cafeteria workers, our custodial workers, man, they were so so just uh important to the survival of our schools and and the and the the atmosphere. And it was it

048was just people caring so deeply about each other. And you know, I hear some of the things that we talk about now and it seems so petty when you look at the circumstances and when everyone in such dire straits, you know, it was it was important to make sure people had a safe place to to stay, food on the food, uh, you know, transportation. Uh, there was just so many things that were more important than, oh, you know, I'm not I'm not even going to go to the pettiness, but it just I got stuff on my mind about that right now. And and just hearing this tonight makes me just uh you know, when we talk about what we have to have and the rules and the you know, we got this in our handbook

049and all that mess, it seems so petty because the only thing that really mattered then. And if we really want to be honest, even now is our relationships with the people around us and with the families in our community. And when they hurt, we need to hurt with them. and when they need help, we need to be there helping them. And so that's that's the kind of the takeaway that I got from that experience. And uh leadership is hard, but we had great leaders. And uh and I'm just I'm talking about from the top down. I mean, and there is no down, from the bottom up, whatever you want to say. uh everyone was a hero and and our community is here today and enjoying the experiences that we have today because as we said

050before uh because of what was done then and uh if you weren't here you just don't know any thank you >> miss Gallagher >> I didn't have kids in the system at the time and my stepdaughter was in it but I will say that the biggest takeaway away. I had to just from the outside looking in was the fact that you guys came up with somehow figuring out how Northshore and Salmon could co-mingle and get all those kids back in school. Um, while I'm sure there was a huge rivalry on the football field the year before, for them to be able to come together and find a way to get all those kids who didn't have a school educated at the same time was was highly impressive. So, thank you for that. >> Thank you.

051And I'll finish by again thanking Rhett and Channel 13 for a beautiful tribute and I hope it's one that you put forth for some type of award because it's it's deserved. So, thank you again. The next item on our agenda is Oh, yes, sir. Mr. I just want to say >> that I retired from St. Tan Paris schools in 2003. I was hired as athletic director at Xav University in 2004. Katrina came in 2005 and the experiences were I had was pretty terrible and I just wish and pray that we never have a situation like that again. We had a tremendous leader in Dr. Norman C. Francis Xavier University who brought us back in about 6 months but we had 10 ft of water in the gym. We had to replace everything and it was

052like that with every building on the campus. So it was like that all over. people got together as they did here in in Slide Elk in New Orleans and brought us back. But I'd like for all of us to hope and pray that we never see another Katrina. You don't want to see it. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Kusan. Uh, the next item on our agenda is a special recognition for the America 250 field trip art contest winner, Miss Baker. >> Yeah. So, for a happier day in St. Tam. Um, no, seriously, thank you for everyone who worked so hard to get Staint Tam back because since Katrina, Staint Tam has even continued to as it continues to get better and better. So, we are incredibly proud to announce that Emory Dunn, a third

053grade student at Lancaster Elementary School, has been selected as a winner of the 2024 2025 America's Field Trip Contest. America's Field Trip is a prestigious national contest that invites students to explore and express what it means to be part of the American story through art, writing, and creativity. Out of thousands of entries, I said thousands of entries from across the country, Emry's submission stood out for its originality, insight, and heartfelt expression. As a contest winner, Emory has been awarded a truly unforgettable experience which included the following. A behindthescenes tour of the National Air and Space Museum as well as a special sleepover at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. This incredible journey has given Emory the chance to explore the wonders of science, space, and history in ways most students only

054dream about. This remarkable achievement is a testament to Emry's creativity, imagination, and hard work that shown brightly in her in her contest entry. Please join principal Laura Haggard, art art teacher Miss Jade Sims, and the entire Lancaster Elementary School community in celebrating Emmery Dunn, a young learner whose passion and talents are taking her far. Emry, you make us so incredibly proud. [Applause] Are you happy? mic. >> Can we just turn point the mic down, Steve? See, >> you ready? >> Hi everyone. I'm so excited to be here tonight. A little while ago, I entered the Americans field trip art contest. For my art, I drew half of my face and half of things that reminded me of America, like samples and words. I didn't know if I would if I'd win, but I gave it

055my best shot and I won. My prize was an amazing trip to Washington DC. I went on my first ever plane ride with my mom in order for us to get there. I got to stay at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History where we did a tour. I learned that the massive elephant that is housed there is named Henry, which is also the elephant character from the movie Night at the Museum. I rode electric scooters through the city to the natural art gallery and tooured it as well. At the seven at the Steven Hazy Center, we did a big tour that had old planes that were used in past wars. They were massive. We got ice cream from an ice cream truck one day, which was delicious. When I received my award, I got a

056souvenir bag with a water bottle, t-shirt, and hat. This trip taught me that that art can take you places, literally. Thank you to America's field trip contest, my family, my teacher, and everyone else who believe in me. I'll remember this trip forever. >> So, Emry, that is really amazing. And I and I I'm looking at it, it's it just really took a lot of thought and and it represents so much of America and uh it's such a welldeserved honor for you and I'm so glad you got to experience that in DC. And I was just curious in your sleepover at the Smithsonian, did anything come alive? Okay, just checking. I mean, because it did it the night at the museum and I was just making sure that that was that was fake. Thank you. We

057we certainly like to welcome the parents uh to to welcome the parents here and if you could stand and be recognized as well and the faculty art teacher at Lancaster who are here and family members. [Applause] >> Thank you. If if uh we we'll move on to the business part of our agenda, but if if those from Lancaster and Emryy's family want to leave before we get into this, but you are welcome to do so. Thank you all for being here. Well done, Emry. The next item on our agenda is to consider and take action with respect to adopting resolution approving the acceptance of the bid for the purchase of general obligation school bond series 2025 of St. Tam Parishwide School District number 12 of the parish of St. Tam state of Louisiana and providing

058for other matters in connection therewith. And we've got Mr. Schlutoter and Miss Ferry here to give us the results of the bidding process and kind of tell us next steps. >> Thank you. Um we had an extremely successful bond sale and we're going to give you the details concerning that but wanted to make one observation and the comment was made that following Katrina this school system continued to pay teacher salaries and and staff and so forth. uh which was fairly unusual, but the reason was because uh Trey and Gail had continued the policies and built up the fund balance for the school board. So there were adequate revenues on hand to make those payments. I can remember it like it was yesterday and it impressed a lot a lot of people. And so not only

059is it important for the maintenance of your high credit rating so that you sell your bonds at the lowest interest rate, the lowest cost to the property taxpayers, but you have that reserve that's available for unexpected emergencies and certainly Katrina fell into that category. So um you've continued that uh uh to this day and uh after we you authorized the advertising of the bid of the sale of the first 25 million of bonds at competitive sale uh a formal presentation was made to stand and pores uh the superintendent uh and Miss Terry and uh ush presented detailed information and they maintained your double A stable uh outlook which is again one of the highest bond ratings available. So that results in you being able to get pretty much the lowest possible interest rate in any

060market when we market these bonds. Um the standing in poor is when they issued the latest rating report. Uh, and I'll just mention three of the things they mentioned for this school board. Historically stable finances, strong general fund balance, take care of things, help with things like Hurricane Katrina, and conservative budgeting. So, um, this is, uh, directly affects the sale of each and every bond issue that you have. Uh it's going to be applicable not only for this first 25 million but years to come as we issue and sell the balance of the 325 million that was approved by the voters. Um before turning it over to Stephanie, I'll just mention you received an incredible number of bids uh bidding syndicates on this bond sale. Uh we haven't seen that over the years except in

061a handful of situations and you had a very low interest rate. It's the lowest interest rate I've seen recently on a number of sales that we had after the May 3rd election. So Stephanie, >> good evening. Feel like I have very mundane information to share with you after the earlier presentations, but Grant's right. Y'all did have a very successful sale. Uh, and a lot of that has to do with who you are and how the markets see you, the rating that you do have. As Grant mentioned, you received 11 bids. That is the most since I've been working with you, uh, come in as bids. But more importantly, what they bid as what we call spread to MMD. M, AAA, MMD is sort of the benchmark yield curve for municipal transactions. And so they'll put

062a yield on each maturity and your bonds will be at a spread over that MMD curve. This was the lowest spread I have ever seen on your bonds. So it was a very successful transaction all the way around. The low bid was a 4.01. Now that's a higher rate than what you've seen on prior deals, but that's partly just because of where the general level of interest rates are. So you received a 4.01 01 as a true interest cost and that's the interest rate that will present value back your debt service over the life of the deal to the money that they give you at the closing. So that was a 4.01% and the 11th bid was a 4.22%. So it was very tight bidding as well. So all in all a very successful transaction

063and I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have. And I might add uh what Stephanie didn't mention is that she worked very very hard with 20 some odd pro uh prospective bidding syndicates to encourage them to bid on this issue. So again we had 12 that signed up as potential bidders, 11 submitted. Um, typically we receive anywhere from three, maybe five, maybe six bidding syndicates. 11 is an incredible number. >> Miss Ferry, could you explain the difference on page one, the true interest cost, and on page two, the the principal schedule that says a different interest cost? The >> Yes. So, I'm not sure what what you're looking at. So, the the premium It must be this. Okay. So, what you have is starting in year one out through year 20 the principal

064amount that they will be bidding on. All of that totals up to 25 million. Part of what we did in this issue as well was you have level principal amounts. That also helped because investors when they're looking at these deals, they like large blocks of bonds. So, you have at least a million in each one of those years. So, that helped with the interest as well. Uh, this particular bidder, the winning bidder, Janie Montgomery Scott, put coupons in there ranging from 5% all the way through 2036 and then they, excuse me, 2037 and then they started dropping those coupon rates. That coupon rate is the interest rate that investors receive interest at. So, they buy, you know, however much bonds they're going to buy and they receive interest at that rate. However, when they pay

065for those bonds, they're going to be paying more than the face value. So, if they bought $1,000, and that's not really a number that they use, but say $1,000 bond, they will be paying say $1,250 for that bond at closing, which brings that yield down to market yields. So when I was talking about the spreads to MMD, that yield is what I'm talking about where it's spread to MMD that we're very compressed. So I don't know if I'm answering your question, but >> that represents a premium. >> That's correct. >> To the school board. So if we issue 25 million, we're going to receive you >> 25 plus >> 1,35,000 in premium on top of the 25 million. And that premium is what brings those higher coupons down to market yields. >> And that premium

066um is used for additional construction projects. >> Y Thank you. >> Any other board members? >> Okay. I'm sorry. We need a motion. >> I move we accept the uh recommendation. Is >> there a second? Miss Moore, any comments from the public? any from the board, Mr. Bro? >> Um, yeah, that's really good news. I'm kind of upset we only went out with 25 million. Maybe we should have gone out for more at this point. Um, but my question is, >> you know, could could it be a supply demand thing that there's just not that many bonds going out right now and that you had 11 biders and it sound like they were all, >> you know, really close together.12 >> percentage difference. So, they were all on target. So, I'm just wondering if there's

067just not that many bonds being floated around that that >> that's a piece of such high uh >> Yeah, that that is a piece of it. That's not the the case across the country. You know, in 2020 and 21 when interest rates were incredibly low, we had some of the highest volume we've ever seen in the municipal market. So far this year, we're on pace to pass that volume in 2020 and 21 across the country, but it's not the case for Louisiana. So there is a lack of supply for Louisiana bonds, particularly if they're highly rated, they're going to be very wellreceived. So yes, that is a piece of it. >> All right. Thank you. >> Any other board members? Okay, let's please vote. And that motion passes unanimously. Thank you all for being here.

068And you don't have to stay if you don't want to. I know it's a uh we we got you in the front of the agenda this time. So, uh, the next item item on our agenda is the consent agenda. Are there any items that need to be removed before I read those? See none. So, I will read the consent agenda. Uh, first item is approval of minutes for the regular meeting held July 17, 2025. Next item recommends acceptance of Falsam Elementary walk-in cooler freezer is substantially complete subject to architect recommendation. Submission of all regulatory requirements and approval of superintendent Jabia SDPSB project number P0314. Item D recommends acceptance of St. Tam Junior High School termite repairs in gymnasia gymnasium locker room as substantially complete subject to architect's recommendations submission of all regulatory requirements and approval

069of superintendent Jabia STPS project number P0514. And do I have a motion? Miss Rutherford, Mr. Kuzanne has that second. Any comments from the public? Any from the board? Please vote. >> and that motion carries with 14 ys and one abstension. The next item on our agenda is consideration of the health and welfare plan contributionou between St. Tamony Federation of Teachers and School Employees and St. Tamony Parish School Board. And before I entertain a motion, I'll turn it over to Mr. Jabia. >> Thank you, board members. Um, just want to quickly go through it. So, uh, this is our health and welfare plan that we're in partnership with the federation with. Uh, this is our dental insurance for our employees. Remember that we went to the table uh just in the last two years and we've

070got that to where every employee is covered or has the opportunity to be covered by this plan no matter if they're a traditional employee or management. Um, so we appreciate the ability to do that. So what we did was we with our agreement with the federation uh Miss Pvost joined the health and welfare plan committee uh with the federation to get a better understanding of where they are uh with dental insurance uh what that looks like, what the coverage looks like and and how it's handled. Uh she worked with Mr. Osborne and their team uh kind of helped them out wherever they needed it and kind of uh went through it and and they kind of worked together uh to make sure that we had a complete understanding and the federation did of where we

071are as a school system. Uh so tonight I bring to you theou uh that establishes $500,000 be submitted to uh the federation to pay for dental insurance for all of our employees. Uh this is a necessity of course for all of our employees. Uh again it covers everyone. Uh their basic coverage is is taken care of. If they want to join with their families, they can make that adjustment. If they want more coverage or a different coverage, uh they can make that adjustment. But this gives tremendous coverage to all of our families uh or all of our employees throughout the school system. Uh Miss Pos has budgeted for this amount. Uh so we this has been prepared for and uh we've been in conversation with the federation to make sure that we were together on

072this price. Mr. Osborne and I have both signed theou uh so that the board can move forward with further action. Um so for you I just want to be clear on what we were voting for before you guys took a motion. >> Thank you Mr. Jabby. Do I have a motion? >> Miss Moore. Do I have a second? Miss Hurst. Any comments from the public? Mr. Mr. Osborne. >> Good evening, board members. Uh Brent Osborne, Federation President. U two of the great innovations that came with Superintendent Jabia. Um one was adding the expertise of Miss Post. Um and the number that they came up with is lower than the traditional amount which was in the past 660,000. Remember, we bled the fund down last year by taking a zero contribution. And Stephanie and Miss Poso

073say 500,000. we'll make sure we can cover all claims. And so the idea of not including this earlier was Miss Pubus wanted to look at all the financials that came with the audit which is due to the legislative auditor on June 30th. And so they wanted to get that number exactly where it needed so that there's not an overpayment. So um I just want to say this part of my work is very I mean all of my work is enjoyable but it's nice to serve in this different kind of way and I was very happy when the second innovation that every single employee and uh superintendent Jabian was um u passionate about that making sure for instance if you came from food service and were promoted to kitchen manager you lost your dental and that

074that hurts but also you know anybody and I don't know if Frank's on a plan but he's certainly welcome u and we couldn't include board members because of the nature of the relationship. So, but I'm here for any questions and I appreciate you go. Thank you. >> Okay. Any other comments from the public? And then I have two board members queued up for comments. Mr. Bro, you're first. >> Thank you. Um, Mr. Osbborne partially answered my question. I was wondering what the cost was in previous years. I know they had a surplus and we were using that last year but we went from two years ago that we were paying annually and now it's 500 and it thousand and it's covering more employees because potentially all all the supervisors and everybody is is eligible for

075that. So it's a saving of $150,000 per year over what we had been paying. So thank you for that. Miss Gallagher. >> Um, one of my questions too was the difference of what it was before. So, just so I'm clear, is this like a self-insured dental or is this like just the amount for premiums or is this for like paying claims as well? It's for the whole plan. We fund partially fund it. The employees and the school board fund the plan and then they pay a premium to own the dental plan. Um, they pay administrative costs and whatever else there may be related to that plan. >> It's a trust. But I guess I'm so like like a self-insured like we pay the the >> It's not self-insured. >> So this is just the premiums

076for all the employees if they were to join. >> Is that what you're That I guess that just needed to be explained a little better. >> Yeah. >> I could add. There's a free plan that every employee gets is entitled to, >> but as Superintendent Jeb said earlier, you can upgrade to the family low plan, which is a pretty good amount of coverage, but you also have the high plan individual, which instead of a $500 deductible, it's a,000, okay? Or or max benefit, rather. And then you have the family high plan, which is basically double the amount of coverage. Um, and we feel like it's a pretty reasonable plan. Um, also retirees have access to this through Cobra and it's really a a good deal. Like normally Cobra is just astronomical, but because of the

077nature of the plan, it's pretty affordable and most um most retirees do take advantage of that. >> Okay. I don't think that's answered my question. I'm not asking it right. So, I'm a teacher. >> I want to get on this plan. >> This $500,000 pays my premium to be on the plan or I still pay a premium. >> Yeah, the plan has fun. needs funding. So there's a there's a cost. So there the the um insurance itself there's a premium that the plan pays >> that I pay, >> right? No, that the the um the trust fund pays the premium. Now employees pay if they upgrade go to a higher level or they pay for their family members. Then contributions are going in from those employees that do that. But the free part, the basic

078plan that everyone's getting, administration, management, all the employees, that's funded by the school board. And because it's been well managed and it had like a million dollar fund balance, a little more than that. Last year, we did not contribute, but this year when I looked at the financials, the fund balance had been cut in half, so we needed to fund something. So, we don't want to deplete it down to zero because you don't you don't never know what your claims are going to be. But, yeah, it's >> So, this funds the free plan for everybody, >> Correct. >> Okay. That's what I was like, I'm so not understanding this concept. >> Yes. >> Okay. But if the So that's what the employees can take or they don't have to take the free plan. Is that

079>> they don't have to take it? It's it's optional. >> Right. So if there's is that how you had a surplus before because say Miss Langa and Miss Gardner didn't take it that you didn't have to pay their part of their premium because they didn't join the plan. >> No, they don't pay. You don't pay for the basic plan. >> No, no, no. But I'm saying but we this $500,000 pays the for the plan for the employees to get it for free. Correct. >> But what if I don't join? Then you don't have to pay the money for me to be part of that plan. Correct. >> I'm trying to figure out how you got the surplus. >> So, the the school system will send a check to the Health and Welfare Trust. >> Okay.

080Um whether somebody uses the benefit or not, um it it's does so if you don't use it, it's really it doesn't really matter. It's just the pile of money is there to help pay claims for people that are using the dental. >> But if you don't >> pay claims, that's what I was asking and nobody everybody said no. So I was I was very confused. So it's paying the claims. >> Paying the claims. >> So we just didn't have a lot of people go to the dentist that had problems. That's why we had surpluses. We have teeth. >> CO was the surplus. The dentist the dentists weren't open. So they weren't doing >> Now I understand. I get it now. I wasn't asking it right, I guess. But that's now I get it. That's all

081I needed. It was 100% the right move to bleed it down. You always want to bleed it down and just get what you need to cover the claims. >> I >> Any other comments from the board? I see none. So, let's please vote. >> Mr. Kuzanne, I need you to vote. >> 14 yays, one obstension. >> That motion carries with 14 yays and one abstension. The next item on our agenda is the appropriate retirement resolutions for the following certificated personnel subsequent to July 17, 2025. Mr. Alfonso. >> Thank you, President Green. Superintendent Jabian, board Chanette R. Abear Alton Elementary 30.85 years 25 years in Saint Tamony Parish. Deborah R. Rivere Bonnie E. Cole Elementary 22.54 years all in St. Tamony Parish. Nicole G. Burks Buoya Junior High 20.01 years 19.01 years in St. Tam Parish.

082Susan B. Pecarrera I'm sorry excuse me Magnolia Trace Elementary 23 years all in Saint Tamity Parish. Michelle B. Camp Slatt High 21 years all in St. Tamity Parish, Heather J. White, Slido High, 26.01 years, all in St. Tam Parish. And that's for a total of 143.41 years of service. Thank you, Mr. Alfonso. Do I have a motion, Miss Lamey? Do I have a second? Miss Moore, any comments from the public? See none. Any from the board? Nope. Miss Gallagher. >> I'm just very upset that I have to vote to let Miss Burks retire from Boya Junior High. She was an excellent gifted um ELA teacher and she is going to be greatly missed. >> No others. Please vote. >> That motion carries unanimously. Item C is appropriate retirement resolutions for the following employee support services

083personnel subsequent to July 17, 2025. Mr. Alfonso. >> Yes, sir. Thank you again, President Green, Superintendent Jabian Board. Lori B. Wogan, Alton Elementary, 14 years, all in St. Tam Parish. Flora J. Vadrine, Brock Elementary, 16.94 years, all in St. Tam Parish. Sheila H. Jenkins, Fifth Ward Junior High, 24.86 years, all in St. Tam Parish. Deborah D. Walker, Little Pearl Elementary, 12 years, all in St. Tam Parish. Donald R. Kuzanne Slido High 22.74 years all in St. Tamony Parish. David L. Crawford Transportation Center 12.6.68 years all in St. Tam Parish. Roger A. Farrier Transportation Center 23.25 years all in St. Tam Parish. Gain A. Ode Cunningham Whispering Forest Elementary 10.15 years all in St. Tam Parish. And that's for a total of 136.62 years. >> Thank you, sir. Do I have a motion, Mr. Kuzanne? Do

084I have a second? Miss McCullum, any comments from the public? Any from the board? Please vote. >> And that motion carries unanimously. The next item is that recommends acceptance of the screening and evaluation committee recommendations as presented and attached. This was related to the RFQ process for the um uh >> I'm sorry it apparently copied the vote from last week. So let me go delete that. >> This was for the retirement resolutions. >> No, that was for the recommended screen and evaluation committee. >> Oh. for the minutes, >> right? >> So, that that one's correct. >> It's okay. >> Fix it. >> Do I have a motion, >> Miss Hansen? Do I have a second? Miss Lamey, any comments from the public? Any from the board? I'd just like to make one one additional comment

085here as as it relates to this. Again, I uh I feel like a lot of our really really good architecture firms that are locally got kind of left out of the line share of this work and I will be recommending to the superintendent that he form a committee to re-evaluate the RFQ process to give more points toward local firms. I don't think that we give near enough credit for somebody to be here and we give too many points for just having an adjacent parish to ours or when the 30 mi raise it radius. So, um, that being said, we'll we'll have another bond issue hopefully approved in 5 to 6 years and and this process will start again under a new RFQ process that will give those local firms uh a higher waiting uh in

086that process if we ultimately approve that RFQ that comes out of that committee. But I will be requesting that the superintendent form that committee so we can look at that again and and uh give more credit to the local taxpayers, the parents who send their kids to our local public schools, the firms that give internships to our students, uh that support our schools financially. And um again, I um my heart goes out to those firms that didn't get the, you know, the the work that they thought that they deserved, but um here we are. Miss Anson. >> Oh, uh that was me. So, Miss Gallagher's queued up first. >> Um maybe I missed it last week or I forgot. Do we have the amount that these individual architecture contracts are going to cost so that

087when we see how much each project was worth, how much is coming off for the architecture to know where we stand on how much is left to build or construct because like we'll say springs elementary, I don't know how whatever the project's going to be. We gave it a dollar figure, right? Like $250,000, which I know is not right, but do we know how much the architecture costs? Because aren't these all these costs are combined? It's the construction part and the architecture part. Is it together? >> Yes. >> In the bond issue, the amount that was indicated for a project was a total project amount, >> right? And that includes a projected budget for construction, an architect engineering fee, >> and then a an amount that covers things like furniture equipment, um filing costs with

088the clerk's office, surveys, >> geotechnical engineers that do um soil borings. There's a long list of items like that that we hold and do that internally. So yes, it's a total project amount and it includes all of that. >> Okay, I see Miss Hansen flapping stuff around over there like I can see over there. So I would assume that it's pretty but it's somewhere. So I just want to make sure that we can track so I can track that if I so chose to by project to know how much this AR because this just says the the who got picked, not how much we're paying them. and and also the the contract for architect engineers for design professionals is already established and the fee formula is based off of what is known as the state

089fee formula. it's been in place for many many years. >> And so the range of the fees, it depends on the value of the construction um budget and ultimately the um awarded cost, but um it's kind of reciprocal. So if it's a larger project, the percentage is less. If it's a small project, the percentage is a little more. And most of these fees fall somewhere in the seven to right at 8%. So it's maybe eight and a quarter on the lowest the smallest project. So that's about where the fee formula falls out. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Miss Hansen. Well, before I I conclude that this is exactly what you're looking for, what I took it from was the paper the documents that are online uh on our website where it demonstrates

090the school or outlines the school facilities initiative. Is that correct? And then the transportation initiative and then the health and stem healthc care and STEM advanced learning initiative. So I what I kind of did was match with this to this. Is that correct? like I'm waving the papers again. I'm sorry. The total value. Yes. >> Yes, that's correct. >> The project values, let's say for a beta elementary school was 15.375 million. So I would say that Green Leaf Architects is 15.375 million because they're listed next to Avita Springs Elementary School >> and that's a total project overall. That's what I think Biscella I believe was asking. So, a portion of that was established um in our worksheets for the construction budget. Um and then a portion covered the architect fee. And there was another portion

091that is a miscellaneous amount that has to do with all the other things we have to do like furniture, equipment, filing costs with the clerk's office. Um they're just they're things like that. >> So that's the total project like >> the total project amount that's there covers all of those things. Yes. >> Okay. So not that's obviously not necessarily what the fir architectural firm is going to get. It's the total project cost. >> That's correct. >> That is correct. >> Right. That's the total project cost. And if that's a large job and it's a 7% architect fee, they'll make 7% of the total project cost. >> Right. Um, Miss Galler, I mean, I didn't I didn't Okay. Um, I understand what you're saying, um, Matt, and and I do agree with it to an extent.

092Um, but I also think that many of these firms, you know, because I I asked Miss Tipton to send me some some data. So, I was looking at how many here, how many in the metro area, how many have a presence here in St. Tam Parish and you know based on the information she gave me all 17 firms have at least one or more consultants or employees that you know many of them have 50% of their employees live here. So they may drive across the bridge to to go to their to work or they may go into the uh neighboring parish to go to work but they still come back here. They pay property taxes here which and they they pay in property taxes for this bond. They're going to vote for bonds and many

093of them have students here. So, I don't want us to lose sight of that. You know, I it's great to give more credit to local. I get that. Um but I don't want to lose sight that there are they do have quite a footprint in St. Timothy Parish. And secondly, I would think that one of our pro I mean I know we know that one of our primary responsibilities is be be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. And so therefore, you know, they're the experts, Miss Typton, the committee, they're the experts on the qualifications needed to get the projects done. And I think that we need to make sure that we continue to focus on the qualifications. You want to give more credit, let's look at that. But the qualifications because it's taxpayer dollars. And if

094they don't, if they're not fully qualified, and it's not to say that they're not doing quality work, but if they're not fully qualified to meet all those variables, and I know you mentioned, Miss Typton, there are a number of things that y'all had to consider. Correct. not just you know what if you could share with us some of those things y'all had to consider when in the >> Yes ma'am. Um the I think as I mentioned last week this is a lengthy written interview um that is requested of everyone that applied and there was a lot of time and effort uh to respond. So it includes who their key personnel are that would be assigned to the project, what their experience is, what the firm's experience is, um how they maintain uh quality control within

095their office, how they meet budgets, um their construction administration services and the people who are going to be responsible for that. Um so we we do and we look at workload. We look at the number of um staff that they have overall and those that are um assigned towards the project. So there was quite a bit. There were also special considerations. We asked for their experience um relative to Seymar and then gave them the opportunity to tell us anything that they wanted the committee to know about their um offices, the work they do and the work that they were interested in doing with us. >> So I I guess what I'm >> probably close to 20 questions or more and they were pretty detailed questions. >> Yeah. And so what you know I know y'all

096are the experts on construction school construction facil you know that stuff and so yes we can give more credit to local but the qualifications if we want to get the job done in the timeline that we want it to get done have the staff to get it done the capacity and the experience to get it done as as someone that's supposed to be in you know help to safeguard taxpayer dollars. I I think we need to continue to emphasize do you meet the qualification requirements because if you can't meet the qualification requirements, you know that then it's going to be a problem for us. So that's why I would continue and y'all been doing this. I know you've been with us for over 30 years, 31 years. And y'all been doing this and I know

097you keep tweaking the process to make it most fair and equitable, but also I mean y'all been doing this I think since the early 1990s when they were doing these bomb renewals and you know it's the proof is in in the work that has been done and how it's been done. So thank you Miss Tipton and all the committee members for your hard work and thank you to all of the firms for submitting your proposals. >> Yes. Thank you >> Mr. Harrell. Thank you, Pres. President Green, I wasn't going to speak, but since Miss Gallagher and Miss Hansen felt the need to uh call out Aita Elementary >> on theirs list, >> no list. >> So, while we have all the money to make those repairs, could we do please do something about fixing that

098entrance to Aida? I know we've we've talked about a few times, but since we just got that thing done, we just need to widen it, fix it. It's got a ton of ruts and tire marks. >> We'll take a look at it, Mr. >> I appreciate it. No problem. Mr. Bro. >> So, as I understand it, the architecture and engineering firms get 7 to 8%. So, 7 to 8% of the total bond issuance that we just passed was 300 million or >> No, sir. The 300 million includes that and also includes monies that we hold to the side to pay for things like furniture, equipment, and other >> what I'm saying is if you do the math, I think the 25 million we just approved >> is probably going to all go to pay these

099architecture and engineering. >> A large portion of it will get you really started on any projects yet. >> It will get the design work started and um and pay for that and start some jobs. Yes, sir. >> Okay. Thank you. Oh. Oh, one more thing. Um, if um I mean this is for the architecture and engineering firms, but then when we go out for bids, do we have some kind of rubric that's that gives preference to local constructions, but and that's probably run by state law that you have to go with the low bidder or >> Yes, sir. So that's been the method that we have been following which you're I'm sure familiar as we have brought several bids to this board. Um and so it is a design bid build and it is the

100lowest responsive and uh responsible bidder. Um if they meet the requirements of of the law then we we do um have to recommend them for award if they're within the budget. >> Okay. Thank you. But I did mention last week because it came up, there is a different a newer method that the law has come to include which is called construction management at risk. So that does allow for more of a RFQ RFP type of scenario. It's a little different, but it can be applied to some certain size jobs. And so >> can it save us money? Um it would probably give us more um input as to who was working with us. Yes sir. And they would be involved earlier in the project as well like during design if we went with that method.

101>> Okay. Thank you >> Baker. >> Sorry just for a little bit of clarity um because I I was not here last time. Engineers and architects are awarded. It's not the low bid process. Correct. >> That's correct. We have a set fee formula and contract for design professional work. >> And you said that the um architecture fee is about 7%. >> Based on the formula, it it ranges the most the largest job will have a smaller percentage than say the smallest job >> because that that seems I know Mr. Mr. Bro is concerned about that, but 7% typically it's us it's been my understanding that it's usually 10 up to 20% of a project. >> Um I I believe in the private sector and with some other types of work but in the public sector

102this has been kind of the industry. It comes from the state and it it is largely used. Yes ma'am. >> Okay. And I guess >> and I do want to say that it does pay for not just that >> applicant design architect team. It is a team of professionals that are needed to uh produce this set of documents and contract ultimately. >> You know I I have to say in in coming from a family business of construction, it is frustrating when you don't win a bid or or get a job that might be a couple of blocks down the street. But I have to say, you know, I would agree with Miss Hansen in that in the spirit of competition, it keeps it it keeps it honest. But I thought, and I guess this is

103a question for Christie. I thought we voted to to give weighted points to St. Tam already. I thought we we it's a weighted part of her rubric. >> So, we have a >> So, we did vote for that. >> Yes, ma'am. And um this has been a question before that we've always asked what's your proximity to the school system. It's one of the evaluation criteria >> but as a as a board we voted for for to give weighted points to St. Tamony. >> I think Mr. Dur just asked >> did we not do that? We were asked we were asked by the previous board to define it so it was not left open to interpretation by the committee members as to where they felt what the proximity to St. Tamony Parish was if you're here

104or if you're close by. So, we created a table, a rubric that gave you points for if you're totally here, your business is here, your main person in charge of this project is here, and 50% or more of your employees are here. So, that got you the most points. But we also you can get points for your main person lives here or you're within a certain range of the parish, but it's less points. We also gave points for where where your consultants are. So that was also in the mix as well and similarly the business versus um someone living here. >> I mean I get I certainly get both sides of it and I know it even came up on the campaign trail. I think it was so we had some frustration for some architects

105but um as long as we are the the rubric is is published publicly correct way before they ever get to the interview. Is that correct? >> Oh yes ma'am. They they get a packet of information. They know exactly what the questions are, what the points are for the evaluation criteria and relative to that as well. Yes ma'am. >> I would be interested to know just maybe Mr. agreeing from some of some of your concerns like what are the concerns on the rubric but that's for a later discussion >> but um I would like to know that >> but we're always interested in strengthening the process and it's never perfect and we >> surprised% thank you ma'am >> Dr. Peterson. >> Yes. I think you just answered my question. It was that all the um applicants,

106they're aware of the the award point system that we use before they have the interview. So, they're lining up as best they can, I'm sure, when they when they come in for that interview. And also, I think I just want to reiterate that we did say that about 60% of all the contracts are awarded to St. Tamony Parish Companies. Did we say that? >> No. Um, >> I said that based on my math last week. >> Oh, that was it. Was that you? So, so what is it about? >> Seven of the Let's see. I had that for um >> seven of 17, right? >> Yes, sir. Yeah. Are totally here. But all all firms either have their main person here, have consultants here. Um so there is um or and many of them have

107satellite offices here or have associated with an architect here as well. >> Counting those as part of the St. Tam Parish >> contract awards. >> Yes. >> All right. Thank you, >> Miss Lamey. >> I know I mentioned this last week and I just still have this in my mind. I guess I should have pushed to get the information, but I just wonder how many second choice options are actually in St. Anthony. Did you happen to see that? I know I mentioned it last week, but I didn't ask you specifically to get that information to me. Just curious. I just wonder if we have some that were only a couple points away that are actually located in St. Ham. >> Um, yes, there are some. Yes, ma'am. And I guess >> I think that's my

108biggest thing. I feel like if if somebody was awarded, but they might have been five points away and they're in St. Tam, I wish that we could re-evaluate that, but I don't I would never want y'all to go back through the process. I know it was a very long and fair process. I'm not questioning that at all. I know that we changed the rubric previously to give some points and I understand what you're saying about some people living here or satellite offices or project managers. Um, I just again feel like this is being paid for by our tax community and the people we serve and I would love to give as many as we possibly could. That's all. I mean, I know you feel the same way. I just if there's if there's I know

109we said we picked somebody that was the highest points, but there's a second. If there were any that were second that close, I wish we could look at that. I don't know. >> Miss McCullum. >> Thank you, President Green. Um, I too see both sides of it and you know I would like to award as many as we can in the parish. Uh, I see what Miss Hansen is saying in regards to some of these companies hire many of our residents. Uh but I also just to clarify too and most of my questions and concerns were answered with the comments that have already been made and your your answers. But uh the evaluation results in the public meeting or hearing uh all those evaluation results are given out to the public. Is that am I

110correct about that? >> The committee met um in a public forum. So people were welcome to um attend >> and those results are read out at that forum. >> We each committee person who worked independently to read the four boxes of responses to all of these 26 projects. They each scored each firm for each project that each firm that applied because everybody could choose I say each applicant could choose to put in for all jobs. They could put in for a portion of jobs. So it varied to some degree as to how many firms were applying for each project, but every single firm was um given a score by each committee person and it was called out at that meeting. Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. And too, I appreciate all the work that was done

111on this as well. Thank you, >> Miss Hurst. >> Um, did we get those scores? I haven't seen them. >> Did we get the scores of all the firms? Don't think that was been requested, but we didn't. >> Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. I'd love to get those if we could. And um your answer to um Miss Lamey was some for the second when she was asking the for the second, you know, who was second runner up. What does some mean? If you take if you want me to take a minute and read them and count, I can do that. I just don't have that number. Yes, ma'am. >> So, in some cases, it may have been awarded or recommended for award to someone in this um parish and the second might be in the parish,

112too. >> Okay. So, um I'm assuming you're asking if it's the if not. >> Um yeah, because we're we're just trying to figure out like, you know, how many you said seven out of the 17 are in St. Tam Parish for the the first, >> you know, number one. Woohoo. So, what how many are in St. Tam for number two >> that are not for number one? >> Not. So one that I'm looking at while it's a company that is not here locally they did associate with a local company and they were recommended for the project but the second is a local totally um One is another one that is an not in this parish but did team up with a local company. And the second is a local totally >> Miss Hurst. Um, there's

113one. >> I'm just going to maybe make a suggestion and take it for what it's worth. If Miss Typton can provide us the first place and second place finish with their score. Now, you may want this public. >> Well, I mean, I'm just I'm just saying I mean Tammy asked that last week, so I would >> ask for I did ask that question, but I didn't ask her to provide it to me. Oh, I would think >> we're kind of putting Miss Typton on the spot, but if we could get her to provide this the output from the committee meeting where we show first place, second place, what their scores were >> and then maybe you can also put in that Excel sheet whether they're local or you know where where they're at and then

114we can see how that breaks down. >> Okay, that would be great. Thank you, President Green. Yes, ma'am. Yeah. Thanks. >> Thank you, Mr. Typton. Thank you. >> Okay, that's all the comments from the board. So please vote. >> And that motion carries with 11 yays, two nays, and two abstensions. The next item on our agenda is copy machine status within the district in consideration of a motion from the board to direct Superintendent Jabi to draft and send a written letter notifying R.J. Young LLC of its failure to comply with contract specifications and that they have 30 days to render service and compliance with the proposal and contract. Do I have a motion, Miss Martin? Do I have a second? Miss Gallagher, >> I'm sorry. Is this a motion to discuss or is this a

115motion to send the letter? What's the motion? >> Motion to discuss. Motion to discuss sending a letter. >> Right. >> Discuss. >> Thank you, President Green. Um I've requested a little bit of a presentation and the answers to some questions because this um lack of copers in the district is a is a little frustrating for our employees. And I think Mr. Alfonso has done a good job answering these questions. I'm going to let him take over and if I need to add commentary after um I will. Thank you, Miss Martin. Um, Miss Martin has posed some good questions to us and you guys were copying you guys were copied on the email. Mr. Sharp has getting up the a little slide for you up here that I'll refer to. You know, previously you was sent

116two emails. Uh, Miss Pos provided all the RFP information. One email that I sent to you guys just so we could be completely transparent what happened throughout the process. you guys received everything that we have. And and lastly, um the last email, Miss Martin posed these eight questions. Just before I dig into this, we do, the superintendent, myself, and this administration do understand what's going on. We do understand the predicament that our teachers and our administrators and our schools are in. We do. And we we're working very hard every day to rectify this. You know, we understand the frustrations. And I just please uh as I get through this, you know, please understand that we were in schools before and we know the importance of copy machines. So, you know, I'm going move through these

117questions and um if you refer to the the slide up up top, number one, number two, and number three. I'm going to read them out loud, but the three the three graphs above represent the answers to these questions. So, as I move through these eight questions that Miss Martin posed, it'll probably answer everything that you that you have in your mind currently. So, question number one that Miss Martin posed was, "Please provide a complete building list along with the number of copers specified by the R.J. Young contract for each location." So, the number of copers that are in the contract are 234. You guys all have the cont the contract itself in your email currently. right now. Currently, right now, there are 50 locations, as you see on number two, that have permanent copers. There

118are 183 copers that are currently out right now of the 234. The contract is very specific. You know, of the of the sites, 73 sites, 62 locations will be complete will be complete shortly. So number two says, what is the actual number of copers at each location? Currently we have 183 copers out currently. Right now the it calls for 234. Of the 183 32 are loaners. So I just want to address the loaner situation which kind of leads us into the next question which is how many of those loaners meet the category specified in the contract. So these loaners are not machines that can carry the workload, but the the company worked to getting those loaners out so we can make sure that each school had a copier at the school. So in the contract

119it specifies there's three type of machines. There's category one which is you know a smaller machine that does up to 5,000 copies uh per month and then category two which the machine gets a little bigger. And then category 3 which is the ultimate machine which each school will have one at least one depending on the size of the school. There are currently right now no category three machines out which leads us into the toner problem. You know the smaller machines are being overloaded and teachers are running running copies and we need toner. So what we did as a central office staff you know I did personally we got an emergency order along with Miss Pos. We got an emergency order delivered to central office and I personally delivered some toner to some schools myself so

120that they have toner. So the issue is is not the machine isn't any good. The issue is is they don't have the category 3 machines which is the bigger machines that can massroduce and they're being overloaded because teachers are printing things. And I'm proud to say this administrators and schools are working together and helping each other. For example, Mr. Buon has four machines that he uses to print report cards and I you know all that stuff that he does for us. He had administrators at his site for hours using the printers that we have that you know the school system owns. Greg Crane himself at Graphic Arts. He he was he took orders from schools had them ready and they popped in and picked up the orders for the first day of school. So, we've

121all been working together and we're very proud of that to rectify this situation. Which leads which leads me to to answer the question. The smaller machines, the smaller machines, they do 60 pages per minute. That's the loaners. They're doing 60 pages per minute. So, the it's out there that these machines are slower. This is not their current machine. Okay? So, they get that out there. It prints the loaners print five pages per minute slower than a regular the regular machine. So that leads us back into the category 1, category 2, and category 3. And I want to say it again, there are no category 3 machines delivered yet. I spoke to the VP today, right before this meeting. They're working towards getting category 3 machines out next week. So the five I kind of answered

122number five is um what toner issues are we experiencing and why? So I'm going to read this statement to you. The school should be contacting the vendor. There's a up QR code on the machine, an email address, and a 1-800 number, which I'll get into in a second. Per the RFP, once they receive the request, the toner will be overnighted to the school. At that moment the toner is being at this moment I'm sorry the toner is being sent to central office or schools are contact is being sent to the schools you know and we'll we'll either get the toner in the courier or myself or somebody from administration will deliver the toner to the schools they need it right now toner will be provided when when machines are delivered toner extra toner will be

123provided the guy assured me of that and he also assured me that he said when schools are calling in through the customer service line or the email address or the QR code. He said or if you need one, order four. We'll overnight four to you. Um, as the devices are being delivered, we're we are personally ordering order ordering more backup toner. the machines, you know, there's a there's a you know, teachers are are printing and I get it, but they don't understand what the machines the capacity of the machines once they get the their machines that they get that they have on their campus, which the RFP calls for the same amount of machines that they had previously from the former company. When the machine gets to the toner gets to 20% left, kind of

124like an oil change. If you think about that, your car shows an alert, it's going to say 20% which will alert the administrator to order more toner and it'll overnight. And a guy did assure me that 20% will last a few days, but it will alert. So, we get the toner out. Uh, number six says, "Is extra toner being stored at central office?" Yes, but not all. Honestly saying yes, but not all. We keep doing bulk orders at central office because of what we're dealing with right now. And we keep getting it out through the courier and through the administrative staff delivering toner themselves. You know, it says, "What are the service expectations of our building administrators can expect in a regular basis, including but not limited to preventative maintenance and response time." So, I'm

125just going to read this. It says, "See the RFP response in the contract. So I provided the RFP the RFP itself to you via email and the contract via email. So and you notice that when an RFP response from a company the contract and RFP that's out there all of it align you know you can't go outside of what what is being asked or what is what you know what is represented in the RFP. So we have previously contracted with this company. So, Greg Crane at at at uh Graphic Arts, I'm sorry, Greg Crane at Graphic Arts had his big machine, the one that mass-produces everything for for you know, our sites and spiral bound stuff. They have a contract with um R with RK Young and he was raving about it. Miss Miss Pos

126himself herself talked to Greg Crane and he said the response time he said the response time with a service tech is within 3 hours. The company does know the how big our system is and they're in the process right now of hiring two ser two more service reps for IRA. They have one designated now. So that would bring us to three. They're in the process of hiring two that would be designated to us. So you know Greg Greg who's a printer guru did vouch for this company and Miss Pos herself did call uh references before we entered a contract with this company. So, what is the projected date of compliance of the full contract? All right. And I just want to be completely transparent. Last week in the public meeting, I did say by Saturday,

127every school 234 machines will be out. That did not occur. I was just repeating information that was given to me. Um, that did not occur, but I can go on record of saying that every school does have a machine. They do not have all their machines. No category 3 machines are out there. So that's why we're experiencing problems. But they're saying the estimated completion of this project, now the guy told me this today, right before this meeting, that next week is a grind week for them where they'll be running four trucks and they're getting more trucks, but they're saying the estimated date is August 30th for total completion. All right. And that is for both schools and the major machine at graphic arts. So, you know, M. Martin, I thank you for posing those questions.

128It does clarify a lot out there. Uh, I can just assure you the superintendent himself is heavily involved and I and he he's going to get mad at me for saying this. There's a machine at central office that was delivered and he he he instructed me said, "Get it out of here and get it to a school." So, immediately I called maintenance, which is outside the contract. So, whatever. And we delivered that machine to Madisonville Elementary. So we took two machines that were delivered to central office immediately. No use at central office delivered to Madisonville Elementary. We delivered one, this is us to Sloan. We delivered toner to Lakes Shore. We delivered toner to Lake Harbor. Um and we delivered a couple other machines other places too. And um part of Miss Gardner's department, you

129know, schools are our focus. There's no question. The most important thing is when you know the door shuts and the teacher's teaching and they need what they need to teach the kids. But you know we do have some sites that do some things that support schools like child and welfare like the ed center with our title one kids. So they they need machines too but I got to give gardener staff credit. Two machines delivered to ed center. I called them Christy Christy Mlon said come get one. We picked it up the same day delivered it to a site. So then I called the vice president of of the company and I said, 'Hey, we delivering machines. He said, 'I understand. Do what you got to do. So that's where we are. U superintendent and administration

130do understand the predicament we're in. We do understand, but we I can assure everyone, the public, you guys, that the superintendent, myself in conjunction with Miss Pos and administration are working to rectify this. >> Thank you. We have a motion. >> No. The motion is to send a letter. >> Yeah. >> Well, the original motion was to discuss. >> Okay. >> So, you want to change your motion? >> No. >> I requested to speak. Me, too. >> I can't see both screens at one time. >> Any comments from the public, >> Mr. Osborne? >> Thank you, Board President Green. Um, I want to thank the board for bringing this and the administration for working so hard to mitigate the situation. Um, obviously keeping things in context. This systems have been through Katrina. The systems been

131through IDA, right? Monumental things, but in the day-to-day world where everything's supposed to be running, this is this is tough. Um, you got a lot of great consumer protections in this uh contract Steve shared with me. You got a lot of ways to hold this vendor accountable. And at the end of the day, it looks like they bit off more they can chew. It's an inventory problem. Uh, our teachers deserve better. So, I think documentation is a good idea and I support the motion. Thank you, >> Miss Martin. I'm going to let you speak first since you made the motion. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. So, my request for this presentation that Mr. Alfonso just gave and for him to answer get answers to my questions um was so our staff and our teachers

132at our locations would know that we are actively trying to solve this. I can vouch for everything that he just said that he did run toner to Lake Harbor. Um Superintendent Jabi is answering emails at 3:59 a.m. in the morning to try to solve this. Um, I do not think, um, at this time writing a letter is going to solve anything after we've just been given the information that we were given. Okay. If this company has a pro a projection of August 30th for all of our schools to be in compliance with that contract or that contract to be in compliance, um, then I don't believe there's any need for the letter. Um, I do think the company may have bitten off more than they can chew. I know there were other things like maybe

133some supply chain issues and things like that, but at this point, I don't want to put our schools back at zero, right, by yanking machines out of the schools because this company um looks like they can get our schools up and running at full capacity within two weeks. And if you really believe that that's what's going to happen, and it sounds like you do, then I say we keep working as a team and we try to figure out what we can do to help our schools. And I I do want to say thank you, a huge thank you to Brian Hurst at Fountain Blue High School and Shantel Smith over at train because I know as far as my district goes, District 6, they were huge team players. They made sure that schools in my

134area, um, they helped as much as they possibly could. So huge thank you. That's very true that we've had people working as a big team to help solve this. >> May I say something in regards to that? I did leave something out. My conversation with the VP uh just before the meeting, he did say that they have they located more loaners that they can get out. And that's all I got to do is give him the word and he'll get the loners out ASAP. Like, you know, they'll begin Saturday. I need clarification. >> We're just discussing. >> Not still still just discussing. Okay. >> Dr. Peterson. >> Yes. >> Mr. Alonso, you're in a have been in a very tenuous situation trying to meet all the needs of everyone and uh and through your conversation

135just now. It's um you're doing all you can do, but I think somewhere we somewhere the ball must have been dropped early on be by this company that we we got. We got all the criteria in the world for contractors that come in here. I don't know what the criteria is for people that sell machines. I'd like to see what that is, but um I just, you know, I just it we don't have an ex, you know, u I don't I guess I guess what was what you've said is like the company just fell short on meeting the demands of the parish. We were led to believe that they could uh and when good faith we acted but we still have shortage of copers, toners, people still, you know, we're in August, you know, almost

136mid August. And so it's u I don't I don't know what to say about I ju I just I'm just really um concerned that u we're trying to cooperate with a company that is not living up to the standard that we need to have in St. Tamony Parish. We're trying to accommodate a company that has a shortfall in supplies, in manpower, and just delivery service. So those are like three major areas that they they're not meeting the standard in. And it's not uh we didn't this we had no foresight in this. This is just something that's evolved and now it's known. And uh I don't know what the financial consequences are that that company may or should incur. And I don't know what uh contractual uh longevity they have based on the way they're starting

137with us. I don't care if they get the gold standard >> five years, >> but right now the standard is not met and and that's and our kids and our teachers are suffering for it. But uh just keep doing what you can do. Try to try to put band-aids everywhere you can. We got to get this done. But I would hold this company accountable >> in a very serious fashion. Thank you. >> Miss Pos, >> I just want to say something. Um, the previous company we had, um, I did a little research and when their contract was renewed last time, they had the old machines in the building because they already had the contract, but it took them 60 days to get us new machines. So, they had to go through the same thing. the

138supply and demand issues that are in this country now. And Lewis can verify this. We didn't have we we should have moved the RFP process up 90 days because when we got this original contract, the last one was 12 years ago. It's a totally different world now as far as getting technology. So, it's not all the company's fault we were late um signing the contract. They should have disclosed a little bit that they wouldn't be able to meet the contract. I have an issue with that. But um this company got very good reviews from all the school. They have a lot of school districts and some of them are not as big as us, but they're large school districts and they've never had any issues. So, um I will say I have already rewritten the

139RFP for next time. Um so there are deadlines in there. Um we need to move it up 90 days so that if a new contract's awarded by April 30th, they have 60 days. The timelines need to be in the contract when it has to be delivered. Um we need to make preparations. we do change companies to have it on standby. They don't take the machines until we're absolutely sure. Um so I think it was just a I call it the perfect storm with copers. Everything that could have went wrong went wrong. But um you know but I do think we need to monitor the company because um I do have that concern. Maybe they are we are too big for them. But I think they're doing the best they can and we need to give

140them a chance to try to get this filled because we can't we can't take the copers out and get another company in. Um we couldn't do it. They would take probably take 60 days as well. So I mean I think everybody these are all big companies Kiosera the companies that bid so they're probably all going to have the same issues trying to get the inventory in and um so it just needed to be done earlier. We needed to think about the times we're in and so it will be done that way next time. And it's a three-year contract with a possible two-year extension but you can terminate the contract if there's issues. Give them 30-day notice if there is issues. So I think we just need to closely monitor it. So, >> thank you, Miss

141Gallagher. So, >> I just have a couple questions. Um, whoa. Um, so how many, and maybe I missed it, how many of these category 3es are we supposed to have total, >> one in each school? >> Total category 3es are 121. >> And we have zero >> at schools. At schools. >> So, okay. So, how many do we have so far? whether >> we have any total of 183 and if I have my calculator I'll do it for you but uh >> well right I saw her so you said we have 183 copers but I don't know if that was category threes >> there there's a few I was our focus is on schools so I was referring to schools no so no school has a category three so we had to get some at

142some sites because they like child and welfare who are like really busy right >> in the summer sites like that but schools don't have their categories threes yet >> okay so then Miss Prieous, you said they're all over the place right here, but you said it usually takes 60 days. >> It did last time. >> But didn't this contract get awarded June 1st? >> July 1st. >> July 1st. Okay. >> It needs to be 90 days before that in the future. And that's what's written now. I have it ready to go for next time already. >> Can I say something really about the company? I know it's easy for us to kind of pick apart the contract 90 days, six days, all stuff. the company has really really been responsive and everybody's saying the same

143thing. It's a supply issue, but when they get it, they program it, they bring it. I I just got to I just got to say that they've been really responsive to all of our demands when we did when we speak to them and ask for things, >> which is which is great and it's very appreciative. But at the time of this, was was the contract up with the company that we had >> at June 30th? It was up There was no more extensions or whatever. >> No. >> Okay. >> And then how much >> and I I guess we go with the lowbased bid, right? >> No, it's an RFP. We're not required to do low cost, but they are were the lowest cost and it was significantly it was 40,000 um for the production.

144Um the color printer, we did a contract with them too that saved us another 18,000. So you're talking 58,000 plus unlimited copies. Before we had a a limit on copies and once we went beyond that we pay for them. With this new contract we don't pay. They're unlimited. >> Right. But if we don't have the copyrighters it doesn't matter. >> But we'll have we're not copying anything. >> Yeah. We have >> and I mean I'm not she's not the only one like I've gotten people from all over like they're just frustrated. So part of it is like well sometimes the low bid is not the best. Right. Right. >> And I think in some situations, a small firm that may have one location in the state is it may and I'm only going on what

145research was done that maybe it's better to go with people of like four or five in the state that have more of an inventory than none of them have inventory in stock. I can tell you the old companies already sold every copier they had. >> Then besides the ones they donated to us that weren't worth anything. So they don't even have machines. We actually reached out to the old company to see if Earl had he had already disposed of all his machines. He would if he said he had them, he would have delivered them to us. >> We just need to be better prepared and I've I've developed a plan for next time in case I'm not here. So, it's all written up. Um so, um that this won't happen again. It needs to be

146done way earlier because we need to think about supply and demand and the issues. So, um, >> and I know Steve was saying about picking apart the contract, but sadly, I mean, that's why we have contracts is so you can abide by them. So, did when you say we'll have time, like, do we not have timelines in this contract? >> No. >> So, there's no penalty to them financially if we don't have them >> because it's never been an issue. That's the problem. You have to think ahead to the future when there could potentially be an issue when you write contracts. I've never been involved in this process, purchasing, handled it, and risk management prior. and then all of us that worked on it this time were new because it was a long-term contract. Um,

147so we've looked at it. I've added a lot of clauses. Um, the toner needs to be in the contract. It's in the RFP that they said they would give it to us, but it's not in the contract and it's not in the RFP that's required. How often can you provide toner? How quickly? Um, that's just something they put in their proposal. So, all of that's been written into the one I I'm developing. And so, there will be a plan. I have a I have a whole plan for it. And that's that's great for the future, but like right now if they don't supply what we need or they they said they would do by August 30th, which is 60 days, there's nothing we can do about it, >> right? >> There's no fin. So to

148your point, Mr. Dr. Peterson, there is no financial like some of the contracts Miss Typton has in construction. If you if you whatever, then we can financially get take money back from you, but there's nothing for this. So we're just sitting ducks. >> We can terminate the contract. >> You can terminate the contract. You give them 30-day notice and you terminate it. But we can terminate the contract. >> Somebody can't walk in and >> No, no, I understand. I I mean, I feel like the company knows that, too. And I know that I Hold on, guys. Hang on. >> I'm sorry. >> But I mean, I get it. I just feel like we're sitting ducks because even if they can't get it, there's nothing to them. So, it is what it is. That's the >>

149We just need to have a plan next time if we do change come, we need to do it early enough and we need to have the other company, whether it's R.J. Young, we went to somebody back to Northshore that those copies remain. you have to pay a month a month. So, we need to build that into the contract, >> right? No. And I get it. And at this point, the teachers who are probably listening to this could care less what you do in the future. They're worried about right now. So, and I get it. I do. Um, so at least they they get it. They're right. >> We just need to fix it for the future and and get them as quickly as we can. Um, and then we need to monitor the contract. If

150he's not fulfilling his agreement, what he said in his RFP, then we need to terminate the contract. But we need to have a plan in place before we do that. and nobody that was in purchasing pro that works here anymore to be part of that project. Okay. >> I I would like to see us buy our own copers. I think we could save a lot of money. We'd have to have a company that did maintenance on them, but that's for another discussion. >> Miss Foy, [Music] >> thank you, Mr. Green. Mom, is it on? Okay. Um, thank you, Miss Pos, for the explanation and for the many phone calls when you've explained things to me. Um, and and I from what I've gathered in speaking to these folks on the phone, yes, we made mistakes,

151but right now we're trying to fix the mistake to to terminate this contract and go with another one would just prolong the misery. We're trying to get out of we're trying to make the situation better. Um, I I do have a couple questions, Mr. Stefanzo, you said the category three machines, which are the really good ones. Those are not in any school sites yet. >> No, they they have some out there. I I guess I kind of misspoke with that. There are some category three machines out there. >> Okay. Um and I can't see the chart real well, but we have like 21 sites that don't have any any permanent machines. They just have loaners. >> Is that correct? Okay. The 21 schools are still waiting on >> all my schools >> any any permanent

152machine. >> Correct. >> Okay, >> that's loca. That's a total location. That's 73 locations. So 50 50 of them do have permanent machines. 23 have stuff pending. >> Okay. Um so the way I understand it, he's telling you in August 30th completion all machines in every building. That's what he's saying. >> Yes, ma'am. That was that was said to me verbally. Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. So, that is 4 days before our next meeting. So, if we were going to need to consider anything further, we would only have 4 days after that, you know, if we wanted to consider the letter Miss Martin was speaking of or something like that. Um, when did the vendor receive the contract? When was the date on that? >> He was in my office on July 1st. >> July 1st.

153And the last company took 60 days to get all the machines. >> That's what I've been told. Yes. >> So July. >> So to get all the September 1st, the last company took until September 1st to get the machines in the building. >> 60 days would be August. So you do it July and August. August September. >> They did, but they're so every time they >> But the old machines were still there. The old machines were still there. So they they they changed machines out as Earl would get them delivered. you would pull the old ones, put the new ones in, move to the next school. >> But my point is this company is not as far off target >> as as it looks. It's just that those old machines aren't still there because this

154is a new company with a new contract and and I know it's miserable. I worked in the school. I know this is hard on everyone, but I I don't think changing course right now solves any problems. I think working hard to to get the machines out, you know, um is is the best fix right now. And like you said, monitor it. If it turns out this company can't do it, then we terminate the contract, put out a new RFP and get ready to go in time for next school year. >> Right. Um >> yeah, I told the superintendent today I think we should send out a survey in a few months to see how it's once we get the machine, see how it's going, if they're getting toner, if they're happy with the service, and

155then um get the input from um our you know, our principles and then, you know, we just monitor it. >> Can I just ask Mr. Alfonso, those 21 schools that have nothing permanent, are they first on the list to get something? >> No, they they have some. Yes, >> they have a loan or >> Yeah. So, so what they do is the the company sends me a schedule and I'll look at it and I'll prioritize >> because I I can as of yesterday Lee Road only had a loaner. Yeah. >> Where they normally have five machines. >> Who's that? >> So Lero now they may have gotten something today. I didn't talk to them today >> but you know that's a that's a big hit. A loner what they're referring to those as the Teeu

156machines. But anyway, >> well that that comes from I made a comment administrator's conference and now all of them are throwing it back to my face. They referring to timu now. >> Well um so okay so you are pri prioritizing those ma'am. >> So they send me the schedule. I'll look at it. I'll kind of and superintendent did it himself today. So his hands are in it. You know we pulled schools and we we prioritize way to go. Like if it's a site getting and I say take the site off, send it to a school who doesn't have one or has two or needs, you know, so we prioritize it and they the company adjusts the schedule and gets it out. >> Okay. So, um Okay. So, August 30th, everyone has a machine. >> That's

157what I'm >> all machines. >> Yes. Okay. Yes, ma'am. >> All right. Thank you. >> You're welcome, Miss Baker. >> Thank you. Um, I I've been out for a while and just coming in. And I'm I'm learning about this, but I have um volunteered if you need me to be a runner to go run copies. And um I put that out to my schools and then I have no idea where my phone is, but if you need me um to make a run to to go I know I don't know where it is um to um do copies, I am available all day tomorrow to be part of that solution. And because this really is a is a y'all pro problem. I know that the board is getting a lot of phone calls. Um but

158but I have to say to all of you, I know that as a board we we instructed y'all to find money wherever we could find money. Um because as a board our main focus without that um issue being passed earlier is we still um really needed to give these teachers a raise. And so we charge Mr. Jabia and you all where to find funds wherever you could find funds. And I consider 58 >> 58,000 to be a significant amount to to I mean that's a person's salary. So that so for that I'm grateful. But what a nightmare to teachers because I have been in the classroom. So that so I I would like to be part of the solution. So use me tomorrow if you would like. Um and hopefully I'll find my phone. We'll

159see. But I do appreciate y'all finding the money. But this is a this is a a y'all problem. >> Yeah. Should they send you morse code or smoke signals? How are we going to do that? >> I'm just thinking from my >> Maybe it's in Miss Hansen's car. I have no >> I don't know. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you. Um well, Mr. Baker, you've been out. I've heard for this for three weeks. None of my schools, Lakeshore, Montleó, Bay Lome Middle, or Chattahima had a machine. So, they couldn't use each other. We were scrambling. I called I've talked to almost everybody at central office. Terry has been wonderful. Your staff has been wonderful. You have a young lady there that was in charge of it. Linda um >> Yes, ma'am. >> We

160should have had one of our supervisors in charge of this project. and it's fallen on you. We vented. I've checked on that. But we have our only our graphic arts uses this company. I don't think that's enough information to tell us how they're going to perform for this many different sites. My biggest concern is that the company decided where these machines are going to go, not us. Somebody at central office needs to be over this to decide which schools so it's equitable, not the company. So, we needed somebody in charge to do this. I I'm I guess that's my biggest concern. Um, you know, Lakeshore High School started didn't have one machine high. I was appalled. As a principal, I know parents are coming in register. How do you register them? They're using a fax

161machine to to make copies. They may do, but they shouldn't have had to. And it's very frustrating. Like I said, I've been on this for three weeks. My schools notified me. They had no copy machines. I was at each school. I've called them. I have the list and every school. No, we don't have one. We have nothing. Very, very frustrating. And I want to apologize to my schools. I pro I tried to do everything I could. Obviously, I didn't do enough. But anyway, that's my spiel. >> Miss Hurst. Um, thank you for everybody that's been putting the the extra added effort, you know, into running around the schools for the headaches and everything that y'all are going through. Um, the teachers for any gray hairs that y'all have gotten since this has happened. Um, uh,

162Miss Martin, thank you for, um, you know, bringing this up and adding this discussion, uh, to the agenda and and your questions. Um, and thank you for telling me not to blow up before this. Um, so I'm I'm not going to. And, um, Miss Gallagher, you did bring up a lot of the questions that I was already, you know, going to ask. Um, Miss Pos, you've answered many of my questions already, so I appreciate that. Um, and also, Miss Alfonso, thank you for your detailed presentation because you've cleared up a lot of the questions that I had. >> You're welcome. >> Um, I'm probably going to repeat a few things. Um, Miss Pos, I thank you for being ahead of the game knowing for next time. Um, sometimes, um, I guess we can't say happy

163mistakes, but when mistakes happen, we kind of, you know, learn from them or whatever. Because let me tell you, I was looking over the contract and I'm like, wait a minute, there's a lot of stuff here that's, you know, I'm thinking, why don't we have these things, you know? Um, there's no set delivery date on here. um you know why my thing was why didn't we have well one yeah we don't have a set delivery date but why didn't we have a date like maybe set at least a week or two before really school kind of started so like the teachers and administration would have time especially with the new you know a new company that we had they can kind of feel out these machines and you know learn from them see if there's

164any kinks in the machines means um you know especially a new company coming in you and in case there's an emergency where they couldn't deliver all the machines on time, you still had an extra week or two that they could bring them in in case of supplies. Um you know because we do have you know those type of issues and stuff going on. Um but I guess now we know kind of thing. Um, and Mr. Alfonso, you did say that, you know, this guy is saying verbally August 30th. Is there any way that we can get that in writing? I love things in writing. >> I can ask. >> Yeah. Um, because without again having anything in the contract, like Miss Gallagher said, we're a sitting duck. So, we can't go back and say, "Dude,

165you said this was going to be done. I'm gonna hold you accountable now. So verbally nowadays doesn't mean Jack. So I would really like to kind of have that in writing that he's going to, you know, have all of our machines uh by August 30th. And Miss Poso, you have great ideas as far as like sending out a survey would be awesome because I'm I'm getting, you know, you know, lots of complaints being sent that and we understand that we have loaner machines, but I think even some of the the other machines that are supposed to be the actual machines, they're saying it's still kind of slow that, you know, it's not what the machines that they had before. So, I don't know. Maybe maybe I'm wrong. Maybe they are using the Luna machines. they

166don't know that it's a loan machine kind of thing. >> Um I wish there was some type of way that we can hold them accountable. We understand, you know, with supply and demand things like that. Um is this company out of Louisiana? >> No, they're a national company. I think the main office that the we're dealing with Gulfport office >> Hattisburg Hattisburg. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Our rep is in Gulport. I know. Yes. But um yeah, they're all over the place. But so they're having to get their their products. I think they're getting from Jackson, Mississippi. >> Yes, ma'am. >> I think that's where they're coming from. >> Okay. >> The previous company that we had, were they Louisiana? >> Yes. But they they were through um was it Kiosera? I can't >> machines. Machines. It

167was either Rico or Kasera. We we're on Kaser now or Rico. I I don't know which one. Um they're getting the the type of machine. So it's a totally different type of machine we're getting, but they're all supplied by whoever a lot of people bid on us with a certain machine like IBM, HP, right? So these companies were the distributor in the area for either Rico or Kia. So um the other company had we just have to remember the other company we had for 15 years. Yeah. So, the last time we changed over copers was 15 years ago. >> Yeah. >> Which is a big change. And so, um >> Oh, yeah. No, no, I'm I was just I was just asking if they >> I'm not sure how long it took us. Trey might

168Does Trey go? >> He might remember that. >> How long it took us to get the copers in place when we switched over last >> I will say before the previous vendor. >> Yeah. You were >> Oh my god. We think we're having a problem now. it was they've been we've had very much different situation over the last 12 years for sure since Earl did it and hopefully we'll have that moving forward. So, one more question. Um, what kind of cost um are we in for Miss Pos? What kind of cost are we in for for say courier services um printing services or anything so far? Any other added cost? Are we out of pocket for compensating for not having >> Not sure yet. Um Okay. They've had some schools had to emergency go to

169Office Depot, so we told them we would pay for that. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um, graphic arts. We've waved charging schools for graphic arts. >> Um, Courier, I mean, I don't think Couriers are going anyway. Some of my staff have taken toner, but it's on their way home. >> Yeah. So, um, you know, Steve's taken toner, so um, you know, it's just it's I mean, we may be able to quantitate at some point, but right now it's, you know, it's just been the last three weeks has got, um, and I will say when he was in my office on July 1st, he told me orally that we would have copiers by time the bookkeepers came back, which was the week before admin conference. So, that's what we I was told orally. And um, if I

170would have known, we could have kept the other company, >> right? But by the time we were in and we reached out to the other company, he'd already sold all the copers. >> So, um, but the next plan, I mean, we need a plan in case we switch companies again that we have a month to month with the other company until we get new copers in place. So, that's written already. So, I know it doesn't help right now, but we just have to >> we've got to get we can't hire anybody at this point and and fix the problem. So, right, but we can fix it >> and down the road if it continues with a problem. But I did talk to five school districts, >> not just graphic arts. So, I know she had

171made that comment. >> No, I remember you mentioning it because and I think you even sent us in an email a reference from another school district, I think it was. Yeah. That that used to different ones. >> Okay. >> I think I said three, but I went back and look at my notes. I spoke to five different districts and they've had them for very a very long time and they're very happy with them. But I think it's just the supply issue and um >> we just need to plan ahead for that in the future. >> Never been an issue before. >> If you wouldn't mind just kind of keeping track of like what what it's costing us, that would be great. And it just kind of also sucks too because you know we've got these

172people making all these runs. It's getting them out of the office. So that's that's we're losing staff, you know, just things like that. So it it just I don't know if it's out weighing some certain things. >> Haven't been invoiced for anything for July, but I will be looking at the invoice hard and I will be looking at dates that were delivered. So there's going to be some type of allocation. >> Good. I know you want it. Terry will >> not get past me. >> Good. I know that. >> All right. Thank you, >> Miss McCullum. >> Thank you, President. Well, thank you, President Green. I appreciate that. uh pretty much uh you know there have been a lot of comments and uh understandably the frustration is out there and u you know I too

173understand like many of you said I I totally understand the frustration they're going to last Friday I told my schools that I would be a runner as well and if you guys need me as a runner I'll be here tomorrow but I won't be here next week I'm I want to see my grandbaby again. So, sorry about that. But I offered last week and I would more than happy to do it tomorrow as well if need be. Um, Miss Baker uh alluded to this that this is you guys responsibility, Mr. Jabby. Of course, in operations, this is part of operations and operations is not a purview of the school board. I know we're all concerned because our teachers have been concerned and we've been, you know, getting emails and and we we know about it.

174But in terms of uh a letter uh verifying that they have this done in a certain timeline, I wouldn't be willing to vote on that unless Mr. Jabio wants us to do that because we've put him in charge of doing this kind of thing. And if he wants us to do that and the help from the board to do that, I'd be more than happy to vote for it if that's needed in the future. Uh that that's my take on it because school operations is not a role of the school board and uh um but you know many uh many people thought wanted to intervene because our people are frustrated and it it's very um understandable that they are frustrated. I would be in a panic situation which I know that they are. So that's

175the only thing I wanted to add. Thank you. Miss Rutherford. >> Okay. Um, yes. Teachers are frustrated, um, Miss M. McCullum, because they are standing at a copy machine and it's going so slow. Somebody sent me a video. I sure hope it's one of the small ones, Steve. And I know that one that was sent to me was a small copy machine. And the video was like watching paint dry with this copy machine going. So, um you said that the category 3 machines, the um >> I didn't yet or not category whatever the three three okay was going to be five copies faster than the ones that they have now. That's kind of concerning. >> No, the ones the loaners just addressing the loaners the loaners are five copies five pages per minute slower >>

176than the ones that we're going than the permits. >> That's kind of scary then. >> Yeah. I don't I don't know which machine. What school? I'll I'll dig into it tomorrow for you. >> Lake Harbor. Okay. >> Um but I do I truly truly appreciate when I called you and asked you to tell you we had no toner that people were trying to get copies made and you got on it immediately and got it there for them. I appreciate that. >> Thank you. >> Um my question is how much money did we spend last year on copies? Do y'all know any idea? >> Um not the copy machines, but we paid for copies. every copy that's made at those copy machines. >> Copy paper. >> Um, >> not copy paper, but are they paying for

177the copies? Like, >> No, we we're allotted a certain amount of copies per machine, >> right? And after that, they pay for those copies, right? >> That's why they count those. >> It's in the contract. So, it's in the it's in the monthly price, >> right? When they come I know when those I've seen that little technician come in and he's recording those numbers for that machine, right? So, now we have unlimited copies. >> We have unlimited. So, >> so that's going to be a big burden off the teachers. >> Could be because we've we've had bills up to $50,000. >> So, not only that 58,000 are we saving and we also be saving money on those copies that we were paying for. >> Yeah. I've gotten a lot of calls from schools too. So,

178we all have um upset, but I've tried to assure them. I know it's bad, but >> ultimately general fund doesn't pay for a lot of this. The schools pay for it out of the funds we give them. So, it's going to give them more money. We just have to ride out this bad time and hopefully it's it's going to get it's get all the machines and it's going to save them money. >> Um it was a substantial savings because the um Northshore went up significantly. >> Okay. >> I'm also worried about the the little copy machines they have right now, Steve, don't staple. Are the new ones going to staple? >> The loaner. It's the loners that don't >> The loaners don't staple. They don't have a staple. >> Some of them I have a

179actually I can say in in finance we have a laner. It is very slow, but it does staple, but it's very slow. So, um, so they're not the only ones suffering. My department is, too. And there's a lot of people that have sacrificed machines to go into schools. So, um, it's unacceptable. It's unacceptable. >> But the not stapling thing is kind of an issue, too, because you have teachers who are trying to put a test together and they're collating and having to staple themselves individually. I mean, that's kind of crazy. >> So, what about that? the the news >> coffee machine, Steve, all gonna feature a staple. Yeah, >> I'm gonna find that out. I'm gonna find out. But I'm tell they have a staple. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Colate and staple, right? >>

180Yeah. They most all the big machines are going to do that. Um >> what about the small ones that they can have in the schools still because not every they they're not going to replace every small machine with a big three, right? >> Correct. >> No. So the small ones that they have right now don't staple. What can we do about that? Can they bring another >> Let me let me dig into the staple portion of it and I I'll let you know. >> Okay. And um I just want to let you know thank you again for doing that. >> Yes, ma'am. >> And I love the unlimited copies. >> That is a big >> I was just by the way, I was just digging in my email. Um 14 uh category 3s will be

181delivered tomorrow. 14. >> So I just want to make make everybody aware of that. >> Okay. where >> I have to let you know >> all the high school. >> Mr. Rutherford, are you do you have further comments, Mr. Rutherford? >> Um, I think I dig it. I think that's it. All right. Thank and thank you again, Steve. I appreciate that. >> Mr. Bro, >> thank you. Um, >> I've heard the frustration as everybody on the board has and and uh I know you're doing above and beyond to to satisfy this. The company I think is doing the best it can to satisfy this. My concern is in two weeks if we're not substantially closer to alleviating this problem, we've lost another two weeks. So, I'm I'm just, you know, that's been concerned here. What

182do we do? We're already two more weeks down the down the road. So, I I urge you to turn over every rock, look at every solution. Can we buy our own printers? Can we can we go to the other people on the RFP and say, "Hey, can we, you know, get something from you in a in a short term?" >> So, >> hopefully everything's going to be fine in two weeks. I'm just concerned that you you you know you you hope for the best, but you got to plan for the worst and just do everything you can. Think outside the box, whatever it takes >> to make sure that we're we're there in two weeks or as close as we can get. >> Yes, sir. >> And then the other thing is, Miss Pos, you

183said uh if you're not around, and that's a scary statement to make. >> Well, I'm going to retire. I'm 63. So um >> u miss Rutherford just to answer your question I'm sorry to but the uh so it does category one through three category twos and threes are staple machines those >> category one does too >> no it I don't it does not >> the specs it should you have to look at that look >> yeah loners might not be the regular machines I know the one we have in the office is isn't one of these that's in the specs >> so One more thing I want to add is that you do your best to ensure that the the existing printers that are delivered are distributed equally among the school based on their needs.

184So if you know if one school's fully operational and another has no printer at all or loaner or whatever, let's let's try to even the even the playing field as much as possible. >> Yes, sir. Miss Lamey, >> I tried to hold back with this earlier and I kept not. I know. Um, but I remember when Katrina hit and this does tie into our topic and I mess I mentioned this before. We were evacuated. We lost our entire home in Clipper Estates. It was absolutely devastated. My ex-husband was in a wheelchair. My daughter was young. we were had nothing to come back to. And I got a phone call saying if I wasn't back at work on Monday, I didn't have a job. So that's how our leadership got everybody back and so we had

185no place to go and no one to stay with. And it was extremely extremely difficult. My point in saying that right now is we've been talking about printers and copers for such a long time and I sucked it up because I wanted a job. My husband stayed behind because he had nowhere to go and it took a long time to get a handicapped FEMA trailer. Like there's a bunch of stuff I you know could say and I was at school and I was upset about it because the way we had to handle it and the way it was presented but we did we did care about our kids and our students. We got back to it. >> I know that people are very much inconvenience. It is not easy to teach when you can't send

186home papers when you can't give students copies. But guess what? There are plenty of other ways to do the work. And I'll be honest with you, I have not heard from my principles, my teachers, not one. So, since we've been sitting here, I started texting them because I'm feeling super guilty. Hey, so how's it going without the copier? Like, y'all making it? >> I got We have two loaners and they're getting the job done and we've also helped some other schools when we can. The other one sent back, we only have one loaner. It doesn't work like the other ones do, but we're surviving. It's not a big deal. Thanks for checking on us. >> So, I think we just need to put it into perspective. It is inconvenient. We do need printers. It's not

187this kind of a crisis that we spend all this time talking about the printers. I really believe that if you if the stapler doesn't staple, you use a stapler. I mean, you might have 30 kids in your class and if you teach junior high in high school, you have 140, they're old enough to use a stapler. Pass out three pages and then pass the stapler back. It works. I mean, there are solutions. We have to realize what's really important and what's not. They are on top of it. They are working on it. We do have to plan going forward. If it doesn't work out in two weeks, we better have some other plan in process. Meanwhile, we have to keep working together and helping each other. I just think that we're spending a lot of

188time on something that we're doing the best we can and and most of our teachers realize that. So, thank you. Sorry. >> Mr. Kuzanne >> call the discussion. >> Thank you. >> I I do >> uh I think we all experiencing this problem and I really hear a lot of people comparing what happened in the past to now. In the past we didn't have the supply and demand problem that we have right now. We have a very large school system and we need to work together just to try to get this problem solved. But I really don't think and I agree with the previous speaker that uh we need to just do with the best we can to try to get the situation get it in perspective right now. Get something done right now. But

189just to say, well, we did this last year and we did this the year before. That has no meaning now. Okay? We just need to remember we're going to have a lot of problems with supply and demand in the future because of the way the situation is in the world today. It's going to be a problem with supply and demand. And we all need to face that. And this is just the first issue that we're going to be faced with that. Okay? And I do appreciate the staff doing the best that they can with it, but we do have a a situation where we need to solve this problem as soon as possible for our teachers and what's what's happening in the school. Okay. Thank you very much, >> Dr. Peterson. Thank you. >> Just

190want to ask is we're under contract, but the contract is uh does that just that blocks out anybody else? You can't go to somebody else that has copy machines and say, "Look, we'll contract with you for 10. Give me what you got." You know, smaller contract because there obviously if the other ones are delayed, it seemed like that would free us up in the contract agreement to meet the needs of the kids and and teachers >> um without waiting. >> I guess we could, but we've reached out to the old he didn't have them. They're going to have the same problem because they're they're major companies that are selling these copers. So, everybody's going to probably have the same situation to get us copies. I mean, we probably maybe could go buy some copers, but

191at this point, I mean, we've got to be close. >> I'm just Yeah. Well, that's what I'm saying. You Well, let's focus on at this point. >> At this point, we don't know anything. >> We don't know if we're going to have them in two weeks. We've been promised that, but we were promised two weeks ago we'd have them on a Saturday >> and that never happened either. Right. >> So, you know, another, you know, they're getting all the grace and we're putting up with all the shortages. So, I'm just saying that, you know, it seems like to me that I I just I don't know, almost like put out the all call. If I could go out and subcontract in the meantime for parts of the contract that you weren't able to live up

192to, it seemed like that would be fair game. Nonetheless, that's just a frustrating comment, I guess. But I I thought it was a pretty decent idea. U and then um I don't know, for the time that I spent St. happen. I just, you know, people saying things, but I don't remember anything like this occurring as far as the machines go and the copy machines not being available to so many schools parishwide. >> It just it hasn't happened. >> And and so, you know, and and going back to at this moment, you know, what are we going to do if in two weeks we don't have them? What is the plan if we don't get the machines in two weeks? What's the plan? because if we don't have a plan, we're setting up for chaos more

193than we more than we recognize right now even. So, I'm just saying like, you know, just we got a crisis and uh doesn't have to end in chaos, but if we don't have a a backup plan for two weeks from now, I think we're I think we're asking for trouble. We can work on that, talk about that tomorrow. But I would suggest that we send a very stern email about the discussion that the board had and maybe the superintendent or Mr. Alfonso send that so that we reiterate we want the 30th met. >> Yeah. >> Without sending a formal letter, but an email works the same way. Um, >> we've all trusted people. That's what a contract is supposed to be, a trust uh mechanism, but it's not happening. All right. Thank you, >> Miss

194Gallagher. >> Um, a couple of things like I I understand where Tammy's coming from um in regards to, you know, after we had this whole thing about Katrina. Um, but I would put money on it that before Katrina happened, if issues like this, this is what we have at hand. So, if something if Katrina happens on August 28th this year, this will be like null and void at that point. But until that ever happens, and we pray to God it doesn't, this is some of the issues at hand. And when and I believe it's Miss Moore who said I think it's the inequitable or unequitable whatever the word I should use of where the printers are is the problem. Your schools might have a lot. Her Miss Moore schools might not have any. Miss um

195Mr. Harris might only have one school. I think that's where that comes into the frustration. Not necessarily does it have a stapler or whatever. I think it's just the amount of kids you have. Like if Mandavville High School doesn't have a printer >> and they have to borrow one from Lake Harbor Middle, that's a problem. huge problem. Um, so I understand where you're coming from, but I think um, at the point in time this is a problem. Maybe not as big as it's definitely not as big as Katrina, but we don't have a Katrina yet to worry about. And no, I know I know I know you didn't mean it like that, but Mr. Pet Dr. Peterson said the same thing earlier like some things are petty and I get it. I have a I

196just have a question in regards to the contract. if we so everybody understands the contract. Does it say that we cannot go put an RFP out right now without notifying the contractor or could we put an RFP out right now and then when we have that contract we have maybe it's 90 days out and then we give those people 30 days but in the those other people should have the copiers in the school before we lose these copers kind of like when you had the swap out of the same company. So, cuz some things apparently are not in the contract that should be. So, I'm wondering if this is something that's in there. >> It's not in there. Um, this is a binding contract for three years, but we do have a 30-day out if

197they're not meeting the terms of the contract. So, um, you know, that would be something you could notify them you want to terminate the contract, send them 30-day notice, and do an RFP in 30 days, but you're still not going to have somebody in place that's probably going to have them in stock to bring them immediately. You might >> Well, that's what I'm asking you. So, we cannot do an RFP today. and have somebody to say that they can get them by then and start start supplying them and then 30 days before they >> Yeah, because I think they're going to make a case that we they didn't get the contract early enough. Um, and there's nothing in the contract say with deadlines. So, I think they could make a case for it. I mean,

198y'all would could be the person. >> Y'all are smart some of the smartest people I know. I have cannot fathom how that was not in the contract. I I don't know how that's happened. >> We've had this that's the problem. No one's. It's just been there's been no issues with this. So, the same contract um some of that's my fault. Um I did see it, but it was like last minute. Um I have rectified that. I did also the schedule that has in the RFP that has the copiers and the locations. I've got a column that we're going to prioritize for next time. So, it'll tell them where they've got to be delivered. Um but I'll have to get with um administration determine who should get them first and how it should work. Okay. So

199that will be fixed as well, but again that's in the future. We just have to I think we have to rely on the company to meet this August 30 deadline and then we'll have to deal with it at that point. >> Um the superintendent has all authority if we don't think they're fulfilling the contract to do a 30-day notice. We've done it before on other contracts and we could terminate it. We could we could do an RFP at that point or we could go to the second person on the RFP. I think we're close enough to when we issued if the first RFP is I mean Lewis probably deals with this more. If the first company's not meeting the requirements of the of the RFP in the contract, we could go to the second, which

200would be Northshore, but again, they need time to get the machines back in the school, but maybe they could start the process. >> So that's what I'm asking. So if we could do that, then we could leave the loners and all the stuff we have currently >> while Northshore is bringing stuff in and then 30 days after Northshore is almost to the end, then we can terminate that contract with the other company. So that is Nope. >> No, we couldn't we couldn't negotiate with with Northshore when we still have an existing contract. >> We would probably need we would need to terminate the contract and pay them monthtomonth until the next company got in. But that's something they were willing to do. >> Let's y'all they're delivering machines every day. to deliver six days a

201week. So, I will give you an update. Steve will give you an update tomorrow. Then, we will keep the updates going and make sure that we're on progress and we're on the track to get the entire order filled. We will keep you all posted. We will do another update on September the 4th at the committee's whole and give a complete overview of anything we're missing, anything that's fallen, anything that's broken that we we will we will give you all that for the fourth. But we they are delivering every day, six days a week for the next two weeks. >> I believe this horse is dead, but Miss Baker, if you want to keep beating it, feel free. >> I just have a quick question. So So it sounds like a contractual problem and and the

202to my knowledge, nobody in this room except for one person has a law degree. And so I am wondering why we would it behoove us as a board and I don't I don't know the answer but I mean why something this size doesn't maybe have a staff attorney to read these contracts because we're holding people accountable for contractual things and I don't I mean they can say what they want they can do what they want they can ask for what they want but if they miss not putting something that they should have Then then that and it just came to me because my daughter just became a staff attorney at Ashner and they have the a whole department of attorneys. So why some why an institution of this size if it's this big of a

203problem causing this much trouble? And I don't know that answer. I mean she's making good money as a young kid, but I mean she I don't think it would cost that much if it would solve all these problems. So I don't maybe >> yeah I just implemented a new process August 1st where we have a a contract transmitt so it has to go to Paul um I think this contract I think this contract bypass Paul I assumed purchasing had done it I don't know if they did because our policy says everything over 30,000 has to be reviewed by the attorney but now I have a sheet that you have to manually sign off on everybody if it's technology Lewis signs off um I have to look at every contract sign off before we give it

204to the superintendent and the board president if applicable to sign. So there is a process now. So that's not going to happen again. >> Okay. So I mean I don't know if if it's if it's something we should consider and maybe Mr. Fol can answer this question. Do school districts have staff attorney I mean like do other school district I mean we have Paul >> reviews all our contracts. >> You did refuse our contracts. >> Listen the contract could have anything you wanted a damages and escalation. There's no copy machines. So you have you could get damages for everything you're incurring right now. So track them based on everything everyone said. They're in breach. You can breach the contract, but you won't solve the >> problem. And I'm only yelling because I don't have a

205mic, but >> but could any of this I know what you're saying, but could any >> the contract? The contract's fine. So what can we put in tomorrow? But it's not going to just get money back. >> But I feel like we're beating everybody up because because the contract doesn't say this and it doesn't say that. Well, nobody here is a lawyer. >> That's all I'm saying. And I think we need to make sure that I don't know. That's all I have to say. Can we can we please? >> Uh we're not voting on anything. >> I thought Mr. Kusen would do this for me. I call the question. There's no question. >> There is no question. >> Well, let me make a motion. I'll resend my call to question. >> I'd like I'd like

206to make a motion so we can vote on it. I would like to make a motion to send a letter email to the vendor, the company. So, we have documentation that we have the board is not happy with what has happened and we hope in the future that we can regain their trust and what they're doing. Um, I'd like Mr. um, Jabia to draft it, Steve, whatever. But I think that maybe let our lawyer look at it to make sure that we at least have some documentation that we have done something tonight because this has been a long drawn out. And I know all the people that have worked very very hard, I apologize, but it is frustrating and it's frustrating for you, too. That's mine. I take the question. I mean, >> I'm sorry.

207May I know I'm jumping in here, but may we just direct him to do that? >> I was going to ask it. I will copy all on it. I will I will draft something, work through legal, draft something to them to put them on notice, and I will send you a copy of what I've sent to them. >> Thank you. >> Okay. You're welcome. >> Okay. >> I am. >> Did you withdraw your motion to discuss? >> No, I made a motion. Yeah. And >> well, because he agreed before a second could be made. So, >> Miss Mort, do you withdraw your motion given his Okay, >> if Mr. Jabby agrees to do that for us, >> I'll take care of it. You'll get it tomorrow. >> Thank you. Uh, three minute comments. Uh, Mr.

208Osborne go first. >> Sure. Yeah. Mr. Fad requested a little bit of extra time. So, absolutely. I just real quick um as sitting here um before I was superintendent I was Gail Sloan's deputy superintendent for eight years and many times I got to speak for her in many different situations. So in her honor I know if if she was here tonight she would also want to thank her assistant superintendents at the time who were Mr. P. Jabia, Dr. Margot Galot. I know she would want to thank all when I look around here and see these schoolboard members that were former administrators. I know she would be wanting to thank all of y'all. And then I look at the staff people that we had that were um working then during Katrina as well. I know she

209would want to thank them. So I just wanted to step and say that at the end. And then I want to stop and thank her for her leadership in those tough times. And um some really hard decisions were made and because of those decisions we are where we are today as this school system and how is it respected so much across this entire state. So, I just wanted to uh close with that and thank you all for your time and everything that you do and to thank Gail Sloan for her work in her time here as well. Thank you. [Applause] >> Thank you, Mr. Folultz. Uh we will move to three minutes and and Bryant, you're our only speaker. >> Thank President Green. Um I know it was a long conversation, but I appreciate it.

210Um Miss Moore, your passion. I mean, you're people hear that others. Um, it goes a long way. I do appreciate that Superintendent Jabia will put these folks on notice. It's quite possible the the rep in Hazburg has not communicated with the home office. So, Superintendent Jabia's documentation may send the Calvary. Let's hope. Um, and let's hope they they beat that um August 30th deadline. But the bottom line is they're going to cash these checks. They get the same amount of money regardless of how many copies are run. So, it's almost like they have a financial incentive not to come through. So, you got to hold these vendors feet to the fire and let's hope that those words do that. Uh, Miss Pivos had a lot of excellent ideas. Whenever you have a breakdown, as long

211as you learn how to fix it in the future, and I think you heard a lot of good things tonight. Um, Steve can't create copers, but it looks like he's doing gymnastics to try to get things. And Superintendent Jabby, I think you're working hard to set the tone. Unfortunately, that toner is just kind of haha on us, but uh we'll get through this, right? You got through Ida. We'll get through this. So, um I do appreciate the board's time and attention to this very important detail. Thank you. Thank you. Uh announcements from the president. All board members need to complete their safe schools online training by October 1st. Please remember to sign and return your ethics form to Christie. The public hearing on the budget will be on August 21st at 6 PM at Shane

212and all board members. Well, that says please sign the banner again. So, we want to make sure you sign. >> Everyone was here last week. >> Yep. So, if you weren't here, please sign the banner. It's back in the in the back office there. And with no further business, this board, the meeting is over, but >> we have an executive >> in executive session. >> It's the same meeting though. >> Has been requested pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statute 42:17 A2 to discuss the following matters. And do I have a motion, Miss Gallagher? Second by Miss Baker. Uh, any discussion by the public? Any by the board? Please vote verbally. >> Yes. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> I I was looking at Mr. Kusan. >> Uh, so we are in executive session. So we uh

213please uh empty the meeting room. If >> y'all can make it quick, we won't do the same. Heat. Heat. [Music]