School Board Sets 2024-2025 Calendar At Monthly Meeting

The members of the Webster Parish School Board met back at the Webster Parish School Board office in the board room Monday evening for their March meeting.

Kevin Thompson of Taylor and Sons recognized the Webster Parish Employee of the Month recipient for the month of March 2024, Jonathan Washington, Dean of Students at Richardson Elementary School.

Shakera Williams from the Webster Parish Extension Office introduced the new 4-H Agent, K’Lanie Gordon. Gordon expressed her excitement in working with the board to continue making 4-H even better in Webster Parish.

A resolution was adopted that identified the completion of Continuing Learning Units by Webster Parish School Board Members in 2023. Board members Debbie Thomas and Jonathan Guthrie were recognized.

Items approved during the meeting were:

• North Webster Upper Elementary School 5^th grade to travel by charter bus on a one-day trip to NASA Space Center in Houston, Texas on April 12, Total cost of the trip will be $4,543.00 with the funding source being Title I.
• Lakeside High School 10th grade World History students to travel by school bus to Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Texas, to see Hamilton, the musical on May 9, All expenses will be paid by students.
• Ratifying approval for Minden High School Physical Science honors teacher, Kim Stanberry, taking her students to the Science Open House March 1, 2024. While there. the juniors had the opportunity to participate in many STEM related activities. All expenses were paid by the students.
• Ratifying approval for the Content Coaches to attend the I.E.T. National Conference in Dallas, Texas on February 29 – March 1, 2024. The funding source was EEF.

After the votes were tallied by staff members, it was concluded that “Calendar B” will be the new calendar for the 2024-2023 school year. Highlights from the calendar include:

• August 5 – 6: Parish Wide Training
• August 7 – 8: Teachers Report to Schools
• August 9: Students Begin
• September 2: Labor Day Holiday
• October 7 – 11: Fall Break
• November 5: Election Day
• November 25 – 29: Thanksgiving Holiday
• December 23 – January 7: Christmas Holiday
• January 7: Professional Development
• January 8: Students Return to School
• January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
• February 14 – 17: President’s Day Break
• March 24 – 28: Spring Break
• April 18 – 21: Easter Break
• May 19: Last Day of School for Students
• May 20: Professional Development for staff

Expenditures approved by district that were:

Consolidated District 3 Maintenance Fund:

• Lakeside Jr/Sr High School to accept the quote of $5,000.00 from Kirkland’s Glass to install new windows in the football concession stand.
• Lakeside Jr/Sr High School to purchase office furniture from BMS in the amount of $1,154.53.
• Lakeside Jr/Sr High School to purchase 21 new Riddell football helmets from Riddell All American Sports for $9,224.95.
• Lakeside Jr/Sr High School to purchase selected football equipment from BSN Sports in the amount of $9,691.56.
• Lakeside Jr/Sr High School to recondition 20 football helmets with Minden Athletic for $2,400.00. Funding source
• Approval to ratify for payment Invoice #15112 from Mechanical Cooling Services for Boiler repairs at Lakeside Jr/Sr High School in the amount of $5,595.00.
• Approval to ratify for payment Invoice #15259 from Mechanical Cooling Services for Daikin HVAC repairs at Central Elementary in the amount of $5,810.00.
• Approval to ratify for payment Invoice #15070 from Mechanical Cooling Services for Daikin HVAC repairs at Central Elementary in the amount of $5,300.00.

District 6 ½ cent Maintenance Fund:

• Approval to accept the quote from Johnson Controls to replace the Variable Fan Drive for AHUIO at Minden High School for $7,948.00.
• Approval to accept the low quote of $95,000.00 from Lynch’s Lawn and Fence to install approximately 2240 liner feet of commercial grade security fencing and appropriate gates to the southern perimeter at Webster Junior High School.

Shongaloo Building Fund

• Approval to ratify for payment Invoice #15316 from Mechanical Cooling Services for Boiler repairs at North Webster Lower Elementary School in the amount of $3,090.00. Funding source Shongaloo Building Fund.

Cotton Valley Maintenance Fund:

• Approval to ratify for payment Invoice #15379 from Mechanical Cooling Services for boiler repairs at North Webster Upper Elementary in the amount of $1,310.00.

In the Superintendent’s Report, Superintendent Johnny Rowland recognized Minden High School for winning Division 2 District Literary Rally. In Webster Parish, 60 students qualified for the State competition at the Literary Rally and about 10 students qualified for state competition in music.

A Finance Committee meeting was held prior to the regular board meeting at 5:30 is discuss the Louisiana Department of Education’s differentiated teacher pay stipend options. The amount is allocated for Webster Parish totals $144,340. These are funds that the LDOE provided to the district for use of this purpose. The four options provided by the Louisiana Department of Education are available for the district to choose from were discussed at length. The options include:

• Option 1 for Teachers in critical shortage areas per BESE. Those areas include: Secondary Math 6 – 12, Secondary Science 6 – 12, and Special Education K- 12.
• Option 2: Highly Effective teachers based on 2022 – 2023 evaluations and assessments.
• Option 3: Teachers working in schools with economically disadvantaged rate of 85% or greater.
• Option 4:  Teachers in leadership positions.

If a teacher falls in multiple groups, they will receive the stipend more than once. The board will meet on Monday, March 18 to vote on which option or options they will adopt.

 

The next meeting of the Webster Parish School Board will be held Monday, March 18, 2024 at 6:00pm