Board Notes

Lafayette Parish School Board Regular Meeting
May 16, 2007

Board Recognizes Fashion Design Students
The Lafayette Parish School System recognized Fashion Design students from the W.D. Smith Career Center for participating in the second annual Fashion Project 2 contest held by The Daily Advertiser: Constance Touchet, first place scholarship of $750 and a day with a designer; Michelle Alexander, 2nd place scholarship of $700; Jana Bourgeois, 4th place scholarship of $250; and Mary Perkins, 5th place scholarship of $100; Merit award winners: Cyeria Armstrong, Cassey Thibodeaux and Alyson Morton.

Board Recognizes Elementary Fitness Meet Winners
The Board recognized elementary physical education students for participating in Lafayette Parish’s 13th Annual Fitness Meet: Boys – Erza Hebert, Prairie Elementary, First Place; Austin Rhodes, Milton Elementary, Second Place; Corey Willis, Carencro Heights Elementary, Alternate. Girls – Ashley Harris, Scott Middle, First Place; Monique Hundley, Prairie Elementary, Second Place and Cayla Hebert, Prairie Elementary, Alternate. Age Group Winners – 6-7 year old Boys: Armand Duplantis, Woodvale Elementary and 6-7 year old Girls: Katie Becker, Prairie Elementary; 8 year old Boys: Austin Barrios, Lindon Elementary and 8 year old Girls: Summer Porter, Ossun Elementary; 9 year old Boys: Rickel Sam, Myrtle Place and 9 year old Girls: Savannah Lauchner, Prairie Elementary; 10 year old Boys: Antonio Cullotta, Milton Middle and 10 year old Girls: Monique Hundley, Prairie Elementary; 11 year old Boys: Erza Hebert, Prairie Elementary and 11 year old Girls: Ashley Harris, Scott Middle.

Board Recognizes LHS Girls' Tennis Team
The Board recognized the Lafayette High School Lady Lions tennis team for capturing second place in the LHSAA Division I – Class 5A State Championship at Highland Road Park in Baton Rouge. This is their second consecutive state runner-up finish.

Board Recognizes NHS Girl's Track and Field Team
The Board recognized the Northside High School Lady Vikings track and field team for their second place finish in the LHSAA Class 4A State Championship at LSU in Baton Rouge. They are coached by Twanna Williams, a Northside High and La Tech graduate.

Board Recognizes Career and Technical Education Award Winners
The Board recognized the Career and Technical Education State and National Winners: Acadiana High – Business (Certified IRA Tax Preparers): Shalene Broussard, Ralonda Brown, RaShonda Brown, Antoinette Dean, Brittany Lewis, Alexis Pellerin, Scott Rials, Ayana Washington, Evan Wilson and Azari Washington; Instructors: Stephanie Bennett, Beverly Davis, Maxia Hutchinson and Philip Ryland; Family and Consumer Services: Jessica Verret and Raven Talley – Gold Medal First Place, Representing Louisiana in Nationals – “Focus on Children”; Emily Klump – Gold Medal, Golden Yam Contest; and Nadine Carlson, Spirit of Advisor Award; Carencro High – Business: State winners representing Louisiana in the National Conference: Kyle Melancon – Accounting I, Christine Long, Accounting II and Instructor, Jeanine LeBlanc; Agriscience – State winners representing Louisiana in National Competition: FFA Horse Judging – Ashley Johnson, Gentry Pickett, Cole Guidry, Derek Clavier; FFA Livestock Judging – Ashley Johnson, Gentry Pickett, Dru Broussard, Lexi Dickerson, and Advisor, Danielle Jones; Comeaux High – Agriscience – State Winners representing Louisiana in National Competition: FFA Floriculture: Cody Turner, Richard Hobard, and Lucas Mogavero; FFA Agronomy: Chris Poirrier, Cody Turner, Thomas Stelly, and Caten Hyde; FFA Land Judging – Cody Turner, Chris Poirrier, Lucas Mogavero, Thomas
Stelly, and Advisor, Robert Gautreaux; Youngsville Middle: First Place Gold Medal – Representing Louisiana at Nationals: Kaitlyn Hebert – Focus on Children; Nichole Carter – Chapter Service; Allison Bolgian – Chapter Service; Yvette Gerard – Illustrated Talk; Danielle Durke – Illustrated Talk, and Katy Scherer; Advisor – Dawn Gary.

Board Recognizes State Science and Engineering Fair Winners
The Board recognized the winners of the 2007 Louisiana State Science and Engineering Fair: Comeaux High – Second Place: Myles Delcambre – Chemistry; Kylie Payne – Plant Science; Elizabeth Stephenson – Cellular and Molecular Biology (participating in the International Science and Engineering Fair in Albuquerque, New Mexico); Third Place: Emily Broussard – Behavioral and Social Sciences; Caleb O’Connor – Energy and Transportation; Fourth Place: Amanda Boles – Animal Sciences, Jacob Bonvillain – Biochemistry; Taylor Burnett – Earth Science; Daniel Carter – Physics; Kyrie Deslatte – Animal Sciences; and Bennett Dungan – Computer Science; Special Awards: Taylor Burnett – U.S. Army Certificate/$50 Savings Bond; Myles Delcambre – American Institute of Chemical Engineers ($50 check); Victoria Olivier – LSTA Award (certificate and $50 check); and Courtney Romero – U.S. Army Certificate. Lafayette High School – Second Place: Carlyn Holsted – Environmental Science.

Board Recognizes Parish Science Fair Chairperson
The Board recognized Lisa Ranney, Comeaux High School Science Club Sponsor for helping students prepare for science fair competition which has made them winners at the State Fair and International Science and Engineering Fair.

Board Hears Presentation on Sleep in a Box
The Board heard a presentation from two students from Lafayette High who organized the Sleep in a Box event, which raised funds for and awareness of the Homeless Education Program. Dustin Lail and Nick Totaro informed the Board that nearly 500 LHS students who participated in the event. The students stated that they were able to raise $6,184 for the Homeless Education Program in Lafayette Parish. They also stated that they have made presentations in several other parishes about how they organized the event. Both students will be attending LSU in the fall and they plan to start a Sleep in a Box event in Baton Rouge.

Board Approves Memorial Resolution for Thibodaux
The Board approved a resolution, originally presented by a group of Paul Breaux Middle School students, regarding an appropriate memorial for the late-board member Dr. David Thibodaux. The resolution calls for naming a new school in memory of Thibodaux.

Board Votes on Several Budget Options Impacting Transportation
The Board approved the following Transportation Budget Options for FY 2007-2008:

• Route Efficiency, which recommended spending $36,750 on software and training on Edulog for routing.
• Shuttle Runs for Out-of-Zone Buses - under the condition that staff proceed with the planning and possible implementation and come back to the Board before proceeding further.
• Move Private School Bell Times, conditioned on consultation and ramifications of the private system, and asked staff to proceed with the planning and possible implementation and come back to the Board before proceeding further.
• Three Bell Times, which calls for planning for three bell times for the 2008-2009 school year.
• Double Runs, which calls for staff to begin implementing for the upcoming school year, and asked staff to bring back to the Board for final approval.
• Day Runs/Extra Pay.
• Eliminate "Unmandated" Out-of-Zone Buses in favor of establishing a shuttle type designated stop, streamlined routing system, and asked that staff bring back to the Board for final approval before implementation for the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year.
• Conditionally approved the option for Creating Zones for Private Schools based upon staff getting input from private schools.

In other action, the Board:

• approved minutes of the Regular Board Meeting of 5/2/07;
• approved minutes of the Special Board Meeting of 5/7/07;
• ratified bills for April, 2007;
• received a curriculum update report on Elementary Reading;
• received information from UL-L professor Dr. Ed Caldas on program evaluations;
• discussed an intergovernmental agreement with the sheriff's department to use inmate labor to help clean schools when students are not on campus;
• discussed the Legislative Audit Report on Transportation and how the district was complying with recommendations in the report;
• received information on the following items, which will be brought to action at a subsequent meeting:
• 2007-2014 Lafayette Parish School System Technology Plan;
• Library and Textbook Management Software;
• approved personnel changes;
• approved the Carl Perkins Career and Technical Education Local Application Plan;
• approved a meal price increase for middle school campuses to $1.25;
• approved the bid from Miller Roofing, LLC in the amount of $388,856 for Youngsville Middle School Re-roofing Project;
• deferred action on the Superintendent's Evaluation Form until the next regular board meeting;
• issued a directive to the superintendent and staff to provide a detailed plan to address the submission and approval of the eGrant Application by May 22;
• deferred action on the disposition of real estate located at 100 Poydras St. (former J.W. James Elementary School campus);
• following a hearing of Trahan v LPSB, the Board voted to renew the contract of Grants Administrator Amy Trahan for two years;
• approved a resolution ratifying the administrative action and declaration of a public emergency to replace the fire alarm panel at Lafayette High School.

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