Board Notes

Lafayette Parish School Board Regular Meeting
September 19, 2007

Board Approves Medicare Advantage Option
The Lafayette Parish School Board approved a recommendation to offer retired employees on the health plan the option to participate in a the Medicare Advantage insurance program offered by Humana effective January 1, 2008.  The Medicare Advantage programs are fully-insured medical plans offered by insurance companies to retirees who are on Medicare.  In this arrangement, Medicare pays a fee to an insurance company to take on the risk of insuring the retiree.  The employer-sponsored health plan also pays a fee to the insurance company to assume the risk for paying the claims for the retiree as well.  The insurance company then pays both the Medicare claim and the claim for the retiree's Medicare supplement policy, and the retiree has the convenience of dealing with one plan for all claims.  This option could save the LPSS health plan an estimated $2,205.66 per year for each retiree who enrolls in the Medicare Advantage plan.  We have approximately 1,400 Medicare-eligible individuals on the health plan.  Members of the Insurance Department staff held a focus group with retirees on Sept. 18 to review the plan design.

In other action, the Board:

• received information on the Student Drop-Out Rate in Schools;
  
• approved corrections on the minutes of the Regular Board Meeting of 9-5-07;
• ratified bills for July, 2007;
• ratified purchases for August, 2007;
• received a curriculum update on the Carencro High School Academy of Information Technology;
• received an update on three-bell times for high schools, middle schools and elementary schools for FY 2008-2009;
• discussed the need for more school resource officers in schools;
• discussed criteria for assigning bus attendants to buses;
• discussed student conflicts in schools;
• received information on the following items, which will be brought to action at a subsequent meeting:
• Pay Increase for Cafeteria Technician Substitutes;
• Recommendations of the Job Re-Classification Committee;
• Medicare Divided Referendum;
• Raising GPA for Students who Participate in Extra-Curricular Activities;
• approved personnel changes and addendum;
  
• approved Pupil Progression Plan for the 2007-08 School Year;
• approved consideration of a Three-Bell Time System for Transportation Services for FY 2008-09;
• approved establishment of a Panel of Staff to Study a Three-Bell Time Schedule for Fiscal Year 2008-09;
• approved General Fund Budget Revision #2-Final FY 2006-07;
• approved Special Revenue Funds Budget Revision #1-Final FY 2006-07;
• approved Construction Funds Budget Revision #2-Final FY 2006-07;
• approved School Food Service Fund Budget Revision #1-Final FY 2006-07;
• approved Capital Improvement Fund Budget Revision #2-Final FY 2006-07;
• approved 2002 Half-Cent Sales Tax Fund Budget Revision #2-Final FY 2006-07;
• approved Resolution 09-07-1566 - Reimbursement for Capital Projects from Certificate of Indebtedness Proceeds;
• approved Lease Extension and Disposition of Real Estate located at 101 North St. Antoine St. (formerly St. Antoine Elementary School campus);
• approved Resolution 09-07-1567 - Employ Special Counsel for Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Issues.