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[F.2. Declaration of Vacancy/Call for Special Election]
DECLARATION OF VACANCY CALL FOR SPECIAL ELECTION DISCUSSIONS.LAST CONSIDERATION OF A DECLARATION OF VACANCY TO CALL FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION PURSUANT TO, TO LAW, AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.
CAN I GET A MOTION MOVED BY SCHOOL MEMBER PATRICK MARTIN, SECONDED BY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CLIFF LEWIS.
THIS TIME NOW I WILL COME TO OUR BOARD, SEEING THE NAMES INSIDE OF THE QUEUE.
I WILL ENTER AND I'LL BE REALLY QUICK.
UM, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS PUTTING YOURSELF UP FOR ELECTED OFFICE IS A REALLY BIG POSITION AND OFTENTIMES WHEN WE DO SO, UH, THE PROPER THING TO DO IS TO ASSESS WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE THE TIME, THE ENERGY, OR THE MENTAL SPACE TO TAKE THAT ON.
BECAUSE OFTENTIMES THE PEOPLE WHO FILL THESE SEATS, THEY'RE MOTHERS, THEY'RE FATHERS, THEY HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS AND A WHOLE PLETHORA OF OTHER THINGS THAT COULD CONSUME THEM.
AND SOMETIMES IT CAN BECOME TOO MUCH.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, HOWEVER, IS I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER KATIE KENERSON FOR THE TIME THAT SHE DID SPEND ON THIS BOARD.
AND, UH, UH, HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THAT SHE HAS, UH, ELECTED TO NO LONGER SERVE ON THIS BOARD.
I THINK WE WOULD BE REMISS AS A BOARD IF WE DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT SHE HAS GIVEN HER TIME.
SHE HAS GIVEN HER ENERGY AND SHE HAS REPRESENTED HER COMMUNITY.
SO IF WE COULD PLEASE, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HER HER FLOWERS BY GIVING HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
AS I SAID BEFORE, I WOULDN'T BE TOO LONG, BUT I WOULD ASK ANYBODY AND NOT JUST FOR SCHOOL BOARD, IF YOU WISH TO RUN FOR ANY SEAT, JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE TIME, THE ENERGY, AND THE SPACE TO DO SO AND DO SO FROM YOUR HEART AND GIVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN FOR THE PEOPLE WHO YOU SERVE.
I'LL GO TO BOARD COUNSEL GWEN SHALIN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UH, THANK YOU PRESIDENT LANIS.
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS ITEM, I'M GONNA RECOMMEND WE READ THE RESOLUTION INTO THE RECORD.
I DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE A HARD COPY, BUT IT IS ONLINE.
PRESIDENT LANCE, I HAVE IT UP.
I MADE THE MOTION IF YOU WANT ME TO READ IT.
'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE IT PULLED UP.
DO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR? YOU WANT THE WHOLE THING MR. SANDLIN? YES, SIR.
RESOLUTION CALLS CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL A VACANCY FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IN DISTRICT EIGHT EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE EAST BATON ROUGE SCHOOL BOARD.
UH, EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD IN SPECIAL SESSION.
ACTING UNDER AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, INCLUDING LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTES 18 6 0 2 AND LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTES 18 4 0 2.
THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AND PROCLAIM THAT A DUE TO THE RESIGNATION OF MS. CATHERINE KATIE KINISON AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER FOR DISTRICT EIGHT EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2023.
THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD DOES HEREBY DECLARE THAT A VACANCY EXISTS IN THE POSITION OF MEMBER OF THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD FOR ELECTION DISTRICT EIGHT B AS THE UNEXPIRED TERM OF OFFICE OF MS. KINISON SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER FROM ELECTION DISTRICT EIGHT EXCEEDS ONE YEAR AND ACTING PURSUANT TO LOUISIANA.
ADVISED STATUTES 18 6 0 2 E TWO A THROUGH D AND LOUISIANA ADVISED STATUTES 18 4 0 2 E.
THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD DOES HEREBY ORDER A SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL THE VACANCY OF SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER FOR ELECTION DISTRICT EIGHT EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, WITH A SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY, MARCH 23RD, 2024, AND THE SPECIAL GENERAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IF NECESSARY ON SATURDAY APRIL 27TH, 2024.
THE QUALIFYING PERIOD FOR THE SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION SHALL BE BETWEEN WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13TH, 2023 AND FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15TH, 2023.
SUCH ELECTIONS SHALL BE HELD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA ROMAN NUMERAL TWO.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THIS RESOLUTION AND PROCLAMATION BE IMMEDIATELY PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT WITHIN 24 HOURS HEREOF COPIES OF THIS RESOLUTION AND PROCLAMATION SHALL BE SENT BY CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED MAIL TO THE CLERK OF THE 19TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT FOR EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH AND TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA ROMAN NUMERAL FOUR.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE CLERK OF COURT, SECRETARY OF STATE, AND ALL OTHER OFFICIALS HAVING RESPONSIBILITIES WITH RESPECT TO SET ELECTION
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AND THIS RESOLUTION AND PROCLAMATION BE REQUESTED TO PERFORM THE DUTIES INCUMBENT UPON THEM.OKAY, THIS HAS BEEN MOVED BY SCHOOL I SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER PATRICK MARTIN IS SECONDED BY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CLIFF LEWIS.
THIS TIME NOW I COME TO OUR BOARD FOR ANY COMMENTS ON THE ITEM.
SEEING NONE AT THIS TIME, I WILL NOW TURN TO OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
SEEING NO COMMENT CARDS AT THIS TIME, I'LL NOW COME BACK TO OUR BOARD SEEING NO NAMES IN THE QUEUE AT THIS TIME.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE, PLEASE VOTE.
[F.3. Appointment]
APPOINTMENT CONSIDERATION OF, UH, OF THE APPROVAL SLASH APPOINTMENT OF A PERSON TO TEMPORARILY FILL THE VACANCY IN DISTRICT EIGHT EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD.CAN I GET A MOTION MOVED BY SCHOOL MEMBER MICHAEL GODDE, SECONDED BY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER NATHAN RUSS.
SO, PRESIDENT LANCE, WE'RE GONNA REC WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND PULLING THE MOTION BECAUSE THE PROPER FORM WOULD BE FOR THE BOARD TO FIRST HEAR FROM THE CANDIDATES, UH, CONSIDER THE CANDIDATES, AND THEN WE OPEN IN THE FOURTH A NOMINATION.
SO THE PROCESS IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO AND WE ELECT OFFICERS FOR THE BOARD.
AND SO A MOTION AT THIS TIME WOULD BE PROBABLY BE INAPPROPRIATE.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE CANDIDATES FIRST.
SO JUST FOR CLARITY, HEAR FROM CANDIDATES, HEAR FROM CAN HEAR FROM CANDIDATES.
BOARD MEMBERS WILL BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
OR CANDIDATES, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
UH, AND FROM THERE WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.
THERE ARE FOUR APPLICANTS THAT ARE IN A, I'M SORRY, ALPHABETICAL ORDER AND WILL SPEAK IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
I'M SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCED YOUR LAST NAME BY THE WAY.
UH, STEVE CRUMP, JENNY HASTINGS AND MICHAEL HENDRICK.
APPLICANTS WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
UH, MY NAME IS EMILY SHADOWING.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO SAY A FEW WORDS TONIGHT.
UH, I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS NOW FOR OVER 10 YEARS.
I STARTED A CONSULTING COMPANY THAT WORKS SPECIFICALLY WITH SCHOOLS ON THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM.
WE NOW WORK WITH OVER 300 PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS THE US IN OVER 25 STATES.
I'VE SAT AT DOZENS OF BOARD MEETINGS.
I MANAGE LARGE FEDERAL GRANTS.
I UNDERSTAND DEEPLY WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN ADMINISTRATOR IN A CHALLENGING SCHOOL SYSTEM AS I WORK ALONGSIDE THEM DAILY.
BEING IN THESE SCHOOLS DAY IN AND DAY OUT, I SAW A BIGGER NEED AND I MADE THE DECISION TO COMMIT MY TIME AND ENERGY TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
I STARTED A NONPROFIT WITH A FOCUS ON ENSURING KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE BETTER ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD.
DURING COVID, WE MANAGED OVER $17 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS.
WE EMPLOYED OVER 400 PEOPLE, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE FED OVER 5.5 MILLION KIDS THAT WERE IN NEED.
WE ARE STILL FEEDING KIDS TODAY.
A LOT OF YOU HERE ALREADY KNOW THAT.
SO WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW, I GREW UP WITH TWO VERY INVOLVED AND SUPPORTIVE PARENTS.
MY MOTHER WAS AND STILL IS, 40 YEARS LATER, AN E S L PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
MY FATHER WAS IN THE MILITARY.
I HAD DINNER ON THE TABLE EVERY EVENING.
AS A YOUNG ADULT, I QUICKLY REALIZED HOW LUCKY I WAS BECAUSE NOT EVERY CHILD IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN
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SAY THE SAME.I'M HERE BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT THE KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO MAY NOT HAVE THAT VOICE.
I HAVE WORKED FOR THEM FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK FOR THEM FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS REGARDLESS OF WHAT MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD IS.
EVERY CHILD IN EAST BATON ROUGE SCHOOL PARISH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SUCCEED, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION.
THEY NEED TO BE FED A NUTRITIOUS MEAL.
THEIR BASIC NEEDS MUST BE MET FIRST.
THEY NEED TO SAFELY GET TO SCHOOL, WHICH I THINK WE ALL HAVE REALIZED.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO AS A COMMUNITY TO RAISE THE BAR.
I WOULD BE HONORED TO SIT ON THIS BOARD WITH YOU AND CONTINUE TO MAKE POSITIVE AND LASTING CHANGE.
SO THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TONIGHT.
SEEING NO NAMES INSIDE OF THE QUEUE AT THIS TIME, WE WILL CONTINUE RIGHT ALONG.
THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, UH, SUPERINTENDENT NARCISS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UH, BACK IN THE DAY, IF MY PARENTS HEARD I WAS BEING CALLED BEFORE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, UM, THEY WOULD PROBABLY WORRY THEMSELVES TO DEATH
BUT I AM PROUD OF THEIR SUPPORT AND, UM, SACRIFICES.
AND SINCE WE, I COME FROM A FARM FAMILY, PROUD OF THE TAXES, FARMERS WERE ASSESSED TO SUPPORT THE ILLINOIS MCLEAN COUNTY, UH, UNIT FIVE DISTRICT OF FINE SCHOOL SYSTEM WHERE I WENT THROUGH KINDERGARTEN GRADE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR HIGH AS WELL.
MY DAD WAS ACTUALLY A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, UH, FOR A ONE ROOM, UH, SCHOOL.
THIS IS LONG BEFORE THERE WERE SUPERINTENDENTS, LONG BEFORE CUSTODIANS, LONG BEFORE BUSES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
BUT IT'S LONG BEFORE I WAS BORN.
MY APPLICATION FOR DISTRICT AID COMES OUT OF A CALLING TO SUPPORT PUBLIC EDUCATION.
UH, IT'S EASY TO SAY, BUT I CAN TELL YOU ALL FOUR OF MY SIBLINGS AND I ARE PRODUCTS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE OF THEM.
ALL OF US ATTENDED ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY.
ALL OF US GOT GRADUATE DEGREES.
I'M NOT BRAGGING JUST REPORTING TONIGHT.
MY YOUNGEST SIBLING RECENTLY RETIRED AS A SUPERINTENDENT, UH, HIMSELF.
AND HE HAS OFTEN REMINDED ME IN RETIREMENT THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION IS OFTEN THE OBJECT OF ENORMOUS EXPECTATIONS AND OFTEN UNFAIR CRITICISMS. THAT'S A DIRECT QUOTE.
BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT IN THIS REGION, UH, THERE IS INTENSE AND GENUINE INTEREST IN DELIVERING GOOD EDUCATION TO OUR TRUE CLIENTS.
THE CHILDREN, EASY TO SAY, BUT IT'S TRUE.
AND THEIR FAMILIES OF THE PARISH AND MAKING OUR TAXPAYERS PROUD AT THE SAME TIME.
SO I, TONIGHT I'M DROPPING THE REVEREND TITLE, JUST SO THERE IS CLARIFICATION, DROPPING IT.
UM, OTHERS HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE.
SO IT'S IN KEEPING WITH THE AMERICAN SPIRIT THAT I'M DOING THAT.
AND BESIDES THAT'S IT SERVES ME WELL.
I'M ALSO POINTING OUT, UH, WHICH YOU ALREADY KNOW OF MY NO PARTY VOTER REGISTRATION.
IT HAS SERVED ME WELL THROUGH MY ENTIRE CAREER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER WHEN, WHEN I'M CALLED AND I HAVE BEEN CALLED TO GO TO THE FUNERAL HOME OR THE HOSPITAL OR EMERGENCY ROOM, ET CETERA.
UH, WHAT PARTY I AM OR WHAT PARTY THE THE CLIENT OR THE PARISHIONER WAS.
UM, I'M HERE TO HELP, IF POSSIBLE SETTLE DOWN THE REPRESENTATION DISTRICT EIGHT.
WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING MORE THAN THAT, I CAN BE AVAILABLE.
I CAN, I CAN GIVE THIS MY WHOLE HEART.
SO I HAVE THREE SECONDS TO SAY THIS.
MY EYES HAVE SEEN THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION CAN BE A TICKET OUT OF NOWHERE.
THE NEXT APPLICANT IS MS. JENNY HASTINGS.
GOOD EVENING SUPERINTENDENT BOARD MEMBERS AND OUR AUDIENCE.
WE ARE HERE TONIGHT FOR THE IMPORTANT BUSINESS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH THE ADDITION OF AN ATYPICAL AGENDA ITEM THAT OF SELECTING AN INTERIM MEMBER FOR DISTRICT EIGHT.
MRS. KENTON'S RESIGNATION CAUGHT EVERYONE BY SURPRISE.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT I WOULD BE STANDING
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BEFORE YOU HERE ASKING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.FRANKLY, I WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF SEVERAL FRIENDS WHO CONVINCED ME THAT I SHOULD STEP UP AND AT LEAST APPLY FOR THE INTERIM POSITION.
MY LEARNING CURVE HAS BEEN STEEP.
TWO MESSAGES HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT, THOUGH EVERYONE WHO HAS LEARNED OF MY WILLINGNESS TO APPLY HAS SAID THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR SERVE AND WILLING TO SERVE.
SO WHILE MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT WILLING TO STEP UP, I THINK EVERYBODY SUPPORTS PUBLIC SERVICE.
THE SECOND MESSAGE I GOT IS THE WORK OF THE SCHOOL BOARD IS REALLY IMPORTANT, NOT JUST TO THE CHILDREN, BUT TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
AND THIS IS COMING FROM MY GENERATION OF, UH, CITIZENS WHO NO LONGER HAVE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN.
THE WORK DONE HERE MATTERS, AND THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES THAT AND APPRECIATES WHAT YOU DO.
HOWEVER, BEING IN A HIGH VALUE ROLE DOES NOT MEAN IT GOES WITHOUT CHALLENGE.
AND OUR CHALLENGES ARE COMPLEX.
ESTABLISHING A SMOOTH FLOWING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, RECRUITING AND RETAINING QUALITY TEACHERS AND STAFF, CONSOLIDATING UNDERUTILIZED SCHOOLS, REDISTRICTING LEADERSHIP CONTRACTS, ENSURING SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTENDANCE.
THESE CHALLENGES ARE NOT UNIQUE TO EAST BATON ROUGE, AND THEY'RE NOT NEW.
BUT WE ALL BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO SOLVE OR AT LEAST MINIMIZE THE IMPACT ON OUR CHILDREN.
IT IS NOT TIME TO WR OUR HANDS AND ACCEPT STATUS QUO.
OTHER DISTRICTS AROUND THE UNITED STATES HAVE FOUND SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS, AND WE CAN TOO.
IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, I HAVE LEARNED OF MANY YOUNG PROFESSIONALS WITH YEARS OF CAREER AHEAD OF THEM WHO HAVE LEFT TEACHING.
OUR CHILDREN NEED THEM IN THE CLASSROOM AND ON THE PLAYING FIELDS AND COURTS.
WE NEED THEM IN THE ART, MUSIC, AND DRAMA STUDIOS.
THESE TEACHERS NEED PARENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE READY TO PARTNER, TO SOLVE ISSUES AND TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL STUDENTS.
WE WANT TO RETAIN AND DEVELOP THESE TEACHERS, NOT MOTIVATE THEM TO SEEK OR, UH, CHARTER OR PRIVATE OPTIONS OR LEAVING TEACHING ALTOGETHER.
MY COMMITMENT TO DISTRICT EIGHT, TO YOU AND TO THE WORK AT HAND IS TO LISTEN, LEARN, DISCERN, COLLABORATE, AND DECIDE.
THE BEST RESPONSE TO A CHALLENGE IS HARD WORK TO BE YOUR BEST.
AND MAY WE HAVE THE GRACE AND STRENGTH TO DO OUR BEST.
THANK YOU MS. HASTING HASTINGS.
MR. MICHAEL HENDRICK, SUPERINTENDENT NARCISS, MEMBERS OF OUR EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT ALANIS, VICE PRESIDENT POWELL, AND MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD.
I AM ORIGINALLY FROM GEORGIA, LA GRANGE, GEORGIA, VERY SMALL TOWN.
I MET NANCY, A NATIVE OF BATON ROUGE IN NEW YORK CITY IN 1997.
AND WE'VE BEEN HOMEOWNERS IN KEN KENILWORTH FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
WE SAW HIM ALL THE WAY THROUGH MAGNOLIA WOODS ELEMENTARY.
BUCHANAN ELEMENTARY, LET'S SEE, GLASGOW MIDDLE MCKINLEY HIGH AND BATON ROUGE HIGH.
HE JUST GRADUATED WITH HIS BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE FROM L S U AND HE RETURNED FOR HIS MASTER'S DEGREE.
SO HE JUST STARTED HIS MASTER'S DEGREE THERE.
BUT WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES OF RAISING A CHILD IN, IN BATON ROUGE, IN THE BATON ROUGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, INCLUDING SENDING 'EM OFF EVERY DAY ON THE BUS TO AND FROM SCHOOL.
I'VE WATCHED SOME OF THE RECENT MEETINGS AND HAVE SEEN A BIT OF THE STRUGGLES SURROUNDING BUSING ISSUES.
AND TO ME, NO MATTER THE ISSUE, I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIND BALANCED EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS FOR ALL THE DISTRICTS OF OUR PARISH.
I KNOW THAT TAKES WORK AND TRUE COLLABORATION AMONGST EACH MEMBER.
MY CAREER WENT IN THE DIRECTION OF SINGING.
MY LIFE HAS BEEN ALL ABOUT SINGING.
UH, ALTHOUGH I SANG AS A, A FULL-TIME OPERATIC TENOR FOR A LITTLE OVER 25 YEARS, UH, I'VE ALWAYS ALSO LOVED SACRED, SACRED MUSIC TOO.
WHEN WE LIFT UP OUR VOICES AND SING, WHETHER IT'S TO OUR GOD OR TO OUR CHILDREN,
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WE BRING PEACE TO OUR CORNER OF THE WORLD.YOU MAY LAUGH AT THIS, BUT THE GREAT SINGER WHITNEY HOUSTON, ONCE IMMORTALIZED THE FOLLOWING WORDS, WHICH WE'VE ALL HEARD THESE WORDS TO ME, COULD BE THE MOTTO FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
I BELIEVE OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE.
TEACH THEM WELL AND LET THEM LEAD THE WAY.
SHOW THEM ALL THE BEAUTY THEY POSSESS INSIDE.
GIVE US A SENSE OF PRIDE TO MAKE IT EASIER.
AND THIS LAST PART, LET THE CHILDREN'S LAUGHTER REMIND US OF HOW IT USED TO BE.
OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION IS INDEED THE KEY TO OUR FUTURE.
I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY, READY TO SERVE AND COLLABORATE, AND I'D BE HONORED TO WORK ALONGSIDE EACH OF YOU.
LET US CONTINUE THE IMPORTANT WORK OF THIS BOARD.
BUILD UPON THE FOUNDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN LAID AND EXPLORE INNOVATIVE WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR CHILDREN.
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES AND ENSURE A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR BATON ROUGE.
NOW I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR NOMINATIONS TO TEMPORARILY FILL THE VACANCY IN DISTRICT EIGHT.
ARE THERE ANY BOARD MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO CAST A NOMINATION? PLEASE PUT YOUR NAME INSIDE OF THE QUEUE.
I TURNED MY APPLICATION, BUT MY NAME WASN'T.
UM, I SEE A NAME IN THE QUEUE.
UH, VICE PRESIDENT KARL POWELL LEWIS.
I WILL SAY, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EACH OF YOU THAT HAS COME AND SHARED YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING AT LEAST IN A TEMPORARY ROLE ON OUR BOARD.
UM, JUST THE PASSION THAT IT I HEARD IN EACH OF YOUR VOICES IS NUMBER ONE AMAZING.
AND ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THAT THIS SEAT CAN ONLY BE FILLED BY ONE PERSON, I HOPE THAT YOU CONTINUE THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE PROGRESSED AND THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN AND THAT YOU HAVE SHARED ON THE MIC.
UM, CONSIDERING, UH, WHAT I GUESS I HAVE PAID ATTENTION TO OVER TIME AND WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED OVER TIME.
WE ARE AT A VERY INTERESTING PLACE IN EDUCATION, NOT ONLY IN BATON ROUGE, BUT EVEN BEYOND.
AND I THINK ABOUT HOW WE EXPERIENCED A SERIOUS CHANGE, UM, AS A RESULT OF COVID, AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC, AS A RESULT OF THE, THE, THE LIFE THAT WE NOW LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND IT REQUIRES A DIFFERENT, YET A STABLE MINDSET.
AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO MA MAKE MY NOMINATION.
AND MY NOMINATION IS FOR MS. EMILY SHALAN.
YOU DON'T NEED A SECOND, BUT WE APPRECIATE IT,
THANK YOU MADAM VICE PRESIDENT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS AT THE TIME? I SEE COACH CLIFF LEWIS IS IN THE QUEUE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR SHARING YOUR STORIES.
IT GIVES YOU A SNAPSHOT, A A SNAPSHOT, A GLIMPSE INTO THAT PERSON'S LIFE.
UH, I AGREE WITH CARLA THAT COVID HAS CHANGED THE WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO EDUCATE CHILDREN FOR THE REST OF THE, YOU KNOW, FROM FROM HERE ON, I'VE MET AND TALKED WITH, UM, TWO OF THE NOMINEES.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, BASED ON MY CONVERSATIONS, I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE MS. UH, HASTINGS TO FILL THE VACANCY FOR DISTRICT EIGHT.
UH, MS. HAY, YOU CAME TO THE, UH, PODIUM AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE NEAR AND DEAR TO ME, WILLING TO TACKLE TOUGH ISSUES, UM, EQUITABLE RESOURCES, TRAINING OUR TEACHERS.
UM, SO I'M NOMINATING MS. HASTINGS.
ARE THERE ANY MORE? ALL RIGHT.
I SEE MS. UH, SHOSHONE STUDENTS IN THE QUEUE.
I DON'T HAVE A NOMINATION, BUT I DO WANNA THANK THOSE PERSONS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US, UM, WITH THE WILLINGNESS TO BE ABLE TO, UH, JOIN US.
UM, INTERIM, UH, FOR THIS POSITION.
AS SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAS INDICATED, UH, THE ROLE, UH, THAT WE ALL PLAY, UH,
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IS SOMETHING THAT WE HOPE THAT YOU GUYS ARE READY FOR.AND WITH THAT, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, UH, WITH THAT, I HOPE YOU READY.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR DISTRICT EIGHT SEAT? ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR DISTRICT EIGHT SEAT? ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR DISTRICT EIGHT SEAT? I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS FOR DISTRICT EIGHT VACANCY.
MOVED BY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER PATRICK MARTIN.
SECONDED BY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER SHOSHONE STEWART.
MR. LEN, MAY I HAVE A POINT OF ORDER PLEASE? YES, SIR.
WOULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC THAT THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, ON THE NOMINATIONS? NO.
SO THERE ACTUALLY IS PUBLIC? THERE IS, YES, SIR.
MADAM SECRETARY, I'M SORRY I DID NOT GO TO THE BOARD.
COMING TO THE BOARD NOW FOR ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
I JUST WANTED TO ECHO THE COMMENTS OF, UM, UH, MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO PUT YOUR NAME UP.
UM, IT, IT IS, UH, SOMETIMES A THANKLESS TASK.
UH, I, I TOLD EVERYONE, UH, WE HAVE SIX NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND I TOLD 'EM TODAY, THEY WERE SWORN IN.
IT'S GONNA BE THE MOST POPULAR YOU WILL EVER BE, UH, AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER.
AND I THINK THEY CAN ALL SAY THAT'S PROBABLY TRUE, BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR PUTTING YOUR NAME INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS THE END OF THE DAY, ONE PERSON WILL BE SELECTED, BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE TO HAVE IMPACT, UH, AS THIS GOES FORWARD THROUGH OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND PARTICULARLY IMPACT ON OUR CHILDREN.
SO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORT IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE APPLICATIONS AND FOR THE WILLINGNESS TO STEP FORWARD, UH, TO COME IN AND, AND GET OUT THERE AND GET INTO THE GAME.
ALRIGHT, THIS TIME NOW, WE'LL NOW GO TO THE PUBLIC FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
FIRST UP, WE HAVE MS. FARLEY JACKSON.
SO, FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS FOR THE CLOSING OF NOMINATIONS.
THIS ISN'T TALK ABOUT CANDIDATES.
SO WE, WE HAVEN'T MADE TO THAT PROCESS YET.
I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO SPEAK ON A NOMINATION.
IS ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS FOR VACANCY OF DISTRICT EIGHT? OKAY.
SENATOR, AT THIS TIME, I'LL COME BACK TO OUR BOARD SCHOOL MEMBER, PATRICK MARTIN'S IN THE QUEUE.
I, I, I DON'T WANNA TAKE A LOT OF TIME.
I JUST, I, I, I, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SPEAK TO ALL FOUR OF THE CANDIDATES.
I APPRECIATED VERY MUCH THEM TAKING THE TIME, UH, TO DO THAT.
I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE FOUR CANDIDATES AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE EVEN AFTER I WAS PRETTY BLUNT WITH 'EM, THE TIME COMMITMENTS AND, UH, OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD COME ALONG WITH THIS JOB.
SO, UM, UH, I'M DE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR TO EACH OF YOU.
AND, AND, AND HONESTLY, WE WOULDN'T GO WRONG WITH ANY, ANY ONE OF YOU.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, UM, PUT YOUR, PUT YOURSELF FORWARD LIKE THIS.
AND, UH, WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
PATRICK MARTIN, SEEING NO OTHER NAMES IN THE QUEUE AT THIS TIME, I, HOWEVER, DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
MR. GODDA, YOU CAN GO BACK AND YOU, YOU'RE SPEAKING.
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ALL RIGHT.MATTER SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS, PLEASE VOTE.
AT THIS TIME NOW WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE NOMINATIONS.
MS. FARLEY JACKSON, YOU MAY NOW ENTER THE ROOM FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, FAIRLY JACKSON DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, ALL OF THE APPLICANTS.
I THINK IT'S AMAZING WHEN YOU PUT YOUR NAME YOURSELF OUT THERE, ALL OF YOU ARE FANTASTIC.
UM, AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE DIFFICULT DECISION THAT YOU ALL HAVE.
UM, YOU'RE MAKING A DECISION FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN DISTRICT EIGHT, AND THEN YOU'RE MAKING A DECISION FOR EVEN MORE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FOR THIS DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY TOUGH.
SO WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, UM, I THOUGHT ABOUT THE VALUES AND WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AS YOU, AS A BOARD, US AS A COMMUNITY, E B R P S S IN GENERAL.
AND I THINK WHAT REALLY KEPT RESONATING WITH ME WAS COMMUNITY AND UNDERSTANDING AND TRANSPARENCY AND WORKING TOGETHER.
AND I WANTED TO SEE SOMEONE WHO HAD A PROVEN TRACK RECORD DOING THAT.
AND, UM, I, I WANNA SEE THAT, THAT THEY'RE COMMITTED TO THAT AND THAT THEY'VE DONE THAT IN THIS DISTRICT, IN OUR DISTRICT, NOT IN OTHER DISTRICTS, NOT BECAUSE OF CONTRACTS WITH OTHER SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT THAT THEY'VE BEEN INVESTED HERE.
SO NOW THAT THE NOMINATIONS HAVE CLOSED, YOU KNOW, AND I HAD TO THINK, WE ALL HAVE TO THINK ON OUR FEET HERE.
THERE ARE TWO CANDIDATES THAT HAVE DONE THAT.
AND THAT'S MS. HASTINGS AND MR. CRUMP THAT HAVE BEEN INVESTED IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I FIRST MET MS. HASTINGS AT A BOARD MEETING AND THEN AT AN ESSER WORKSHOP.
THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT WE LIKE TO DO FOR FUN, BUT SOME OF US CARE THAT MUCH AND SHE WAS THERE.
AND I ALSO, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT SOMEONE HAS A TRACK RECORD OF SUPPORTING THIS DISTRICT, THIS CITY, THE CITY PARISH.
AND ONLY TWO OF THOSE CANDIDATES, MS. HASTINGS AND MR. CRUMP DID NOT SIGN THE ST.
ONLY THOSE TWO CANDIDATES THAT ARE NOW ON THE FLOOR DID NOT SIGN A PETITION TO DIVIDE AND SEGREGATE OUR DISTRICT AND OUR CITY.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRUST YOU ALL AGAIN.
AND I FEEL LIKE MS. HASTINGS HAS A TRACK RECORD OF BRINGING PEOPLE TO, AND HAS A TRACK RECORD IN THIS ROOM.
THAT'S WHERE I FIRST SAW HER YEARS AGO, DOING WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY.
YOUR WORK IS FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE KIDS, FOR THIS DISTRICT.
I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HOPE YOU WILL PUT MS. HASTINGS IN THIS POSITION.
I THINK SHE WILL CONTINUE THE WORK THAT WAS DONE.
THANK YOU PRESIDENT LATIS FOR HONORING MS. KINISON.
SHE DID BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
SHE GAVE PEOPLE VOICES AND MS. HASTINGS MAY NOT AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT MS. KINISON DID, BUT I THINK SHE WILL CONTINUE THAT OUTREACH, THAT CONNECTION, AND THAT BRIDGE, BRIDGE BUILDING THAT WE ALL DESPERATELY NEED.
NEXT WE HAVE MS. MARY ELLEN SLATER.
I'M MARY ELLEN SLATER AND I'M IN DISTRICT FIVE.
AND I AM HERE AS A PARENT OF, UM, OF TWO STUDENTS HERE IN E B R SCHOOL SIDE, AND ALSO A FORMER MEMBER OF TRUMP, UH, BY CRUMP'S CONGREGATION.
HOWEVER, HE IS NOT THE CANDIDATE THAT I SUPPORT HERE.
AFTER READING CAREFULLY THROUGH THE BIOS OF EVERYONE WHO PUT THEMSELVES IN FOR THIS JOB, I CAME AWAY WITH A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
GEORGE QUESTION IS ALWAYS ON MY MIND.
I MOVED BACK HERE FROM DC INTENTIONALLY TO BUILD MY BUSINESS AND BUILD A COMMUNITY.
AND I WALKED RIGHT INTO THE ST.
GEORGE SITUATION AS I'LL DESCRIBE IT.
[00:35:01]
SUCH A TOUGH TIME AND LIKE THE DECISIONS AND THE VOTES THAT PEOPLE WERE MAKING.AND I STILL, TO THIS DAY, I LOOK AT HOW PEOPLE CHOSE TO, UH, THE POSITIONS THEY CHOSE TO TAKE IN THAT TIME.
AND SO FOR ME, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT A CANDIDATE FOR THIS RACE NOT BE SOMEONE WHO WAS ACTIVELY WILLING TO UNDERMINE THIS DISTRICT AND THIS COMMUNITY, KNOWING THAT THE HARM THAT IT WOULD TAKE.
THE SECOND THING FOR ME IS, AS A BUSINESS OWNER WHO IS ALSO VERY CONSCIOUS OF, UM, ETHICS AND GO, GOOD GOVERNANCE ARE IMPORTANT TO ME.
UM, WHILE I'M IMPRESSED BY WHAT MS. ADELINE HAS DONE FOR SCHOOLS AS A PRIVATE MEMBER OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND IN RUNNING A NONPROFIT, I HAD SERIOUS QUESTIONS.
WHEN I BEGAN TO READ ABOUT WHAT SHE WAS DOING IN TERMS OF LIKE, FOR ME TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH HER, I WOULD HAVE TO KNOW, WELL, WHAT'S YOUR, DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE CONTRACTS WITH THIS DISTRICT? WHAT WOULD YOUR RELATIONSHIP BE LIKE WITH THIS DISTRICT? CAN YOU GOVERN A DISTRICT THAT YOU ALSO HAVE FINANCIAL ENTANGLEMENTS WITH? I DON'T KNOW.
I, THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS TO.
YOU WOULD KNOW THE ANSWERS TO DO THAT.
SO I THINK I WOULD WANNA KNOW BEFORE I COULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH HER, I WOULD WANT TO KNOW LIKE, WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
WOULD SHE RECU, WOULD SHE RECUSE HERSELF? LIKE, YOU KNOW, WOULD SHE QUIT HER DAY JOB? THAT SEEMS KIND OF LIKE, THAT'D BE KIND OF EXCESSIVE.
BUT THOSE ARE MY TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE, SO BASED ON THAT, YOU KNOW, OTHER, DEPENDING ON HOW WELL SHE COULD ADDRESS THAT, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THROW MY STRONG SUPPORT TOWARD MS. HASTINGS BECAUSE SHE HAS A CLEAR RECORD AND EXPERIENCE, DEEP CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE.
AND SINCE THE DAY SHE RETIRED, SHE HASN'T STOPPED CARING ABOUT STUDENTS.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE MR. RONNIE HARRIS.
HE'S, UH, THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE BOARD.
I RESIDE AT 1135 CARTER AVENUE.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF BAT BATON ROUGE FOR 10 YEARS.
AND, UH, I'M STILL A ROOKIE LEARNING THE COMMUNITY.
AND I REALIZE THAT EDUCATION IS SOMETHING THAT IS THE VERY BASIC HUMAN QUALITY THAT DETERMINES YOUR COMMUNITY, THE LIFE, THE, THE, THE, THE JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, AND EVERY MINUTE IN GOVERNMENT IS IMPORTANT.
THAT'S WHY AN INTERIM APPOINTMENT IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER.
PEOPLE MAY THINK, OH, IT'S A PLACEHOLDER.
WELL, LET'S NOT MISS AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE A CITIZEN CAN STEP FORWARD LIKE YOU DID IN ELECTION, BUT A PERSON OUT OF THE BLUE TO SAY, LET ME SERVE FOR JUST A FEW MONTHS AND REPRESENT THE PEOPLE THAT BASICALLY IT'S A LOVE OF EDUCATION.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THE NOMINATION OF VIRGINIA JENNY HASTINGS.
IN THE TIME THAT I'VE KNOWN HER, I'VE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH HER ENERGY, HER DRIVE.
SHE HAS NOT ALLOWED RETIREMENT TO SLOW HER DOWN.
LOOK OUT BECAUSE SHE IS A MOVER AND A SHAKER.
THE STANDS THAT SHE TAKES IS ONE THAT SHE LOOKS AT IT FROM A COMMON SENSE PERSPECTIVE.
AND WITH THAT COMMON SENSE PERSPECTIVE, YOU HAVE TO STOP AND THINK, KNOWING THE POSITION IS THE INTERIM.
SHE'S GONNA BE DOING IT FOR THE KIDS AND NOT TO, TO COMPARE HER TO ANYBODY ELSE EXCEPT THE TALENTS THAT SHE CAN BRING TO THIS BOARD.
AS AN EDUCATOR AND ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS, I THINK THAT SHE CAN GIVE YOU YOU A GLIMPSE OF A PERSON'S OPINION THAT WASN'T INVOLVED IN POLITICS, JUST THE CONCEPT OF BEING A AVAILABLE.
SO AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER, UH, HER NOMINATION AND CAST YOUR VOTE TOWARDS MS. HASTINGS.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE GOT ME A CHANCE TO WRITE TO MY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER.
AND I COPIED ALL OF YOU, AND I CERTAINLY DO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY YOU, YOU GAVE US TO EXPRESS OUR OPINION.
UH, THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS AT THIS TIME FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC? PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU MAKE YOUR WAY OUT TO THE ATRIUM BEFORE WE CLOSE AND GO BACK TO THE BOARD.
SENATE AT THIS TIME, I WILL NOW TURN TO OUR BOARD FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UM, I WILL, I SEE SCHOOL MEMBER NATHAN RUS IS IN.
DO YOU MIND IF I GO BEFORE YOU, NATHAN? THANK YOU.
UM, IT WAS MY WISH TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROCESS WAS AS UNPOLITICAL AS POSSIBLE INSIDE OF THE MOST POLITICAL SPACE TO WE HAVE INSIDE OF THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THIS, UM, I SECOND THE COMMENTS MADE BY ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, FOR EVERYBODY WHO HAS TAKEN THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO PUT THEIR NAMES IN, TO RUN FOR THIS MISS R TO, UH, HELP TO FILL THIS SEAT.
UH, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROCESS.
[00:40:01]
VERY IMPORTANT SPACE.SO AGAIN, MY HAT GOES OFF TO YOU AS WELL AS OUR ENTIRE BOARD.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS, THOUGH, UM, I WAS HOPING THAT NO PERSONAL ATTACKS WILL COME OUT OF ANY OF THIS.
HOWEVER, SOME HAVE ARISEN, AND I'M NOT GOING TO ADDRESS ANYTHING DEALING WITH THE ST.
I'LL ALLOW THE CANDIDATES TO, IF THEY CHOOSE TO SAY THAT THEY CAN GO INTO THAT.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT WORK THAT HAS COME FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE UP HERE.
AND I'M GONNA GO BACK TO COVID.
WHEN A TIME WHEN OUR COMMUNITY WAS IN DISMAY, ALL SCHOOLS WERE SHUT DOWN.
A LOT OF SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT LIVED IN UNDERSERVED AREAS HAD NO WAY TO GET FOOD.
THAT WAS ONE ORGANIZATION THAT REACHED OUT TO ME PERSONALLY, WHICH WAS THE THREE O'CLOCK PROJECT.
AND THEY GAVE 13,000 MEALS TO BLACK STUDENTS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
NOW, DOES THAT MEAN I'M SAYING I'M VOTING? NO, BUT I THINK IT IS, IT IS WORTH SAYING THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE COME HERE TONIGHT AND THEY'RE OFFERING THEMSELVES.
I, I THINK CERTAIN THINGS TO BE ADDRESSED AT CERTAIN TIMES, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO BRING SOMETHING UP.
BUT THERE'S SO MUCH GREAT WORK THAT HAS COME FROM SEVERAL OF THESE CANDIDATES, AND I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO TAKE THAT AWAY.
UH, COOPER MEMBER NATHAN RUSH.
UM, THANK YOU TO OUR TWO OUT OF OUR FOUR CANDIDATES THAT ARE NOW, UH, BEING CONSIDERED.
I HAD A QUESTION FOR MS. SHALAN, IF YOU'D BE WILLING TO COME TO THE MIC.
SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH YOUR WORK WITH THE THREE O'CLOCK PROJECT SPECIFICALLY AS, UH, IT DEALS WITH IN OUR OWN SCHOOL SYSTEM.
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO EXPLAIN, UH, YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THAT NONPROFIT WITH OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND CLEAR UP ANY RESERVATIONS PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE ABOUT ETHICAL OR FINANCIAL WORRIES? SURE.
UM, AS FOR MY FOR-PROFIT CONSULTING COMPANY, WE, UM, DO NOT WORK WITH EAST BATON ROUGE.
AND WE NEVER HAVE, WE'VE NEVER HELD A CONTRACT WITH E B R.
UM, MY NONPROFIT ALSO HAS NEVER HELD A CONTRACT WITH E B R.
UM, EVERYTHING WE DO IS WITH, UH, OUR PARTNERS THAT SERVE AFTERSCHOOL CHILDREN.
UH, SO WE ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH EBRS NUTRITION PROGRAM.
THEY HAVE A WONDERFUL DIRECTOR THAT RUNS THEIR MEAL PROGRAM.
UM, SO WE, WE HAVE NO INVOLVEMENT.
I ALSO WANT TO ASK YOU, AS SOMEONE WHO IS ALSO SELF-EMPLOYED, DO YOU CONSIDER THE FACT THAT, UH, THAT YOU ARE A, A SELF-EMPLOYED PERSON, A BENEFIT OR A DETRIMENT TO YOUR POSITION IF YOU'RE ELECTED TO THIS BOARD? UM, IT'S A, A BENEFIT.
I TEND TO ABUSE MY OWN TIME, BUT, UM, I, I HAVE THE BENEFIT OF, YOU KNOW, GOING TO MEETINGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY AND DOING THINGS ON MY OWN TIME.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A NINE TO FIVE THAT I HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, SITTING AT.
SO I'VE ALWAYS USED THAT TO MY ADVANTAGE.
AND YOU ARE A MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN AS WELL, RIGHT? I HAVE TWO LITTLE BOYS.
UH, AND I, THIS IS MORE OF A RHETORICAL QUESTION FOR OUR AUDIENCE AND THE BOARD.
IF THIS WAS A MALE IN FRONT OF US, WOULD HE BE ASKED IF HE WAS GONNA QUIT HIS DAY JOB TO SERVE IN THIS ROLE? I DON'T THINK SO.
NEXT WE HAVE SCUBA MEMBER, VICE PRESIDENT, CALLER POWELL LEWIS, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY COLLEAGUE, MR. RUSS.
I MEAN, I HAVE A FULL-TIME JOB.
I'M A TEACHER, AND EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD KNOWS THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN TIMES Y'ALL CAN CALL ME AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T.
AND YOU KNOW THAT I'M GONNA TRY MY BEST TO CALL YOU BACK AFTER THREE, AFTER THREE 30.
I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S THE REALITY.
UM, ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE AS WELL THAT WE DO HAVE AT LEAST ONE BOARD MEMBER, UM, ON THIS PANEL WHO, UH, HAS A JOB THAT IN SOME CASES HE HAS TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM THE VOTE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME THAT ANY CANDIDATE OR ANY PERSON, ANY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER HAD TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT, UH, WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, THAT WE WOULD AT LEAST ADVISE EACH OTHER TO SAY, THIS PARTICULAR VOTE YOU NEED TO STEP AWAY FROM.
SO, UM, WHOMEVER THE CANDIDATE IS, THAT WINS.
WE HAVE YOUR BACK IN THAT AREA.
NEXT WE HAVE SWO, PATRICK MARTIN.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THANK BOTH THE REMAINING CANDIDATES FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO, TO SERVE, UM, THAT BOTH CLEARLY HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF PASSION FOR OUR CHILDREN, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN DIFFERENT WAYS BY EACH OF THEM FOR THEIR ENTIRE CAREERS.
UM, AND, AND, AND SO I THINK I'M, I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE SUCH A
[00:45:01]
CHOICE, UH, IN FRONT OF US TODAY.I DID WANT TO ADDRESS ONE COMMENT MADE BY ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, THIS IMPLICATION THAT, THAT, UM, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF SOMEONE WHO, WHO HAS, UM, BROUGHT THEIR STRENGTHS TO THE NATIONAL LEVEL ARE SOMEHOW LESS, UM, LESS OF A REASON TO SUPPORT THEM, UM, THAN SOMEBODY WHOSE TALENTS HAVE STAYED AND BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
I THINK THAT THERE'S, UM, UH, FOR, FOR BATON ROUGE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WE NEED, UH, BOTH, WE NEED PEOPLE WHO DEVOTE THEIR ENERGY TO, TO OUR CHILDREN HERE.
WE ALSO NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE LEADERS ON THE NATIONAL STAGE, UM, AND, AND HAVE THE SKILLS AND THE CAPABILITY THAT ARE SOUGHT AFTER BY OTHER MEMBERS, UH, BY OTHER STATES IN THE COUNTRY, OTHER DISTRICTS.
AND, AND SO I THINK THAT THAT IS A, A, A STRENGTH AND THAT IS NOT, UH, A REASON TO CHOOSE ONE O OVER THE OTHER.
BOTH, BOTH OF THOSE, UM, EXPERTISE, BOTH OF THOSE DEVOTIONS ARE WORTHY RESPECT AND, UH, CONSIDERATION.
NEXT WE HAVE SCHOOL MEMBER CLIFF LEWIS.
MS. HASTINGS, COULD YOU COME UP PLEASE? UM, WE TALKED, YOU, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT EQUITY.
YOU TALKED ABOUT EQUITY IN YOUR, IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU ONLY TALKED, YOU ONLY HAD THREE MINUTES.
UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT TEACHERS, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT TACKLING TOUGH ISSUES.
I KNOW THAT YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE TUESDAY MORNINGS KIWANIS CLUB.
IS THAT, IS, IS THAT THE CORRECT TOUGHEST ISSUE THERE IS BEING AT THE MEETING AT SIX 30 EVERY TUESDAY MORNING.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE EXPOUND A LITTLE BIT.
WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT TEACHERS, WERE YOU, WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS? WHAT WERE, WHERE WERE YOU GOING WITH THAT? WELL, BECAUSE I MANAGED TEACHERS FOR MANY YEARS, UH, MOST OF MY CAREER WAS SPENT AS AN ADMINISTRATOR.
AND WHEN YOU'RE AN ADMINISTRATOR, YOU DON'T DO THE HANDS-ON WORK YOURSELF.
YOU DEPEND ON A DEDICATED, ENERGETIC FACULTY TO DO THAT, FOR YOU TO TEACH THOSE CHILDREN AND KEEP THOSE PARENTS HAPPY.
SO I FELT LIKE MY JOB WAS MORE TO DEVELOP AND ENCOURAGE THE TEACHERS THAT WORKED IN MY DIVISION.
SO, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS ALWAYS VERY IMPORTANT.
YOU NEVER KNOW EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN YOU'RE A TEACHER.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE, A PHD, YOU NEVER KNOW EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW.
AND JUST AS SOON AS YOU THINK YOU DO, OUR PROFESSION CHANGES AND SWINGS IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
SO I WOULD SAY YES, BUT, UM, MR. LEWIS, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT RIGHT NOW IN OUR TEACHING PROFESSION IN GENERAL AND SPECIFIC TO OUR PARISH, WE HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE LEAVING THE PROFESSION, PEOPLE WITH TRAINING, PEOPLE WITH SOME EXPERIENCE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO IT, AND SOMETHING'S GOING WRONG AND THEY'RE NOT FEELING FULFILLED AND THEY'RE NOT FEELING HAPPY IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND THAT IS ONE THING THAT I, I WOULD LOVE IT IF WE AS A DISTRICT COULD ADDRESS, WE AS A STATE COULD ADDRESS WE AS A COUNTRY COULD ADDRESS.
AND, AND IN ONE OF OUR VERY BRIEF CONVERSATIONS, I ASKED YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE NOT, YOU DEFINITELY WOULDN'T WANT TO RUN FOR THE SEAT.
SO WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WELL FOR SIX MONTHS, TAKE THE, THE HEAT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET UP HERE AND THEN WALK AWAY? OH, NO, NO, NO.
THE HEAT HAS BEEN THIS LAST TWO WEEKS OF LEARNING HOW THIS PROCESS WORKS.
UH, THAT'S BEEN VERY CHALLENGING.
UM, I'M REALLY ALL ABOUT SERVICE.
AND TO SERVE IN AN INTERIM ROLE MEANS YOU DON'T CAMPAIGN, YOU DON'T FUNDRAISE, YOU DON'T, I'M 75 YEARS OLD AND I'D BE VERY HAPPY TO SPEND SIX MONTHS, UM, WORKING WITH YOU GUYS TO MAKE SOME GOOD DECISIONS FOR OUR DISTRICT AND THEN PICK UP MY PURSE AND GO BACK TO THE THIRD ROW WHERE I'M USUALLY SITTING AND JUST, UM, SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND, AND I'VE SEEN YOU DOZENS OF TIMES.
I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE WHO YOU WERE.
AND THEN WHEN I MET YOU, I GO, OH, THAT'S THE LADY FROM THE THIRD ROW
SO, UH, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, TO, TO SERVE AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE, UM, IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SEEING NO OTHER NAMES AT THIS TIME, INSIDE OF THE QUEUE.
ALRIGHT, AT THIS TIME, MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE DISTRICT ONE, MR. BLUE.
MS. SHALAN, DISTRICT TWO PRESIDENT LAN SHA LANE, DISTRICT THREE, VICE
[00:50:01]
PRESIDENT POWELL LEWIS, MS. SHA LANE, DISTRICT FOUR, MS. STEWART HASTINGS, DISTRICT FIVE.MR. LEWIS HASTINGS, DISTRICT SIX.
MR. RUSS SHA LANE, DISTRICT SEVEN.
MR. GODDE SHADOWING DISTRICT NINE.
MS. SHADOWING? MS SHADOWING SIX TWO.
OKAY, SO THE VOTE COUNT IS NOW SIX TWO.
BEFORE I CONTINUE, I'M GONNA SAY TO ALL OF THE CANDIDATES, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR PUTTING YOUR NAME IN, STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE TO HELP REPRESENT OUR KIDS.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THIS IS A, UH, INTERIM POSITION THAT WILL BE A RACE, UH, IN THE SPRING.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT ALL OF YOU PLEASE OFFER YOUR NAMES UP AND COME BACK BECAUSE WE APPRECIATE YOU STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE.
WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE JUST WANT TO ASK THAT YOU, UH, CONTINUE TO DO SO EVERY SINGLE DAY BECAUSE OUR KIDS AND OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS YOU THE MOST.
SO I, I'LL ASK THE THREE CANDIDATES, UH, THAT DIDN'T GET SELECTED.
YOU ALL CAN CHOOSE TO STAY HERE IF YOU SO CHOOSE.
IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE, YOU COULD.
MS. CHATTER LANE, YOU MAY STAND.
CAN WE PLEASE GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AT THIS TIME? NOW, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE FLOOR TO SAY A FEW WORDS BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
YOU HAVE TO ALSO STILL BE SWORN IN BY COUNCIL TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL.
HOWEVER, I GIVE YOU THE FLOOR TO SAY WHATEVER YOU SO CHOOSE.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE SITTING NEXT TO THESE THREE WONDERFUL HUMAN BEINGS WHO HAVE OBVIOUSLY DONE A LOT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I'LL JUST REITERATE, I I AM HERE FOR THE KIDS.
I AM NOT HERE FOR ANY OTHER REASON.
AND, AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I WOULD BE REALLY HONORED.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M GOING TO BE VERY HONORED TO SIT NEXT TO YOU ALL UP HERE.
UM, AND I'M, I'M JUST EXCITED TO PUT THE KIDS FIRST AT ALL OF OUR DECISIONS.
SO I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
UH, AND BY THE WAY, WE STILL EXPECT GOOD REGIONAL MENUS FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
WE CAN'T LET YOU OFF THE HOOK THERE, BUT WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOU AND WELCOME TO THE EASTBOUND RIDGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD.
UH, ATTORNEY SHAMBLIN, HE'S GONNA GET YOU SWORN IN.
I MADE A PROMISE TO 10 STUDENTS THAT ARE PART OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT I WOULD ATTEND THEIR GRADUATION.
THESE STUDENTS HAVE MADE SOME HICCUPS IN THEIR PAST, WHICH HAD GOTTEN THEM EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL.
HOWEVER, THEY WENT THROUGH A UNIQUE PROGRAM CALLED NOT FROM THIS HOUSE.
YOU ALL PROBABLY SAW THAT THE NEWS THIS MORNING, WHICH TAKES THOSE STUDENTS THROUGH A 12 WEEKS, UH, STEP PROGRAM, AFTER THEY COMPLETE THAT PROGRAM, THEY CAN BE, THEY CAN COME BACK INSIDE OF OUR SCHOOLS, BACK AT THEIR HOMESCHOOL RATHER THAN GOING TO AN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL SITE.
I WANNA THANK THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR ALLOWING THAT TO HAPPEN.
BUT AS I SAID BEFORE, I PROMISED THEM I WILL BE THERE.
SO AS I TOLD BY THE VICE PRESIDENT, PLEASE TAKE OVER FOR ME WHILE I STEP OUT TO ATTEND THAT GRADUATION.
BUT AS I SAID BEFORE, I PROMISES A PROMISE AND I'M COMING TO SEE HIM RIGHT NOW.
AGAIN, WELCOME TO THE EAST PARISH PARISH SCHOOL BOARD.
UNITED STATES AND CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE, OF THIS FAITHFULLY, FAITHFULLY THE BEST.
YOU NOW OFFICIAL COME, COME ON, COME ON.
OKAY GUYS, MAKE SURE Y'ALL TAKE CARE OF HER OVER THERE.
[H.1. Professional Services Contract: ReThinkEd]
BUSINESS NUMBER ONE, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT.WE RETHINK ED CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL
[00:55:01]
SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND RETHINK ED IN THE AMOUNT OF $175,000 TO SUPPORT SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, AND EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT FUNDING SOURCE S A THREE.IS THERE A MOTION? OKAY, IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY MR. GODDE.
IT HAS BEEN SECONDED BY MR. BALLOU.
NOR IS THERE A PRESENTATION? OKAY.
VICE MAYOR PROBABLY DO HAVE A PRESENTATION.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, UH, RETHINK ACTUALLY HERE.
CAN YOU GUYS ALL COME UP PLEASE? AND ALSO STACY DUPRE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE GIVING US OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS TO YOU.
I'M GETTING A LITTLE OLDER AND SOMETIMES I FORGET, UM, FROM RETHINK ED TO COME AND GIVE YOU A BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE PLATFORM.
UM, AND OF COURSE WE'LL BE READY AND AVAILABLE FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING, UH, PRESIDENT LANIS, VICE PRESIDENT POWELL, MEMBERS OF THE EAST BATON ROUGE SCHOOL BOARD AND DR.
I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR RETHINK ED.
THIS EVENING I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME SPECIFIC HIGH LEVEL KEY POINTS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF OUR PARTNERSHIP.
RETHINK ED IS A FULL, COMPREHENSIVE AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTION THAT PROVIDES ROBUST RESOURCES THAT CAN SUPPORT EVERY STUDENT IN EVERY CLASS.
WE BELIEVE BY SUPPORTING THE WHOLE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, WHICH INCLUDES OUR STUDENTS, OUR TEACHERS, STAFF, AND PARENTS.
TOGETHER WE CAN CREATE HEALTHY SCHOOL CLIMATES AND PROMOTE A GREATER AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING FOR WELLNESS PRACTICES WHILE EMPOWERING STUDENTS AND OUR EDUCATORS.
ON THIS SLIDE, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT THE CONGRUENCIES OF THE E B R CORNERSTONES AND THE RETHINK ED IMPLEMENTATION.
EVERY E B R STUDENT AND TEACHER HAS ACCESS TO OUR WELLNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH SUITE.
THIS COLLECTION OF RESOURCES INCLUDES OVER 390 GRADE LEVEL WELLNESS LESSONS, COMPLIMENTARY, BOTH TIER ONE AND TIER TWO INSTRUCTION 120 GRADE BANDIT LESSONS SUPPORTING TIER THREE INSTRUCTION.
WITH OUR WELLNESS CURRICULUM, WE ARE ABLE TO SUPPORT COMMITMENT NUMBER ONE, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND THE COMMITMENT AND ACTION OF INCREASING THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL PRACTICES ACROSS ALL FIVE CORE COMPETENCY AREAS.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SUPPORTING OUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TEAM THAT HAS FACILITATED CUSTOM EDUCATOR TRAININGS, FAMILY AND CAREGIVER SUPPORTS OUR DIGITAL SOFTWARE AND RESOURCES, PROVIDES CONSISTENT MULTILINGUAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR ALL EAST BATON ROUGE STAKEHOLDERS.
THIS ALIGNS WITH CORNERSTONE NUMBER TWO, EXEMPLARY CUSTOMER SERVICE.
OUR ON-DEMAND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COACHING ASSISTS ALL EAST BATON ROUGE EDUCATORS.
WITH THE COMMITMENT AND ACTION OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, WE HAVE ALMOST 10 TIMES THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ACCESSING WELLNESS ACTIVITIES FROM THE 2122 SCHOOL YEAR.
THAT INCREASE WAS THE RESULT OF A STRONG IMPLEMENTATION, ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, AND THE TESTIMONY OF STUDENT NEED FOR WELLNESS PRACTICES.
WE HOSTED STRATEGIC MEETINGS WITH DISTRICT LEADERS AND COLLABORATED WITH EDUCATORS TO SUPPORT DIRECT WELLNESS INSTRUCTION.
IN OUR EFFORT TO EXTEND OUR REACH TO EVERY COMMUNITY, RETHINK ED OFFERS DIGITAL AND PRINTABLE PARENT CAREGIVER RESOURCES.
WE'RE ALSO AVAILABLE TO COLLABORATE FOR DISTRICT AND CAMPUS COMMUNITY NIGHTS AND ACTIVITIES.
BOTH OUR ACADEMIC AND HOME CONNECTION LETTERS ARE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
IN THE RETHINK ED WELLNESS SUITE, ALL EAST BATON ROUGE EDUCATORS HAVE ACCESS TO OVER 74 INTERACTIVE AND ON-DEMAND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING MODULES THAT INCREASE AWARENESS, TEACH COMPETENCY, AND CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING.
OUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TEAM RECOGNIZES TEAM MEMBERS WHO HAVE HIGH UTILIZATION AND THEN AND INCOMPLETED TRAINING
[01:00:01]
MODULES, EXCUSE ME, THE RETHINK GET PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TEAM HAS PROVIDED OVER 70 EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT AND COACHING DAYS.THIS LENDS TO THE STAFF BUY-IN AND AN INCREASE IN WELLNESS INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL ACCESSED BY EAST BATON ROUGE EDUCATORS.
THE RETHINK AT TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT COMMITMENT NUMBER FOUR, COMMITMENT AND ACTION OF CELEBRATING AND RECOGNIZING HIGH PERFORMING TEAM MEMBERS WHEN WE HOSTED OUR CELEBRATING E B R TOUR.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE INCREASE OF WELLNESS SUPPORTS E B R STAFF ACCESS YEAR OVER YEAR.
IT SHOWS THE STAFF'S COMMITMENT IN RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR WELLNESS PRACTICES AND RESOURCES FOR BOTH THE STUDENT AND THE EDUCATOR.
IN CLOSING, RETHINK ED IS EXCITED TO CONTINUE THE PARTNERSHIP WITH EAST BATON ROUGE AS A THOUGHT PARTNER AND RESOURCE AS YOU STRIVE TO BE THE CORNERSTONE OF THE COMMUNITY AS A PREMIER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.
ANY FURTHER? UM, PORTIONS OF THE PRESENTATION.
ALRIGHT, WE WILL NOW TURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD THERE.
ANY COMMENTS? OKAY, MR. RUSS? THANK YOU.
IS THAT RIGHT NOW? I WANNA SAY POWELL.
UM, SO MY INITIAL RESERVATIONS WITH THIS ITEM, UM, WERE TWOFOLD.
UH, ONE CONTENT SPECIFIC 'CAUSE I HAD VERY LITTLE EXPOSURE TO THE PLATFORM AND TO THE CONTENT WITHIN THE PLATFORM.
UH, I WANNA THANK SUPERINTENDENT FOR PROVIDING ACCESS TO THAT AS WE ASK.
UM, I DID SPEND QUITE A, A GOOD LITTLE BIT OF TIME EXPLORING THIS PLATFORM.
SEEMS LIKE AN EXCELLENT PLATFORM.
UM, I WENT THROUGH ALL OF THE SUBJECT MATTER THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED TO US.
I WENT THROUGH SEVERAL LESSONS.
UM, IT SEEMS VERY APPROPRIATE.
UM, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT, THAT RAISED ANY CONTENT FLAGS OR PROBLEMS FOR ME, UH, AS A PARENT, AS A BOARD MEMBER, ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.
SO MY ONLY RESERVATION WITH THIS ITEM AT THIS TIME, UH, REMAINS AROUND THE TIME THAT WE ARE SPENDING, UM, AS A PART OF A BIGGER PICTURE ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS IN OUR CLASSROOM.
UM, A LOT OF FEEDBACK THAT I'VE RECEIVED VERY RECENTLY FROM FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY IS HOW MUCH TIME KIDS ARE SPENDING IN FRONT OF SCREENS AT SCHOOL.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY IN OUR EDUCATIONAL SPACES, UM, TO HELP US BE MORE EFFECTIVE, UM, THEIR TOOLS.
UM, BUT WE HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF COMPETITION FOR OUR KIDS' TIME IN THE CLASSROOM RIGHT NOW.
AND WE ARE USING A LOT OF DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS. UM, AND IN BETWEEN ALMOST EVERY DIFFERENT SUBJECT MATTER, KIDS ARE BEING ASKED TO SIT IN FRONT OF A SCREEN EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR MINUTES UPON MINUTES UPON MINUTES INSTEAD OF IN FRONT OF A TEACHER.
UM, SO BASED ON THAT, UNLESS THIS RECOMMENDATION HAS CHANGED WITH OUR ADMINISTRATION, I DON'T SUPPORT THE ITEM.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE PLATFORM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO RETHINK ITS IMPLEMENTATION AS PART OF A BIGGER PICTURE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR STUDENTS' TIME.
SO WHAT TIME WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR THIS TO TAKE PLACE? OKAY, SO CURRENTLY WE DID A, FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, THEY ARE TAKING ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF PE TWICE A WEEK.
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE PE AND HEALTH EDUCATION STANDARDS FROM LOUISIANA, THEY ALIGN WITH THE WELLNESS PLATFORM INSIDE RETHINK AD.
SO IT IS HELPING THOSE PE TEACHERS OR WILL HELP THOSE PE TEACHERS MEET THOSE HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION STANDARDS, UM, IN THE GYM.
SO IT IS REALLY, WE ARE SHIFTING THAT MODEL FOR THEM TO HAVE MORE INTERACTION TO BE A PART OF THAT.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH MR. HYDE AND HIS TEAM TO, UH, SUPPORT OUR PE COACHES IN THAT ENDEAVOR.
FOR OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THEY HAVE WORKED IN A 10 TO 15 MINUTE WINDOW, UH, AT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DAY.
SO SOME SCHOOLS PUT IT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, SOME THING, SOME SCHOOLS PUT IT RIGHT BEFORE BUSES, SOME HAVE IT, EACH GRADE LEVEL HAS A DIFFERENT ONE, BUT THEY HAVE ALL IDENTIFIED WHEN THEY DO THEIR TIME AND THE LESSON.
SO IT IS NOT A LARGE CHUNK OF THE DAY, BUT IT IS
[01:05:01]
A BREAK FOR THE KIDS TO HAVE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE.AND THEN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, MOST OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE ABOUT A 10 TO 15 MINUTE, TWICE A WEEK.
ONE LIKE A DAYS IN THE MORNING, THEY HAVE TAKEN SOME OF THEIR TIME AND THEY PUT THERE.
SO IT IS NOT A LARGE DRAW ON TIME.
THEY REALLY HAVE TRIED TO, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MEET THOSE STATE MINUTES.
IT IS HOW DO WE CAPITALIZE ON USING WHAT TIME WE DO HAVE TO HELP OUR KIDS FOSTER THESE RELATIONSHIPS AND BUILD ON THESE SKILLS.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED, TALKED NUMEROUS TIMES FROM UP HERE ABOUT HOW KIDS ARE JUST KINDA WIRED DIFFERENTLY.
YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS.
THEY DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ONLINE IN FRONT OF SCREENS, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S TOTALLY BAD BECAUSE THEY'RE WIRED THAT WAY NOW.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW THEY LEARN.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE, UH, I'VE RETHOUGHT MY POSITION ON IT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY REAL PROBLEMS WITH IT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT DOES NOT, AND AGREEING WITH NATHAN, IT DOES NOT CUT INTO REAL FACE TIME WITH A TEACHER BECAUSE I'M GONNA MAKE THIS STATEMENT AGAIN TILL YOU GUYS GET TIRED OF HEARING ME SAY IT.
GREAT TEACHERS MAKE GREAT STUDENTS, NOT GREAT PLATFORMS, RIGHT? GREAT TEACHERS MAKE GREAT STUDENTS, BUT A GREAT TEACHER CAN ALWAYS USE INNOVATIVE FORWARD THINKING HELP TO HELP CREATE THAT GREAT STUDENT.
UM, UH, AND PARTICULAR THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUE, MR. RUSS FOR, FOR SPENDING THE TIME GOING THROUGH THERE TO, TO KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
UH, APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT FOR US.
I, I LIKE, LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, I'M, I'M MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS THAN I WAS ORIGINALLY.
UM, AS I LOOKED AT THE, I PULLED UP THE EVALUATION THAT PROVIDED WITH THE SUPPORTING MATERIALS AND, AND ON THE, ON THE, THE, THE, THE THING SHOWING THE, THE SCORES, UH, FROM THE FALL 21 TO SPRING 22 AND WHATNOT.
I, I, I, I, I DIDN'T SEE A LOT OF MOVEMENT THERE.
RIGHT? UM, AND, AND THEN I READ DR.
EARL'S EVALUATION, WHICH WAS VERY POSITIVE AND SUGGESTED THAT THAT, UM, UH, PERHAPS DESPITE THE OVERALL LACK OF MOVEMENT WITHIN VERY CRUCIAL COHORTS, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT, PARTICULARLY IN THE TRANSITION YEARS.
BUT COULD YOU, COULD YOU SPEAK MORE TO THAT PLEASE? YEAH.
SO WHAT WE SAW IS THE MEASURE THAT WAS USED IN THE EVALUATION WAS THE SELF-ASSESSMENT.
AND, UM, AS ADULTS, IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO SIT AND EVALUATE OURSELVES.
SO WHEN WE ASK THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, EVEN HIGH SCHOOLERS, IT'S A DIFFICULT TASK.
WE'VE ALL BEEN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, HOW YOU WOKE UP THAT DAY, HOW YOUR YOUR SERIAL WAS AFFECTS EVERYTHING YOU DO THAT DAY.
AND SO IT COULD REALLY VARY A LOT.
SO THIS, UH, LAST SCHOOL YEAR, WE ADDED THE TEACHER RATING SCALE, BUT, UM, WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH, LIKE, 'CAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAINING INVOLVED TO GET THAT RATING SCALE GOING.
SO WE DID SEE A GOOD BIT OF MOVEMENT WITHIN WHAT THE TEACHERS WERE SEEING WITH THE STUDENTS IN LIKE EIGHT DIFFERENT AREAS.
UM, WE JUST DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH PUTTING IT INTO THE, UM, INTO THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION BECAUSE IT WAS NOT ALL GRADES.
AND SO, UH, BECAUSE IN THE SPRING WE WERE AVAILABLE TO DO IT K 12 IN THE FALL, WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO DO IT THREE 12, SO WE DID NOT HAVE THE WHOLE POPULATION.
SO OUR HOPE IS THIS YEAR WE'LL HAVE BOTH MEASURES TO BE ABLE TO COMPARE.
UM, AS FAR AS OUR SUBGROUP POPULATIONS, WE SAW IN OUR E S S POPULATION, IN OUR 5 0 4 POPULATION AND IN OUR ENGLISH LEARNER POPULATION, SO SOME OF OUR, UM, OUR GROUPS THAT HAVE TO WORK THE HARDEST TO MAKE THE SAME GAINS AS THEIR PEERS, WE SAW A LOT OF THE GAP CLOSING.
AND SO WE WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, ONE OF MY CHAMPION SCHOOLS IS ARLINGTON, AND THEY REALLY HAVE BOUGHT IN TO TRY TO HELP WITH THEIR STUDENTS AND THEIR POPULATION.
AND SO IT REALLY GOES DOWN TO, UM, HOW WELL WE ARE EMBRACING IT.
AND THAT'S OUR STRATEGY THIS YEAR, UH, IS HOW DO WE SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS TO FULLY EMBRACE.
I THINK ONE OF MY CONCERNS GENERALLY WITH A LOT OF THE COMPUTERIZED, UH, TOOLS THAT WE USE, UM, IS, IS THAT OUR ASSESSMENT USUALLY IS AN INTERNAL ASSESSMENT FROM THAT.
AND SO, WHICH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHICH COULD MEAN THAT CHILDREN WHO LEARN HOW TO MANIPULATE THE THE DATA, MANIPULATE THE DATA WELL, OR, YOU KNOW, LEARN HOW TO DO WHATEVER THE SOFTWARE IS, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT ACTUALLY REFLECT IN ACTUAL REAL WORLD BEHAVIOR.
SO I, I'LL BE VERY INTERESTED IN FUTURE YEARS
[01:10:01]
OF, OF THIS TEACHER EVALUATION.AND, AND I WANT US TO CONTINUE EXPLORING.
IT'S A BIGGER ISSUE FOR US, HOW WE EVALUATE WHAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR ISSUES WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING IN, IN EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, THE DM GROUP AND OTHERS TO, TO, TO BETTER EVALUATE THAT.
AND, AND, AND SO I WANT US TO, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN VALIDATE THAT THIS IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE REAL WORLD, NOT JUST OH YEAH.
THE KIDS ARE CLICKING THE BUTTONS.
AND SO, UM, WE DID TRY, WE WORKED WITH DR.
EARL TO TRY TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT DATA POINTS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID FIND WAS, YOU KNOW, KIDS MAKE MISTAKES.
AND SO, UM, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT DISCIPLINE DATA FOR LAST YEAR, WE PULLED SOME HIGH SCHOOL DATA AND WE LOOKED AT THREE DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS.
UM, ONE WAS A SCHOOL THAT FULLY BOUGHT IN.
THEY WERE BEYOND JUST THAT COMPLIANCE ONE SCHOOL THAT STRUGGLED A LITTLE BIT WITH IMPLEMENTATION AND ONE THAT WAS BARE MINIMUM.
AND WHAT WE SAW IS THE RATE AT WHICH STUDENTS REPEATED A DISCIPLINARY INFRACTION, LIKE HAD MULTIPLE MAJOR INFRACTIONS ON OUR SCHOOL THAT WAS FULLY INVESTED.
THOSE TEACHERS WERE INVESTED BECAUSE WHEN THE TEACHERS ARE INVESTED, THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE KIDS.
AND WHEN THE TEACHERS ARE INVOLVED, THEY'RE BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
WE SAW A SLOWER RATE OF STUDENTS REPEATING THOSE DISCIPLINARY INFRACTIONS THAN THE DISTRICT.
UH, THE SCHOOL THAT, UM, HAD, I'M SORRY, IT WAS A DECLINE.
IT WAS LIKE A 7% DECLINE IN STUDENTS REPEATING.
THE SCHOOL THAT HAD PARTIAL IMPLEMENTATION WAS RIGHT ON PAR WITH THE DISTRICT, AND THE SCHOOL THAT STRUGGLED AND REALLY HAD VERY LITTLE IMPLEMENTATION WAS SKYROCKETED.
UM, SO IT REALLY, WE KNOW KIDS MAKE MISTAKES, BUT WE WANNA BUILD THOSE SKILLS TO WHERE, WHEN THEY ARE BACK IN OUR CAMPUS THAT THEY MAKE BETTER DECISIONS BECAUSE ONE OF THOSE TENETS OF THIS IS HELPING FOSTER GOOD, UH, GOOD DECISION MAKING ON OUR KIDS.
AND JUST KEEP, KEEP LOOKING FOR WAYS TO, TO GET BETTER DATA ON THAT.
I HAVE ENTERED THE QUEUE AS WELL.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE, IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
IS THERE ANY WAY IN THIS PLATFORM THAT WE CAN SUPPORT OUR ADULTS WITH SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UH, MS. HAWKINS DID TALK ABOUT THAT TEACHER TRAINING PLATFORM.
AND SO AT ANY TIME, UH, TEACHERS CAN GO IN, LOG IN AND THERE ARE PSYCHOLOGISTS, UH, SOCIAL WORKERS, UM, PEOPLE WITH HIGHLY ADVANCED DEGREES BREAKING DOWN THESE TOPICS FOR OUR TEACHERS AND MAKING IT APPLICABLE ABOUT HOW IT IMPACTS THE CLASSROOM.
ADDITIONALLY, WE DO HAVE A TEAM OF FOUR SS E L SPECIALISTS WHO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL.
SO IF THAT SCHOOL NEEDS ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, UM, DISTRICT-WIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND A LOT OF OUR EFFORTS ARE IN TEACHER WELLBEING.
UM, WE WORK WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT FOR SOME OF THEIR POP-UP PEP RALLIES TO SUPPORT THAT WELLBEING OF OUR ADULTS BECAUSE WE KNOW WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM TO EMPOWER THEM TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR KIDS.
SO, UM, WE HAVE SEEN INCREASED USAGE AND, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE NOT, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THE CONTRACT, WE HAVE NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY USING THE PLATFORM.
RETHINK HAS BASICALLY SAID, YOU KNOW, CAN, WE CAN KEEP IT OPEN.
WE HAVE SEEN TEACHERS WITHOUT SAYING YOU HAVE TO GO INTO THE PLATFORM.
WE HAVE SEEN TEACHERS THROUGHOUT THE LAST MONTH GOING IN ACCESSING THOSE TRAINING RESOURCES BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BUILDING UP THEIR SKILLSET, IT'S ALSO ABOUT HELPING THEM BRING IT BACK TO THE, THE CLASSROOM.
AND ADDITIONALLY, IF I CAN SHARE SOMETHING, WE HEARD, UM, SOME OF THE CONCERNS, WE WERE HERE ORIGINALLY FROM SOME OF THE, UM, COMMENTS WE WORKED WITH RETHINK ED TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE TEACHERS TO GET TO THE PORTIONS OF THE LESSONS THAT ARE ON THE VIDEO.
MOST OF IT IS NOT, BUT IT'S LIKE ONE CLICK NOW INSTEAD OF HAVING TO GO TO MULTIPLE CLICKS.
SO THEY'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
SO THE TEACHERS HAVE ONE MENU, THEY GO ONE SPOT AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO SEARCH.
AND SO I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE US JUST A SNIPPET OF WHAT THE, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY PRACTICES ARE AROUND IMPLEMENTATION, BECAUSE I HEARD YOU MENTION MM-HMM.
SO A LOT OF IT COMES THROUGH RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.
THE S E L SPECIALISTS ARE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY THE BIGGEST
[01:15:01]
CHAMPIONS FOR THIS WORK BECAUSE THEY BLEED THIS WORK AND THEY USE THE DATA TO, TO HELP THEIR KIDS.AND SO WE TRY TO, TO HELP THIS PROGRESS THROUGH RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.
UH, YOU, I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF COUNTERPRODUCTIVE IF, IF YOU SS E L BY MANDATE.
UH, SO WE REALLY TRY TO GO WITH IT THROUGH A RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, A STRENGTH BUILDING APPROACH WITH OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, AND PART OF THAT IS WORKING WITH OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS.
WE HAVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS WHO SAY, HEY, THIS SCHOOL NEEDS ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
AND IT'S THROUGH THOSE RELATIONSHIPS THAT ALLOW US TO EXPAND THIS WORK.
I MEAN, IN A PERFECT WORLD, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE 100% COMPLIANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN BUY-IN, BUT LIFE IS LIFE.
AND SO, UM, I'M REALLY COMMITTED TO THAT, UH, RELATIONSHIP BASED APPROACH BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WE ARE GOING TO GET TEACHERS ON BOARD TO SEE THIS AS A TOOL TO HELP THEM BETTER THEIR PRACTICE, BETTER THEIR RELATIONSHIPS, AND NOT JUST AS SOMETHING ELSE TO DO.
SO WITH THAT, UH, WITH THOSE QUESTIONS BEING ANSWERED, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM AS WELL.
NUMBER ONE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO KEEP PUSHING THAT WE ARE CREATING GOOD HUMANS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THESE TYPES OF PLATFORMS ASSIST WITH.
UH, I ALSO APPRECIATE THE IDEA OF, OF IT BEING AN ELECTRONIC PLATFORM BECAUSE TEACHERS ALREADY HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS.
IT SEEMS LIKE THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD ALMOST BE LIKE A NO BRAINER OR SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN IMPLEMENT WITH EASE.
SINCE IT IS ON AN ELECTRONIC, UH, PLATFORM, INSTEAD OF EITHER HAVING TO COMMIT TO TEACHING AN SS E L LESSON OR CREATING AN S E L LESSON.
WHAT YOU GOT? I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, I WANTED TO APPRECIATE RETHINK ED'S PATIENCE WITH US.
THIS HAS BEEN ON THE AGENDA FOR A WHILE NOW.
SEVERAL OF US HAD SOME SERIOUS QUESTIONS, UH, ABOUT IT.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR PATIENCE AS WE WORK THROUGH THOSE AND, AND, AND EXPLAINING IT TO THE WAY YOU, TO US, THE WAY YOU HAVE THAT, THAT ALLOWED US TO, UH, SUPPORT THIS.
WE WILL NOW TURN TO, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY HAD COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
ALRIGHT, WE WILL NOW TURN BACK TO COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
SEEING NONE, WE WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A VOTE.
CAN WE DO ROLL CALL MR.
OH, DID IT? NO, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
FOR SOME REASON HER NAME DIDN'T POP INTO THE, I THOUGHT I HAD TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
DISTRICT THREE, VICE PRESIDENT POWELL LEWIS? YES.
DISTRICT FIVE, MR. LEWIS? YES.
MR. RUSS NAME? DISTRICT SEVEN.
DISTRICT EIGHT, MS. SHADOWING? YES.
DISTRICT NINE, MR. MARTIN? YES.
[H.2. Professional Services Contract]
SERVICES CONTRACT CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ENTER INTO A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND AN APPROPRIATE AND QUALIFIED FIRM IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $95,000.TO PROVIDE A REVIEW OF THE BOARD'S FISCAL POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR BOTH THE GENERAL FUND AND THE SPECIAL FUNDS TO INCLUDE INTERVIEWS WITH BOARD MEMBERS AND KEY STAKEHOLDERS.
A BOARD WORKSHOP FOCUSED ON THE FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET AND COLLECTION OF PUBLIC INPUT AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO STREAMLINE THE BOARD'S OPERATING PROCEDURES IN SUCH A WAY AS TO INCREASE FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, MEANINGFUL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, AND LONG RANGE BUDGET PLANNING, AS WELL AS TO EXTENT TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE ASSIST WITH THE INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES SUCH THAT MAY BE APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY THE BOARD FUNDING SOURCE GENERAL FUND.
IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY MR. MARTIN.
IS THERE A SECOND? IT HAS BEEN SECONDED BY MR. RUSS.
[01:20:01]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT THE COMMITTEE.
UM, THE, THE PURPOSE OF, OF THIS CONTRACT IS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALL TALKED, UH, WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS VERY RECENTLY, WE ALL AGREED THAT, UM, WE WEREN'T HAPPY WITH THAT BUDGET PROCESS, THAT WE NEEDED SIGNIFICANT REFORMS. UM, AND THAT'S A BUDGET PROCESS THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR MANY, MANY, UH, YEARS.
UM, UH, THAT'S NOT A KNOCK ON ANYBODY.
IT'S SIMPLY THAT THAT'S, UH, UH, PROVEN TO BE KIND OF INADEQUATE TO, UH, MEET OUR DESIRES FOR PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AND TO ALLOW US TO, TO FOCUS OUR ENERGIES MORE ON POLICY LEVEL DECISIONS FOR RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND LESS ON THE CONTRACT BY CONTRACT EVALUATION THAT WE'VE SPENT SO MUCH OF OUR TIME, UH, SINCE WE WERE ALL SWORN IN IN JANUARY, UH, DOING.
AND SO THAT IS THE GOAL OF THIS, IS TO BRING IN AN EXPERT TO HELP US.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE DON'T NEED TO REINVENT THE BUDGET PROCESS EVERY YEAR, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO EVERY YEAR.
AND SO IT'S APPROPRIATE IN MY VIEW TO, UH, UH, SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY TO FIND AN EXPERT TO COME HELP US.
AND THIS IS NOT, THIS EXPERT WILL NOT COME, UM, TELL US HOW TO SPEND THE MONEY.
SHE'S NOT GONNA SAY, OH, YOU NEED TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON THIS, OR MORE MONEY ON THAT.
SHE'S SIMPLY GOING TO HELP, UH, HELP US STRUCTURE THE BUDGET BETTER SO THAT WE AS A BOARD, UH, WITH BETTER INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC CAN, CAN, CAN STRUCTURE OUR THINKING AND OUR DECISIONS IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO MAKE CLEARER VOTES ON WHAT WE THINK, UM, OUR, OUR POLICIES SHOULD BE.
SO IF WE DECIDE THAT WE WANT, UM, UH, TO FOCUS MUCH MORE ON EQUITY, UM, UH, THEN WE SHOULD HAVE POLICIES AND WE SHOULD HAVE BUDGETS THAT REFLECT THAT.
AND RIGHT NOW OUR BUDGETS REFLECT NOT THAT.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE GOAL.
I KNOW, UH, A COUPLE OF YOU HAVE EXPRESSED SOME CONCERNS.
MAYBE THERE'S FREE SERVICES OR CHEAPER SERVICES BAIL FOR AVAILABLE FROM THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR OR THE COUNCIL OF GREAT CITY SCHOOLS.
THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR I'VE SPOKEN WITH, AND THEY DO NOT PROVIDE SERVICE LIKE THIS.
I HAD A, A, UM, A 30 MINUTE CONVERSATION WITH THEIR EXPERTS, UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK.
AND, AND THEY SIMPLY DON'T DO THAT.
THEY SEND US A NICE EMAIL POINTING US TO SOME, SOME RESOURCES WHERE WE COULD LOOK FOR SOME BEST PRACTICES GUIDE, BUT WE NEED SOMEBODY WHO'S ACTUALLY GOING TO SIT HERE AND HELP, HELP US WORK WITH US TO STRUCTURE WHAT WE NEED.
UM, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THERE'S SOME OTHER BETTER WAY TO DO THIS? MAYBE SO, UH, THERE'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY THERE'S SOMETHING BETTER, BUT WE'VE COMMITTED TO THE PUBLIC DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT WE WERE GONNA GET STARTED WITH THIS IN OCTOBER.
UM, AND SO I, I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
UM, UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT THIS WILL, WILL HELP US CARRY THROUGH THE COMMITMENTS THAT WE MADE TO THE PUBLIC TO BRING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR BUDGET PROCESS AND CONCERNED IF WE DON'T, UM, TAKE THIS STEP NOW, THEN WE'RE GOING TO ENTER INTO ANOTHER MONTH WITHOUT A PLAN FOR WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO, UH, TO SUPPORT THIS.
THANK YOU, MS. STEWART? UH, YES.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO THIS ITEM, I DO AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE, UM, MARTIN, IN REGARDS OF US HAVING TO, UH, PUT, UH, IMPLEMENT SOMETHING INTO PLACE TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE AND DO THIS.
YOU DID MENTION, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THE OPTION OF UTILIZING THE COUNCIL GREATER CITY SCHOOLS.
AND SO, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, UH, AS A FREE OPTION IS SOMETHING THAT I WAS QUESTIONING OR THAT I DO HAVE A QUESTION, UM, IN REGARDS TO WHY WE CAN'T UTILIZE THAT AS AN OPTION VERSUS HAVING TO PAY SOMEONE TO DO THAT.
AND I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE THE COUNCIL OF GREATER CITY SCHOOLS IS, YOU KNOW, CAN DO A NATIONAL SEARCH AND BASICALLY WE ARE PART OF THAT, UH, PROGRAM WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE A MEMBER AND SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO UTILIZE OUR RESOURCES THAT WE DO HAVE, UH, IN ORDER TO, UH, ACCOMPLISH, YOU KNOW, THE ULTIMATE GOAL, WHICH I DO FEEL THAT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
WELL, THAT'S CERTAINLY A POSSIBILITY.
AS I SAY, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO THE COUNCIL OF GRADE CITY SCHOOLS.
UH, MR. LEWIS, DID YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH HIM THIS WEEK? NO, I DID NOT.
I TRIED TO GET MY CLONE
THEY DON'T HAVE AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CLIFF LEWIS YET TO, TO MAKE SOME OF THOSE CALLS FOR YOU.
AND, AND SO, UM, I GUESS BECAUSE NOBODY HAS SPOKEN AND BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THAT OPTION, I WANNA RECOMMEND THAT WE DEFER THAT UNTIL SOMEBODY DOES
[01:25:01]
SPEAK AND SO THAT WE CAN FIND IT OUT.I DON'T, I WOULDN'T WANNA VOTE TO AGREE TO THIS.
AND WE HAVE AN AVAILABLE FREE OPTION AT OUR DISPOSAL.
SO, MS. STEWART, ARE YOU MAKING A SUBSTITUTE MOTION? YEAH, I WANNA MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER THIS ITEM SO THAT WE CAN, UH, LOOK INTO UTILIZING THE CURRENT RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE THE SAME THING.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW I NEED TO SAY THAT.
WE NEED A SECOND FOR THAT SUBSTITUTE.
SO MS. STEWART HAS, UM, MOVED THAT WE, UM, DEFER THIS ITEM, I GUESS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE? YES.
I, I'LL, I, I I CAN, I CAN SEE THE FINGERS IN THE ROOM.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ACCEPT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND DEFER THAT UNTIL NEXT MONTH.
OKAY, SO THE, THAT'S IT TO THAT PROCESS, CORRECT? YES.
SO, UH, BOARD MEMBER MARTIN IS DEFERRING FOR, FOR ONE MONTH UNTIL THE REGULAR MEETING? YEAH, WELL, YES.
I MEAN, I THINK AT THAT TIME WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE, UH, UH, CALLS OR TRY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER OR NOT, IF THAT CAN BE DONE.
WILL YOU WORK WITH ME TO FACILITATE THAT CONVERSATION WITH GREAT CITY SCHOOLS? YES.
I'LL MAKE A CALL TO RAY HART, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THAT.
I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO JOIN THE CALL.
YES, NO, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO JOIN US.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THE SECOND MR. RUSS AGREES TO THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT ON MR. MARTIN'S MOTIONS.
SO I GUESS, DO WE CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD? OKAY, SO WE WILL NOW MOVE TO NO, STILL HAVE COMMENTS.
YEAH, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THEM ANSWERING THE PHONE SINCE THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING PAID.
UM, BUT I AGREE WITH A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT PATRICK IS SAYING, AND I WANNA JUST KIND OF PULL SOMETHING OUT WITH THE COMMENT HE MADE.
NOW, HELP ME, YOU MAY WANNA HELP ME JOG MY MEMORY A LITTLE BIT, MR. UH, SHAMBLIN, BUT WE DID ASK FOR MONTHLY REPORTS, CORRECT? ON THE BUDGET.
I BELIEVE PRESIDENT LANDIS DID MAKE THAT REQUEST, RIGHT? YES.
WE'RE THREE DAYS AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THREE DAYS AWAY.
I HADN'T SEEN ANYTHING OR HEARD ANY CONVERSATION AROUND GETTING A REPORT ON THE BUDGET.
HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE WE SPENT? HOW MUCH MONEY HAVEN'T WE SPENT? WHERE ARE WE WITH THE BUDGET? 'CAUSE THERE WERE SOME THINGS TAKEN OUTTA THE BUDGET THAT WERE PUT BACK IN THE BUDGET.
AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE SPENDING OUR MONEY.
THAT'S OUR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY.
AND I THINK WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION.
WE GOTTA HOLD PEOPLE'S FEET TO THE FIRE BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND WRITE CHECKS THAT WE CAN'T CASH.
WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT A DEFICIT LOOKING UP, COMING AROUND NEXT YEAR.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN A HEALTHY FINANCIAL PLACE WITH THE BUDGET.
'CAUSE I HONESTLY FELT LIKE IT WAS TRY, IT WAS BEING RAMMED DOWN MY THROAT FOR ABOUT 10 WEEKS AROUND HERE, AND THAT WAS NOT COMFORTABLE.
WE NEED OPEN AND HONEST COMMUNICATION ABOUT HOW WE'RE SPENDING OUR MONEY.
SO, AND PATRICK, WE DID TALK ABOUT GREAT CITY SCHOOLS.
UM, I'M SORRY, I I ALMOST PROMISED Y'ALL I WAS GONNA CALL 'EM.
I JUST DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO DO IT.
BUT IF WE CAN GET THE SAME RESULTS AND WE'RE ALREADY PAYING FOR IT, THEN LET'S GET THOSE RESULTS AND LET'S USE THEM.
UM, I, I TOO WANTED TO SEE US IMPROVE THE BUDGET PROCESS AND WHETHER IT'S THROUGH GREAT CITY SCHOOLS OR WHATEVER, I GUESS MY CONCERN IS AT THE LAST MEETING, WE DEFERRED THIS AND WE DEFERRED IT ON THE BASIS THAT WE WOULD GET MORE INFORMATION ASKED ABOUT, HE WAS DOING IT.
AND I'VE GOTTEN ZERO INFORMATION.
THE OTHER THING IS, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A PERSON THAT HAS BEEN PICKED TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE KEPT REFERRING TO SOMEONE AS SHE, OR, OR THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER.
AND I THINK I KNOW WHO THAT IS.
WHY ARE WE BEING SO NEBULOUS IN THE MOTION IF WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT WE'VE ALREADY PICKED OUT AS A PRICE ALREADY, ASSUME, PUT THE CONTRACT, PUT THE PROPOSAL IN THE THING, AND LET'S VOTE ON THE CONTRACT.
LET'S DON'T VOTE ON, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING NEBULOUS THAT WE DON'T KNOW.
WHAT IS THE FINAL SCOPE OF WORK? WHAT IS, WHAT IS ALL OF THAT PUT TOGETHER? SO
[01:30:01]
I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE, TO THE WORK, I JUST DON'T LIKE THE PROCESS BECAUSE IF WE, IF WE HAVE SOMEONE ALREADY PICKED OUT TO DO IT, THEN LET'S BE HONEST AND WHO IS IT? PUT THE CONTRACT IN THE, IN THE BOARD DOCS DOCUMENTS AND LET'S VOTE ON THE CONTRACT.AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE GOTTA BE WORKING ON THE CONTRACT WHILE WE'RE CHECKING WITH GRADE CITY SCHOOLS, THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR ME TO DO MY RESPONSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, WE GOT CONTRACTS COMING UP ALL THE TIME WITH VARYING AMOUNTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IF WE'VE ALREADY PICKED OUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, GIVE ME A CONTRACT WITH A STATEMENT OF WORK SO THAT I CAN EVALUATE, REALLY EVALUATE THE QUALIFICATIONS OF WHO THIS PERSON IS.
EITHER THAT OR REQUEST AN R F Q.
SO WE GO OUT AND WE SOLICIT QUALIFICATIONS AND THEN A SELECTION IS MADE FROM AN R F Q.
SO DO IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE GROUND WHERE IT'S NEITHER R F Q, BUT IT'S NOT A CONTRACT AND WE'VE ALREADY PICKED WHO IT'S GONNA BE, BUT WE HAVEN'T SPECIFIED EXACTLY WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT'S GONNA WORK AND ALL THESE SORTS OF THINGS.
I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR PASSING SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
IT, TO MY MIND, IT NEEDS TO BE, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE CONCEPT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
IF WE CAN DO IT THROUGH GREAT CITY SCHOOLS, FINE.
IF WE HAVE TO HAVE A CONTRACT TO DO IT WITH SOMEONE ELSE, THAT'S FINE TOO.
I THINK IT'S MONEY WELL SPENT, BUT LET'S BE, LET'S BE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
'CAUSE UNTIL, UNTIL I HAVE SOME SPECIFICITY ABOUT WHAT IT IS, WHAT'S THE CONTRACT LOOK LIKE, WHAT'S THE STATEMENT OF WORK? I CAN'T VOTE FOR SOMETHING THAT'S A, A BALLOON OUT THERE THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
UM, SO I SUPPORTED THIS ITEM AS IT IS, UM, BECAUSE WE MADE COMMITMENTS TO OUR COMMUNITY TO DO A MUCH, MUCH BETTER JOB OF PROVIDING A TRANSPARENT BUDGET PROCESS THAT ACTUALLY ALLOWED THE BOARD TO, UM, TO SET WHAT ITS PRIORITIES WERE IN THE RESOURCES WITHIN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
NEARLY, UH, BILLION DOLLARS THAT WE MANAGE.
AND, UH, I WILL SAY THAT I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY, BUT I THINK THAT OUR BUDGET PROCESS FOR THIS PAST BUDGET WAS AN ABSOLUTE DUMPSTER FIRE.
AND IF WE THINK THAT WE'RE JUST GONNA SIT ON OUR HANDS AND WAIT FOR THAT TO GET BETTER, WE'RE WRONG.
IF WE THINK THAT WE CAN ASK THE SYSTEM TO REDESIGN ITSELF TO SOMEHOW ACHIEVE THAT GOAL, WE'RE ALSO WRONG.
SO I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO BRING IN OUTSIDE HELP, UM, MR. LEWIS TO, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, ALL ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID AND YOUR COMMENT ARE THE EXACT REASON WHY WE NEED TO BRING IN, UM, OUTSIDE HELP ON THIS.
WHETHER IT'S GREAT CITY SCHOOLS OR SOMEONE THAT WE NEED TO PAY A CONTRACT.
AND, AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU HAD A PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE TO THIS, YOU HAD THREE WEEKS TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND SPEAK WITH ANYBODY ELSE THAT YOU WANTED TO.
UM, WE HAVE AN ENTIRE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF THAT WE PAY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT COULD HAVE DONE THAT FOR US.
UM, PUSHING THIS ANOTHER MONTH GETS US MORE OF THE SAME, AND I'M NOT CONTENT WITH MORE OF THE SAME FOR OUR KIDS, FOR THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY, OR FRANKLY MORE OF THE SAME OF HOW THIS BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION HAVE WORKED TOGETHER.
SO I'M A LITTLE IRRITATED THAT WE'RE GONNA PUSH THIS TO ANOTHER MONTH BECAUSE WE HAVE WORK TO DO.
UM, PUSHING THIS FOR ANOTHER FOUR WEEKS IS PUSHING THAT PROCESS BACK ANOTHER FOUR WEEKS THAT WE PROMISED OUR COMMUNITY WOULD START IN EARNEST IN THREE DAYS.
SO JUST KNOW THAT THAT'S THE DECISION YOU'RE MAKING IF WE PUSH THIS ITEM.
SO I KNOW THAT, UM, UH, COACH LEWIS MENTIONED, UH, THAT WE HAVE A BUDGET REPORT THAT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE SOON AND HE'S ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE HADN'T SEEN OR HEARD ANYTHING.
RC, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU WOULD, IF YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SPEAK TO THAT PLEASE? UH, YES.
WE, WE ARE ACTUALLY WORKING ON A BUDGET REPORT.
KELLY LOPEZ HAS ALWAYS PUTS THAT TOGETHER, SO WE'LL BE GETTING THAT TO THE BOARD.
DO YOU LOOK AT THIS? UH, MA'AM WE CAN ALSO PRESENT IT AS WELL IN PUBLIC FINANCE POWER.
SO, SO WE SHOULD BE HEARING SOMETHING SOON.
UM, CONSIDERING THAT, THAT IS IT TO, FOR BOARD COMMENTS, WE WILL NOW TURN TO THE PUBLIC.
ARE THERE PUBLIC COMMENTS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME? YES, IN THE FINANCIAL
[01:35:01]
REPORT.UM, CONSIDERING FAIRLEY JACKSON, DISTRICT FIVE, UH, CONSIDERING THAT THIS ITEM IS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, I'D LIKE TO START WITH, UM, TALKING ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY OF WHAT WE SAY AND, UM, EARLIER WHEN WE STOOD UP HERE AS CONSTITUENTS AND PARENTS, WE WERE NOT MAKING PERSONAL ATTACKS ON ANYONE.
WE WERE MAKING CONCERNS AND BASICALLY STATING FACTS AND, UM, THAT THAT WAS PRETTY IMPORTANT.
SO LET'S NOT CONFLATE THE TWO.
UM, SO THIS IS AN INTERESTING ITEM.
AGAIN, UM, I SUPPORT MS. STEWART'S IDEA TO DEFER THIS, WHICH I DON'T USUALLY LIKE TO DO THAT, BUT, UM, I, I AM CONFUSED ABOUT, UH, MR. MARTIN'S COMMENT ABOUT THE AUDITOR'S BECAUSE WHAT I HEARD, AND I AM THE ONE THAT CONNECTED BOTH MR. GODDE AND MR. MARTIN WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE.
AND WHAT I HEARD IS THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DECIDE WHICH DEPARTMENT, WHICH TYPE OF AUDIT THIS WOULD BE.
UM, YOU'RE SAYING IT WAS A DEFINITIVE NO, I HAVE NOT HEARD THAT.
MIKE IS SAYING THAT'S A DEFINITIVE NO, I HEARD TODAY.
UM, I DID GO THROUGH THIS AS A STATE BOARD MEMBER THAT WAS, WE WENT THROUGH AN AUDIT JUST LIKE THIS.
I THINK IF YOU TWO COULD GET TOGETHER AND GET ON THE SAME PAGE, YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO GET THEM TO DO THIS FOR FREE.
UM, AND, AND YOU DID IDENTIFY WHO IT WAS.
LET'S PUT THAT BACK ON THE RECORD.
YOU SAID AT THE LAST MEETING IT WAS KATHERINE POZAK.
SO IF THAT'S CHANGE, YOU SHOULD LET US KNOW.
BUT HONESTLY, YOU ALSO HAVE A POLICY, UH, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR BOARD CAPS THAT I I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER.
IT'S, UM, IT'S, EH, AND I'VE EMAILED ABOUT THIS, UM, THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD WILL SOLICIT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR WHICH THE COST OF THE SERVICES EXCEEDS $10,000.
REQUESTS FOR QUALIFICATIONS SHOULD BE ADVERTISED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL.
COPIES OF THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL FIRMS INTERESTED IN PROPOSING OR REVIEW COMMITTEE, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
IS THIS COMMITTEE, I MEAN, IS THIS POLICY SOMETHING ELSE THAT Y'ALL NEED TO REVISE LIKE YOU DID EARLIER FROM 2014? I THINK YOU ALL NEED TO LOOK AT YOUR OWN POLICIES BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT IS OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC.
THIS IS WHAT IS OUT THERE FOR YOUR NEW BOARD MEMBER TO GO AS HER DIRECTIVE ABOUT HOW THIS BOARD OPERATES.
DO YOU REQUIRE THAT? DO YOU NOT REQUIRE THAT? WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR SOLICITING THESE CONTRACTS? WE, WE HAVE THE, THESE ARE BIG THINGS HERE AND YOU, YOU'VE GOT AN EXCELLENT GENERAL COUNSEL AND YOU KNOW, IF THIS ISN'T RIGHT, TAKE IT OFF CAPS, TAKE IT OFF THE WEBSITE, REVISE IT, DO THE RIGHT THING.
UM, BUT EVERY $94,000 COUNTS AT THIS POINT.
WE COULDN'T GIVE RAISES TO TEACHERS.
WE COULDN'T GIVE RAISES TO BUS DRIVERS.
WE CAN'T GET A PLAYGROUND FOR THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
THEY HAVE, THERE'S NO PLAYGROUND FOR 1500 KIDS FOR THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS THAT ARE MOVING INTO THAT SWING SITE.
I'M JUST SAYING IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I COMPLETELY AGREE, BUT I ALSO AGREE IT NEEDS TO BE DEFERRED AGAIN, FIND IT FOR A BETTER PRICE.
WE DO PAY GREAT CITY SCHOOL, SO, UM, BUT WE ALREADY PAY.
SO PLEASE CONSIDER DEFERRING THIS AND THANK YOU FOR THAT MS. STEWART.
SEEING NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT, WE WILL NOW RETURN TO THE BOARD AND I'VE ENTERED INTO THE QUEUE.
UM, MS. LOPEZ, ACTUALLY, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT, UM, DATES.
SO WHEN SHOULD WE POSSIBLY EXPECT TO SEE OUR BUDGET REPORT? MA'AM, I'M HAPPY TO PREPARE ANY BUDGET REPORT THAT YOU LIKE, UM, IN YOUR MONTHLY FINANCIALS IF YOU'LL NOTE.
AND I HAVE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL APPENDIX THAT ACTUALLY SHOWS LARGE CONTRACTS, THE NEW STIPENDS AND ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT WERE NOT IN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET THAT HAVE CURRENTLY ARE HAPPENING.
I'M ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE A RUNNING TOTAL ON A SPREADSHEET THAT IS INCLUSIVE OF ALL THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT I'M WORKING ON RIGHT NOW TO PREPARE FOR THE BOARD FOR NEXT MONTH.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE STATE, SO I HAVEN'T COMPLETELY FINISHED IT.
I'M ACTUALLY WORKING ON IT RIGHT NOW.
SO I HAVE SOME ITEMS THAT I WANT TO PROVIDE TO YOU, BUT I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE WHAT THE BOARD WANTS AND I'M HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH BOARD LEADERSHIP AND IF YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, I WILL GET IT TO YOU GLADLY.
[01:40:01]
OKAY.AND UM, MR. SHAMBLIN, WILL YOU SPEAK TO THE POLICY THAT MS. JACKSON WAS MENTIONING? YES, MA'AM.
UH, POLICY, EH, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROCUREMENT, UH, SPEAKS TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS.
IT REALLY GIVES GUIDANCE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND PROVIDES SOME, SOME GUARDRAILS AS WELL AS TO WHEN HE CAN OR CANNOT PROCEED, UH, WITH ENTERING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS.
THE GENERAL RULE IS ANYTHING UNDER $10,000, HE CAN PROCEED WITHOUT BOARD ACTION.
IT DOES DIRECT THAT THE BOARD WILL ISSUE AN R F P OR AN R F Q.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, THE BOARD CAN PROCEED WITHOUT NECESSARILY, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A STATUTE, A POLICY REQUIREMENT, NOT A STATE LAW REQUIREMENT.
SO THE BOARD CAN PROCEED AND DOES OFTEN.
SO WITHOUT GOING THROUGH AN R F P PROCESS, IT'S AT THE LEISURE OF THE BOARD.
SO, UM, IT REALLY IS THE CHOICE AND DECISION OF THE BOARD FOR ANYTHING ABOVE 10,000 HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED.
SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, WE WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A VOTE AND THIS IS ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER THE ITEM FOR A MONTH FRIENDLY, FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION TO DEFER TO THE REGULAR MEETING IN OCTOBER.
SO FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO DEFER THE ITEM TO THE REGULAR MEETING IN OCTOBER.
SHE OFFICER, MAYBE REFRESH BECAUSE IT'S SHOWING HER IN THE QUEUE.
SO WOULD YOU LIKE FOR US TO JUST DO A ROLL CALL AGAIN? OKAY.
AND THEN, AND THEN WHILE MR. GODDE READS OUR CONSENT ITEMS, THEN, THEN YOU CAN GO AND HELP HER
YEAH, WE'LL DO ROLL CALL AND THEN I'LL LOG HER BACK IN.
POSSIBLY CONSIDER ROAD CALLING THE, THE MEETING SO THAT WAY WE CAN GET HER SET UP.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL BE APPROVED.
MIKE MICROPHONE, CONSENT AGENDA.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL BE APPROVED AS PART OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AND ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE AND WILL BE ENACTED WITH ONE MOTION.
THERE WILL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF ITEMS UNLESS A BOARD MEMBER.
SO REQUEST IN WHICH EVENT THE ITEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND CONSIDERED AS AN ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA FOR A SEPARATE VOTE PROCEEDING.
THE LAST ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA.
TWO L D O E STIPEND DISTRIBUTION.
CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE L D O E CERTIFIED AND SUPPORT STAFF STIPENDS FOR THE 2023.
2024 FISCAL YEAR STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE GRANT.
STATE OF LOUISIANA, LOUISIANA, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF A GRANT FROM THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, LOUISIANA, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,505,000 TO EXPAND, TRAIN AND SUSTAIN A RESPONSE READY PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE AND RELATED MATTERS.
NUMBER FOUR, GRANT, LOUISIANA KIDS MATTER.
CAMPAIGN CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF A LITERACY GRANT FROM THE LOUISIANA KIDS MATTER CAMPAIGN IN THE AMOUNT OF $700,000 TO RECEIVE TUTORING THROUGH BOOK NOOK FOR THE 20 23 20 24 SCHOOL YEAR AND RELATED MATTERS.
FIVE MORATORIUM OF UNDERSTANDING OPEN HEALTHCARE CLINIC.
CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF AN M O U BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND THE H I V AIDS ALLIANCE FOR REGION TWO INCORPORATED.
H A A R T DOING BUSINESS AS OPEN HEALTHCARE CLINIC TO PROVIDE ONSITE AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES AND MOBILE CLINICAL HEALTH SERVICES TO STUDENTS AND STAFF AT MUTUAL.
AGREED UPON E B R PUBLIC SCHOOL SITES.
[01:45:01]
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE.SIX PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT NEARPOD INCORPORATED.
CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD IN NEARPOD, INC.
IN THE AMOUNT OF $206,450 TO PROVIDE AN INTERACTIVE DIGITAL PLATFORM.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT SLASH FUNDING SOURCE GENERAL FUND NUMBER SEVEN, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT NOTABLE INCORPORATED C E CONSIDERATION REQUESTS FOR THE APPROVAL OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND NOT BEL INCORPORATED C E IN THE AMOUNT OF $76,822 TO PROVIDE AN ONLINE ANNOTATION SYSTEM.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FUNDING SOURCE GENERAL FUND, A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT, CAPITAL AREA HUMAN SERVICES DISTRICT.
CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND THE CAPITAL AREA HEALTH SERVICES HUMAN SERVICES DISTRICT IN THE AMOUNT OF $280,000 TO PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND SUPPORT SERVICES.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT FUNDING SOURCE SER THREE, INCENTIVE NUMBER NINE, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF L S U AND AGRICULTURAL.
IT SHOULD BE BOARD OF SUPERVISOR LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE CONSIDERATION REQUESTS FOR THE APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY IN AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE ON BEHALF OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER IN THE AMOUNT OF $68,875 TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SERVICES FOR SPECIALIZED SUPPORTS AND SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT, FUNDING SOURCE REDESIGN, I D E A 6 1 1.
NUMBER 10, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT DISTRICT MANAGEMENT GROUP L L C CONSIDERATION REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND THE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT GROUP L L C FOR THE FOLLOWING.
A BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS PROGRAM FOR 25 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-BASED TEAMS TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING PROFICIENCY IN EARLY LITERACY IN THE AMOUNT OF $245,875.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT STUDENT TO ACHIEVEMENT AND EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT FUNDING SOURCE GENERAL FUND B.
BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS PROGRAM TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING CULTURE AND CLIMATE IN THE AMOUNT OF $49,375.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENTS DUE TO AN ACHIEVEMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT FUNDING SOURCE GENERAL FUND NUMBER 11, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT STUDY BILL.
CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND STATEVILLE IN THE AMOUNT OF $75,000 TO PROVIDE TUTORING SERVICES, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FUNDING SOURCE GENERAL FUND 12 POLICY AND POLICY REVISIONS.
CONSIDERATION REQUESTS FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING POLICY AND POLICY REVISIONS.
A B C A D, TELECONFERENCE, REMOTE PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.
B B C B SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS, RULES OF PROCEDURE.
C D J D EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT.
D E D C B, CARPOOL AND BUS LINE SAFETY.
E I D C J CONTINUOUS LEARNING.
F J B ATTENDANCE G J B D STUDENT ABSENCES AND EXCUSE AND EXCUSES, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE.
NUMBER 13, POLICY REVISION E B B B SCHOOL AND STUDENT SAFETY.
CONSIDERATION OF REQUESTS FOR THE APPROVAL OF POLICY REVISION E B B B SCHOOL, STUDENT SCHOOL AND STUDENT SAFETY, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE.
THIS ENDS THE CONSENT AGENDA AND I SO MOVE.
OKAY, SO IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY MR. GORE AND SECONDED BY MR. BALLOU, UM, THAT WE, THAT WE ENTER INTO THE DISCUSSION FOR THE CONSENT FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, VICE, VICE PRESIDENT POWELL, YOU UM, COULD, COULD I REQUEST THAT ITEM NINE BE REMOVED AND VOTED ON SEPARATELY SIMPLY SO I CAN VOTE ON THE REST OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? YES.
ANYBODY ELSE WITH ANY ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE PULLED? OKAY.
OKAY, SO WE ARE PULLING ITEM NINE.
SO IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY MR. GODDE
[01:50:01]
AND SECONDED BY MR. BALLOU THAT WE RECEIVED THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM NINE.UH, WE WILL NOW ENTER INTO BOARD COMMENTS FOR ALL ITEMS EXCEPT FOR ITEM NINE.
ALRIGHT, WE WILL NOW TURN TO PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM NINE.
SEEING NONE, WE WILL RETURN TO BOARD COMMENT IN REGARDS TO THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM NINE.
SEEING NONE, WE WILL ENTERTAIN A VOTE.
OKAY, SO WE'RE NOW RETURNING TO, UM, I NINE
[I.9. Professional Services Contract: Board of Supervisors of LSU and Agricultural and Mechanical College]
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF L S U IN AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE.CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE ON BEHALF OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER IN THE AMOUNT OF $68,875 TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SERVICES FOR SPECIALIZED SUPPORTS AND SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT, FUNDING SOURCE REDESIGN, I D E A SIX 11.
IS THERE A MOTION? OKAY, IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY MR. BALLOU AND SECONDED BY MR. LEWIS.
UM, COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY.
SEEING NONE, WE WILL NOW TURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC AND THIS IS ON ITEM I NINE, SEEING NO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
WE WILL NOW RETURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
WELL, I JUST WANNA NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT I'M RECUSING MYSELF FROM ANY VOTES REGARDING L S U.
SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENT FROM THE BOARD, WE WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A VOTE.
PLEASE VOTE THE MOTION CARRIES.
[J.1. Human Resources Policies]
ITEM ONE, HUMAN RESOURCES POLICIES, CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING POLICIES AND POLICY REVISIONS.ALPHABET, A E E, A, GOOD FOOD PURCHASING POLICY.
ALPHABET, B J G B SCHOOL WELLNESS AND INITIATIVE.
LOCAL SCHOOL POLICY L W P ALPHABET, C E B R SCHOOL, IMMIGRATION POLICY, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE.
IS THERE A MOTION? IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY MR. RUSS.
IS THERE A SECOND? IT HAS BEEN SECONDED BY MR. LEWIS.
UH, WE WILL NOW HAVE COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
SEEING NONE, WE WILL NOW TURN TO COMMENTS FROM
[01:55:01]
THE PUBLIC.HI EVERYONE, MY NAME'S KAITLYN SCALES.
I'M THE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AT THREE O'CLOCK PROJECT.
UM, AND I WAS ASKED ON BEHALF OF SOME FOLKS WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY TO READ, UH, SECTIONS OF THEIR LETTERS OF SUPPORT, UM, FOR THE GOOD FOOD PURCHASING POLICY THAT'S ON THE AGENDA ITEM.
SO, UM, ON BEHALF OF MAYOR BROOM, UM, HER LETTER OF SUPPORT STATES THAT SINCE 2018 THE MAYOR'S HEALTHY CITY INITIATIVES GO GET HEALTHY.
PROJECT HAS WORKED TO MAKE FRESH FOOD AFFORDABLE AND AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
GO GET HEALTHY AS A COALITION OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TOGETHER.
TO THAT END AS A GO GET HEALTHY PARTNER.
THREE O'CLOCK PROJECTS EFFORTS ARE ALSO SUPPORTED BY A LARGE NETWORK OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING SUPPORT AND RESOURCES.
IT IS MY HOPE THAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER IN THIS EFFORT TO SUPPORT THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS AGENDA ITEM.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, CHEF TRACY, UM, WHO WORKS WITH THE MOBILE KITCHEN AND IS ALSO A PARTNER THROUGH AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, UM, HAD TO LEAVE EARLY.
UM, AND SHE WANTED ME TO SHARE THAT SHE GREW UP IN BATON ROUGE AND IS A GRADUATED GRADUATE OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOLS.
SHE'S NOW A WELLNESS CHEF AND AN ADVOCATE FOR NUTRITION SECURITY THROUGH THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION'S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MAYOR'S HEALTHY CITY INITIATIVE AND THE GO GET HEALTHY PROJECT, GO GET HEALTHY AS A COALITION OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE FRESH FOOD AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE, AND TO CO-CREATE A THRIVING LOCAL FOOD LANDSCAPE.
TOGETHER THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF GOOD FOOD PURCHASING POLICY, WE CAN CREATE SUSTAINABLE CHANGE FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITY OF A LIFE FOR A LIFETIME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS AGENDA ITEM.
AND SINCE I HAVE TIME, I'LL READ ONE MORE
UM, SHE IS WITH THE AMERICAN BOARD OF PEDIATRICS AND THE AMERICAN BOARD OF OBESITY MEDICINE.
SHE WORKS AS, UM, A DOCTOR IN MULTIPLE REGIONS ACROSS THE STATE.
AND ONE OF THOSE REGIONS IS HERE, UM, AT EAST BATON ROUGE.
SHE HAS STATED THAT I'M A PEDIATRIC OBESITY SPECIALIST AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE R LADY OF THE LAKE CHILDREN'S HEALTH WEIGHT AND NUTRITION CENTER IN BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA.
WE HAVE A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM WHO CARES FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH OBESITY.
MOST OF OUR CHILDREN THAT I SEE HAVE PUBLIC MEDICAID INSURANCE AND ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE E B R AREA.
I HEAR FIRSTHAND OF THEIR CHALLENGES WITH ACCESS TO HEALTHY AND AFFORDABLE FOOD AT HOME.
IN ADDITION, MANY CHILDREN ARE REPORTING TO ME THAT THEY ARE NOT EATING THE SCHOOL LUNCH AND ARE TURNING TO THE VENDING MACHINES FOR STACKS.
ADDITION OF MORE FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ALONG WITH THE COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES AND LEAN PROTEIN THAT IS PALATABLE AND ALSO SUPPORTS THE LOCAL ECONOMY IS CRUCIAL ADOPTION OF A COMPREHENSIVE WELLNESS POLICY AND A GOOD FOOD PURCHASING POLICY IS AN IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD IN SUPPORTING THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF THE CHILDREN IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, WHICH I BELIEVE WILL ALSO LEAD TO IMPROVED HEALTH AND WELLBEING, LESS MISSED SCHOOL DAYS AND IMPROVED ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
ADDITIONALLY, JUST WANNA SHOUT OUT TO OUR CHEFS, UM, AND THE WORK THAT C N P IS ALREADY DOING TO IMPROVE THE, THE MENUS AND THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF THE FOOD GOING TO OUR KIDS.
SEEING NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT, WE WILL NOW RETURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
SEEING NONE, WE WILL ENTERTAIN A VOTE.
UM, FOR THE, FOR THE RECORD, I'D LIKE TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM THIS.
WHILE WE ARE NOT NAMED IN THIS POLICY AS THREE O'CLOCK PROJECT, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST PLAY IT SAFE.
[J.2. Prorated Transportation Stipends]
TRANSPORTATION STIPENDS.CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE TRANSPORTATION STAFF STIPENDS TO BE PRORATED ON A PERCENTAGE BASIS DEPENDING ON THE EMPLOYEE'S HIRE DATE.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE FUNDING SOURCE GENERAL FUND.
IS THERE A MOTION? IT IS BEEN MOVED BY MR. GOEY AND SECONDED BY MR. MARTIN.
WE WILL NOW HAVE COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
[02:00:01]
WILL NOW TURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, SEEING NO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.WE WILL NOW TURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
[J.3. Cooperative Endeavor Agreement: Housing Authority of East Baton Rouge Parish]
ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT, HOUSING AUTHORITY OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH FOR THE USE OF A TRACK OF PROPERTY TO SUPPORT THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE.
SUCH ENDEAVOR TO INCLUDE PROVISIONS BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR AFTERSCHOOL ENRICHMENT, UM, FOR AFTERSCHOOL ENRICHMENT AND TUTORING SERVICES, JOB TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION FOR THE BENEFIT OF RESIDENTS OF THE DENWOOD VILLAGE COMMUNITY AND CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS AND SIDEWALKS.
IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL PROVIDE SAFE ACCESS FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY ATTENDING MELROSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND CAPITAL MIDDLE SCHOOL.
IS THERE A MOTION? UH, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THE, THE ITEM WITH THE, WITH THE ADDITION THAT, UM, THAT, UH, THE, THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO, TO ADJUST THE PROPERTY DESCRIPTION AS ULTIMATELY RECOMMENDED BY COUNSEL FOR THE BOARD.
AND I MAKE THAT SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE'S, UH, SOME CONCERN BY SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WITH OTHER PROPERTY DESCRIPTION IS EXACTLY ACCURATE OR NOT.
AND WE JUST NEED A LITTLE TIME TO FIX THAT.
BUT THE REST OF THE I ITEM IS GOOD.
SO, UM, MR. MARTIN, YOU WANNA, YOU WANNA READ THE RIGHT LANGUAGE PLEASE? AND THANK YOU
YOU WANT ME TO READ THE ITEM BEFORE WE GET A SECOND? YES, YES, PLEASE.
SO THE MOTION IS TO, I'M SORRY, MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE ITEM, BUT, UH, GIVE THE SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF THE AUTHORITY TO AMEND THE LANGUAGE OF THE TITLE DESCRIPTION, UH, IF NEEDED.
IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY, MR. RUSS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO THE, IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY MR. MARTIN AND SECONDED BY MR. RUSS THAT RESTATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID TO, TO APPROVE
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, WE WILL NOW HEAR FROM, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MR. MARTIN, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
WHAT'S, I MEAN, THIS HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR A WHILE, SO WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY? WE'VE HAD YEAR, WE HAD WHAT, A YEAR? TWO YEARS? YEAH, SO WE, AND NOW WE JUST WANT TO CHANGE THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY.
SO MR. LEWIS, WE HAD, I'M SORRY, BOARD MEMBER LEWIS.
WE HAD A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, UH, POINT OUT WHAT HE THINKS IS A CONCERN WITH THE DESCRIPTION.
WE'RE NOT CERTAIN IF THAT ACTUALLY IS A CONCERN, BUT TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, MR. MARTIN AND I SPOKE, AND SO THE MOTION WILL GIVE SUPERINTENDENT MYSELF AND STAFF THE AUTHORITY TO REVIEW THE DESCRIPTION WITH TITLE COUNSEL TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOT A CONCERN.
WHEN, WHEN WAS THIS OBJECTION MADE? WELL, THE NOTIFICATION I BELIEVE WAS MADE TONIGHT PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, DR.
FINNEY HAD, HAD EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN LAST TIME.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE SAME CONCERN OR NOT.
UH, WE HAVE TITLE COUNSEL WHO LOOK WHO'S LOOKED AT THIS ALREADY.
UM, SO WE'LL REVIEW THE TITLE TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO ERRORS IN IT, AND WE WILL AMEND IF NEEDED TO MAKE SURE IT'S CORRECT.
WILL THIS BE DONE WHEN? TOMORROW? YEAH, I I, I'LL GET IT TO THEM AS SOON AS EARLY IN THE MORNING AND THEN WE'LL LET THEM LOOK AT IT.
AND I CAN ALSO COME BACK TO THE BOARD IF THERE IS AN ISSUE AND LET YOU KNOW, AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT THE AMENDED OR WHAT THE CORRECTION ACTUALLY WOULD BE IF NEEDED.
WE'RE NOT CERTAIN IT'S NEEDED, BUT WE JUST WANNA DO THIS AS, UH, I GUESS AS AN EXTRA MEASURE OF CAUTION.
I MEAN, BECAUSE, AND I UNDERSTAND MM-HMM.
[02:05:01]
GOING TO APPROVE THE ITEM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THIS CITIZEN TO, YOU KNOW, THE LAST MINUTE, SO I, SO I, HE'S HAD THREE WEEKS, SO I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IF THE BOARD APPROVES THE ITEM, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE, IF THERE'S ANY EDIT NEEDED, WE'LL MAKE THAT A S A P AND GET THE, I GET THE DOCUMENT EXECUTED AND IF NOT, WE'LL EXECUTE THE DOCUMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.UH, MR. CHALIN IN THE, UM, UH, COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT, UH, I DON'T, ON PAGE THREE IF YOU HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU, SIR.
SECTION 2.2 DONATION, AND I APOLOGIZE, I DID NOT GET TO READ THIS UNTIL TODAY, SO THAT'S OKAY.
PAGE, I'M SORRY, MS. PAGE, PAGE THREE, SECTION 2.2, ARTICLE TWO, SECTION 2.2, OKAY.
IN THERE THERE'S A SENTENCE THAT SAYS, UH, IN THE EVENT, H A E B R DOES NOT CONSTRUCT HOUSING AND OR RELATED IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE C I N PROJECT IN THE AREA IN THE DONATED TRACK, THIS DONATION SHALL BE RENDERED AUTOMATICALLY NULL AND VOID AND RESCIND WITHOUT FURTHER ACTION BY EITHER PARTY NECESSARY OR OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY SHALL REVERT TO E B R SS S.
THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT, UH, CLAUSE IN HERE FOR ME.
MY CONCERN IS THERE'S A ZERO TIME TIMEFRAME ON THAT, UH, BECAUSE THEY COULD HAVE IT FOR 50 YEARS AND NEVER DO ANYTHING WITH IT.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT ANY PRESSURE ON THEM OR WHATEVER.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET SOME THING ON THE LEGALITY OF THE THING.
SO I WOULD BE, 'CAUSE THIS IS KIND OF IN PERPETUITY, AS LONG AS YOU JUST SIT ON IT, IT'S THEIRS.
AS OPPOSED TO PAY 20 YEARS ON THERE IF YOU WANT.
I, I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS, BUT I JUST THINK THAT'S TOO OPEN-ENDED THAT WE OUGHT TO HAVE WITHIN AN X NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT X NUMBER OF YEARS IS.
WHAT'S THE CORRECT NUMBER OF YEARS THAT'S BETWEEN YOU AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO WORK OUT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH, UH, HAVING SOMETHING THAT'S IN PERPETUITY THAT THEY COULD HOLD ONTO AND NOT EVER DO ANYTHING WITH.
IS THAT A VALID CONCERN? IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY, UH, AND, AND CAN BE DONE SO AT THE LEISURE OF THE BOARD.
AND SO MR. MARTIN MADE THAT MOTION, IF HE'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION WITH THAT ADDITIONAL CONDITION THAT WE PUT A 10 OR 15 OR 20 YEAR LIMIT ON THE DONATION PORTION, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
I'M NOT TRYING, I'M NOT TRYING TO HOLD ANYBODY'S HANDS, BUT I'D BE HAPPY WITH A 20 YEAR LIMIT ON THAT.
SO AFTER 20 YEARS, IF THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING, IT COMES BACK TO US.
SO I, I HAVE NOT VETTED THAT WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WOULD BE ANY OBJECTION OR CONCERN.
I HAVE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HERE.
PERHAPS WE COULD INVITE HIM TO SPEAK TO THAT.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT TRYING TO THROW A ROADBLOCK IN IT.
NO, THAT, THAT, THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
J DANIELS, UM, I'M THE C E O OF THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
SO WE'LL BE OPEN TO THAT TIME LIMIT.
'CAUSE YOU'RE CORRECT, YOU DON'T WANT TO TRANSFER THIS PROPERTY AND, AND ANOTHER ENTITY JUST LAND BANK THE PROPERTY.
YOU WANT TO PUT IT BACK IN PRODUCTIVE USE.
SO WE'RE VERY OPEN TO THE 20 YEAR, UM, TERM.
WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT? THAT'S FINE.
I DON'T CARE WHAT IT'S, I JUST THINK WE'RE GOOD 20 YEARS AND THAT, AND I, I'M SORRY.
I WOULD ACCEPT TO NO, THANK YOU.
I'M NERVOUS ABOUT THESE THINGS.
UM, I WOULD ACCEPT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO, UM, TO ASK THAT THE, THAT THE, UM, DOCUMENT BE FURTHER, UM, EDITED TO, TO IMPOSE A 20 YEAR, UM, UH, ACTION REQUIREMENT ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT MR. RUST, WHO MADE THE SECOND IS IN AGREEMENT.
THANK YOU FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THAT.
SO, MR. MARTIN, ARE YOU STILL IN THE QUEUE? NO.
UH, SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO FURTHER BOARD COMMENTS, UH, WE WILL NOW TURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
THERE ARE TWO INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHO DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK, BUT HAVE, UH, GIVEN SOME STATEMENTS THAT I WILL SHARE.
THIS COMES FROM MS. SHONDA, UH, I THINK THIS IS SHONDA WALKER.
AND, UM, MS. SHONDA WALKER, UH, SAYS THAT SHE IS REPRESENTING
[02:10:01]
THE MELROSE PLACE SUBDIVISION.SHE SAYS THAT WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU PLEASE HALT PLANS UNTIL ALL PARTIES UNDERSTAND HOW THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL CHANGE THE DYNAMIC OF NOT ONLY THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THE SCHOOL.
ALSO, THIS DONATION WILL DETERMINE IF NEIGHBORS, SUCH AS MYSELF WILL REMAIN A RESIDENT OF MELROSE PLACE AND AN ACTIVE CITIZEN WITHIN E B R PARISH.
MS. JANELLE BROWN OF 47 30 NORTH BOULEVARD, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, 7 0 8 0 7, UH, SHE IS REPRESENTING PARTNERS, UH, SOUTHEAST.
AND SHE SAYS QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS MUCH NEEDED IN THE AREA PARTNERS, UH, SOUTHEAST IS IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE C E A.
ALRIGHT, WE WILL NOW TURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE TO SPEAK FIRST, WE HAVE MS. EVELYN WARE, JACKSON THANK YOU BOARD, UM, DR.
ESE, UM, I STAND IN SUPPORT OF THIS, UH, C E A, ESPECIALLY WITH THE, UH, AMENDMENTS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE.
UM, I'VE WORKED FOR A LONG TIME WITH, UM, WITH THIS GROUP FOR THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE, AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES ALONG THE PATH.
AND, UM, I WANNA THANK, UH, MR. DANIELS FOR MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF MELROSE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, ALONG WITH OUR BOARD MEMBER FOR DISTRICT FIVE, SO THAT THEY COULD EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS AND, UH, AND FOR AGREEING TO HAVE A MEETING, UH, PUBLIC, UH, TOWN HALL MEETING, TYPE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SO THAT THE RESIDENTS THERE CAN UNDERSTAND THE PLAN FULLY AND EXPRESS ANY CONCERNS OR ADDRESS, HAVE ANY ISSUES ADDRESSED.
UM, I'D APPRECIATE THE BOARD CONTINUING WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE SECURITY THAT'S IN PLACE WITH THE FENCES AT THE BACK GATE.
I KNOW THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS OF, UM, OF MELROSE RESIDENCE AND, YOU KNOW, FOR MELROSE, ELE ELEMENTARY AND, UH, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UM, I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT THE BOARD CONSIDER THIS BAD WORD I SAID FOR SO LONG ON THE, THE BOARD ABOUT ATTENDANCE LINES BECAUSE, UM, I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF THOSE CHILDREN WILL BE GOING TO MELROSE ELEMENTARY.
THE, UM, I KNOW WE ADDRESSED THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AT ONE POINT SO THAT CHILDREN ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO TO CAPITAL MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT I'M NOT REALLY SURE ABOUT MELROSE.
AND, UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED ON THIS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT EDUCATION AS, UM, THIS IS LIKE AN EDUCATIONAL SPINE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE DOING, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BRIDGE THAT GAP.
SO, UM, I THANK YOU FOR, UH, CONSIDERING THIS AND, UH, AND ESPECIALLY MR. DANIELS FOR BEING WILLING TO MEET WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE BOARD, THE PUBLIC AND OUR FELLOW MELROSE RESIDENCE.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT.
UM, I, WE DON'T THINK THAT IT'S COOPERATIVE ENOUGH.
IT LEAVES MELROSE ELEMENTARY AND MELROSE PLACE, THE NEIGHBORING 75 YEAR OLD COMMUNITY OPEN TO SECURITY, VULNER VULNERABILITIES.
HERE'S WHY THE NEW C N I DEVELOPMENT IS FUNDAMENTALLY DRIVEN TO ACCESS BY, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, BY ACCESS TO RESOURCES BASED OFF OF GEOGRAPHICAL PROXIMITY.
ONE OF THOSE RESOURCES IN ELEMENTARY, UH, MELROSE ELEMENTARY.
CURRENTLY, HOWEVER, MELROSE ELEMENTARY IS GATED AND LOCKED DOWN FROM THE BACK WITH ONLY BUS ACCESS ALLOWED.
THE QUESTION BECOMES THEN HOW WILL STUDENTS WALKING FROM THE DEVELOPMENT GET INTO THE SCHOOL? THE MOST LIKELY AND RECKLESS ANSWER IS, WILL BE TO SIMPLY PUNCH PEDESTRIAN ACCESS INTO IT.
THIS MAY SERVE STUDENTS, BUT WILL ALSO INCREASE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A CRIMINAL MISCHIEF AND ADD AN UNINTENDED INGRESS ROUTE INTO MELROSE PLACE.
THIS PROBLEM WILL ONLY BE COMPOUNDED WITH THE HIGH CONCENTRATION OF HOUSING ALONG PAULSON STREET, THAT THIS LAND AGREEMENT WILL BRING THE LACK OF SPECIFICITY
[02:15:01]
IN THE C E A, UM, OR IN ANY PLANNING DOCUMENTS AT THIS POINT ABOUT HOW THIS INTERFACE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED TO ASSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR SCHOOL AND ITS NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY IS VERY TROUBLING.THIS CANNOT BE WAIVED AWAY AS DETAILED TO BE DEALT WITH IN AD HOC WAY ONCE THE DEVELOPMENT IS FINISHED.
UM, TO BE FAIR, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE IN THE VISION OF JAY DANIELS, THE MOTIVA MOTIVATING FACTORS BEHIND THIS DEVELOPMENT, THE LEADERSHIP OF COACH LEWIS AND THE GOODWILL OF OUR FUTURE NEIGHBORS, AND THEY WILL BE THERE.
BUT I FIERCELY SUPPORT THE VOICES OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND BELIEVE STRONGLY IN A SECURITY FIRST APPROACH.
AND WHAT WE SEE NOW IS A ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL SITUATION ACCESS VERSUS SECURITY, THE PROMISE OF A NEW DEVELOPMENT VERSUS THE STRENGTHENING OF AN OLD ONE.
IF MELROSE'S PLACE CAN BE CAST AS AN ANCHORING FORCE FOR THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT, WE NEED TO BE BROUGHT INTO THE CONVERSATION EARLY AND OFTEN.
WE NEED TO SEE WILLINGNESS FROM BOTH PARTIES TO DO THE HARD WORK OF PRESERVING THE CHARACTER OF THE BATON ROUGE ASSET, MELROSE PLACE THAT ALREADY EXISTS SUPPORT FOR THIS ENDEAVOR FROM MELROSE PLACE.
RESIDENTS CAN ONLY COME WHEN WE'RE INCLUDED IN THAT CONVERSATION.
AND THANKFULLY, THAT CONVERSATION WAS KICKED OFF YESTERDAY.
BUT IN CONCLUSION, THERE IS A BLIND SPOT IN THE CURRENT AGREEMENT THAT DOES NOT INDICATE FULL COOPERATION BETWEEN PARTIES IN THE, IN THE ASPECT OF SECURITY.
AND UNTIL IT IS ADDRESSED, MELROSE'S PLACE CIVIC ASSOCIATION STANDS IN OPPOSITION TO THIS AGREEMENT.
OKAY, MR. DANIELS, DO YOU DESIRE TO RETURN? OKAY.
MADAM PRESIDENT BOARD MEMBERS J DANIELS EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS, DAVID.
UM, AND I HAD A PLEASURE MEETING WITH YOU EARLIER THIS WEEK.
UM, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY, UM, BEHIND THIS ONE.
I WANNA THANK THE BOARD FOR THE PARTNERSHIP.
RECENTLY DURING COVID, UM, THESE BATON ROUGE PARISH HOUSING AUTHORITY PARTNERED WITH E B R SCHOOLS TO DISTRIBUTE TECH TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES TO OUR STUDENTS.
WE USE OUR COMMUNITIES AS DISTRIBUTION HUBS, UM, FOR OUR KIDS.
AGAIN, THAT'S THE COMMITMENT TO PARTNERSHIP THAT WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN WITH OUR PARTNERS, ALWAYS KEEPING THE KIDS FIRST WHEN WE'RE MAKING OUR DECISIONS.
UM, ALSO WHEN WE ENDEAVORED UPON THE C N I GRANT, THAT STARTED BACK IN 2019, EDUCATION WAS THE KEY FACTOR AND CORE OF OUR, OF OUR APPLICATION, MAYOR ROSE ELEMENTARY, CAPITAL MIDDLE SCHOOL, B R C C, MATT MCKAY AUTOMOTIVE CENTER.
UM, THESE EDUCATIONAL ASSETS, WE WANTED TO CONNECT THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FAMILIES HAVE A SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH, UM, AND THE ABILITY TO THRIVE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
WE TALKED ABOUT C COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THIS WAS, HAS BEEN A 10 YEAR PROCESS, AND NOW WE'RE AT THE POINT OF EXECUTION.
THIS PLANNING GRANT, WE RECEIVED $500,000 FROM HUD BACK IN 2013, WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER.
MELROSE PLACED CIVIC ASSOCIATION, L SS U SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, AND ALL OF OTHER, OTHER COMMUNITY AND CIVIC STAKEHOLDERS, AS WELL AS OUR PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITIES, CAME TOGETHER AND OUTLINED A VISION FOR THIS TRANSFORMATION IN THIS COMMUNITY.
IN 2018, WE FOLLOWED UP ON THAT PLAN AND WE SUBMITTED A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION TO HUD AND WE SECURED $30 MILLION.
THAT $30 MILLION WILL BE LEVERAGED TO $300 MILLION IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN THIS DIRECT NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS SUBSTANTIAL.
AND THE REASON WHY WE'RE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO PROVE THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN E B R SCHOOLS AND THE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES OF OUR KIDS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO WE MOVE FORWARD BASED UPON RESILIENCY, INNOVATION, PLACEMAKING.
THIS TWO ACRE TRACK AND THIS TWO ACRE TRACK REALLY ALLOWS US TO REALLY REPRESENT OPPORTUNITY FOR E B R SCHOOLS AND ITS PARTNERS TO FULFILL ITS COMMITMENT AND TO EQUITY AND ACCESS FOR OUR CHILDREN.
THE ACCESS OF QUALITY EDUCATION IS OUR PRIMARY GOAL AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND IT'S NUMEROUS COMMUNITY AND CIVIC PARTNERS.
NOW, IF I COULD, IF I COULD SPEAK TO MR. TO, TO WEST CONCERNS AND THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
MAYOR ROSE PLACE IS A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY COMMUNITY IN BATON ROUGE.
WE ARE A COLLECTION OF COMMUNITIES.
WE'RE INTEGRATED COMMUNITIES AND HAVING A FENCE THAT, THAT, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE OPEN, IT'S NOT GONNA SOLVE ANY CRIME PROBLEMS, IT JUST MAY PUSH US SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO THE TENANT THAT JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE MAY BE A A A BUS DRIVER OR A, OR A POLICEMAN OR A NURSE IS SOMEHOW SECOND CLASS CITIZENS BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT OWN THE PLACE IN WHICH THEY LIVE.
[02:20:01]
BECAUSE THEY CHOOSE NOT TO BE A HOMEOWNER BECAUSE THEY WANT TO MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE.WE CAN'T SIT UP HERE AND SUBSCRIBE TO A SECOND CLASS CITIZEN BECAUSE ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT'S NOT THE WAY THAT THEY WANT TO LIVE.
YOU HEARD THE WORD, THE KEYWORD, AND I'VE HEARD, I'VE, I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR A LONG TIME NOW AND USUALLY HEAR CODE WORDS LIKE SAFETY ACCESS, LIKE SOMEHOW THAT, THAT THE PEOPLE SOMEHOW JUST WANT TO JUST BE, BECOME A MORRING HOARD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND DESTROY THE CONTEXT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE UP ABOUT.
WE'RE ABOUT IMPROVING THE LIVES OF OUR FAMILIES, AND THAT'S WHAT WE COMMITTED TO.
AS DAVID SAID, WE WILL COMMIT TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WE HAVE OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS BECAUSE THIS IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT.
THIS IS NOT A HOUSING AUTHORITY BY ITSELF.
THIS IS NOT THE E B R SCHOOLS BY ITSELF.
THIS IS NOT THE MERRILLS PLACE CIVIC ASSOCIATION BY ITSELF.
THIS IS A COMMUNITY DRIVEN SOLUTION, A COMMUNITY EFFORT, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE COMMUNITY POSITIVE OUTCOMES ONCE WE COMPLETE THIS RE REDEVELOPMENT.
SEEING NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT, WE WILL NOW RETURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
THANK YOU, UH, MS. POWELL LEWIS.
THIS IS A PROJECT, UH, PROJECT THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
I MEAN, I BACK OUTTA MY DRIVEWAY, TAKE A LEFT DRIVE TO THE END OF THE STREET.
I'M IN THE MELROSE ELEMENTARY PARKING LOT.
UM, WE'VE HAD THESE SIMILAR CONVERSATIONS BEFORE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, ON THE EAST END.
SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING WAS CONSTRUCTED A FEW YEARS AGO.
SOME OF THE SAME FEARS AND CODE WORDS.
SOME OF THOSE SAME THINGS WERE TOSSED AROUND.
UM, THAT PROJECT'S WORKED OUT JUST FINE.
MATTER OF FACT, THE THE DEVELOPER HAS DONATED SOME SPACE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS IS DRIVING TRAFFIC.
PEOPLE AFRAID THAT ROADS WILL BE CUT THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU WANNA SEE ME CHANGE MY MIND AND MY TONE REAL QUICK.
BRING SOME BULLDOZERS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND START TALKING ABOUT CUTTING SOME STREETS THROUGH THERE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN THIS CITY.
WE'RE NOT GONNA LET IT GET DESTROYED LIKE THAT.
BUT WE CAN WORK WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO OUR RESIDENTS OR, OR ARE SAFE.
WE, WE ARE A CRIME PREVENTION DISTRICT.
ALL, ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE, HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED SOME YEARS AGO.
WE'VE GOT TO LEARN TO LIVE IN COMMUNITY.
THIS, THIS PROJECT WILL DO WONDERS FOR THAT PART OF THE CITY.
YOU'RE GOING TO, UM, GET RID OF SOME, SOME, SOME BLIGHTED LAND, SOME LANDS THAT'S JUST SITTING THERE.
IT'S, IT'S, IT IS GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT.
AND IT'S, AND, AND MY NEIGHBOR, MS. JACKSON WAS, YOU KNOW, AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS WHEN IT STARTED.
AND I'LL JUST PIVOT TO SOMETHING MS. JACKSON SAID EARLIER ABOUT THE LINES WITH THE SCHOOLS.
THOSE LINES ARE GONNA GET REDRAWN.
THOSE KIDS ARE GOING TO THAT SCHOOL.
WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE SAY OUR BABIES NEED IS GONNA BE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS PROJECT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO DESTROY THE BEAUTY OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
I LIVED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IN AN APARTMENT FOR TWO YEARS AND NEVER KNEW THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS BACK THERE.
NEVER KNEW I LIVED ACROSS THE STREET FROM ONE OF THE OLDEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY.
THAT'S HOW QUIET AND PLEASANT IT IS.
THAT'S HOW WE WANT IT TO STAY.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE GOING TO DO THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO ENJOY THIS PART OF THE CITY CAPITAL MIDDLE.
WHEN THEY REBUILT CAPITAL MIDDLE, MS. JACKSON, YOU KNOW, THEY TOOK AN ERASER AND DREW CAPITAL MIDDLE INTO THAT DISTRICT BECAUSE WHEN THEY, THEIR NEW CAPITAL MIDDLE WAS NOT EVEN IN THAT DISTRICT.
THE KIDS THAT LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY GET BUSED TO WESTDALE.
[02:25:02]
I HAD A PARENT TELL ME A FEW YEARS AGO THAT IF MELROSE ELEMENTARY WAS A HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL, SHE COULDN'T WALK HER CHILD TO SCHOOL AND FIVE MINUTES INSTEAD OF DRIVING 25 MINUTES ACROSS TOWN TWICE A DAY, IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOR EVERYBODY.WE JUST GOTTA LEARN TO OVERCOME OUR OWN FEARS AND TRUST EACH OTHER AND TRUST THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES ARE GONNA DO WHAT THEY SAY THEY'RE GONNA DO.
THE PEOPLE AT MELROSE ARE GONNA DO WHAT THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO AND WE'RE GOING TO ENJOY A, UM, A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE NORTH OF FLORIDA BOULEVARD.
SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, WE WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A VOTE.
[J.4. Litigation]
CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE RECOMMENDATION FROM GWEN SHALIN, GENERAL COUNSEL, E B R P SS B IN THE MATTER OF CHASTITY L PATAN INDIVIDUALLY AND ON BEHALF OF MINORS NAMES REDACTED VERSUS HENRY WALLACE AND THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD SUIT NUMBER 6 6 5 5 4 9.SECTION 24 19TH, J D C E B R PARISH AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.
IS THERE A MOTION? OKAY, IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY MR. RUSS AND SECONDED BY MR. MARTIN.
UH, COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? SEEING NONE RETURNING TO COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
OKAY, WE WILL ENTERTAIN A VOTE.
[J.5. Litigation]
DISCUSSION OF INFORMATION RELATED TO THE MATTER OF SINGLETON KEYS, NIMAN AND FINNEY VERSUS EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD SUIT NUMBER C 7 1 9 0 5 7, DIVISION 30 19TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.IS THERE A MOTION? SO THIS IS, THIS IS A MATTER, MR. SHAMLEY, GO AHEAD.
VICE PRESIDENT, THIS MATTER REQUIRES US TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THERE'S NOT A VOTE ON AN ACTUAL ACTION.
THERE'S NOT AN ACTION TAKEN BY THE BOARD OTHER THAN TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND RECEIVE AN UPDATE.
UM, SO THERE'LL BE NO ACTION TAKEN BY THE BOARD FURTHER ON THIS ITEM.
AND, AND THAT VOTE REQUIRES A TWO-THIRDS APPROVAL OF THE BOARD.
IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY MR. MARTIN AND SECONDED BY MR. GODDE THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND, UM, SO THE NEXT STEP, DO WE PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, VOTE, BOARD COMMENT, PUBLIC COMMENT BACK TO THE BOARD.
ALRIGHT, SO ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? AND THIS IS REGARDING GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO NOT THE ITEM THAT'S ON THE AGENDA, BUT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT US GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ALRIGHT, SEEING NO COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, WE WILL NOW TURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, MR. FLOYD.
AND THIS IS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT US GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THIS ITEM.
AND I WANNA, I WANNA PASS THIS OFF BEFORE I SPEAK.
[02:30:16]
GOOD EVENING.I'M CEDRIC FLOYD, UM, POST OFFICE BOX 1 41 KENNEL, LOUISIANA WITH 43 YEARS OF DOING REDISTRICTING IN THE STATE.
MY COMPANY IS THE MOST EXPERIENCED AND SUCCESSFUL REDISTRICTING COMPANY IN THE STATE.
UM, DURING THIS 2020 CENSUS, WE WORKED FOR 1240 DIFFERENT CITY PARISH GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.
HELENA PARISH, CATTLE PARISH, JUST SOME DURING YOUR REDISTRICTING PROCESS, THIS BOARD GENERATED 19 REDISTRICTING PLANS.
SEVEN PLANS WERE CREATED BY YOUR DEMOGRAPHER, ALENE SINGLETON AND OTHERS FILED A LAWSUIT IN STATE COURT CHALLENGING THE PROCESS.
AND DURING THAT TIME, IT WAS STATED BY YOUR DEMOGRAPHER THAT NO PLAN COULD BE CREATED WITHOUT SPLITTING PRECINCTS.
AND DURING THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, EVELYN WARE, JACKSON, EVELYN WARE, JACKSON, AND MS. COLLINS ACTS THAT I CREATE A PLAN, A NINE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT PLAN THAT DIDN'T SPLIT PRECINCTS AND IT ADHERED TO THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT IN YOUR PACKET IS THE PLAN.
SO IN FACT, THAT IT WAS STATED DURING THE REDISTRICT PROCESS, NO PLAN CAN BE CREATED WITHOUT SPLITTING PRECINCTS.
SO THE PLAN IS THERE, AND I LEAVE TO MR. HANLON TWO MAPS AT THE MEETING ON, ON, UH, SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH.
JUST SO HAPPENED I'M DOING WORK IN PORT ALLEN AND THE PORT ALLEN CITY ATTORNEY IS YOUR COUNSEL, AND I GAVE HIM A COPY OF THE PLAN.
SO I HAVE THE MAPS TO SHOW THAT THIS LAWSUIT COULD BE RESOLVED IF IN FACT, THAT THE WAR COLLINS PLANS WITH NINE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS, NO SPLIT PRECINCTS.
AND ALSO ALL THE PLANS THAT YOU CREATED VIOLATED SECTION TWO OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT BECAUSE YOU DILUTED BLACK VOTING STRENGTH IN THIS PLAN.
YOU HAVE FIVE BLACK MAJORITY DISTRICTS REFLECTIVE OF EAST BATON ROUGE SCHOOL BOARD POPULATION AND STUDENTS, AND FOUR FOUR WHITE MAJORITIES.
SO, UH, SO WANTED TO, UH, PUT THAT ON THE RECORD THAT IN FACT THAT THE COURT OF APPEALS, AND THAT'S WHAT WAS STATED IN THE COURT OF APPEALS, THAT YOU COULD NOT CREATE A NINE MEMBER SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT PLAN WITHOUT SPLITTING PRECINCTS.
AND BEFORE YOU IS THE WHERE COLLINS PLAN IT WAS CREATED BACK IN 2022.
THAT DOESN'T SPLIT PRECINCTS AND IT ADHERES TO THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
AND I'LL GIVE MR. HANLON TWO COPIES AND I GAVE YOUR, YOUR SPECIAL COUNSEL A COPY OF THE MAP, UH, ON SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH.
UM, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE, YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT LETTER.
IT WAS, UM, YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF GOOD OPTIONS THERE.
AND, UM, SO I I URGE YOU TO, UM, ACCEPT THE SETTLEMENT AS YOU GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND, UM, AS YOU'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, A NINE MEMBER PLAN CAN BE DRAWN WITHOUT BREAKING THE LAW OR VIOLATING VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
UM, BY IGNORING THE CENSUS DATA, IT CAN BE DONE QUICKLY AND FAIRLY.
AND, UH, I KNOW THE LAST DEMOGRAPHER THAT WORKED WITH THE DISTRICT SAID THAT IT COULDN'T BE DONE.
HE TESTIFIED, UM, IN COURT THAT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO DO IT.
UH, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT CAN BE DONE AND IT HAS BEEN DONE.
SO I ASK YOU AS YOU GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND LOOK AT ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU PLEASE, UH, DON'T WASTE, UH, TAXPAYERS TIME AND MONEY BY REPEATING THE SAME CRIMINAL ACTS THAT THE BOARD HAS DONE TWICE IN THE PAST.
AND, UM, THAT YOU THROW OUT THAT PLAN, UM, THAT WAS DONE AND, AND PASSED, UH, BY A FIVE FOUR VOTE LAST TIME.
AND, UM, JUST CONSIDER DOING THE RIGHT THING.
[02:35:01]
GOODNESS SAKE, WE DON'T WANNA GO THROUGH THE SAME STUFF WE WENT THROUGH BEFORE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON LAWYERS AND, UH, IT'S UNNECESSARY.OKAY, SO I BELIEVE, UH, IT, WE'RE NOW IN ORDER TO, TO EXIT FOR THE EXECUTIVE SESSION OR DO WE CONTINUE BACK TO THE BOARD FOR BOARD COMMENT.
SEEING NONE, YOU MAY CONDUCT A VOTE.
OKAY, WE NOW WE CAN ENTERTAIN A VOTE.
OKAY, SO WE WILL NOW ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO WE HAVE COMPLETED OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE WHO, UM, UH, PATIENTLY WAITED FOR US.
WE'LL NOW MOVE TO ITEM SIX, RESOLUTION, CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF AN AMENDED RESOLUTION REGARDING THE RETENTION OF PHELPS DUNBAR, L L P AS SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND RELATED MATTERS.
IS THERE A MOTION? OKAY, IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY MR. MARTIN AND SECONDED BY MR. LEWIS.
UM, COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY.
SEEING NONE, WE'LL NOW TURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
SEEING NONE, WE RETURN TO COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
CAN I ADJOURN THE MEETING TONIGHT? MIC? SAY WHAT NOW? CAN I ADJOURN THE MEETING TONIGHT INSTEAD? A MIC THAT'S, THAT'S UP TO Y'ALL.
[K.1. Announcement of Meetings]
OF MEETINGS.UH, THERE WILL BE AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 2ND, TWO, 2023 AT 4:00 PM AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE.
SOME ARE ALL BOARD MEMBERS MAY ATTEND.
UH, A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 5TH, 2023 AT 5:00 PM IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE BOARDROOM.
AND, UH, THE REGULAR MEETING WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 19TH, 2023 AT 5:00 PM IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION? WE ADJOURN.