BOGALUSA SCHOOL BOARD OFFICE – MEDIA CENTER

Bogalusa, Louisiana

Regular Board Meeting

Thursday, November 17, 2022

5:30 p.m.

 

 

The Bogalusa School Board met in a Regular Board Meeting at the Bogalusa City School Board Office Media Center, located at 1705 Sullivan Drive, Bogalusa, Louisiana, on Thursday, November 17, 2022. The purpose of the meeting is to address information received from Department Supervisors, on Monday, November 14, 2022, during the Committee Meeting, regarding updates and approval requests.

 

Call to Order – President Paul Kates

 

Pledge of Allegiance – Superintendent Lisa Tanner

 

Prayer – Dr. H. Brad Williams

 

Roll Call:  X President Kates,  X Vice President Creel,  X Mrs. Breaux,  X Mrs. Duke,  A  Mr. Kemp, A Mr. Killingsworth,  X Dr. Williams

 

1.)         Approval of Minutes of Regular Board Meeting October, 2022.  It was motioned by Mr. Creel. A second was made by Dr. Williams. No public comments. The motion passed with unanimous approval.

 

2.)         Board Office Committee Reports – None

 

3.)         Public Session –

a.      Raymond Tate, 902 Superior Avenue, Bogalusa, LA – I am here before the board to address the bus issue that happened a few weeks back with our band director being suspended as I am being told.  First I would like to know if there is a policy and procedure that governs each trip as being sponsored by the school and, if not, then who is responsible for punishment that is given out.  I also understand there were kids arrested for horse play that got out of control.  I would like to know why we criminalize the kids for stuff that should be held internally at the school.  We understand that another incident has happened since, where kids were fighting on the bus and police were called and there was no punishment in that incident.  We are concerned about the uniformity of disciplinary action being handed out amongst the employees.  It should be just and uniformity across the board regardless of who is involved.  Those are the answers we seek tonight.  We want fairness to the kids and the band director to be fair across the board.  President Kates asked Superintendent to address and she stated she cannot address personnel or what was done with personnel.

b.      Rhonda Arinde, 826 East 7th Street, Bogalusa, LA - I am here tonight to find out or piggy back off of the band, bus incident as discussed by Mr. Tate.  The children and their punishment do it fit the crime and also was the school, schoolboard and Ms. Tanner was she aware the children were going to be arrested and why it could not have been handled another way and why the police were involved.  We have a lot going on and we met with Ms. Tanner and she had certain things she could not tell us but at that time we did not know another incident had happened and it was stated the other cheek was turned and it was not done fairly and swept under the rug.  Why weren’t these issues addressed the same?  Superintendent Tanner said BCS had nothing to do with the arrests.  That was nothing to do with BCS.  We handled our discipline in house and the rest was handled through an expulsion and through our Supervisor of child welfare.  We did our punishment the arresting had nothing to do with our school system.  We had no one arrested.  I sit here before you referring to another incident on a bus and I can tell you I know nothing about what you are talking about.  If you say a cheek was turned I will find out in the morning what you are talking about.  Ms. Arinde spoke of an incident with a teacher who was supposed to be on the bus and they were in their own car and not on the bus.  Mrs. Breaux said she knows about 2 teachers who went to Slidell and one of the teachers was from Slidell and when the event was over the teacher from Slidell went home and the other teacher on the bus had a big fight and the police had to come.  Yes, it happened.  Superintendent Tanner  said no one had reported this to her but she will find out in the morning.  Mr. Creel ask if this fight took in place in St. Tammany or Bogalusa.  Mrs. Breaux said they were on their way back and the chaperone from Slidell did not ride back with them and there was a fight and police was called. 

c.      Gerald Jackson, 701 Columbia Street, Bogalusa, LA chose not to speak.

d.      Roniqua Watkins, 707 Mississippi Avenue, Bogalusa, LA There seems to be a consistent abuse of policy and procedure when it comes to the laws for Open Laws for Public Meetings.  Each meeting the public is not afforded the opportunity to approve the previous meeting minutes for accuracy and clarity of the record.  State Law mandates that if an item is voted on by this board then the public has the right to speak on that item and tonight that failure continued.  A motion was put on the floor with no call for public input nor was the public given this document.  We still have members failing to bring a proper motion to the table. It is, I move, not I make a motion.  Tonight you will praise the advancement of one school scores and make us wait with baited breath on how we will see change for failure in three other school systems.  Each and every school board meeting we see leadership continue to do the same thing over and over again and we see that same behavior in our schools.  When will this end.

 

4.)         New Business –

a.      Approval of October, 2022 Financial Statements, General Fund, Food Service, Special Revenue, School Activities and Revised Budgets. It was motioned by Dr. Williams. A second was made by Mrs. Duke. No public comments. The motion passed with unanimous approval.

 

5.)         Superintendent Tanner Comments – This is a presentation which will be on the website in the morning for the public to view and it is the first time the board members are seeing this and it is looking at our score that we just received this week.  Very proud to say that we are showing growth all schools in our district including Northshore Charter.  Everybody showed growth.  At the top page of this handout is BHS was awarded the distinction of being one of the top 10 districts in the state with improvement in their district for their performance score.  BCS grew 4.2 points from 2021 – 2022.  District effort everyone’s score together, all 4 schools including BHS, NSC, Central and Byrd Avenue.  We are getting close to moving into a C status.  You can see across the board we all made improvements and that is what we are looking for.  Superintendent Tanner continued to go over each page and wanted everyone to know BHS has moved from a D status to a C status.  This is the 2nd time we have moved from a D status to a C status in school performance score.  Overall as a district we did very well and we are showing growth.  There is still a lot of room for improvement and I will continue working with the Principals to gain even more ground.   Once we get new board members on board we need to sit down as a board and look at school performance scores more deeply and I will like to answer questions on how we are moving forward.  Mrs. Breaux wanted to say kudos to Dr. Greely and his staff for their hard work she is proud of you and every point counts.  Even though Central and Byrd improved and showed growth it is still an F average.  Please continue working hard and pushing forward so we can get to at least a C.  Thank you Dr. Greely for your hard work.  In December the Committee & Board Meetings will be held on December 12th.

 

6.)         Board Comments – Mr. Creel wanted to congratulate Dr. Greely his staff and the students.  I have seen change in the making and that is a good thing.  We are making strides in the right direction and it is my hope that our student leaders will continue to be an example and to continue being a part of the change on that campus.  Come out tomorrow and support the mighty Lumberjacks.  Ms.  Breaux said as everyone knows the band director is my son and what I did was I called Ms. Tanner, no Mrs. Tanner called me, my words to Ms. Tanner I do not want any preferential treatment I just want him to treated fairly and do what you would do to every other.  However, come to find out there were things that were not right.  First of all, the Supervisor of Transportation was the person to get the tape off the bus and give the tape to the Child Welfare and Attendance and he did not.  He went through that tape with a fine tooth comb and wrote a dissertation about that bus.  He got them from the time they got on the bus to the time they arrived at Jackson State and then when they got on the bus coming back from the JS game. 

First thing Mckinley had no business looking at that tape.  That is not his business.  After that happened they met and he has always been unfair towards my son.  He said he doesn’t dislike my son but his actions show different.  Then the Bus Transportation Supervisor got with the Child Welfare and Attendance Supervisor went through it again, and I heard, you can tell me if this is true or false.  After they went through it again they saw something else they suspended one of the main players of the football team to the alternative school and I do not think that was fair either.  Let me tell you, I want people to be treated fair.  The band director should be punished but I do not think it was done fairly.  The punishment does not fit the crime.  Putting them out for the whole year kids have fights all the time and they go for a week or 10 days we need to follow all rules and guidelines. Superintendent claims she didn’t know anything about it and I think it is poorly done because you are over this entire system and I have asked earlier way back everything that goes on should be written and a report given to the board.  It looks bad if we do not know what is going on.  Again, the punishment does not fit the crime.  I understand the child’s mother is pursuing this and they feel that have to do something really harsh to make her happy because they do not want to be sued.  That is not right.  Also, I have never heard of the Superintendent, when you have a teacher gets in trouble the Superintendent is always supposed to give the punishment for teachers.  The other thing, the coach, which I love to death, came to the front office and was cursing like a sailor and nothing was done.  The lady he was talking about heard everything from the next office and she filed a grievance and he was never punished.  Punishment doesn’t fit the crime.  Things are not being done right.  I feel it didn’t happen and I very disappointed because I said I was going to recuse myself.  I would have done the right thing.  Very disappointed.  Many other incidents not being handled accordingly. They will send you to hell if they can. If they do like you they will bring you out of hell.  I say this from my heart.  Don’t get me wrong he needed to be punished but again punishment does not fit the crime.  The child did get hurt but the momma is seeking retribution or they are afraid of the momma.  It is just not right and done correctly.  My son can get a job anywhere but he loves BCS and choses to be here.  He goes above and beyond for these kids.  His band members get scholarships because he goes to the schools to get these scholarships for these kids.  Very disappointed putting these kids out for the whole year.  Some are Seniors and they will not get to participate and I’m leaving you with this.  God is still in control and this stuff that you do to these people are going to come back on you and your children you can’t do anything when God is not looking.  I just say again it wasn’t right.  Mr. Creel wanted clarification of the last couple of sentences where you said you are disappointed in this board.  The board had nothing to do with the punishment but the board is in charge of this whole system.   I just wanted to clarify that the punishment for this incident had nothing to do with the board.  Mr. Creel you are a member of this board but the board should know everything.  Mr. Creel made another statement that most of the power was taken from the board and given to the Superintendent.  Mrs. Breaux wanted to know why you go to the schools.  Mr. Creel said let’s go back to agree to disagree.  The conversation continued to escalate and Mr. Kates gaveled and adjourned the meeting at 6:10 p.m.

 

 

_________________________________________         ___________________________________

Lisa Tanner, Superintendent                                       Paul Kates, President