Bogalusa City Schools

Regular Board Meeting Agenda

05/22/2025 - 05:30 PM

Bogalusa School Board Office- Rev. Dr. Raymond E. Mims Media Center

1705 Sullivan Drive

Bogalusa, Louisiana 70427

MEETING MINUTES

Attendance

Voting Members:

President Paul Kates, District 1 - Absent

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook, District 2

Willie "Toni" Breaux, District 3

Cathy Mitchell, District 4

Curtis Creel, District 5

Odie Hughes, District 6 - Absent

Dr. Brad Williams, District7

Non-Voting Members:

Dr. Byron Hurst, Superintendent

Matthew Garver, Attorney

A.  Meeting Opening

1.   Call meeting to order

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook

2.   Pledge of Allegiance

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook

3.   Roll Call

B.  Approval of minutes of April 14, 2025, Regular Board Meeting

Motion to approve minutes of April 14, 2025, regular board meeting

Motion made by: Dr. Brad Williams

Motion seconded by: Cathy Mitchell

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - Yes

Willie "Toni" Breaux - Yes

Odie Hughes - Absent

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates Odie Hughes

C.  Consider a motion for approval of the Student/Parent Handbook updates recommended by the Discipline Committee

Motion for approval of the Student/Parent Handbook updates recommended by the Discipline Committee.

Motion made by: Cathy Mitchell

Motion seconded by: Dr. Brad Williams

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - No

Willie "Toni" Breaux - Yes

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates Odie Hughes

D.   New Business

1.   Consider a motion to adopt millage for 2025

Motion for approval to adopt millage for 2025.

Motion made by: Willie "Toni" Breaux

Motion seconded by: Cathy Mitchell

Public Response(s):

None

Deloris Walker, Chief Financial Officer, read the resolution adopting the millage for 2025.

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - Yes

Willie "Toni" Breaux - Yes

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

2.   Consider a motion for approval to discard system fixed assets

Motion for approvalto discard system fixed assets.

Motion made by: Dr. Brad Williams

Motion seconded by: Curtis Creel

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - Yes

Willie "Toni" Breaux - Yes

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

3.   Consider a motion to approve Carr, Riggs, and Ingram audit engagement letter 3-year contract 2025, 2026, and 2027

Motion to approve Carr, Riggs, and Ingram audit engagement letter, 3-year contract, 2025, 2026, and 2027.

Motion made by: Curtis Creel

Motion seconded by: Dr. Brad Williams

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - Yes

Willie "Toni" Breaux - Yes

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

4.   Consider a motion for approval to take action with respect to adopting a resolution providing for canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the special election held in Bogalusa School District of the Parish of Washington, State of Louisiana, on Saturday, May 3, 2025, to authorize the renewal of a special tax therein

Motion for approval to take action to adopt a resolution providing for canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the special election held in the Bogalusa School District of the Parish of Washington, State of Louisiana, on Saturday, May 3, 2025, to authorize the renewal of a special tax therein.

*  Deloris Walker,Chief Financial Officer, read the resolution.

Motion made by: Willie "Toni" Breaux

Motion seconded by: Cathy Mitchell

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - Yes

Willie "Toni" Breaux - Yes

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

5.   Consider a motion for approval of the April 30, 2025 Revised Budget Financial Statement: General Funds, Food Service, Special Revenue, and School Activities

Motion for approval of the April 30, 2025, Revised Budget Financial Statement: General Funds, Food Service, Special Revenue, and School Activities.

Motion made by: Curtis Creel

Motion seconded by: Willie "Toni" Breaux

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - Yes

Willie "Toni" Breaux - Yes

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

6.   Consider a motion for approval to abolish Maintenance/Transportation Supervisor position

Motion for approval to abolish the Maintenance/Transportation Supervisor position.

*  Willie "Toni" Breaux questioned whether a team leader/foreman should be considered in the agenda item.

*  Curtis Creel questioned the purpose of abolishing the position of Maintenance/Transportation Supervisor.

*  Dr. Brad Williams wanted it to be known that he would like to make a motion,knowing that if this doesn't work out, it can be fixed,and he trusts in the leadership.

Motion made by: Dr. Brad Williams

Motion seconded by: Cathy Mitchell

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - No

Willie "Toni" Breaux - Abstain

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

*Board member Willie "Toni" Breaux asked to amend her vote.

*A motion was requested for a re-vote.

Motion made by: Dr. Brad Williams

Motion seconded by: Cathy Mitchell

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - No

Willie"Toni" Breaux - Yes

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

*Vice President Laverne Cook called for a motion for approval to abolish the Maintenance/Transportation position.

Motion made by: Dr. Brad Williams

Motion seconded by: Cathy Mitchell

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - No

Willie "Toni" Breaux - Yes

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

7.   Consider a motion for approval to abolish the Technology Supervisor position

Motion for approval to abolish the Technology Supervisor position.

*Board member Willie Breaux stated that technology is a 20th-century thing, and it is growing. We (Bogalusa City Schools) need someone with the expertise, background knowledge, and education in technology. Dr. Hurst is putting too much on himself and Deloris Walker. Money should not be wasted on E-Rate; when a person who gets a regular salary is hired,they can take care of technology issues.  E-rate is expensive, and the money can be used for something else.

Motion made by: Cathy Mitchell

Motion seconded by: Dr. Brad Williams

*Dr. Williams wanted it stated that he seconded the motion with the trust in our (Bogalusa City School) leadership, the Superintendent, Dr. Byron Hurst, that if this doesn't work out, we must revisit it.

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - No

Willie "Toni" Breaux - No

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Williams- Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

8.   Consider a motion for approval of the Ricoh Copier Lease for the Superintendent's Office

Motion for approval of the Ricoh Copier Lease for the Superintendent's Office.

Motion made by: Curtis Creel

Motion seconded by: Willie "Toni" Breaux

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - Yes

Willie"Toni" Breaux - Yes

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

9.   Consider a motion for approval of severance agreement

Motion for approval of severance agreement.

Motion made by: Dr. Brad Williams

Motion seconded by: Willie"Toni" Breaux

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - Yes

Willie"Toni"Breaux - Yes

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

10.    Consider a motion for approval of a resolution authorizing the superintendent to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office to allocate resources to assist the Sheriff's "Unity Camp" to promote youth unity, safety, life skills and drug awareness in Washington Parish

Motion for approval of a resolution authorizing the superintendent to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office to allocate resources to assist the Sheriff's "Unity Camp" to promote youth unity, safety, life skills, and drug awareness in Washington Parish.

Motion made by: Curtis Creel

Motion seconded by: Cathy Mitchell

Public Response(s):

None

Roll Call Vote:

Curtis Creel - Yes

Willie "Toni" Breaux - Yes

Cathy Mitchell - Yes

Dr. Brad Williams - Yes

Vice President Dr. Laverne Cook - Yes

Absent:

President Paul Kates

Odie Hughes

E.  Superintendent's Report

*STEM Institute Participants - Mrs. Moses and Mrs. Burton

*BHS Counseling Department - Mrs. Moses and Mrs. Burton

-  Auditing Process of Transcripts

-  Lumberjack Lounge

*Summer Learning Institute - Mrs. Tillman

*Summer School Update - Mrs. Tillman

*Summer Reading- Mrs. Tillman

*Important Dates:

-May 28: Central Elementary Promotion Ceremony

-May 29: Last day for Students

-May 30: Last day for teachers

-May 30: End of Year Celebration and Closing Ceremony

-June 2-4: Summer Learning Institute

-June 2-18:Summer School

*Thank you to Ward 4 voters for your continued support of BCS

*LSBA 2025 Capital Conference

*Congratulations to the Bogalusa City School District Graduates

*STEM Scholars

*Bogalusa City School District Student Advisory Council

*Lumberjack Battalion Organization Day

F.   Board Members' Comments

G.    Public Session

Karla McGehee

H.   Meeting Closing

1.   Announcement of next board meeting - June 12, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.

2.   Adjourn

6:57 p.m.

Paul Kates, Board President                                                       Dr. Byron Hurst, Superintendent