PARISH OF DESOTO

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Mansfield, Louisiana

 

December 3, 2020

 

The DeSoto Parish School Board met in regular session at the DeSoto Parish School Board Instructional Materials Center, 523 Oxford Road, Mansfield, Louisiana, on Thursday, December 3, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. with the following members present:

 

Dudley M. Glenn, Donald B. Dufour, Coday Johnston, Mark Ross, Bobby Boyd and Rosie Mayweather.

Superintendent Clay Corley attended virtually.

 

            Absent:  Thomas Craig, Jr., Jeffrey Dillard, Dr. Neil Henderson, Dale Morvan and Alice Thomas

 

            Item 1:  Call to order

           

            Mr. Glenn led the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

 

            Item 2:  Revisions to the agenda.

 

            There were no revisions to the agenda. 

           

            Item 3:  Approval of minutes of the regular Board meeting of November 5, 2020.

 

            Mr. Johnston made the motion, seconded by Mr. Ross, to approve the minutes of the November 5, 2020, regular Board meeting.  The vote was taken and the President stated the motion carried with the following votes – Yes = 6, No = 0, Absent = 5, and Abstentions = 0.

           

            Item 4:  Presentation by United Health Care

 

Ms. Christine O’Brien, Executive Director, United Health Care Mid-South Region, and Ms. Kayla Foreman, UMR Strategic Account Executive, presented a $20,000 check to DeSoto Parish Schools on behalf of United Health Care and their Children’s Eye Care Program.   

 

This program was created to help raise awareness and educate parents and teachers on the effects blue light exposure can have on children’s eyes. Board President Bobby Boyd and Business Services Director Donayle Ashworth accepted the check and expressed appreciation on behalf of Superintendent Corley and the School Board.  DeSoto Parish was one of only five school systems in the country to receive this monetary award.

 

            Item 5:  Report of the Finance & Operations Committee meeting held on November 19, 2020.

 

Motion was made by Mr. Glenn, seconded by Mr. Ross, to approve the minutes of the November 19, 2020, Finance & Operations Committee meeting as presented.  The vote was taken and the President stated the motion carried with the following votes – Yes = 6, No = 0, Absent = 5, and Abstentions = 0. 

 

Motion was made by Mr. Glenn, seconded by Mr. Johnston, to approve the following action from the November 19, 2020, Finance & Operations Committee meeting:

 

Approve budget revisions for the Special Revenue Funds and the Debt Service Funds, as presented.

 

The vote was taken and the President stated the motion carried with the following votes – Yes = 6, No = 0, Absent = 5, and Abstentions = 0.

 

Item 6:  Consider approval of bid award for construction of new district facility

 

Purchasing Agent Richard Wilkinson introduced architects Kenn Babin and Rachel James of Sutton Beebe & Babin.  He then explained that our district received a total of seven bids for construction of a new central office building.  The low bid, in the amount of $6,792,000, was submitted by Boggs & Poole.  The architect firm of Sutton Beebe & Babin and district staff both recommended awarding the bid to Boggs & Poole. Mr. Glenn asked about the budget, and Mr. Wilkinson stated that the bid was approximately $500,000 below what was budgeted for the new building.

 

Mr. Dufour made the motion, seconded by Mr. Glenn, to award the bid to Boggs & Poole as presented.  The vote was taken and the President stated the motion carried with the following votes – Yes = 6, No = 0, Absent = 5, and Abstentions = 0.

 

Mr. Glenn noted it will be nice to have district staff currently housed in three separate buildings, all together in one building, including technology staff.  This is especially important as the district continues to move forward with the use of technology.

 

Mr. Dufour expressed appreciation to the architects and staff for their hard work on this project.

 

Item 7:  Board policies for approval

 

Board policies were presented for review approval.

 

a.      IFD - Parent and Family Engagement Policy

b.      BCAD – Teleconference/Remote Participation in School Board Meetings

c.      CBD – Employment of Superintendent

d.      DJE – Purchasing

e.      DJED – Bids and Quotations

f.       EFD – Business Continuity and Technology Disaster Recovery

g.      GBDA – Employment of Retired Personnel

h.      IDFAB – Sports Injury Management and Concussions

i.        JGC – Student Health Services

j.        JGCE – Child Abuse

 

Mr. Glenn made the motion, seconded by Mr. Johnston, to approve the policies as presented.  The vote was taken and the President stated the motion carried with the following votes – Yes = 6, No = 0, Absent = 5, and Abstentions = 0.

 

Item 8: Input for 2021-22 school calendar

 

President Boyd explained that work would soon begin on the 2021-22 school calendar.  He invited other Board Members to send their input in to Superintendent Corley after the Christmas break.  He then thanked everyone for coming, wished them a safe and Merry Christmas.   

 

Item 9: Adjournment 

 

On a motion by Mr. Ross, seconded by Mr. Johnston, the Board voted to adjourn at 6:12p.m.

 

Bobby Boyd, President                                                               Clay Corley, Secretary

DeSoto Parish School Board                                                       DeSoto Parish School Board