The OPSBrief

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In This Issue
Property Committee
Legal and Legislative Committee
Accountability Committee
Budget & Finance Committee

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This report is created by Ken Ducote and Rose Drill-Peterson on behalf of the Eastbank Collaborative of Charter Schools 

Greetings!


The following report is from the Thursday, January 19, 2012, Committee Meetings of the Orleans Parish School Board. 

***This email is created by Ken Ducote and Rose Drill-Peterson on behalf of the Eastbank Collaborative of Charter Schools and is not an official correspondence from the Orleans Parish School Board***
PROPERTY COMMITTEE
Action Item
Received, reviewed and discussed information from Administration
 
Selection of Architects/Engineers and Construction Budgets of Phase II Master Plan Projects
  • Due to lack of quorum at this meeting, action on this item was deferred to Budget and Finance Committee meeting later in the day.
  • The Administration's recommendations can be found here
Discussion/Information Item
Received, reviewed and discussed information from Administration
 
New Harte Elementary School - Results of Public Bidding
  • Seven bids were received on 12/15/2012 - one bidder withdrew due to erroneous bid and the rest were 15% or more over architect's estimate and budgeted allowance based upon most recent OPSB & RSD projects
  • Project managers and architect are working to ascertain reasons for high bids
  • Apparently the design exceeded program requirements
  • All bids are to be rejected and project redesigned by architect with no additional fees
  • Delays estimated to be at least 90 to 120 days
  • Board members urged managers to keep the project moving and to ensure that future design review procedures minimize the risk of such delays on other projects 
Reports
Received, reviewed and discussed information from Administration
 
Superintendent's Capital Projects Report: December 2011
  • The report can be found here
LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
Action Item
Reviewed recommendation and forwarded to full Board with favorable recommendation
 
Request Opinion from Louisiana Attorney General
  • Relative to whether accumulated sick leave remains vested in an employee who is terminated due to RIF such that the employee is entitled to reinstatement of such accumulated sick leave upon re-employment within five years
 
Executive Session 
Discuss privately with attorneys specified litigation issues 
  1. Recommendation to ratify settlement in an Employment Litigation
  2. Settlement recommendation for an employee litigation
  3. Settlement recommendation in a Worker's Compensation case
  4. Litigation Report Presentation (FY 2010-2011)
  5. Return of Schools Transition

Reconvene from Executive Session 
Forwarded item to full Board with favorable recommendation 
  1. Recommendation to ratify settlement in an Employment Litigation
ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE
Action Item
Received and discussed report and took action as indicated

Charter Application Recommendations from National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA)
  • Received report from NACSA Vice-President William Haft resulting from OPSB's decision in December to allow charter applicants to respond to NACSA negative evaluations of all proposals submitted  
  • NACSA considers their previous evaluations to be final, but Mr. Haft reported on his own review of the new submittals from the applicants
  • He found the new details from ENCORE Academy to address previous concerns sufficiently enough to have OPSB consider provisional approval subject to verification of financial readiness
  • He did not find that the other applicants had sufficiently addressed earlier concerns
  • OPSB members raised questions about several areas, including facilities, finances, procedures to correct deficiencies, options for Board action, and BESE responses to other NACSA findings
  • Public comments from charter applicants were generally either in support of their own applications or concerned about the appropriateness of the evaluation procedures
  • Superintendent Kilbert recommended that the revised ENCORE Academy application be remanded to staff for further review regarding provisional acceptance
  • Superintendent also recommended that the other applicants have an opportunity to rework their proposals for consideration in subsequent years
  • The Committee agreed to favorably recommend Superintendent's recommendations to Full Board
Information Items
Received reports from Administration

POSSE Foundation Scholarship Program

  • Seven OPSB students have been chosen for POSSE Foundation Scholarships to either Tulane University or Bard College
  • Students selected attend the following high schools: Franklin, Karr, Lusher and McMain
  • POSSE identifies, recruits and trains exceptional young leaders from urban high schools and sends them in teams, or posses, to top colleges and universities across the US
  • The schools provide full-tuition scholarships, valued at around $43,000 a year
National School Counselors Week
  • February 6-10
BUDGET & FINANCE COMMITTEE
Reports
Received and discussed report
 
Monthly Financial Report, December 31, 2011
  • Represents revenues and expenditures for first 50% of current fiscal year
  • Report can be found here
  • Revenues have exceeded expenditures in General Fund by $550,491 so far
Action Items
Forwarded to full Board with favorable recommendations

Capital Projects Amendment # 4

  • Budgets $ 90,884,527 in FEMA funds for 11 Master Plan Phase II projects
  • Budgets $ 250,000 in Other funds (surplus property sales, insurance, etc.) for Relocation Expenses when schools move due to construction
  • Amendment can be reviewed here
Enterprise Fund Amendment # 1
  • Budgets additional $ 50,000 for Repairs & Maintenance at 3520 Gen DeGaulle Office Bldg
  • Revenues from rentals still exceed expenses by another $83,760
External Auditors
  • Fourth renewal and final year of existing contract with LaPorte Sehrt Romig Hand
Selection of Architects/Engineers and Construction Budgets of Phase II Master Plan Projects
  • Item was discussed at Property Committee meeting
Agreement between OPSB and American Association of School Administrators (AASA)
  • Two-year grant of $14,000 for activities to enroll uninsured students with health insurance coverage
  • Involves children in all OPSB schools, both direct-run and charter
Ashe (Franklin Elementary Extension) Cafeteria Renovation
  • Additional $189,899 change order for code, health and safety issues   
New Harte Elementary School Bids
  • Discussed in Property Committee meeting
  • Reject all bids and change scope and design prior to rebidding 
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