The OPSBrief

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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 Orleans Parish School Board held its monthly Committee Meetings on Thursday, April 18, at the OPSB Timbers Office Building, 3520 General DeGaulle Drive. 

The Board typically uses Committee meetings to review and discuss items that will appear on the agenda for future Business Meetings and to review the implementation of items it previously approved.

 

To read the agendas and back-up materials for the meetings, click on the meeting titles below. Meetings may begin up to 30 minutes before their posted times in order to facilitate the orderly flow of business.

 

Prior to the meetings, the Administration distributed a flyer announcing its forthcoming School Construction Industry Day II - Building Relationships to Maximize Local Participation - for Saturday, May 11, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Greater St. Stephens FGBC, 5600 Read Blvd. The program is part of a joint OPSB/RSD effort to improve participation in the Master Plan's DBE program. The flyer can be read here.

 

 

***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***
REPORT FROM OPSB COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Accountability Committee

 

Action Items

Reviewed recommendations from the Administration and forwarded items to full Board with recommendations for approval

  • Notifications to Employees of Reasonable Assurance
    • Annual notice to academic year employees of expectation for employment for next school year
    • Legal requirement to preclude school-year employees from collecting unemployment insurance over the summer
  • Student of the Year Competition Results
    • Winners to be recognized at Business Meeting
    • Grades 5, 8 and 12
    • Cash prizes from external donations to be awarded
    • Uses State application criteria and procedures

Reports and Discussions

Received and discussed reports from Administration without taking action
  • Charter School Updates
    • Plessy
      • Will open next year PK-2 at Douglass HS, collocated with ARISE Academy
    • Bricolage
      • Will open next year for K at location TBA
    • Inspire (Harte and Karr)
      • Type 4s becoming Type 3 next year at current sites
    • Anticipate additional 10 to 13 applications for next round of Type 1 applications
      • Board discussed desirability of developing a strategic plan on number of charters and which populations and programs to target for charters
    • Board members requested the Administration to give them more timely information on any changes in charter school status
      • Concern was expressed that information gets out in the community and generates calls to Board members so they need accurate up-to-date information
  • School Information Dashboard
    • Reviewed the type of information that might be included in web-based data base of school information
    • Intent is user-friendly access to school data

Legal and Legislative Committee

No meeting held

 

Property Committee

 

Action Item

Reviewed recommendation from the Administration and forwarded item to full Board with recommendation for approval

  • Property insurance renewal for 2013-2014
    • $75K lower premiums for new coverage beginning May 1, 2013
    • Gallagher Risk Management Services - $1,989,983.50 for $50,000,000.00 in coverage
    • Approximately 35 carriers were approached, with proposals accepted from six companies in two layers

Discussion/Information Items

Received and discussed reports from Administration with no action taken

  • Capital Projects Status Report
  • Sophie B. Wright School Emergency Shoring Project

 

Policy Committee

 

OPSB Policy Amendments - First Reading

Deferred these items due to lack of quorum

  • D429 - Bids and Quotations (amendment to current policy)
    • Changes to emergency bid procedures
  • B210 - Board Meeting Procedures (amendment to current policy)
    • Changes to public notice procedures
  • J939 - Bullying, Intimidation, Harassment, and Hazing (amendment to current policy)
    • Several rewrites of sections of the policy

Discussion/Information Item

Received suggestions from a parent on modifications to policy and procedures

  • Student Electronic Device Policy

Budget and Finance Committee

 

Action Items

Reviewed recommendations from the Administration and forwarded items to full Board with recommendations for approval

  • Student of the Year Competition
    • Approved winners and cash awards (by outside donations)
  • General Fund Budget Amendment #1
    • Mid-year true-up of revenues and expenses
    • Includes impact of actual vs. projected numbers in student enrollments and scholarship "voucher" students
  • Sophie B. Wright School Roof Truss Shoring
    • Emergency project bid procedures
    • Boines Construction and Equipment Company - $181,600.
    • Contractor is DBE certified

Discussion/Information Item

Received and discussed report from Administration with no action taken

  • March Financial Report
  • General Fund year-to-date revenues exceed expenditures by $764,457 

 

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