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


The Orleans Parish School Board held five Committee Meetings on Thursday, March 12, 2015, at the OPSB Timbers III Office Building. 
  
Committees typically discuss items that will be presented at a later date to the full Board for adoption and review the progress of implementing items previously approved by the Board. Committee meetings usually offer the public the best opportunities for being heard on matters pending before the Board. 
  
OPSBrief has summarized the activities of the meetings below. Complete agendas and related back-up information can be accessed by clicking on the titles of the Committees and/or items as indicated.  
  
The next Board Business Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2015, in the Mack Spears Auditorium of the McDonogh 35 High School, 1331 Kerlerec Street. A Public Hearing on Policies will be held at 4:30 p.m., followed by the Business Meeting at 5:00 p.m. 

 
***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***
MARCH 12 OPSB COMMITTEE MEETINGS
  
New Policies for Second Reading
Moved to full Board and Public Hearing 
  • J953 Seclusion and Restraints
    • To comply with State Law and BESE Bulletin 1706
    • Emergency safety measure to control actions of students with certain disabilities
  • J954 Service Animals
    • To prevent discrimination against persons requiring service animals to accommodate disabilities
Received and discussed reports from Superintendent
  • 2015 Legislative Framework from Louisiana School Boards Association
  • Legislative priorities from Louisiana Association of Superintendents
  • 2015 Regular Session is a Fiscal Session with only a few opportunities to address general, non-fiscal items
Executive Session regarding litigation
Recessed into Executive Session to discuss current and/or potential litigation
  • Construction delay claims on new Moton ES
  • McMain Gym construction
  • Gentilly Type III Landfill
    • OPSB owns a few tracts of McDonogh Residual Lands in the area of a City landfill in former A-MID area
  • Benjamin Franklin ES
  • Mondy ES - HANO purchase offer
    • Deferred pending further negotiation
  • Bell JrHS - HANO purchase offer
    • Deferred pending additional information
    • Heard representative from ArtSpace on their partnership with HANO to redevelop the site 
    • HANO option had expired
    • KIPP has submitted a letter of interest in acquiring and rebuilding the school
  • Behrman ES new school site - extension of purchase option
    • Forwarded to full Board with recommendation to approve
    • 1200 Opelousas Street (approx. 10 acres)
    • 3 months needed to complete environmental due diligence assessment
  • Capital Projects status report
    • Received monthly report from staff and project managers
    • Bids were received within budget for Refurbishment Projects at Nelson ES and Lusher ES
    • Audubon ES (Broadway Campus) Renovation is proceeding for completion and move-in this summer
    • Moton ES New School is still far behind schedule and will not open this summer
      • Swing space is needed to house school at least through Fall Semester
        • Options being explored
      • St. James Major School is no longer available for OPSB use 
        • Board members asked Administration to find out if any arrangements for a lease extension are possible or if a temporary sub-lease from new tenant might be possible 
  • Surplus property update
    • Received report from staff on the status of making vacant properties available for acquisition by charters as required by State law
  • General Fund Budget Amendment # 1
    • Forwarded to full Board with recommendation to approve
    • Increase in salaries and benefits line items of $279,400 to fund balance of fiscal year salaries of new Superintendent and four new Transition Team Leaders
  • Chevron Lead the Way donation
    • Forwarded to full Board with recommendation to approve
    • $51,000 for programs at McDonogh 35 HS
  • OPSB system audit
    • Forwarded to full Board with recommendation to approve
    • Independent review and investigation of internal controls, policies, procedures, processes
    • Needed to protect public assets
    • Triggered by adverse impact on District's credibility of recent Board member's resignation amid criminal charges
    • OPSBrief reporter, Ken Ducote, speaking as an individual and retired administrator, urged OPSB to also consider restoring its former strong internal audit function that was lost in the late 1990s and early 2000s when staff members who tried to stop wrong-doing were fired  
  • Purchasing Public Bid Results
    • Forwarded to full Board with recommendation to approve
      • Nelson ES Renovations
        • Blanchard Mechanical Contractors - $1,480.000 
      • Lusher ES Refurbishment
        • Dynamic Constructors, LLC - $4,342,000 
      • Digital Photographic Services
        • Multivista Construction Documentation - $323,906
      • IT Infrastructure Upgrade - Phase 2
        • Transformyx - $346,115
        • Easton HS, McMain HS, Franklin ES (Jefferson Campus)
        • 90% e-rate reimbursement expected
  •  January 2015 Financial Statements
    • Received a report from staff
    • OPSB's bond rating has been raised from A to AA
      • Highest rating of public agencies in New Orleans
  • Leveraged Financing of Selected Capital Projects
    • Forwarded to full Board with recommendation to approve
    • Certain projects are eligible to generate tax credits
    • Will generate approx. $ 13 million dollars within Master Plan funding
    • Will not fund additional projects outside of Master Plan, but creates the base funding for Master Plan projects that would have been unfunded otherwise
      • Resolution 06-15 - Alexander ES
      • Resolution 07-15 - Audubon ES
      • Resolution 08-15 - Lusher (Fortier)
      • Resolution 09-15 - Wright HS 
  • Academic Calendar for 2015-2016
    • Deferred for further information
  • InspireNOLA Charter School Replication
    • Forwarded to full Board with recommendation to approve
  • Einstein Charter Amendment Request
    • Forwarded to full Board with recommendation to approve
    • Will take over Reed HS
  • Charter School status reports
    • Received reports from staff
    • Annual Reviews for 2013-2014
      • Plessy Charter will receive intervention for fiscal compliance
      • Moton Charter will receive intervention for organization compliance
        • Moton filed a written response to the rating based upon facility maintenance
        • Moton is in a leased, non-owned swing space building until new building opens
    • Annual Report for 2014
      • Deferred - report not complete
    • Request for Applications Process for 2015
 
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Robert Reily Family Trust and the Smith/Cooper Foundation