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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 two public meetings on Tuesday, May 19, 2015, in the Mack Spears Auditorium of the McDonogh 35 High School, 1331 Kerlerec Street, as follows:
  
  • Public Hearing on Type 1 Charter Applications
  • Board Business Meeting
 
OPSBrief has summarized the activities below. To read complete posted agendas and back-up documentation of a meeting, click on the meeting's title. Videos of meetings can be viewed 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 MAY 19 OPSB MEETINGS
Received comments from the public on the 2015 Type 1 Charter Applications and respective recommendations from OPSB Administration - no action needed until Board Business Meeting

The Administration presented a summary report of their recommendations
  • Firstline Schools, Inc.
    • Columbia Parc Charter School
      • Recommended for approval
      • One representative of the charter spoke in support
    • New Orleans Charter Elementary School
      • Recommended for deferral  
  • Rooted School
    • Rooted School
      • Recommended for approval
      • Three persons spoke in favor of the charter
  • ACCESS School Alliance
    • Access Career and Technical Academy
      • Recommended for denial
  • AMIKids Bayou Region, Inc.
    • AMIKids New Orleans
      • Recommended for denial
      • A representative of the charter spoke in favor of their proposal
  • Noble Minds
    • Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning
      • Recommended for denial
  • Young Audience Charter School Association
    • Young Audiences Orleans Parish Charter School
      • Recommended for denial
 

Information Items
Received and discussed reports from staff
 
  • Capital Projects Update
    • Schools expected to be ready in August 2015
      • Bethune ES - New School (Bradley Campus)
      • Audubon ES - Renovations & Addition (Broadway Campus)
      • McDonogh 35 HS - New School (Phillips-Waters Campus)
    • Schools expected to be ready during the Fall Semester 2015
      • Moton ES - New School
      • Lake Forest ES - New School
    • Schools - other
      • Karr HS - New School (Jo Ellen Smith Campus) - November 2018
      • McMain HS - New Gym - TBA due to surety taking over the project
      • McMain HS - Roof - out for bids now
      • Lusher HS - Refurbishment (Fortier Campus) - By March 2016
      • Lusher ES - Refurbishment (Willow Campus) - By August 2016
  • Financial Report - through March 31, 2015
    • Expenditures have been without budget
    • Unrestricted General Fund Balance = $ 41.2 million

Committee Reports
Received reports from chairpersons

  • AccountabilityCommittee
  • Property Committee
  • Legal and Legislative Committee - did not meet in May
  • Policy Committee
  • Budget and Finance Committee
  • Financial Report - through March 31, 2015
 
Purchasing Action Items - Consent Agenda
Approved the items as reviewed by Budget and Finance Committee
 
  • Child Nutrition Program Items - Bids
    • Paper products (Total $ 348,307) - One-year phase-out of Styrofoam
      • All American Poly ($ 11,105)
      • Economical Janitorial and Paper ($ 333,491)
      • Interboro Packaging Corporation ($ 3,711)
    • Bread ($ 111,034)
      • Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. ($ 10,656)
      • Binder Bakery ($ 11,305)
      • Flowers Baking Company ($ 76,323)
      • Leidenheimer Baking Company ($ 12,750) 
    • Milk ($ 413,576)
      • Brown's Dairy
    • Direct Diversion of USDA commodities ($ 336,574)
      • Various vendors
  • Other Purchasing Items
    • Karr HS New School - Architect contract amendment # 1
      • Trapolin Peer Architects, Inc. ($ 109,233)
    • Bradley ES (Bethune) New School - Student classroom furniture
      • The HON Company ($ 73,338)
    • McDonogh 35 HS New School - Office furniture
      • The HON Company ($ 246,680)
    • McDonogh 35 HS New School - Classroom, library, computer lab furniture
      • Virco, Inc. ($ 400,000)
    • Interactive flat panel displays for five new schools
      • Moton ES, Audubon ES, Bethune ES, McDonogh 35 HS, and Lake Forest ES
      • AXI Education Solutions ($ 891,894)
 
Action Items
Reviewed, discussed and approved Administration's recommendations
 
  • Consideration of 2015 Type 1 Charter Applications and recommendations from OPSB Administration 
    • Firstline Schools, Inc.
      • Columbia Parc Charter School
        • Approved
      • New Orleans Charter Elementary School
        • Deferred  
    • Rooted School
      • Rooted School
        • Approved
        • School leader spoke in favor of the charter
    • ACCESS School Alliance
      • Access Career and Technical Academy
        • Denied
    • AMIKids Bayou Region, Inc.
      • AMIKids New Orleans
        • Denied
    • Noble Minds
      • Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning
        • Denied
    • Young Audience Charter School Association
      • Young Audiences Orleans Parish Charter School
        • Denied
  • Hynes Playground
    • Donation to OPSB of school-funded playground
    • Two phases have been constructed so far by charter
  • Third-Party Contract - Non-public Title II Part A services
    • Option to amend
  • Audubon ES (Broadway Campus) - Capital Budget Amendment # 4
    • Resolution 11-15 ($ 474,000)
  • Capital Budget Amendment # 10 (Harrah's funds) 
    • Transfer $ 157,303 in residual funds from completed Easton HS Chillers to McMain HS Repairs 
    • Resolution 22-15
  • Capital Budget Amendment # 9 - Contents
    • Budget $ 2,000,000 in FEMA Contents funds to furnish three new schools
    • Resolution 16-15
  • Capital Budget Amendment (Other Funds)
    • Transfer $ 95,000 residual in completed Lusher Repair Project to Digital Photographic Services Project
    • Resolution 23-15
  • Revised budget adoption calendar
    • June 11 - Present new organizational chart
    • June 16 - Board vote on new organizational chart
    • August 24 - Public inspection opens for Consolidated Budget
    • September 10 - Public Hearing on Consolidated Budget
    • September 10 - Board vote on Consolidated Budget
  • Transition of position of Deputy Superintendent for Charter Schools
    • Deputy now reports to Superintendent rather than directly to the Board

 
This service is made possible by support from the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools and funding from the
Robert Reily Family Trust and the Smith/Cooper Foundation