Lafayette School Board To Reconsider One-Time Bonus, Elect New Officers

The Lafayette Parish School Board will reconsider tonight what to do with a one-time bonus for its support staff and elect new leadership for the new year.

At its Dec. 18 meeting, the Board defined eligible support staff as a full-time employee making $35,000 or less who didn't qualify for a similar one-time bonus for teachers. But because such a definition discounts those who have worked longer but may make slightly more than a pre-determined salary cap, such an item could lead to a discriminatory lawsuit.

Outgoing Board President Shelton Cobb, District 3, recommended the introductory item, which suggests all full-time support employees not eligible for the teacher bonus be awarded $416.25.

The Board will also elect tonight a new president and vice president for the year. Board members Rae Trahan, District 9, and current Vice President Hunter Beasley, District 8, are up for the presidency. Greg Awbrey, District 6, and Kermit Bouillion, District 5, are reportedly vying for vice president.

Trahan and Awbrey represent a board majority that consistently votes together, while Beasley and Bouillion, along with Cobb, represent a minority faction.

The Board will also take action tonight on whether to enter an agreement with the DeSoto Parish School Board to purchase nine diesel school buses, and it will consider approving a bid to purchase pre-K playground equipment for 17 elementary schools.

It will decide whether to authorize facilities planners to award the lowest bidder for renovations at the David G. Thibodaux STEM Academy, and it also looks to approve bids for math supplies necessary for PARCC assessments to be implemented in 2015. The board will also consider approving bid requests for new band instruments.

Additionally, the Board will introduce the following items:

• LPSS Pupil Progression Plan update for 2014
• Grant submission for the Youth CareerConnect program, a $2-$7 million grant awarded over a 54-month period that provides for technical workforce training for high school students
• Budget revisions for the general fund; self-funded construction fund; special revenue fund; self-funded insurance budget; 2012 qualified school construction bond fund; capital improvement fund; 2002 half-cent sales tax fund; debt services fund; and the school food service program fund