OPSB Business Board Meeting Minutes September 17, 2013
ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD BOARD BUSINESS MEETING McDonogh #35 High School 1331 Kerlerec Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70116 September 17, 2013 5:00 p.m.
The Orleans Parish School Board convened for a Board Business Meeting on Tuesday, August 20, 2013, in the Auditorium of McDonogh #35 High School, 1331 Kerlerec St., New Orleans, LA. Mr. Ira Thomas, Board President, called the meeting to order at 5:15 PM. Board Roll Call: Mr. Ira Thomas, present; Mrs. Cynthia Cade, present; Ms. Sarah Usdin, present; Ms. Leslie Ellison, present; Mr. Seth Bloom, present; Mr. Woody Koppel, present; Mr. Nolan Marshall, present; Mr. Stan Smith, Interim Superintendent, present; Mr. Edward Morris, General Counsel, also served as parliamentarian. A quorum was established. An audio recording of the meeting is available in the Board Office. Mr. Ira Thomas led the Board in the Pledge of Allegiance. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA Additions, Modifications or Deletions There were no additions, modification or deletions to the agenda Motion to adopt the agenda was made by Sarah Usdin and seconded by Cynthia Cade. Motion passed with 7 Ayes and 0 Nays CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES • • • • • • • • • • • •
July 11, 2013 Accountability Committee Meeting July 11, 2013 Property Committee Meeting July 11, 2013 Budget & Finance Committee Meeting July 11, 2013 Policy Committee Meeting July 11, 2013 Legal & Legislative Committee Meeting July 16, 2013 Regular Board Business Meeting August 15, 2013 Accountability Committee Meeting August 15, 2013 Property Committee Meeting August 15, 2013 Budget & Finance Committee Meeting August 15, 2013 Policy Committee Meeting August 15, 2013 Legal & Legislative Committee Meeting August 20, 2013 Regular Board Business Meeting
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OPSB Business Board Meeting Minutes September 17, 2013
There was on correction made to the July 16, 2013 Board meeting minutes. Action item #2 was revised to state that the motion failed with 3 Nays, 3 Ayes and 1 Abstention. The unapproved draft minutes initially reflected that the motion failed with 3 Yeas, 3 Ayes and 1 Abstention. Motion to approve the minutes along with the corrections was made by Woody Koppel, seconded by Cynthia Cade. Motion passed with 7 Ayes and 0 Nays SUPERINTENDENT’S AGENDA PRESENTATION(S): • Toyota Perfect Attendance Car Give Away Provided by Rebecca Cuellar, Community Outreach Director for Premier Automotive COMMITTEE REPORTS: 1)
Accountability Committee, Ms. Sarah Usdin, Chair The Accountability Committee met at 1:15 pm on September 12, 2013. The committee discussed and received the following informational items: • Update on Charter Applicants • Charter School City Wide Strategy Update • One App Update • OPSB District Calendar (DRAFT) • Chevron Project Lead the Way & Franklin Elementary School The committee received the following report(s): • COMPASS Report
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Property Committee: Mr. Nolan Marshall Jr, Chair The Property Committee did not meet on September 12, 2013.
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Legal and Legislative Committee: Mr. Seth Bloom, Chair The Legal and Legislative Committee did not meet on September 12, 2013.
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Policy Committee: Ms. Cynthia Cade, Chair The Policy Committee did not meet on September 12, 2013.
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Budget and Finance Committee, Ms. Leslie Ellison, Chair The Budget & Finance Committee met at 4:13 pm on September 12, 2013 The committee discussed and received the following informational item(s): • Revenue Allocation Report Item(s) forwarded to the full Board with recommendation:
• OPSB Property Auction Update 2
OPSB Business Board Meeting Minutes September 17, 2013 • Approval of an Exchange of Idaho & Seine property (owned by OPSB) for Fox
Playground (Owned by the City)
• Approval of a letter of intent for the sale of John A Shaw Elementary School in
accordance with LA R. S 17:3982
• Chevron Project Lead the Way & Ben Franklin Elementary School • Resolution 27-13: McDonogh 42 Transaction Summary Approval
Item(s) deferred to the September 17, 2013 Board meeting: • Recommendation on Lake Forest Charter School The Committee discussed and received the following items. Items forwarded to the full Board as CONSENT AGENDA: 1. Compass Odyssey Purchase Approval Rationale: Compass Odyssey was approved by the Superintendent at the total cost of $97,549.00. Added cost of $36,525.00 to is needed to add Alice Harte Elementary, Einstein Charter School and Mahalia Jackson Elementary to the subscription. Since the cost now exceeds $100,000 a board item is needed to get the approval to have the three schools added. Recommendation: That the Orleans Parish School Board approves the added costs to cover the three referenced sites. ADOPTION OF CONSENT AGENDA Motion to approve the Consent Agenda item(s) was made by Woody Koppel and seconded by Cynthia Cade. Motion passed with 7 Ayes and 0 Nays ACTION ITEMS: The Orleans Parish Board is asked to act upon the following action items: Action Item No 1. Selection of the Superintendent Search Firm
Update on Superintendent Search firm finalists process provided by Westley Bayas, Chair of Superintendent Search firm Community Committee. Isaacson Miller group withdrew from the process Motion to accept the three recommended finalists was made by Cynthia Cade. There was no second on the motion. Cynthia Cade withdrew her initial motion to have the three recommended search firms voted on. Motion to withdraw the HYA firm or exclude them from the (3) search firm finalist because they didn’t comply with the DBE component of the rubrics was made by Cynthia Cade and seconded by Board President Ira Thomas. The motion failed with 2 Ayes and 5 Nays
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OPSB Business Board Meeting Minutes September 17, 2013 Ira Thomas, Sr. Sarah Usdin Seth Bloom Nolan Marshall AYES NAYS ABSENTS ABSTENTIONS
Yes No No No 2 5 0 0
Leslie Ellison Cynthia Cade Woody Koppel
No Yes No
Motion to accept HYA group as a search firm and to pay a local firm to work with HYA, also pay them the difference between their contract and the highest contract that was awarded to the local group to participate was made by Nolan Marshall and seconded by Sarah Usdin. The motion passed with 4 Ayes and 3 Nays Ira Thomas, Sr. Sarah Usdin Seth Bloom Nolan Marshall AYES NAYS ABSENTS ABSTENTIONS
No Yes Yes Yes 4 3 0 0
Leslie Ellison Cynthia Cade Woody Koppel
No No Yes
Action Item No. 2: Type 1 Charter Applicant: Smothers Academy Preparatory School for Arts & Sciences
Rationale: BESE Bulletin 126, §306(A)4 requires that prior to approving a charter for a Type 1 charter school, the Board hold a public hearing for the purpose of considering the proposal and receiving public input. Recommendation: That the Orleans Parish School Board approves Administration’s recommendation with respect to the Type 1 Charter Applicant Motion to approve Administrations recommendation for the denial of Smothers Academy was made by Woody Koppel and seconded by Leslie Ellison. The motion passed unanimously with 7 Ayes and 0 Nays Action Item No. 3: Type 1 Charter Applicant: The Learning Lab Rationale: BESE Bulletin 126, §306(A)4 requires that prior to approving a charter for a Type 1 charter school, the Board hold a public hearing for the purpose of considering the proposal and receiving public input. Recommendation: That the Orleans Parish School Board approves Administration’s recommendation with respect to the Type 1 Charter Applicant. Motion to approve Administrations recommendation for the denial of the Learning Lab was made by Woody Koppel, and seconded by Seth Bloom. The motion passed unanimously with 7 Ayes and 0 Nays 4
OPSB Business Board Meeting Minutes September 17, 2013
Action Item No. 4: Type I Charter Applicant: Cypress Academy Rationale: BESE Bulletin 126, §306(A)4 requires that prior to approving a charter for a Type 1 charter school, the Board hold a public hearing for the purpose of considering the proposal and receiving public input. Recommendation: That the Orleans Parish School Board approves Administration’s recommendation with respect to the Type 1 Charter Applicant. Motion to approve Administrations recommendation for denial was made by Woody Koppel, and seconded by Seth Bloom .The motion passed unanimously with 7 Ayes and 0 Nays Action Item No. 5: Type 1 Charter Applicant: Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Collegiate Academy @ SUNO Rationale: BESE Bulletin 126, §306(A)4 requires that prior to approving a charter for a Type 1 charter school, the Board hold a public hearing for the purpose of considering the proposal and receiving public input. Recommendation: That the Orleans Parish School Board approves Administration’s recommendation with respect to the Type 1 Charter Applicant. Board President Ira Thomas recused himself during the discussion for this matter and asked that VP Ellison conduct the meeting. Motion to approve Administrations recommendation for denial was made by Woody Koppel, and seconded by Seth Bloom. A substitute motion to approve NACSA’s recommendation for the Type 1 Charter Applicant: Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Collegiate Academy @ SUNO was made by Nolan Marshall, and seconded by Cynthia Cade. The motion passed with 3 Ayes, 2 Nays, 1 Absent and 1 Abstention Ira Thomas, Sr. Sarah Usdin Seth Bloom Nolan Marshall AYES NAYS ABSENTS ABSTENTIONS
Abstained No Absent Yes 3 2 1 1
Leslie Ellison Cynthia Cade Woody Koppel
Yes Yes No
Action Item No. 6: OPSB Property Auction Update Rationale: Nine properties were advertised for the auction. Prior to the actual auction two properties (John A. Shaw and Lorraine V. Hansberry) were withdrawn based on letters of 5
OPSB Business Board Meeting Minutes September 17, 2013 interest from charter schools. Of the seven remaining properties two (Noble and Thomas A. Edison) received no bids. This was the first auction for these properties. Recommendation: That the Orleans Parish School Board approves Administrations recommendation for acceptance of bids on the Algiers Bus Barn, Lake Forest site and Seabrook. All properties have been subject to multiple prior auctions with minimal to no interest. Motion to approve the OPSB Property Auction Update was made by Woody Koppel, and seconded by Leslie Ellison. The motion passed unanimously with 7 Ayes and 0 Nays Action Item No. 7: Approval of an Exchange of Idaho & Seine property (owned by OPSB) for Fox Playground (Owned by the City) Rationale: Fox Playground is adjacent to LB Landry and will provide additional green space for the school’s use. Recommendation: That the Orleans Parish School Board approves the exchange of Idaho & Seine property (owned by OPSB) for Fox Playground (Owned by the City). Motion to approve the exchange of Idaho & Seine property (owned by OPSB) for Fox Playground (Owned by the City) was made by Woody Koppel and seconded by Nolan Marshall. The motion passed unanimously with 7 Ayes and 0 Nays. Action Item No. 8: Approval of a letter of intent for the sale of John A Shaw Elementary School in accordance with LA R. S 17:3982 Recommendation: That the Orleans Parish School Board approves the sale of John A Shaw Elementary School to Encore Academy in accordance with LA R. S 17:3982 which gives charters to purchase or lease vacant school properties at up to appraised value Motion to approve a letter of intent for the sale of John A Shaw Elementary School in accordance with LA R. S 17:3982 was made by Woody Koppel and seconded by Leslie Ellison. The motion passed with 5 Ayes, 0 Nays and 2 Absents
Ira Thomas, Sr. Sarah Usdin Seth Bloom Nolan Marshall AYES NAYS ABSENTS ABSTENTIONS
Yes Absent Absent Yes 5 0 2 0
Leslie Ellison Cynthia Cade Woody Koppel
Yes Yes Yes
Action Item No. 9: Recommendation on Lake Forest Charter School Rationale: On July 10, 2013 the OPSB Purchasing Department released Invitation to Bid (ITB) no. Project no. 2012-0505-0001 for New Lake Forest School at Greater St. Stephen Site. The ITB was advertised in the Times-Picayune and posted to the OPSB website. A 6
OPSB Business Board Meeting Minutes September 17, 2013 pre-bid conference was held on June 20, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. and there were three (3) contractors represented. Recommendation: That the Orleans Parish School Board accepts the lowest responsive bid from McDonnel Group, LLC in the amount of $33,895,000.00 and all alternatives totaling $1,870,000, for a grand total of $35,765.000.00, and authorize the OPSB General Counsel to prepare a contract for signatures of the Board President and the contractor. In addition, OPSB Administration requests that the OPSB approve a 10% contingency for any unforeseen conditions. Additional work will not be performed until approved by the OPSB Executive Director of Operations by way of a field change order. Motion to approve Administrations recommendation to reject the lowest responsive bid, do some redesign work and put Lake Forest Charter School out for rebid was made by Cynthia Cade and seconded by Woody Koppel. The motion passed with 6 Ayes, 0 Nays and 1 Absent Ira Thomas, Sr. Sarah Usdin Seth Bloom Nolan Marshall AYES NAYS ABSENTS ABSTENTIONS
Yes Yes Absent Yes 6 0 1 0
Leslie Ellison Cynthia Cade Woody Koppel
Yes Yes Yes
Action Item No. 10: Chevron Project Lead the Way & Ben Franklin Elementary School Rationale: Chevron is funding Project Lead the Way for Ben Franklin Elementary School. The award will fund teacher training, supplies and software to implement an engineering pathway for 7th and 8th grade students at Ben Franklin "Extension." The students will study different facets of engineering design each year and end with a culminating project in 8th grade. This project extends the excellent science and math program currently offered at the school. Recommendation: That the Orleans Parish School Board approves the acceptance of the Chevron Project Lead the Way Ben Franklin Elementary School award that will fund teacher training and travel, required equipment, computers, supplies and software in the amount: year 1- $31,000; year 2-10,000.00 for a total of $41,000. Motion to approve the Chevron Project Lead the Way & Ben Franklin Elementary School was made by Cynthia Cade and seconded by Woody Koppel. The motion passed with 6 Ayes, 0 Nays and 1 Absent
Ira Thomas, Sr. Sarah Usdin Seth Bloom
Yes Yes Absent
Leslie Ellison Cynthia Cade Woody Koppel
Yes Yes Yes 7
OPSB Business Board Meeting Minutes September 17, 2013 Nolan Marshall AYES NAYS ABSENTS ABSTENTIONS
Yes 6 0 1 0
Action Item No. 11: Resolution 27-13: McDonogh 42 Transaction Summary Approval Rationale: The application is partially funded by USAC, the administrative arm of the FCC’s E-Rate program. The application provides a digital curriculum/learning management space for teachers and students and has produced excellent outcomes for students in classrooms where teachers have opted to employ it. Recommendation: That the Orleans Parish School Board authorize the renewal of the license and support for Blackboard Learn Academic Portal for the 2013-14 academic year and authorize General Counsel to prepare the contract for the signatures of the Board President and the Vendor’s Representative. The total amount of this purchase is $140,200.00. The E-rate Eligible portion is $77,800.00 and the NCLB Portion is $62,400.00. Motion to adopt and waive the reading of Resolution 27-13: McDonogh 42 Transaction Summary Approval was made by Sarah Usdin and seconded by Woody Koppel. The motion passed with 6 Ayes, 0 Nays and 1 Absent Ira Thomas, Sr. Sarah Usdin Seth Bloom Nolan Marshall AYES NAYS ABSENTS ABSTENTIONS
Yes Yes Absent Yes 6 0 1 0
Leslie Ellison Cynthia Cade Woody Koppel
Yes Yes Yes
Motion for recess to Executive Session was made by Woody Koppel and seconded by Leslie Ellison at 8:30 p.m. RECESS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION: Litigation Matters: 1. Agnes Harris v. Orleans Parish School Board, H & G Claim No. 1.23933.55.WCI; Worker’s Compensation Claim
RECONVENE FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION/ROLL CALL:
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OPSB Business Board Meeting Minutes September 17, 2013 The Board reconvened from Executive Session at 9:00 p.m. and a report was provided by Mr. Edward Morris, General Counsel. Committee Roll Call: Mr. Seth Bloom, absent; Ms. Leslie Ellison, present; Ms. Sarah Usdin, absent; Ira Thomas, present; Cynthia Cade, present; Woody Koppel, present; Mr. Nolan Marshall, present; Mr. Stan Smith, Interim Superintendent, present; Mr. Edward Morris, General Counsel, present. A quorum was established. EXECUTIVE SESSION REPORT/ACTION ITEMS Litigation Matters: 1. Agnes Harris v. Orleans Parish School Board, H & G Claim No. 1.23933.55.WCI; Worker’s Compensation Claim Motion to approve Agnes Harris v. Orleans Parish School Board, H & G Claim No. 1.23933.55.WCI; Compensation Claim as recommended by General Counsel was made by Woody Koppel and seconded by Leslie Ellison. The motion passed with 5 Ayes, 0 Nays, 2 absent Ira Thomas, Sr. Sarah Usdin Seth Bloom Nolan Marshall AYES NAYS ABSENTS ABSTENTIONS
Yes Absent Absent Yes 5 0 2 0
Leslie Ellison Cynthia Cade Woody Koppel
Yes Yes Yes
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ADJOURNMENT On motion by Cynthia Cade, the Orleans Parish School Board adjourned at 9:01pm.
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