Christine Cascio

This document outlines the academic calendar for the 2026-2027 school year, detailing key dates for school operations, student instruction, and community engagement. It includes schedules for holidays, employee workdays, early releases, new employee and teacher orientations, and the first days of classes for various student levels. The calendar also provides specific dates for parent-teacher conferences, high school exams, report card distribution, and state testing periods, encompassing Fall ACT, LEAP, and Statewide Literacy assessments.

The key discussion items for this board meeting included opening procedures such as roll call and agenda approval, and recognitions for National Public Schools Week and National School Counseling Week. The consent agenda featured discussion and/or action items related to the 2026-2027 Head Start Continuation Application, Budget Narrative, Cost Allocation, and Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Plan. Other significant actions included discussion and/or action regarding a $3,000 stipend for the Superintendent's designated public notary, approval of the 2026-2027 School Calendar, consideration of the Superintendent employment contract agreement, approval of 2026 Standing Committee Assignments and Ad Hoc/Standing Committee Reports, a request to change a Committee Meeting Date, and consideration of a resolution supporting the restoration of the Menhaden buffer zone to one-quarter mile in certain Louisiana areas. Information items covered the December 2025 Budget vs. Actuals presentation, the 2024-2025 Audit presentation, and the Property & Casualty Insurance renewal discussion.

The meeting included an opening session with roll call and agenda approval, followed by recognition of Plaquemines Parish Kindergarten through Third Grade Teachers of Literacy. The Consent Agenda covered policy discussions and approvals for multiple Head Start and Special Education documents, including Memorandums of Understanding, Annual Public Report, and handbooks. Executive consent agenda items involved the approval of an Industrial Tax Exemption Application for Stolthaven New Orleans, LLC, and authorizing the Board President to negotiate terms of sale for properties beneficial to the capital improvement plan. Other action items included discussions on a potential conflict regarding the Belle Chasse toll bridge, approval of committee reports, approval of Budget vs. Actuals for July 2025 (preliminary and unaudited), and approval for out-of-state travel for students from Phoenix High School and South Plaquemines High School to visit the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Sites in Montgomery, Alabama. Information items included the Check Register and Superintendent's Report.

The meeting began with standard opening items, including roll call and agenda approval. Recognition segments included a presentation on the Signs of Suicide (S.O.S Program & Data) and proclamations for National School Psychology Week and recognition for Plaquemines Parish Third through Eighth Grade Teachers of Mathematics. The consent agenda featured recommendations from various committees held on October 20, 2025. Key financial discussions involved approving Budget vs. Actuals for General Fund for August and September 2025, as well as approvals for revisions to the Director of Public Information job description and the addition of a Speech Language Pathology Assistant salary schedule. Policy actions included approval of revisions to Board Policy GBA (Contracts and Compensation) and several Special Policy Alerts pertaining to policies on Instructional Materials, Computer Access and Use, Absences and Excuses, Bullying and Hazing, Expulsion, Child Abuse, and Behavioral Health Support for Students. Approvals were also sought for Board Policy IDDF (Students with Exceptionalities) and the Seclusion and Restraint Procedural Manual. Other board action items included discussion on an Industrial Tax Exemption Program Contract, approval of Ad Hoc and Standing Committee Reports, approval for the 2026 School Board and Committee Meeting Schedules, and approval for cheerleaders to travel to regional and national competitions in Mississippi and Florida. Information items included Sales Tax data, Check Registers, LAMP Account reports, and Head Start Monthly Budget Reports.

The meeting included opening items such as the call to order, invocation, and roll call, followed by the nomination of Officers for 2026. Recognitions were presented for the Plaquemines Parish School Board Teachers of the Year and the PPSB Holiday Art Contest Winners. The Consent Agenda covered several items recommended by various committees: approval of the Amended Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, approval of the Budget vs. Actuals-General Fund for October 2025, approval of a Change Order for the Belle Chasse High School parking lot project, approval for the demolition of the federal interest Head Start modular, and approval of the Head Start Readiness Goals and the Plaquemines Parish School System Local Literacy Plan. Other Board Action Items included discussion regarding approval of procedures for extracurricular travel, discussion concerning the Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) Project Application for C&C Marine, and discussion regarding Ad Hoc and Standing Committee Reports. A discussion concerning the Superintendent Evaluation for 2025 was also planned, with the possibility of entering an executive session. Information items included reports on Sales Tax, Check Register, Head Start Budget, and Enrollment Update.