Waylon Bates

The meeting included procedural items such as the passing of the gavel, prayer, and the pledge of allegiance. Key actions taken involved the approval of the agenda for the January 15, 2026 session and the approval of the School Board Member 2025 Training Resolution. The Board also approved the Arbitrage Payment for General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2020. Procurement decisions included awarding bids for HVAC replacements at Sun City Elementary and Rusheon Middle School. The Board entered into executive session to discuss an employee matter and receive legal counsel, and subsequently approved an amendment to the superintendent contract. Finally, trip requests were approved.

The regular meeting commenced with superintendent comments, including several prayer requests for staff and community members facing loss or illness, such as the passing of family members for Middle School Supervisor Mike Prod and Kerr Elementary Principal Madora Abney, and ongoing health struggles for several others. The board recognized Dr. Billy Neil as the newly appointed principal for Bojer High School, detailing his extensive educational and professional background. A segment was dedicated to recognizing Christy Davis, a curriculum coordinator, as the latest Gold Star winner, highlighting her positive impact on teachers and the system. The board also heard updates on the Bojer versus Kado Schools Red Kettle Challenge for the Salvation Army, an annual philanthropic competition. Finally, 74 students from 3rd through 12th grades were recognized for achieving perfect scores on the mathematics portion of the LEAP exam across various schools in the district.

The meeting included discussions and requests for approvals related to group insurance programs. A request was made to approve a Stellara biosimilar program for group insurance, effective January 1, 2026, which is projected to save approximately $210,000 annually. Additionally, there was a request to approve a 30-day limit for prescription fills for specialty drugs, also effective January 1, 2026, to prevent stockpiling and obsolescence of expensive medications. An update was provided on the dependent audit scheduled for January 2026, including the use of an expanded electronic platform for submissions and potential refunds if projected savings do not meet the contract cost.

The meeting included a prayer and pledge, followed by recognitions and presentations. Schools with no workers' compensation claims in the 2024-2025 academic year were recognized. The board also recognized the October Gold Star winner. Candidates for the 2026 president and vice president of the board were presented. The board discussed and requested approval of school calendars for 2026-2027 and 2027-2028.

The committee discussed guidelines for differentiated compensation funding for the district, focusing on special education teachers and allocating supplements for classroom teachers, special education teachers in non-specialty classrooms, and teachers in the GRAET program. The committee also discussed the Louisiana compliance questionnaire, transportation ER plans, and the consideration and action of the board on the selection ITP application. Additionally, the committee discussed policy proposals regarding seclusion and sensory rooms, school health design, cameras in special education classrooms, corporal punishment, equal education opportunities, and equal employment opportunity, as well as the discipline policy.