Ouachita Parish School District

The board meeting included several key agenda items such as personnel appointments for principals at Sterling Middle School and Woodlawn Elementary, and the announcement of retirement for several staff members. Special recognitions were given to students on the Superintendent's student advisory council. A motion was passed to name the Richwood High School gym in honor of Coach Terry Martin. Additionally, the board approved a utility and temporary construction servitude request for the West Sewer District. The board also received a financial report for February and a status update on various construction and renovation projects.

The Board meeting included a personnel report announcing leadership changes, specifically the appointment of a new Director of Elementary Schools and interim Title One supervisor. The Board conducted special recognitions for state finalists in school health services. Additionally, the Board reviewed and presented Building Bridges grants to teachers for innovative classroom projects. The Board also discussed and approved an agreement to convey property through a land swap to facilitate future campus expansion and resolve landlocked property issues.

The Board discussed various operational and financial items, including the recognition of maintenance and warehouse teams for their work during a winter storm and the presentation of an unmodified audit report for the fiscal year. Key actions included the approval of school consolidation and reconfiguration plans for the upcoming school year, an amendment to the calendar to make up for missed instructional time, and the creation of a new position for a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst. Additionally, the Board approved multiple policies, reviewed financial reports, authorized a change order for practice field improvements, and approved the purchase of land for a new upper elementary school. Other business involved awarding various construction and sale bids, cancelling a property sale bid, and granting permission to bid on several upcoming school improvement and supply projects.

The meeting focused on reviewing and approving changes to Policy EFAB, the Employee and Student Acceptable Use Policy for AI, treating it as a living document requiring ongoing updates. Key discussions involved differentiating between appropriate and inappropriate AI use for staff and students, and establishing verification steps for teachers to confirm student use of AI tools, including considering student verbal explanations or version history from document creation software. The committee also addressed specific considerations for students with IEPs or 504 plans concerning AI usage, and the importance of providing training and resources to students and parents on responsible AI use, particularly as the district evaluates new platform adoptions that may integrate AI verification features. The agenda was approved, and the policy changes were subsequently approved by motion.

The Finance Committee meeting focused primarily on two major topics: substitute compensation and differentiated pay guidelines. Regarding substitutes, the committee discussed a proposed 20-ish% pay raise aimed at addressing losses to surrounding districts, particularly Monroe City. The cost of this raise was estimated at approximately $500,000, which the committee suggested could be funded by anticipated savings from the consolidation of Southside elementary schools (estimated at 10 teaching positions). Discussion also included the take-home pay for substitutes after mandatory deductions, noting that substitutes are not part of the retirement plan and do not participate in FICA, instead contributing to a 457 plan. The second agenda item concerned differentiated compensation, reviewing state guidelines for the third year of the program. Previous years involved using funds for stipends to teacher leaders involved in committee work or distributing stipends to highly effective teachers, the latter of which reportedly caused morale issues. The current allocation is approximately $400,000, which is designated exclusively for certified classroom teachers.