By Kyle Roberts
RUSTON, La. – The Lincoln Parish School Board met for its October session Tuesday evening to vote on an agreement with the City of Ruston, November supplemental checks and to review DIBELS screener reports.
Prior to business, LPSB communications coordinator Brandon Sutherland recognized Ruston High School’s Future Farmers of America Parliamentary Law team that recently won a state championship. The team consists of president Joe Aulds, vice president Emma Medders, secretary Boston Smith, treasurer Paige Bordelon, reporter Isaiah Dozier, sentinel Kayden Woods and advisor Lauren Strickland.
Sutherland then recognized National Merit semifinalist students from Ruston High: John Cedric Serio, Carter Tims, Anhaar Wasi and Lydia Watts.
The board then voted to move forward with a cooperative endeavor agreement with the City of Ruston for a total of $300,000. The funds will cover the purchase of the McLane Center ($225,000) on the campus of Ruston High School and for the use of the softball facilities and tennis courts at the Ruston Sports Complex ($75,000). The $75,000 will cover the calendar years of 2024 and 2025 for use of said facilities.
“This agreement was introduced last month (by the city) as an ordinance, and they will vote on this at the next city council meeting,” LPSB superintendent Ricky Durrett said. “We’ve gone back and forth negotiating, and this was an agreement where we met. I feel confident we can get it signed and have the McLane Center transferred over to us, and then it gives the city money for us using the softball and tennis facilities for this past year and the coming year.”
Durrett added that the McLane Center will the Youth Rescue Center and for the parish truancy office.
School faculty will also receive supplemental checks in their November 21st payment: $1,716 for certified staff and $858 for support staff.
Chief Financial Officer Juanita Duke also presented the recommendation to the board to change the administrator of the cafeteria plan’s tax-deferred employee Flexible Spending Accounts from National Benefits Services (NBS) to JTS Financial Services with the goal to eliminate annual fees currently charged to participant accounts. JTS will provide this service at no cost to the School Board or employee participants and complete all required reporting on behalf of the School Board.
Duke also recommended adding Aflac Critical Illness to the supplemental benefits offering to provide an option for at-risk employees to purchase supplemental coverage and help pay out-of-pocket costs for certain critical illnesses.
Lastly, Dr. Lillie Williams-Hearn presented the BOY (Beginning of Year) results for the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) screener for Kindergarten through third grade students. The BOY screening is intended to assess student knowledge of what they will have learned by the end of the school year, with the student being rated below benchmark, at benchmark, and above benchmark. In the district, the percent age of K-3 students who are at benchmark or above grade level for the beginning of the year are as follows:
- Grade K: 25 percent (State: 29 percent)
- Grade 1: 48 percent (State: 50 percent)
- Grade 2: 57 percent (State: 55 percent)
- Grade 3: 50 percent (State: 54 percent)
Dr. Williams-Hearn noted that the curriculum from the University of Florida Literacy Institute presented in the last board meeting is intended to raise these assessment scores over time. She also noted that these assessments are never intended to administer grades to students; rather, they can help instructors see which students may need any specific instruction interventions.
The assessments can also be used to determine if a child should be tested for gifted classes.
Absent were David Ferguson of District 2 and and Lynda Henderson of District 9.
The school board will meet for its November session on Thursday, Nov. 7 at noon at Ruston High School.
