[Kreweoftruth] FW: Report from March 15 OPSB Committee and Special Meetings

[kreweoftruth at kreweoftruth.net]

Dear krewe,
 
cheron has forwarded this email to you with the following message:
Board President Thomas Robichaux is showing real 
leadership with his proposal to restructure school system 
leadership. Scroll down to "special board meeting" for 
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In This Issue

Accountability Committee
Property Committee
Legal and Legislative Committee
Policy Committee
Budget & Finance Committee
Special Board Meeting

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This report is created by Ken Ducote and Rose Drill-Peterson on behalf of the Eastbank
Collaborative of Charter Schools
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Dear cheron,

The following report is from the Thursday, March 15, 2012, Committee and Special
 Meetings of the Orleans Parish School Board.
***This email is created by Ken Ducote and Rose Drill-Peterson on behalf of the 
Eastbank Collaborative of Charter Schools and is not an official correspondence 
from the Orleans Parish School Board***
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ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE
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Information Item
Received, reviewed and discussed information from Administration

Encore Academy Update


* OPSB recently approved conditionally a Type 1 charter for Encore Academy
* Applicant has since then completed conditions and has been granted approval letter
by Administration
* Charter contract will be offered after facility is secured by applicant
* Charter has up to 2 years to begin operating as a school
* Charter has not yet established a site and cannot enroll students until it does
* Applications are being accepted from interested students but enrollment deferred
pending site
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PROPERTY COMMITTEE
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Discussion/Information Items
Received and discussed reports from Administration and heard public comments; no
 action taken

Capital Projects Budget Amendment #5


* In FEMA funds, additional $1,381,673 for Audubon (Broadway Site) Renovations to
reflect revised projected costs

* See bid results below
* In Other funds, new appropriation for Timbers Building (3520) HVAC Repairs to 
replace two chillers and related components

* Administration reported that this need was forecasted when building was purchased
and resulted in adjusted purchase price

Audubon School (Broadway) Renovations & Addition


* Purchasing Director reported that the lowest "responsive" bid was from FHP Tectonics
- $12,415,000

* Discussion was held on procedures to ensure that winning contractors were "responsible"

Property Management for OPSB Properties


* Proposal to extend contract with Security National Properties to manage, operate
and maintain Timber's Office Building on a month-to-month basis, not to exceed six
months, pending the issuance of an RFP for such services, at $19,021.42 per month.

OPSB ENTERGY Rates


* Administration, with RSD, to meet next week with ENTERGY staff to resolve utility
rate structures

* Review of local public school electric bills show at least 5 different base rate
structures
* Direct-run schools appear to be on a municipal base rate
* Charter schools have apparently been treated as non-public schools and put on 
higher base rate structures
* OPSB goal is for all public schools to be on municipal rate structure regardless
of operator

Westbank School Site Acquisition Update


* On 9/20/2011, OPSB approved the acquisition of an 8.77-acre elementary school 
site in Algiers Place
* Administration reported the status of negotiations and reconciling different appraisals
of the site

Capital Projects Progress Report


* Administration presented the Superintendent's Report for February 2012

* First combined report for OPSB and RSD projects
* Status Report can be found here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=y6rtfljab.0.sdxlukjab.ob54bdfab.0&ts=S0743&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nops.k12.la.us%2Fuploads%2FFile%2F2012%2F2012%2520Committee%2520Meetings%2FProperty%2520Committee%2520Packet%252003%252015%25202012.pdf]
* Scopes of work for new "stabilization" and "refurbishment" projects are still 
being developed, and principals of those schools listed can submit recommendations
now for priorities fitting the project purposes
* Several parents and supporters of Lake Forest School expressed appreciation for
the continual progress toward new school's construction

* Administration projected A/E contract signing within 2 weeks
* Schedule of community meetings on design will be available by April Property Committee
meeting
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LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Discussion Item
Received and discussed report and took action as indicated

Legislative Update


* Received status report and discussed items from State legislative session
Action Items
Received and discussed reports from Administration and took action as indicated

Legislative Agenda


* Forwarded proposed legislative agenda to full Board with recommendation for approval
* Agenda can be seen here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=y6rtfljab.0.tdxlukjab.ob54bdfab.0&ts=S0743&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nops.k12.la.us%2Fuploads%2FFile%2F2012%2F2012%2520Committee%2520Meetings%2FLegal%2520and%2520Legislative%2520Committee%2520Packet%252003%252015%25202012.pdf]

Reduction in Force - OPSB Policy G737


* Forwarded to full Board with Recommendation to approve the implementation of the
Policy as necessary to prepare a balanced budget for FY 2013
* Need to implement RIF projected due to several factors, including reduction in
 Federal funds, increase in employer retirement contributions, and MFP reduction
 from voucher program
Legal Matters

* Recessed into Executive Session to discuss four litigation matters
* Then reconvened and took action as follows:

* Reported receiving status report on Expropriation Litigation with State over McDonogh
11 School
* Reported receiving status report on Insurance Litigation
* Reported receiving status report on Return of Schools Litigation with State
* Forwarded to full Board with recommendation to approve a settlement recommendation
on an employee litigation
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POLICY COMMITTEE
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Action Item
Reviewed and discussed several existing OPSB policies; no action taken

Reduction in Force/Reassignment - G737


* Necessity under budgetary problems
Discussion/Information Items
Reviewed and discussed several existing OPSB policies

Officers of the Board - B200


* President as OPSB spokesperson
Board Committees - B206

* Protocol for vetting items prior to full Board consideration
Board Meeting Procedures - B210

* Calling of special OPSB meetings
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BUDGET & FINANCE COMMITTEE
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Reports
Received and discussed reports from the Administration

Monthly Financial Report - February 2012


* Read the report on pages 3-15 here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=y6rtfljab.0.wdxlukjab.ob54bdfab.0&ts=S0743&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nops.k12.la.us%2Fuploads%2FFile%2F2012%2F2012%2520Committee%2520Meetings%2FBudget%2520%26%2520Finance%2520Committee%2520Packet%252003%252015%252012.pdf]
* Additional and significant tax payments were received in March and will appear
 on next report
* The short-term loan in anticipation of tax receipts has been paid

Action Items

Reviewed information and took the following actions

Millage Roll-Up


* Heard comments from several charter school groups, including the Eastbank Collaborative,
in support of rolling forward all millages to the maximum levels allowed by law
* Forwarded to full Board with recommendation for approval for Administration to
 make required public notices of proposal for 2013 millage roll-forward to maximum
authorized levels

Capital Projects Budget Amendment #5


* Forwarded to full Board with recommendation for approval
* Item was discussed at Property Committee

Purchasing Items


* Forwarded to full Board with recommendations for approval

* Audubon School Renovations bids
* Property Management Services extension
* Blackboard Contract for Learning Management System renewal
* Achieve 3000 Contract for Student Literacy Application renewal
* Cisco SmartNet Maintenance Support renewal
* IBM Elite Maintenance Support renewal

Information Items from Administration
No action necessary

E-Rate Settlement status


* See pages 16-20 here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=y6rtfljab.0.wdxlukjab.ob54bdfab.0&ts=S0743&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nops.k12.la.us%2Fuploads%2FFile%2F2012%2F2012%2520Committee%2520Meetings%2FBudget%2520%26%2520Finance%2520Committee%2520Packet%252003%252015%252012.pdf]

Status of Minimum Foundation Program (MFP)


* Current formula could increase OPSB by $ 260 per student
* Revenues, however, could be reduced by expenses State previously funded elsewhere
being funded under MFP, such as vouchers, legacy costs, NOCCA, etc.
RFPs to be issued for Third Party Contractors for Non-Public Schools' Title I and
Title II Services

* Recommended RFP's are listed on pages 21-26 here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=y6rtfljab.0.wdxlukjab.ob54bdfab.0&ts=S0743&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nops.k12.la.us%2Fuploads%2FFile%2F2012%2F2012%2520Committee%2520Meetings%2FBudget%2520%26%2520Finance%2520Committee%2520Packet%252003%252015%252012.pdf]
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SPECIAL BOARD MEETING
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First Reading of New Policies and Amendments to Current Policies

Discussed proposed policy changes; no action taken

New Policies and Policy Amendments for First Reading


* Distributed 6 proposed new policies to restructure the school district's administrative
structure
* Distributed 17 proposed changes to existing policies related to the changes proposed
by the above new policies
* Proposals can be found here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=y6rtfljab.0.vdxlukjab.ob54bdfab.0&ts=S0743&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nops.k12.la.us%2Fuploads%2FFile%2F2012%2FBoard%2520Office%2FBoard%2520Meetings%2FSpecial%2520Board%2520Meeting%2520Packet%252003%252015%25202012.pdf]
* Meeting was adjourned during discussions without Board taking action

Background


* OPSB President reported that the President and the Vice-President had developed
the proposals for the reasons stated below.
* The proposals are still proposals, subject to change prior to enactment by Board.
* Currently the Superintendent is the only employee who is hired by, and reports
 directly to, the Board, and he serves as the Board's treasurer and secretary. Other
OPSB employees report either directly or indirectly to the Superintendent.
* Net effects of the proposals are as follows:

* CFO upgraded to a Deputy Superintendent position, hired by, and reporting to, 
OPSB and serves as treasurer of the Board
* Charter Schools Executive Director upgraded to a Deputy Superintendent position,
hired by, and reports directly to the Board, and serves as official representative
of District to RSD
* All OPSB employees report to any Deputy or Superintendent regardless of direct
 supervisor

Board Member Discussions/Opinions  in Support of the Proposals


* Represents new structure appropriate for emerging public school operations
* Flattens the top-down bureaucratic structure consistent with decentralizing via
charter schools
* Is consistent with Board function of developing policy and providing governance
* Can get, or already has, support of State reformers
* Relieves Superintendent of some functions to allow his concentration on improving
academics in direct-run schools
* Developed with the assistance of some staff administrators

Board Member Discussions/Opinions in Opposition to the Proposals


* Board should limit itself to policy and not hiring or supervising any employees
other than superintendent
* Proposals were not vetted through Policy Committee
* Consideration is more appropriate for regular meetings, not special meetings
* Conflicts with State reform effort being advanced for superintendents to be CEOs
without Board interference
* Not developed by Superintendent
* Ill timed if salaries increase while RIF started
* Reporting arrangements have potential for staff confusion and conflicts
* Under current structure, OPSB has attained high ratings among LA districts
* Necessary changes and improvements can be handled in another way
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This service is made possible by a Community IMPACT 2011 Grant from the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

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