The Allen Parish School Board learned the first progress reports were scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, September 14, at its Monday meeting, but school was closed due to the weather. Superintendent Kent Reed said those reports would be distributed as soon as students returned to face-to-face contact. He said students were sent home with virtual work for Tuesday and possibly Wednesday due to the threat of flooding forecasted in the area.
Reed informed board members the parish would reciprocate the generosity of St. Charles Parish School system by holding fund raisers to assist them with damages from Hurricane Ida. St. Charles Parish had adopted Allen Parish and raised monies to help it last year after Hurricanes Laura and Delta struck Southwest Louisiana. Reed said St. Charles had two 5-A schools, and Destrehan High School had no roof. He said Hahnville High School was also damaged. Reed said Dr. Ken Oertling (superintendent of St. Charles) told him they probably wouldn’t start school until November due to the damage.
“So we’ve decided to adopt St. Charles and do some fund raisers to return their generosity,” he said.
Reed told the board Kinder High School’s FFA department, under the leadership of Sullivan Fontenot, collected gasoline for hurricane victims. He said Fontenot went down to Lafourche Parish and distributed gasoline to anyone who wanted gas. He said it was a generous project to do.
The parish will have three IT interns this year in the Allen IT Academy Internship for the first semester. He said six juniors applied and three students were hired, one from Kinder High and two from Oberlin High. He said students must complete 150 to 180 hours. At the end of the course, the student can receive a carnegie unit toward graduation. Students in the program are paid $10 per hour.
The parish is planning a technology day for Saturday, October 23, at Oakdale High, similar to the TNT event held in Calcasieu. Ninety-four educators have registered for the event. Reed said registration was reopen after a similar event in New Orleans was canceled due to hurricane-related issues. He said parish teachers would receive a $100 stipend and have an opportunity to win door prizes.
Reed also announced supervisors were visiting each high school to support administrators, counselors and teachers regarding curriculum implementation, technology support and any other needs. He also said they are discussing Jump Start 1.0, Jump Start 2.0 and Fast Forward, all programs to promote opportunities for students. (Fast Forward allows students to work toward an associates degree while completing high school requirements. Reed commended Fairview High which has 17 students in the program.) He also included schools that are utilizing CLEP and Dual Enrollment opportunities. He said students can begin taking classes in one of these programs in ninth and 10th grades on campus and through the university in 11th and 12th grades. He said all classes are online and taken on the student’s high school campus. Fairview is partnering with Northwest, and SOWELA is also available.
The board learned the district is continuing its NIET administrator evaluation rubric as a guide throughout the year. Superiors have been assigned to each school site and are assisting principals through coaching and other supportive ways.
In his report on construction, Reed said the project at Kinder High’s gym is in the final stages. He said they were completing and pouring concrete at the bus stop at Fairview High. Kinder Elementary’s playground was updated including new equipment. The cafeteria at Oberlin was completed, and more water bottle fill stations were installed in the parish. Fences at Oberlin High’s football field, Oakdale Elementary and Kinder Elementary were repaired or replaced. Doors at Fairview High were replaced. Reed said there has been a large amount of maintenance in the parish including replacing or repairing air condition units.
The board learned homecoming dates were set, and the district would not host any dances on a school campus due to Covid. Reed said communities could host homecoming dances, but they would not be sponsored by the district. Oberlin will observe homecoming, Friday, September 24, followed by Oakdale High on October 1, Kinder High on October 22, Elizabeth on December 3, and Reeves on January 28. Fairview still hasn’t set a date.
In other business, the board:
•Amended the budget for 2020-21 fiscal year. The original budget had a deficit of $519,000 in the general fund. It will now have a surplus of $607,000 due to the increase in the parish’s sales tax collections. Federal grants were estimated to be at $3.8 million in the budget, but Tammi Ritchie, finance director, said after monies were received, the parish will have $4.3 million budgeted.
•Authorized the superintendent to sign the required documents associated with uninsured motorists.
•Adopted a resolution to join the Louisiana Public Schools Risk Management.
•Approved an FFA trip for Robert Friday, advisor, and 10 Elizabeth High FFA members to attend the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, from October 25, to October 29.
•Authorized the superintendent to advertise for a custodian at Oakdale High and at Oberlin High/Media Center, as well as a special education para for Kinder Elementary School.
•Approved the bills authorized by the finance committee.
•Approved the minutes of the August 9, meeting.
Board members Carolyn Manuel and Sally Moreaux were not present.
