The Allen Parish School Board met Monday, April 20, to hear updates on education plans, school improvements, food programs and other business.
In his report to the board, Superintendent Kent said the district’s two biggest issues during the Coronavirus Pandemic has been how to provide food to students and an education plan for every student while school have been closed.
At this time, the district is working on the Healthy School Food Collaborative Plan which allows parents to sign up for online, www.allen.k12.la.us. Through this program food will be delivered to the students’ homes. The first meals are due to arrive April 27, and each meal kit will include five lunches, five breakfasts, seven snacks and seven dinners. The program is scheduled to run through the month of June.
In the area of education, supervisors and school leaders have worked from home and even answered calls as needed. The schools and school board office will be officially open from 8 a.m. til 12 noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, beginning April 27, for school leaders and supervisors. He said their education plan is in two areas now – providing educational resources for all students and providing opportunities for student who are failing a particular course. He said teachers will be asked to contact students/parents that do not have four quality points and develop a plan for that student to recover grades. He said educators should have a system in place by Monday, April 27, for each student, and weekly work will be reviewed by teachers to make decisions on student promotions. “Central office staff will be putting final touches on these promotion plans for students.”
Reed said once the school year was closed by the governor, the district began adjusting the grading policies for the school year. “Grades will be calculated for grades three through 11 by adding quality points for the four grading periods and dividing by four. First and second grade students will add quality points for three weeks and divide by three for the final grade.”
From the beginning Reed said the district would recognize its seniors in some way at graduation time. He said graduation dates have not been changed yet but changes could occur in the future. He said they plan to conduct ceremonies but were not sure when and how the events will take place. He said he and Clarice Papillion would meet with high school principals to create a plan. Seniors and parents are also meeting with school principals and counselors to review their academic status and deciding if the student needs to recover grades. He said the “pass/fail option for course grades” could lower GPAs so parents must fill out appropriate paperwork before the grade will become official.
Reed said he would begin holding staff meetings with Bridget Craft, personnel supervisor, during the week of May 11, to May 15, for the upcoming school year.
In the area of construction, Reed announced the slab had been poured for the pre-K/kindergarten building at Kinder Elementary. He said metal door frames are in place and cinder block walls are being constructed at this time. In the cafeteria, demolition is underway and moving quickly. He said the fifth grade classrooms were emptied earlier in the day, and he expected work to begin in that area any day.
At the high school’s construction site, Reed said the back dressing room and weight-room demo is almost completed as well as dressing rooms and the dry storage areas for the cafeteria. He expected the steel beams for the gymnasium to arrive this week. He said when construction was completed, they would have refurbished 25 classrooms and added 10 new classrooms.
In other business, board members:
•Approved the minutes for the March 9, and March 18, meetings.
•Changed the date of the May board meeting to Monday, May 18, instead of on May 11.
•Authorized the superintendent to advertise for a parishwide maintenance worker and for bids for milk, bread, small wares, cleaning supplies, equipment and food for the 2020-21 school year.
•Accepted the highest bid on the Reeves High School principal house and property from Jason Lovejoy for $53,100.
