Monroe City School Board of Education
2006 Tower Drive
Monroe, Louisiana 71201
MINUTES
The Monroe City School Board met in regular session, Tuesday June 9, 2026, at Monroe City School District Central Office, 2006 Tower Drive, Monroe, Louisiana 71201. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Board President Brandon Johnson. Carroll High School Air Force ROTC presented the Colors, Pastor Quincy Gardner offered prayer and Dr. Bret Sanders led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda Item 1C – Roll Call
Present: Mr. Sampognaro, Ms. Jennifer Haneline, Bill Willson, Daryll Berry, Betty Ward Cooper, Brandon Johnson and Brenda ShellingAgenda Item 1D – Adoption of the Agenda
It was moved by Jennifer Haneline and seconded by Bill Willson that Gallagher be added to the agenda under New Business 4E.
On a motion by Ms. Haneline and seconded by Mr. Willson the board approved the agenda with Gallagher added to New Business Agenda Item 4E. The motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item 2 A-O Consent Agenda
On a motion by Mrs. Cooper and seconded by Mrs. Shelling the board approved the board of education minutes for May 5, 2026, Differentiated Compensation, Glint, Renaissance, Reading/Math, CARE Tool, Edu20/20, Lexia: Core5 & Powerup Renewal, GoGuardian/Pear Assessment, Studyville, The Center for Literacy and Learning, Noel Consulting, New Directions, Hester Consulting, HS Science Textbook Adoption, Professional Development for SBLC Chairs and 504 Coordinators.
The motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item 3 Consent Items for Separate Consideration
None
Agenda Item 4A New Business – Millage Renewal (informational only)
Pastor Quincy Gardner urge clear articulation of uses and pledging to oppose any proposal not in students’ interests.
Bishop McFarland, former board member, emphasized the necessity of funds for Monroe City schools, urged board unity, and advocated placing the millage back on the ballot.
Public Notice: Notice of Intent to Call Election per Louisiana Title 42, Section 19.1. (read by Board Attorney Lawrence)
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE OF INTENT TO CALL ELECTION
Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 19.1 of Title 42 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, that the Monroe City School Board of the City of Monroe, State of Louisiana, acting as the governing authority of the City of Monroe Special School District (the “District”), on July 14, 2026, at its special meeting place, 2006 Tower Drive, Henrietta George Metting Room, at 6:00 p.m., will discuss and consider adopting a resolution ordering and calling an election to authorize the renewal of ad valorem taxes of the District subject to the approval by the qualified voters therein, and if passed, for such taxes to be levied thereafter.
By: MONROE SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, STATE OF LOUISIANA FOR ANNOUNCEMENT AND PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL
Agenda Item 4B -Naming of 2026-2027 Official Journal for the Monroe City School Board
On a motion by Ms. Haneline and seconded by Mr. Sampognaro the board approved naming the Free Press for 2026-2027 Official Journal for the Monroe City School Board. The motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item 4C – Naming of Neville High School Football Field in Honor of Coach Mickey McCarty
On a motion by Mr. Sampognaro and seconded by Mr. Willson, the board approved the naming of the Neville High School football field in Honor of Coach Mickey McCarty. The motion carried unanimously.
Board President Johnson suggest Dr. Watson and Mr. Monroe work together on organizing the ceremony
Agenda Item 4D – Engagement of special counsel to collect and recover misappropriated funds.
Superintendent Moore reported a legislative audit found misappropriated funds; Superintendent Moore is seeking the funds to be collected and bring back to the school district.
Board counsel noted forensic evidence is housed at the Legislative Auditor’s office in Baton Rouge and recommended engaging Baton Rouge-based special counsel for efficiency.
It was moved by Mr. Willson to recommend hiring Mr. Blackwell as a special counsel pertaining to the above as recommendation by Counsel Lawrence.
Ms. Haneline ask for a friendly amendment to urge the board to agree to hiring a special counsel but perhaps look for an alternative options who have less of a history with Monroe City Schools. Ms. Haneline stated for the record that this was brought to their attention last week where she raised concerns and suggested this was not the best choice and no other options were brought to the board.
On a motion by Mr. Willson and seconded by Mr. Sampognaro the board approve to hire Mr. Blackwell as Special Counsel. The motion Carried 4 in favor 3 against.
In Favor: Michael Sampognaro
Bill Willson
Daryll Berry
Brenda Shelling
Brandon Johnson
Not in Favor: Jennifer Haneline
Betty Ward Cooper
Agenda Item 4E – Gallagher Insurance (added to the agenda)
Jennifer Haneline gave an overview of the June 8, 2026 Insurance committee meeting, She noted for more details you can watch the recording of this committee meeting.
Gallagher Insurance Package Renewal
• The insurance committee (met June 8, 2026) recommended approving Gallagher’s renewal with reducing of the premium and reduction in the deductible.
On a motion by Ms. Haneline and seconded by Mrs. Shelling the board approved the Gallagher package with the $25,000 deductible for the district with a premium of $770,000. The previous premium was $1,010,000.
On a motion by Ms. Haneline and seconded by Mr. Willson the board approved to waive the uninsured motorist coverage and authorized Superintendent Moore to execute. The motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item 5A and B – Report of Superintendent
April 2026 Financial Reports – Located online
• Sales tax distributions to employees are scheduled for June 17, 2026; amounts pending calculation and all employees will be notified immediately.
• Gov. Landry’s Executive Order# 26-047: This Executive Order will result in a decrease of $2,074,523 in the district’s 2026-2027 MFP
Cashless system:
o The goal is to fully transition to cashless system for all events to take care of financial fraud,
o As of May 31, 2026, online collections total $352,903.45.
HR Staffing:
o 619 teachers: 333 certified, 121 out-of-field, 165 uncertified (most pursuing certification).
Academics
The Academic Department is pleased to share several highlights that reflect the
district’s continued commitment to excellence and student achievement:
The Louisiana Department of Education has released the K–3 Literacy
Proficiency results, and Monroe City Schools achieved a proficiency rate of
71.1%, which is 4.9 percent above the state average. This
accomplishment is a testament to the dedication of our teachers, school
leaders, students, and families.
District summer learning programs are up and running smoothly, providing
students with meaningful opportunities to strengthen academic skills and
prepare for continued success in the upcoming school year.
The district proudly sent more than 150 participants to Louisiana
Department of Education 2026 Teacher Leader Summer Conference, were
educators attended a minimum of nine professional learning sessions focused
on strengthening instructional practices and improving classroom outcomes
For the first summer, Monroe City Schools has been approved to offer FAST
FORWARD Summer, providing students with opportunities for work-based
learning experiences, industry credential acquisition, and additional Career and
Technical Education (CTE) course credits. Mr. Moore thanked Cody Chase and Jacqueline Anderson and the academic Team for making it happen for our students and further preparing them for college and career success.
School leaders participated in a full-day Title I fiscal compliance and
programming in-service hosted by Kish Consulting, ensuring continued
alignment with federal requirements and the effective use of resources to
support student achievement.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate Monroe City Schools’ ongoing focus on
high-quality instruction, innovative opportunities for students, and strong
leadership practices that support academic excellence for every child, every day.
Child Nutrition Services
Update on Cafeteria Redesign (contacted TA2G for consultation). Currently in the process of requesting bids for the furniture at the 3 High Schools.
• Numbers are low for summer feeding programs. Cuts will be made to staff to negate waste.
• The State Department reviewed three feeding sites and found us in good standing with the exception of increasing our serving size. They will continue to monitor our sites and return later to audit the Summer Feeding Program.
Custodial/Warehouse
• Most schools have been cleaned and buffed, with the exception of those being utilized for the summer programs throughout the district.
HVAC
Last week there was mention of HVAC needs and replacements; currently looking for potential funding to move and bring forward to the board to make changes in improving our schools and safety.
Maintenance
• Turf replacement is underway and is approximately 3 weeks ahead of schedule with Neville nearly complete. Due to drainage issues, Carroll is finally set for installation and Wossman is set to have Cushdrain installation begin this week.
• Carroll High School ticket booth project is moving forward and will continue to get quotes on safety for the open gates system. Also, working on advertising and maintenance possibly doing some work to encourage law enforcement personnel who are post certified to come and join one of the Monroe City Schools through local law enforcement agencies. The goal is to have 19 uniform officers that are post certified on the campus. Budgets are being prepared. Estimated cost for this could reach approximately $72,000 per officer, totaling more than $1.3 million.
• New Field Trip policy is being developed and available
Superintendent Moore hopes to earn trust from the board and public. He noted that we can’t be held accountable for things that we are not responsible for but can be held accountable for things moving forward.
Board President Johnson referred back to Agenda Item 4E
Agenda Item 6A – Future Meetings
Board of Education Meetings – July 14, 2026, August 4, 2026, and September 15, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. with notice that any changes would be communicated publicly.
Agenda Item 7 – Recess/Adjourn
There being no further business to come before the board, on a motion by Ms. Haneline and seconded by Mr. Sampognaro the meeting adjourn at 7:05 p.m.
\Brandon Johnson/ \Sam L. Moore, III/_
Brandon Johnson Sam L. Moore III
Board President Superintendent
Note: These minutes summarize the final decisions made by the Board at the referenced meeting. This meeting was also audio recorded, and that recording is available for review by contacting the Board clerk at tonya.robinsons@mcschools.net.
