Monroe City School Board of Education
2006 Tower Drive
Monroe, Louisiana 71201
MINUTES
The Monroe City School Board met in regular session, Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at Monroe City School District Central Office, 2006 Tower Drive, Monroe, Louisiana 71201. The meeting was called to order at 6:02p.m. by Board President Betty Ward Cooper. Pastor Quincy Gardner of Saint Matthew Church of Christ Holiness offered prayer and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda Item 1C – Roll Call
Present: Michael Sampognaro, Jennifer Haneline, Bill Willson, Daryll Berry, Betty ward Cooper, Brandon Johnson, and Brenda Shelling.
Action Item 1D – Adoption of the Agenda
It was moved by Mrs. Shelling and seconded by Mr. Berry to add Clara Hall STEM Club Travel to Mississippi April 17th,Clara Hall Pre-K – 2nd grade travel to Jackson Mississippi April 24th,Clara Hall Pre-k -K travel to Jackson Mississippi April 22nd,Clara Hall 1st and 2nd grade travel to Mississippi April 22nd,Clara Hall Pre-K – 2nd grade travel to Mississippi May 5th,Clara Hall Pre-k-2nd grade travel to Jackson Mississippi May 7th, JS Clark travel to Arkansas May 9th to the consent agenda items and to add Carver Junior Beta Club travel to Orlando Florida by Charter June 27-29th to the consent agenda items for separate consideration.
On a motion by Mr. Johnson and seconded by Mr. Berry the board approved of adding the above additions to the consent and consent for separate consideration agenda items.
Agenda Item 2A-M Consent Agenda
On a motion by Mr. Johnson and seconded by Mr. Berry the Board approved Board of Education Minutes – March 18, 2025; Awarding of Bid for Carroll High Band Uniforms;
Permission to Advertise for Bids for 2025-2026 School Food Service Products; Permission to Advertise for Bids for 2025-2026 Instructional and Janitorial Supplies; Permission to travel – Jefferson Upper 6th graders travel to Arlington Texas (Mayo Tours); Ratification: Permission to Travel – Neville HS B.O.O.M. Team travel to Arlington Texas; Clara Hall STEM Club Travel to Mississippi April 17th,Clara Hall Pre-K – 2nd grade travel to Jackson Mississippi April 24th,Clara Hall Pre-k -K travel to Jackson Mississippi April 22nd,Clara Hall 1st and 2nd grade travel to Mississippi April 22nd,Clara Hall Pre-K – 2nd grade travel to Mississippi May 5th,Clara Hall Pre-k-2nd grade travel to Jackson Mississippi May 7th and JS Clark travel to Arkansas May 9th the motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item 4A – Items for separate Consideration – Carver Junior Beta Club travel to Orlando Florida by Charter June 27-29th (added to the agenda)
It was moved by Ms. Haneline and seconded by Mr. Berry to approve Carver Elementary School Beta Club to travel to Orlando Florida by Charter. The motion carried on a majority vote. Brandon Johnson recused.
Agenda Item 4A – New Business – Resolution to appoint the Superintendent of Schools to serve on behalf of the Monroe City School Board as a voting member of & nbsp; the Local & nbsp; Industrial Tax Exemption Program (“ITEP”) Committee, said Program administered by the Department of Economic Development and the Board of Commerce and Industry, in compliance with regulations found at La. Admin Code Title 13, Sec. I-557 and generally, follow other relevant guidelines or procedures developed by the Louisiana Department of Economic Development and/or Board of Commerce and Industry. & nbsp;
On motion by Ms. Haneline and seconded by Mr. Johnson the board approve the Resolution to appoint the Superintendent of Schools to serve on behalf of the Monroe City School Board as a voting member of & nbsp; the Local & nbsp; Industrial Tax Exemption Program (“ITEP”) Committee, said Program administered by the Department of Economic Development and the Board of Commerce and Industry, in compliance with regulations found at La. Admin Code Title 13, Sec. I-557 and generally, follow other relevant guidelines or procedures developed by the Louisiana Department of Economic Development and/or Board of Commerce and Industry. & nbsp. The motion carried on a unanimous vote.
Agenda Item 5A – Reports
Academic Highlights:
End-of-year DIBELS testing, a crucial part of our educational process, is currently
underway on the elementary campuses. Students scoring below proficient on
these screeners will retest at the end of May in an attempt to score proficient. After
the May retest, any student scoring below basic will be required to attend summer
remediation, and a final retest will be provided in mid-June. This process is in
compliance with the requirements outlined in Revised Statute 17:24.
* The Flying Classroom, featuring Captain Barrington Irving, is teaming up with
Monroe City Schools 21st Century Community Learning for an exciting STEM Fest.
Students from our 21st-century School sites will explore science, technology,
engineering, and math through interactive exhibits and hands-on activities.
The event will be held from 10:00 AM to 12:00 on Saturday, May 10, at Monroe
Regional Airport.
To support students with disabilities in developing active minds, self-confidence,
dignity, discipline, and competitive spirit, some of our students with disabilities
will compete in the annual Gumbo Games held on May 2 at Bastrop High School.
Superintendent Moore noted, providing parents with tools to strength their home learning efforts,
our academic team pack literacy backpacks that have been
distributed to our CIR/UIR schools, grades K-8. Each backpack contained a series
of books highlighting key literacy skills. The backpacks were provided to parents
who attended each school’s parental involvement night.
MIS Department – Technology and Infrastructure Initiatives
The Management Information Systems (MIS) Department is actively engaged in several key initiatives to modernize the district’s technology infrastructure, improve operational efficiency, and enhance the user experience. The following projects are currently underway:
1. Server and Network Infrastructure Modernization. The MIS team is currently replacing aging server hardware and networking equipment to establish a robust virtual server environment. This infrastructure upgrade will enhance performance, improve data security, support future scalability, and reduce long-term maintenance demands.
2. Cafeteria Technology Refresh All Cafeteria Point of Sale (POS) systems and Cafeteria Managers’ desktops are being upgraded with new hardware. This refresh will result in faster, more reliable performance and ensure continued support for essential daily operations.
3. Helpdesk System Upgrade A new end-user helpdesk portal is being implemented to simplify the process of submitting and tracking support tickets. The new system offers a more user-friendly interface and streamlines communication, improving response times and ticket resolution efficiency.
4. Legacy Phone Line Conversions The district is in the process of converting legacy analog phone lines to a digital phone system. This transition will not only modernize communication infrastructure but is also expected to reduce recurring costs associated with outdated analog services over time.
Each of these initiatives is aligned with our broader goal of creating a reliable, secure, and future-ready technology environment for the district.
Child Nutrition Services
CNS would like to extend the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Bid. For all the other bids, in the past it was only allowed for a one-year extension period. All of the bids will need to be bided out (Bread Products, Milk & Juice, Food Products, and Paper & Cleaning Supplies).
Maintenance
The Sallie Humble project is nearly complete. The contractors are within their 45-day window complete the punch list.
Safety
Needs assessments have been completed at all secondary schools. Once JS Clark is complete a preliminary report will be submitted to the board.
The lockdown Policy was submitted for approval.
Camara installation is completed on nearly 14/19 of our schools. Principals have been overwhelmingly satisfied with new cameras and have been instructed to discover any blind spots for phase 2 of installation
Mr. Moore shared information on the audit. He directed the business department to get started on looking at the schools that had findings in those categories where they have negatives.
Agenda Item 5C Report of Board Members
Jennifer Haneline Report
* The curriculum committee is working on scheduling a meeting soon.
* She was very pleased with the new Sallie Humble project.
* The Neville Charter vote has been concluded and will be counted this Thursday.
Daryll Berry Report
* Mr. Berry had the opportunity to visit Carroll High School and Roy Neal Shelling. He will visit Carroll Jr. High School soon.
* Mrs. Byrd is retiring from Neville High School after 35 years
Brenda Shelling – No Comment
Brandon Johnson Report
* Mr. Johnson thanked the district staff for being present and active in assisting Superintendent Moore.
Mr. Sampognaro – No comment
Bill Willson Report
* Mr. Willson will schedule an insurance committee meeting prior to the next board meeting.
Mrs. Cooper – No comment
Agenda Item 6 – Future Meetings
Board of Education Meetings- May 6, 2025, and June 10, 2025, at 6:00pm
Recess/Adjourn
There being no further business to come before the board, on a motion by Ms. Haneline and seconded by Mr. Berry, the meeting adjourned at 6:46 p.m.Bottom of Form
_/Betty Ward Cooper/ /Sam Moore, III/
Betty Ward Cooper Sam Moore, III
Board President Superintendent
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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.
