Questions raised over Head Start application
Published 12:00 am Saturday, March 27, 2010
By David Vitrano
L’Observateur
RESERVE – The three-year application for grant money for St. John the Baptist Parish’s Head Start Program was approved unanimously by the School Board at a special meeting Thursday morning.
According to St. John Child Development Center Principal Jackie Forest, the amount applied for was about $1.15 million, an amount comparable to past grant amounts.
Forest noted the program accepts both 3- and 4-year-olds, but 4-year-olds are given preference, and many 3-year-olds are placed on a waiting list.
Board member Russ Wise asked Forest why more money was not applied for to accommodate children on the waiting list. Wise called the decision not to seek more funding “a bit short-sighted” and said, “If we have a waiting list, it says that this isn’t enough.”
Forest said she applied for the same amount because the state only has a certain amount allocated for funding programs statewide but agreed that in the future seeking additional funds might be a good idea.
The program currently serves 193 children at three sites throughout the parish.
Another grant application presented to the board was for funding sidewalk improvements between Emily C. Watkins Elementary School and John L. Ory Magnet School through the Safe Routes to Schools program.
According to Superintendent Courtney Millet’s report, “The project will involve construction of 6,000 linear feet of sidewalks on Louisiana Highway 44/ 628 (and) West Fifth Street in LaPlace.”
Sidewalks along this route are currently either nonexistent or in a state of disrepair.
The application has already been submitted and was presented to the board for informational purposes only.
The board also approved a policy relating to disclosure on contracts with the school district.
When the policy first came up for a vote late last month, some board members expressed concern the policy was neither wide enough in scope nor specific enough in coverage.
The revised policy covers all service contracts with the school system and outlines three specific areas of disclosure. The first deals with fees and commissions, while the second concerns disclosure of all subcontractors and employees involved in the contract.
The last part, included in reaction to the recent trouble the board had with its contract with A.M.E. Disaster Recovery Services of Norco, states felony convictions of “any sole proprietor, any stockholder, any principal partner and any corporate officer” must be disclosed.
The policy goes on to state any violation may result in not awarding a contract or termination of an existing contract.
The board approved the revised policy unanimously.
Also on Thursday, Wise introduced a resolution supporting the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s request for a 2.75 percent growth factor to be added to the minimum foundation program. According to the proposal, MFP funds represent about half of general fund revenues.
Wise said this growth factor is needed because local school boards are facing state budget cuts as well as increased financial responsibilities.
“We need to stand up and fight for everything we are already guaranteed by the state,” said Wise.
According to Executive Director of Business and Finance Felix Boughton, the district stands to lose about $600,000 if the state Legislature does not approve BESE’s request.
The resolution passed unanimously.
Lastly, the School Board meeting set for April 1 has been cancelled because of the next day’s Good Friday holiday.