Bullying trial takes on new significance

The bullying trial of Jason Thomas has been dragging on for a couple of years now in Bossier District Court.  Thomas was originally charged with cyber bullying against Danielle Cox, a minor.

‘ur not important’

On January 24^th, 2011, one of Danielle’s friends had posted Danielle’s number on Facebook and asked that her friends text her and tell her not to kill herself. Rather than offering help, the state alleges that Thomas used a program called ClamTXT to send multiple messages to Danielle’s phone, each purporting to come from a different person. The messages read ‘I won’t miss u’, ‘ur not important’ and ‘just end it all’.

On January 25^th Danielle ingested an excessive amount of medication in a suicide attempt. She survived.

In February Thomas was arrested on the Cyber Bullying charge. On May 20^th, 2011, Danielle did kill herself. The charge was amended to Criminal Assistance to Suicide.

There will be a status hearing on Tuesday to see if the case is ready to go to trial. I’ll keep everyone posted on that. 

I’m not going into any detail on the most recent bully related suicides, but will note that both occurred very recently.

Two more students are victims

In light of two more suicides that are bully related, this case does take on new significance. What I’m about to say isn’t accusatory, but facts are facts. 

A bad problem exists, and it is centered around South Bossier, Elm Grove Middle School and Parkway High School.  The Parkway band can’t make overnight trips for the next two years because of an incident that happened in April. Eight band members simulated a sex act on a freshman boy against his will as the students were walking to the bus. That is co-incidental to the suicides, and not nearly as serious, but it does reflect the culture that exists where bullying seems to have some acceptance.

Part of the solution

Obviously, something has to be done. As I said, I’m not being accusatory and blaming the schools for children killing themselves; I’m not saying that the schools are the cause of the problem.

However, they certainly need to be part of the solution. Something has to be done, and it will take people uniting and forcing action.

We’ll delve into this deeper in the weeks to come. Meanwhile, to find out more, you can go to Facebook and check out these two pages:

Smiles for Danielle

South Bossier Anti-BullyingCoalition

Something has to be done, and it will take people uniting and forcing action.

Bossier to add armed security to elementary schools

The Bossier Parish School Board voted to add four additional resource officers to serve the elementary schools in the district on a rotation basis. Middle schools and high schools in Bossier Parish already have resource officers assigned to them. 
I have heard discussion both pro and con. I come down on the pro side. One of the arguments that I have heard against the measure is that we have had no shootings in our schools. While that is true, and hopefully will remain true, I’m sure the people who have suffered school shootings could have said the same thing. While there is no guarantee that an armed guard could stop a shooter, he has a much better chance than unarmed school staff.
I have a granddaughter who is in first grade in a Bossier school. I asked myself whether I would feel better if the school had an armed person on campus or not. I believe that I would feel better about it.
While it is a shame that it is necessary, I believe that erring on the side of protecting our children is better than the alternative. 
Arming trained teachers is another question for another day. Right now, we’ll deal with the situation as it is.

Settle will appeal ruling

Attorney John Settle has announced that he will appeal the 26th JDC ruling on the School Board bond election.
Judge Jeff Cox ruled Settle did not prove that the Board had misrepesented the proposition as a renewal. He also ruled that any wrongdoing by school officials in promoting the election were a criminal matter, not a civil one.
KTBS stated in their story that “Bossier DA Schuyler Marvin has not returned repeated calls from KTBS as to whether he will review Settle's allegations.”
I can answer that one. Ummmmm, no . . . 

Judge Cox upholds election

To no one's surprise, Judge Jeff Cox upheld the April 21 bond election. John Settle must pay all costs of the lawsuit.
The Times has a copy of the judgment here.

School Board Suit: No cause of action

Judge Jeff Cox ruled this morning that there is no cause of action in the suit that John Settle filed against the School Board.
Settled filed the suit last week seeking to overturn the April 21st bond election. Settle accused the board of misusing funds which were spent on advertising and promotion of the bond issue, an action which is forbidden by law.
The Judge said that if there was a misuse of funds, it is a criminal matter, not a civil one.
Settle also said that the Board committed fraud when it represented the bond issue as a renewal, when in fact it was a new proposition. Judge Cox hasn't ruled yet on that part of the suit.
UPDATE: Settle asked Judge Cox to recuse himself because he has friends who are connected to the school system. This was after he requested Judge Stinson to do the same because his son is a teacher. Judge Stinson did so.
This time, with Judge Cox, it was a no go.

Eight people subpoened to testify in bond election case

John Settle has requested that eight people be subpoened to testify in the case to overturn the School Board bond election. They are:

1. Bobby Edmiston
2. D. C. Machen
3. Sonya Bailes
4. Scott Smith
5. Scott Hughes (Alliance for Education)
6. Terrie Johnson (Elm Grove Middle School)
7. Rhonda Schnell (Stockwell Elementary)
8. David Thrash (Bossier High School)

An initial hearing will be held Monday morning in Bossier District Court. I’ll let you know the outcome of that.

Judge Stinson recuses himself from School Board lawsuit

Judge Ford E. Stinson, Jr. has recused himself from the lawsuit that John Settle filed against the Bossier Parish School Board. Judge Stinson notifed Settle that his son is a teacher at Elm Grove, and as such is an employee of the board. He also said that he could be impartial in hearing the case.
Settle disagreed, and filed for recusal. Judge Stinson signed an order recusing himself and assigning the case to Section C and Judge Jeff Cox. Stinson said that due to the urgent nature of the case, a hearing would only drag it out.
The Secretary of State and the Comissioner of Elections, who were named as co-defendants in the case, were both served. The Board, the Secretary of State and the Elections Commissioner all have 15 days to file an answer.
I'll keep you informed as more develops.

Settle files suit to overturn School Board bond election

Bossier City attorney John Settle filed suit yesterday against the Bossier Parish School Board seeking to overturn the April 21st bond election.
The suit alleges that the School Board illegally spent public money to promote the election.
(Bolded sections are verbatim from the suit.)
Article 11 Section 4 of the Louisiana Constitution says: “No public funds shall be used to urge any elector to vote for or against any candidate or proposition, or be appropriated to a candidate or political organization. The provision shall not prohibit the use of public funds for dissemination of factual information relative to a proposition appearing on an election ballot.”
The suit also points out that the State Attorney General has issued an opinion that public funds may not be used for mailings that urge the electorate to vote for a proposition.
“That the BPSB conducted many unlawful activities in the promotion of the subject tax renewal in its successful effort to have the tax approved by Bossier voters, including emails which should be considered to be ‘mailings’ urging the electorate to vote for the proposition.
The official website of the BPSB, along with the websites of most Bossier Parish schools, had a lead article ‘Grow with Us’. This column exhorted its readers to ‘Grow with us, Evolve with us, Invest in us’. The column urged readers to ‘pledge your support for Bossier Schools by not only voting yes on April 21, but by also helping us spread the word that this referendum is critical.
That the BPSB purchased billboard/LED boards with the message ‘Grow with us, Evolve with us, Invest in us. Pledge your support for Bossier Schools by voting yes on April 21st. ‘”
“That, as set forth above, it is obvious that the BPSB utilized public funds and public resources in numerous ways to unlawfully promote the passage of the ‘tax renewal’ and the bond election, including but not limited to the following:
1. Expenditure of public funds for billboards.
2. Expenditure of public funds for tee shirts promoting election.
3. Utilization of BPSB employees to send emails to parents regarding bond and tax election through ‘school loops.’
4. Utilization of BPSB employees to promote the election by urging (if not requiring) that they vote and solicit votes from friends, families and organizations.
5. Utilization of BPSB websites, which are paid for and maintained with public funds, to promote the bond and tax election.
6. Advising the public through the media as well as emails and mailings, that passages and the ‘tax renewal’ would not be new taxes.
That the actions of the BPSB in the utilization of public funds, public resources, and publicly paid employees to promote the election constitutes election irregularities, fraud and/or unlawful activities in the conduct of the election.”
I will keep you posted as to when hearing dates are set or if new documents are filed.

Bossier School Board sued for failure to honor public record request

Attorney John E. Settle, Jr. has filed suit against the Bossier Parish School Board in an attempt to get the board to produce documents which he requested under the public records law.
On April 27th, Settle requested the following from the Board:

• Contact information for all bond attorneys who were consulted.
• Copies of all correspondence to and from the bond attorneys.
• All communications to Clarence Babineaux regarding the bond issue.
• All communications between School Board employees regarding the bond proposal and tax propositions.

On May 1st, Settle received a letter from Charles F. Hardie VI of the Baton Rouge firm of Hammonds & Sills. Mr. Hardie stated that his firm serves as general counsel for the School Board. In the letter he further stated “please note that certain documents requested, specifically electronic communications, are not readily available.”
Missing Emails
The letter continues, “please also note that, while conducting the search of the School Board’s email servers for relevant communications responsive to your request, the School Board has discovered that its email archive failed on or about February 17, 2012. As a result of this failure, communications occuring on or after that date may have been deleted permanently from the School Board’s server if the original recipient removed that communication from his or her individual electronic mailbox.”
(If the IT people only discovered after 2½ months that the email archive wasn't functioning, who knows how long it would have gone on if Settle had not requested these records?)
It is important to note that the law requires all public bodies to save these records for a minimum of three years.
Public record requests are to be honored within 72 hours.
If the public record is not immediately available, the custodian must promptly notify you in writing of the reason why the record is not immediately available and fix a day and hour within three days (excluding Saturday, Sunday, and legal holidays) when the records will be made available.
There will be a hearing in District Court in Benton on Thursday. I’ll let you know the results of that.

School Tax election offers a lesson

There is a lesson to be learned from the school tax election last Saturday.

The $210,000,000 bond issue was approved – barely – by just over 300 votes out of more than 9,000 cast.

The proposal for employee pay increases was denied, as was the funding for new technology.

This is a shame, as the technology funding was the proposal that most immediately affects our school kids. So far as the employee raises, had it only affected teachers, aides, custodial staff, cafeteria staff and clerical staff I believe it would have passed. In my opinion, what killed it was the idea of giving several people who make over $100,000 per year a hefty raise. In tough economic times, people who are struggling on half that amount or less were not just not willing to do it.

As for the bond issue, it was a grudging yes after a hard discussion. As a sidenote, I thought the celebrations by School Board members and upper-echelon employees were somewhat disgusting. They were acting like giddy teenagers when they needed to show the voters that they take them seriously.

A lot of people are also questioning why the board rolled back the current millage when they could have used the full millage to meet some of the needs that they now claim are urgent.

Bossier Parish voters have a hard time saying ‘no’ to anything for our schools. With two renewals coming up next year, this really should be a wake-up call to the board and the administration.

Professor Jeff Sadow addresses these questions in ‘Normally compliant voters send Bossier schools message’.

Technology

The state has mandated end of course testing for core classes, sort of a graduation exit exam. Again, this is mandated testing that must take place within a certain time frame.

These tests are all computer based.

Also, the new Common Core curriculum is now upon us and that is also a computer based testing mandate. Unfunded, of course - the state isn't interested in buying computer labs for public schools.

Seniors in Bossier Parish are required to complete a Senior Project prior to graduation; they must present this project to a panel of judges from the community. The presentations are more often than not on a Powerpoint presentation which requires...you guessed it - technology.
It is difficult to make a Powerpoint presentation on an older laptop that constantly has to be rebooted during the presentation.

I have talked to a couple of teachers, and they are more upset about lack of funding for technology than they are about being denied raises. Although some people seem unaware, our teachers really do put the interests of their students – our children – first.

This is from a Bossier Parish teacher:

I went into my classroom this morning and put a new box of Kleenex on the desk for the kids to use. I put it next to the large bottle of hand sanitizer that I bought at the same time.

Then I opened a package of  notebook paper and put in the tray for the kids without paper to use. I bought that, too. I also opened a new package of pens and one of pencils to put in the cup for those kids who get to school with nothing to write with.

The pencil sharpener to sharpen those pencils? I bought it.

When I wrote today's assignments on the board I used dry erase markers that I bought at WalMart.

When the kids left today, because so many were sneezing and sniffling from allergies, I wiped the desks down with Anti-Bacterial Wipes that I bought at Super One.
How many dollars have I given away out of my own pocket to kids that are thirsty after school or don't have lunch money?

In the evening I grade papers and make lesson plans.

As the election results came in Saturday night, KTBS posted an update on their Facebook feed. The comments there were nasty. Not all of them, but there were plenty that were just uninformed, false, and hateful. One person suggested that teachers "eat less" and another said that most of the teachers he sees are driving fancy and expensive cars. Speaking just for myself, for the past few years I drove a twenty year old car that was second hand when I got it; it had no heat, no radio, bad tires, cracked seats and an overheating problem. I don't see a lot of luxury vehicles in the parking lot, to be honest.

The Lesson

So what is the lesson that is to be learned?

It’s not only for the School Board, but for all elected officials as well.

City officials who are up for re-election next year, and those who will present themselves for office should also take notice.

The people are tired of the status quo and are beginning to demand accountability and will not accept mismanagement of the resources that they willingly have given to public bodies in the past.

This tax election is just the beginning.

Airline Baseball coach suspended and disciplined

The Bossier Parish School Board issued a statement about the suspension of Airline baseball coach Toby Todd. As the statement explains, Todd sent a text to a few players suggesting they watch a video of Augie Garrido, the head baseball coach at the University of Texas, who was captured on the video having somewhat of a meltdown. Garrido is one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history.
“Upon return from Easter Holidays, we were informed by parents that Coach Toby Todd, Head baseball coach at AHS, texted some of his players on the bus coming back from a game in the West Monroe Tournament in early March, for them to go to YouTube and view a video of University of Texas head coach, Augie Garrido, Flips Out — a video of the coach addressing his team following a loss. Immediate investigation revealed that the YouTube video was totally inappropriate and was misrepresentative of the expectations and philosophy the BPSB adheres to for coaches and athletic programs. Coach Todd has been disciplined for violation of the BPSB policy related to Electronic Communications Between Employees and Students and has been place on administrative leave from his coaching duties pending further evaluation and assessment of this incident. Coach Todd has taken full responsibility for his poor choice in this incident and has personally apologized to his players.”
Even taking into account the fact that coaches are not particularly known for their sensitivity, this was terrible judgment on his part, as he acknowledged.
Here is that video if you haven’t seen it. Be warned, the language is explicit and profane.

Bossier Chamber opposes school tax

The Bossier Chamber of Commerce has come out against the $210,000,000 bond issue that the School Board has proposed. 
You can read the story at the Press-Tribune.
Bossier voters generally approve these things, but opposition is mounting against this one.
I still hope that the pay raises and technology funding will be approved.

Vote yes for school pay raises

April 21st is decision time for Bossier Parish voters. Bossier teachers and support personnel, who are paid less than their counterparts in Webster, Red River, Caddo & DeSoto Parishes, haven't had a raise in seven years. The Bossier Parish School Board has a proposal to remedy that in a millage proposition coming up for a vote on that date, along with another millage proposal and a bond proposal to deal with facilities to match the growth of the parish.
School leaders have been holding meetings to explain the proposals and to answer questions. There are three more meetings scheduled:
April 2 - (Monday) - Bossier High School Auditorium
April 3 - (Tuesday) - Haughton High School Auditorium
April 10 - (Tuesday) Airline High School Auditorium
The first proposition on the ballot is for authorization $210,000,000 in twenty year bonds.

Bond Proposition

• Summary: To authorize not exceeding $210,000,000 of not exceeding 20 year General Obligation Bonds of Parishwide School District of the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana, for the purpose of acquiring and/or improving lands for building sites and playgrounds, including construction of necessary sidewalks and streets adjacent thereto; purchasing, erecting and/or improving school buildings and other school related facilities within and for the District and acquiring the necessary equipment and furnishings therefor, and refunding and extending outstanding certificates of indebtedness.

The first millage proposition is for a tax of 9.25 mills for pay and benefits for school employees. What was discussed was a 5% increase. (Of course, 5% to someone in the upper echelons is a lot more money than it is to, for example, a cafeteria worker.)

Millage Proposition No. 1

• Summary: 10 year 9.25 mills property tax for Parishwide School District of the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana, for the purpose of giving additional support to public schools by funding salaries and benefits for employees of the Parish School Board of the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana. 

The second millage proposition is for 3.6 mills to furnish secondary & elementary schools with equipment and software.

Millage Proposition No. 2

• Summary: 10 year 3.6 mills property tax for Parishwide School District of the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana, for the purpose of giving additional support to public elementary and secondary schools by providing technology equipment, software and enhancements.

If you want to read the entire proposals, you can find a PDF file here.
School officials are saying that this will be no increase from what is currently being taxed. Well, not quite so; on the books it will be an 18% increase, but they are promising to roll that percentage back to keep your taxes the same. Marty Carlson addressed that in Counting the Costs.
My feeling is that all three proposals will pass. Vote as your own conscience dictates.
But please – give a thought to the teachers, cafeteria workers, mainentance workers and others as you make your decision.

Bossier School Board decides on two new facilities

The facts and figures that I have came from The Times article on the Board’s plans.
Putting together a growth plan for revenues from the $210,000,000 bond issue that they are proposing for this spring, the Bossier Parish School Board has determined so far that two new buildings will need to be constructed.
First, a new Haughton Middle School, which will cost $36,000,000 and house 1,500 students.
Earlier talk had been about moving it from the present location. I don’t know if that is still the plan or not. $2,500,000 will have to be spent to fix the drainage system at the current middle school. I don’t know what plans the board has for that building.
The Board had been looking at moving Rusheon Middle School to Bossier High School and combining the two, and using the Rusheon facility for a new Vo-Tech school.
Board president Tammy Smith said that it doesn’t make sense to renovate Rusheon for that purpose, and that it makes more sense to build a new building. She didn’t say why.
The board is going to come back and look at consolidating Rusheon Middle and Bossier High School. That isn’t off the table as is the plan to use Rusheon to house vo-tech. The question then becomes what would the Rusheon facility be used for?
I’m not arguing the facts, because I don’t have them. It may be more costly to renovate Rusheon than to build a new building.
Now that the Board has someone to handle public relations (which is a good thing, because they have done a terrible job of it in the past), perhaps we can get some facts and figures to explain this decision.
Again, I’m not disagreeing with it, but people want to know what led to the decision.
I think a vo-tech facility is a great idea.
Here’s another idea. Use the $7,000,000 that the board is planning to use to rent space at CIC toward the new building, and house the STEM program there. That would not mean that the facilities at CIC couldn’t be used at all, but perhaps something could be worked out that would cost less than $700,000 per year.
The cost for the new vo-tech building and for renovations at Bossier High School carries a price tag of $25,000,000. Will additional costs be involved if the board does decide to move Rusheon to that campus?
Of course, this is just a part of the first phase of the plan. The Board still has plenty of decisions to make.
To recap, the questions I have are:

• Does the $36,000,000 for a new Haughton Middle School include acquiring a new location for the school?  What will the current building be used for?
• Has the board done a study to back up their decision that it would be more cost-effective to spend $25,000,000 for a new vo-tech facility rather than to renovate Rusheon and to locate the facility there?
• What alternative plans have they considered to leasing space at CIC for the STEM program at a cost of $700,000 per year.

Hopefully, the board will have the answers.
Marty Carlson had a column in the Press-Tribune entitled Counting the Costs, that deals with the financial aspects of the bond proposal, and some renewals that will be coming in the next couple of years. Take the time to read it.

Bossier Schools Planning & Development Committee working on plan

The School Board Planning & Development Committee is having a series of meetings to assimilate a plan of action to present to the public with the proposed $210,000,000 bond proposal. The SGB-Yates plan is comprehensive, and the board has to narrow it down to priorities.
The proposed Phase I would deal with:

• Benton – $21 million for a new elementary school, which would help relieve Legacy and Apollo.
• Haughton - $45 million for a new middle school, to convert the current middle school to elementary and for a 24 room wing for Haughton High School.
• Bossier High School – would consolidate Rusheon Middle School into BHS and would renovate Rusheon Middle School to house all of the non-STEM technical programs (at a cost of $17 million). It would also call for a plan to lease 47,000 square feet at CIC with an estimated ten year lease of $7 million. It would move Bossier Learning to an empty wing at Butler, and finally would relocate Charlotte Mitchell to the old BPCC South Campus.
• Parkway – $1 million to remove T-buildings from Sun City, add two classrooms and realign the attendance zone.
• Airline High School - $29.7 million for renovation, addition of 24 room wing & expansion of cafeteria. This would also build five classrooms and a rear driveway at Legacy and would add 12 room wings at Greenacres & Cope, and three four-room wings at Cope.

Phase I would also set aside $2.5 million to purchase land for two new elementary schools and for one new high school, and around $8 million for road improvements for new schools and for miscellaneous paving projects.
The main thing I question in this phase of the plan would be spending $7 million to lease space from CIC for the STEM students. School districts all over the country have STEM programs, which is a good thing. By integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics into one discipline, schools hope to boost what has been a dwindling college enrollment in these subjects.
I don’t understand the advantage in spending $7 million at CIC. What does CIC offer that the school board could not provide in a facility of its own?  Does CIC offer facilities that the board could not duplicate on its own?
Of course, the committee hasn't decided to do that, it is just a proposal.
it's a sincere question, I don't know the answer. It seems to me that $7 million should provide amply for classrooms and facilities to train these students without leasing space from CIC which would have to be re-negotiated or abandoned in ten years.
Perhaps someone can shed some light on this.

Bossier School Board: Plans under consideration

I told a couple of commenters that I would follow up and attempt to find out what priorities, if any, have been set for use of the proposed bond money.
I emailed Sonja Bailes and received a very prompt reply.  Rather than paraphrasing what she said, I will just print it verbatim. 
1. I am glad that the 5% salary increase for teachers in included.
2. Remember, the meetings are public.

Mr. Wells,
I am attaching the latest "options" plan from the architect with SGB/Yates that the board is considering as part of the bond proposition. Let me emphasize that the board has not adopted a plan as of yet, only the resolution to bring it forth to voters in April which I am also attaching. The proposed construction plan will be taken up again at tomorrow’s school board meeting at 6 p.m. at Central Office in Benton.
May I also point out that the bond proposition is a continuation of what we are now operating under. It will not cost taxpayers in Bossier Parish one penny more than what they are already paying.
There will also be two tax propositions on the ballot seeking a $3 million recurring technology fund, something that Bossier Schools does not have right now but greatly needs. We will also ask the citizens of Bossier Parish to support our educators and faculty by approving a 5% salary increase. If I can be of further assistance please let me know.
Sonja Bailes
Public Relations Liaison
Bossier Parish School Board

ATTACHMENT

Bossier School Board: $210,000,000 bond proposition

The Bossier Parish School Board will be asking for a special election to approve a new $210,000,000 bond proposition.

BOND PROPOSITION

Summary: To authorize not exceeding $210,000,000 of not exceeding 20 year

General Obligation Bonds of Parishwide School District of the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana, for the purpose of acquiring and/or improving lands for building sites and playgrounds, including construction of necessary sidewalks and streets adjacent thereto; purchasing, erecting and/or improving school buildings and other school related facilities within and for the District and acquiring the necessary equipment and furnishings therefor, and refunding and extending outstanding certificates of indebtedness.

Shall Parishwide School District of the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana (the "District"), incur debt and issue in series from time to time not exceeding Two Hundred Ten Million Dollars ($210,000,000) of general obligation bonds to run not exceeding twenty (20) years from date thereof, with interest at a rate or rates not exceeding nine per centum (9%) per annum, to be sold at par, premium or discount, approximately $202,500,000 of which bonds to be issued for the purpose of acquiring and/or improving lands for building sites and playgrounds, including construction of necessary sidewalks and streets adjacent thereto; purchasing, erecting and/or improving school buildings and other school related facilities within and for the District and acquiring the necessary equipment and furnishings therefor, title to which shall be in the public, and approximately $7,500,000 of which bonds to be issued for refunding and extending the outstanding Certificates of Indebtedness, Series 2008, of the Parish School Board of the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana; all of which bonds will be general obligations of the District and will be payable from ad valorem taxes to be levied and collected in the manner provided by Article VI, Section 33 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 1974 and statutory authority supplemental thereto, with no estimated increase in the millage rate to be levied in the first year of issue above the 13.55 mills currently being levied to pay General Obligation Bonds of the District?

Sonja Bailes - from the frying pan into the fire

Word is that KTBS anchor Sonja Bailes is leaving to work for the Bossier Parish School Board.  I haven't seen an official announcement, though there may be one out there. 
Apparently she will serve as the Ed Baswell/Mark Natale of the school board. 
She is a graduate of Airline High School and has a degree in journalism from Louisiana Tech.

What the Bossier Parish School Board is facing

The Bossier Parish School Board is faced with a daunting task, namely looking at all of the facts and figures and deciding if they can accommodate the anticipated growth in the system on the current tax millage, or if they need to seek an increase.
The Board tasked the joint venture of SGB Architects & Yates Construction to assess and propose needed changes. A number of proposals were put forth, from building of new schools to extensive renovations and additions.
Among the possibilities are a new Airline High School and a new Benton High School.
The new Airline would carry a price tag of $53,000,000 plus an additional $10,000,000 for an athletic complex. The alternative for Airline would be an addition of 24 classrooms, a cafeteria expansion and other renovations for a total of just over $21,000,000.
A new Benton High School would cost just over $40,000,000 plus $10,000,000 for an athletic complex. Also being considered is building a new Benton Middle School at a cost of $20,000,000, moving Benton Elementary into the current Benton Middle School after adding a 12 classroom wing at a cost of $2,500,000. The alternative would be spending $16,000,000 for additions and renovations on all three Benton schools.
Other upgrades, additions and renovations that are on the table include:

• Apollo Elementary $6,819,179
• Bellaire Elementary $2,208,834
• Bossier Elementary $4,746,233
• Bossier High $8,601,330
• Butler Educational Complex $1,701,378
• Carrie Martin Elementary $3,324,053
• Central Park $3,249,607
• Greenacres Middle $9,216,840
• Haughton Middle $5,802,217
• Haughton High $16,377,093
• Kerr Elementary $2,767,968
• LA New Tech Plain Dealing $4,691,050
• Legacy Elementary $374,400
• Meadowview Elementary $3,467,454
• Parkway High $5,430,000
• Plantation Park $5,494,782
• Platt Elementary $2,365,620
• Princeton Elementary $4,115,652
• Rodes Elementary $2,010,578
• Rusheon Middle $4,168,727
• Stockwell Place $2,462,555
• Sun City Elementary $4,611,582
• W.T. Lewis Elementary $2,625,000
• Waller Elementary $3,290,139

The board is also looking at building a new technical school at a possible cost of $25,000,000, probably on the campus of Bossier High School.
Board member Jack Raley is pushing for the technical school, while Mike Mosura and Glen Bullard are very vocal in favor of a new Airline High School.
Board President Alison Brigham has the job of trying to keep everyone focused on the big picture.
That big picture, at this point, is that going with all necessary renovations and additions would cost just over $200,000,000, while the ‘full monty’ would be about $450,000,000.
The costs of two new high schools will force more talk of a consolidation of, at least, Airline and Benton High Schools.
The board will meet again next Thursday (November 17th) to begin to piece it together. Expect a bond issue next spring to finance whatever is decided.

Bossier School Board considering consolidating Bossier, Benton & Airline

For the moment I am going to ignore the upcoming November 19th general election.  Don't worry, I'll be back to it tomorrow.
We have known that the Bossier Parish School Board would be coming up with a proposition by the end of the year.  Teacher pay is one thing that is being discussed, and I think people would approve teachers' raises.
More controversial, however, is talk about combining Bossier High School, Airline High School and Benton High School into a single school somewhere north of I-220.
As I understand it, some of the Bossier High kids would go to Parkway, but the rest, along with Airline and Benton students, would go to the new high school.
This may look great on paper, and may (or may not) be economically feasible. 
My personal opinion is that this one will be dead in the water if they do propose it.  Simply put, Airline folks and Benton folks will never go along with it.