By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

RESERVE – The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board is still without a clear direction regarding how to proceed with the pace of renovations at the two flooded school facilities a month and a half after Hurricane Isaac decimated much of the parish.

CSRS consulting firm representative Frank Lacourse again reviewed with the board the firm’s findings as it assessed damage at the schools as well as the pros and cons of either expediting renovations to get the schools ready for a January return or following a plan that would have the schools ready in fall 2013.

The expedited time frame, he said, would increase the likelihood of change orders to somewhere in the 12 to 15 percent range. It would also increase the district’s financial burden to somewhere in the 50 percent range “due to the increased cost (FEMA) would not participate in.”

He said other problems may be that furniture, fixtures and equipment could be delivered before the facilities are ready, so storing them would incur additional expenses FEMA will not cover. He added that shifting students again during the school year could cost even most instructional minutes that will have to be made up down the line.

The obvious positive, he said, is that students would get to return to their home campuses more quickly.

Regarding returning in the fall, Lacourse noted that FEMA is more likely to reimburse for 75 percent of the rebuilding cost and the scope of the work could be larger. He said, though, to make this plan work additional temporary classrooms would have to be installed on the Leon Godchaux campus, where East St. John students are having class until the school is repaired. He said the current platoon schedule, which has students attending school in five-hour shifts, will not provide the students with enough instructional minutes, even with the just-passed revised school calendar.

“That’s why we’re looking at the need for temporary facilities,” said Lacourse. “To get the temporary facilities in place for Jan. 14, we really need to bid in two weeks. What we really need is a decision on the direction forward.”

Unfortunately, that decision has yet to made, in part because Interim Superintendent Herbert Smith and Executive Director of Business and Finance Felix Boughton were away on business and not present at Thursday’s meeting.

There is a clear divide in opinion among the school members on the matter. Some, such as Albert Burl III, think the district should get the schools up and running as soon as possible without regard for cost. Other, such as Clarence Triche, however, think the situation requires a bit more caution.

“We don’t have the funds to do everything we’d like to do,” said Triche. “We need the go-ahead before we start spending money.”

In other action, besides passing a revised school calendar extending the school year to May 30 for most students and to June 14 for East St. John students and extending the school day starting Jan. 14, Human Resources Director Leigh Ann Beard introduced a couple of policy revisions the board will vote on in the future.

The revised Reduction of Personnel policy takes out language in the original policy regarding the dismissal of bus drivers that was redundant. It also addressed the reinstatement of laid-off teachers based on seniority.

“As you know, this year we’re going to a new evaluation system, and it’s based on effectiveness,” said Beard. “It would not make sense to recall someone who has been deemed ineffective.”

In reply, Executive Director of the Louisiana Association of Educators Michael Jones-Walker told the school board, “Forethought is sending you this as a recommendation. You don’t have to accept it. The recall issue is one that we are in total disagreement with.”