There is nothing like having a good partner. The Jackson Parish School Board (JPSO) has a good one in Jonesboro State Bank who has agreed to give $50,000.00 to help with the purchase and installation of freezer generators at the Central Office and every school in the parish. The award of the $124,840 to Bannister Energy Solutions for material, labor and equipment was one of several outlays agreed upon during the regularly scheduled July meeting held this past Monday at the JPSO meeting room. The additional $74,840.00 will be paid from ESSER II/ School Food Service Funds

Board members Gerry Mims, Rickey McBride, Wade McBride, Gloria Davis, President Dennis Clary and Mary Saulters also agreed to two contracts with Hot 2 Cold Heating , A/C & Electrical LLC. One is for $33,249.57 to furnish and install six (6) Trane Gas Pack Rooftop units at the Quitman High School Elementary building and the other is to furnish and install two (2) Trane Heatpump Rooftop units at the JHHS Cafeteria for $28,708.97. Both contracts will be paid from ESSER II funds.

Also approved was to hire one Art and one Music Teacher at Jonesboro Elementary for grades K-3 and give $1000.00 stipends for five mentor teachers to work with La Tech residents during the 2021-22 school year. In additional action, Robertson Produce was selected as supplier of Produce and Eggs for the upcoming school year and a new contract of employment for promotional appointment was agreed to be put in place pursuant to a new Louisiana statute.

In moves recommended by the Executive and Finance Committee the Board agreed to the following:

1. Standard monthly payment of General Fund, Federal Program bills, Food Service, Sales Tax, Special Education Fund and District Maintenance bills.
2. Granting Superintendent Claxton permission to sign a 4-Year Agreement with Uniti Fiber LLC to provide phone service for Central Office, Student Service Center, Bus Barn and all schools.
3. Declare as surplus – 1 Wascom W64500 Washer-Extractor at Jonesboro Hodge High School.
4. Payment of $13,100.00 to La. Delta Community College to pay Summer 2021 Dual Enrollment tuition, to be paid from Supplemental Course Allocation Funds.
5. Payment to Louisiana Department of Education in the amount of $5,405.00 for 2020-2021 ACT/Workkeys, to be paid from General Fund.
6. Payment to The Charlie Edwards Company, LLC in the amount of $24,244.00 for one-year unlimited data per unit, to be paid from Parish Wide District funds/Strong Start Grant.
7. Accept low quote of $12,300.53 from Staples to purchase Instructional Supplies for Weston High School, to be paid from Title One School Based Funds.
8. Accept low quote of $20,053.13 from Staples to purchase Instructional Supplies for Quitman High School, to be paid from Title One School Based Funds.
9. Accept low quote of $5,357.50 from Gabbart Communications for District and Campus Websites, to be paid from General Fund.