Incentive stipends for participants in the New Teacher Experience Program were approved by the Jackson Parish School Board (JPSB) during their regularly scheduled monthly meeting on October 2nd.
Board Members Calvin Waggoner, Dennis Clary, Paulette Belton, Gerry Mims, Wade McBride and Mary Saulters also heard special presentations regarding the Reimagine Grant at Jonesboro Hodge Elementary School and on the Juvenile Detention Center. Rick Barlow was absent.
Stipends approved to be paid included:
(A) $1,000.00 to those who provide mentoring to New Teacher Experience, iTeach M.A.T and Occupational, Counselor and/or Speech Therapy intern participants.
(B) $2,000.00 to those mentoring first year teachers on a practitioner license and/or yearlong residents, to be paid from MFP and ESSER III funds.
(Mentors who do not provide 120-150 clock hours per mentee will have their stipend prorated based on the number of hours of mentoring completed.)
(C) $1,650.00 to be paid in December, 2023 and again in May, 2024 to year-long residents (Student Teachers) to be paid out of MFP funds.
(D) $1,000.00 to be paid to New Teacher Experience participants in May, 2024. (The stipend pay is based on the number of learning modules, professional development events and Affinity groups that are attended by the participant, to be paid out of ESSER III and/or ESSER III Incentive. Pay will be prorated if a participant does not attend the required events.)
Additional financial concerns authorized were as follows:
1. Payment of General Fund, Federal Program, School Food Service, Sales Tax, Special Education, and District Maintenance bills.
2. Accept low quote of $21,070.36 from Nextgen Furniture, Inc. for twenty (20) classroom desks with dry erase tops and chairs for Jonesboro Hodge High School Ninth Grade Academy, to be paid from ESSER III Incentive funds.
3. Payment of $29,700.00 to Outdoor Wilderness Learning Center for an outdoor education program focusing on improving social/emotional skills to designated students in grades 3-5 at Jonesboro Hodge Elementary School, Quitman High School and Weston High School, to be paid from ESSER IIIEB funds.
4. Payment of $32,857.30 to CDW-G for the renewal of Go Guardian Subscription License for all schools, to be paid from ESSER III funds.
Per the recommendation of the Transportation Committee, out of state travel for Weston FFA Members, Cejay Colvin, Abel McBride, Ben Ramsey and Collin Shows to attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, October 30- November 4, 2023 was approved. Also, the JPSB will reimburse for expenses according to policy IFCB – Field Trips and Excursions (National Convention Expenses).
In final action the Board agreed to delete the DIBA Policy regarding American Recovery and Reinvestment Reporting Requirements and approved revising the following policies:
• BCBK – Executive Sessions
• DC – Annual Operating Budget
• DID – Audits
• EBBI – Public Health Emergency
• ED – Student Transportation Management
• EBBC – Emergency/ Crisis Management
• GBRIB – Sick Leave
• GBRIC – Maternity and Adoptive Leave
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the School Board will take place on Monday, November 6th, at the Jackson Parish School District Central Office located at 315 Pershing Hwy in Jonesboro.