Employees of the LaSalle Parish School System will receive two bonus checks this month, as approved last Tuesday afternoon at the Board’s November meeting.

The first check will be distributed during the monthly disbursements November 17 as part of the supplemental pay structure of the Board.

The November Sales Tax Supplement will see degreed personnel (positions that require a Bachelor’s Degree) be paid $2,000.75 and support personnel (positions that do not require a Bachelor’s Degree) will receive $1,400.50. This is in addition to their regular salaries.

School Board Business Man- ager Sara Andrews noted that this fall’s disbursements are up from last year, $250 more for degreed employees and $175 more for support employees.

The money will be paid from the system’s 1980 One-Cent Sales Tax.

The Board positions the November supplemental sales tax distributions prior to the start of the Christmas shopping season, which typically begins the day after Thanksgiving.

The second check is a one-time stipend from the Louisiana Department of Education, as part of the Louisiana Legislature’s onetime teacher pay bonus approved during this year’s sessions later signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards.

This stipend will see degreed personnel receive $2,000.00 and support personnel receive $1,000.00. The only stipulation is that to receive this bonus an employee must be considered a full-time employee as of September 29, 2023.

These additional checks will be distributed November 30.

LaSalle Superintendent Jon Garrett noted that this second check is a one-time bonus for employees provided by the state.

“The state did not give a raise through MFP this year but instead delivered them in stipends through this one-time payment,” he told Board members. “There is no guarantee that this money will be given every year and not all employees are eligible to receive these additional funds.”

In other business at the relatively short November meeting, the Board voted to advertise for the position of maintenance manager for the Nebo Elementary School Waste Water Treatment Plant and the Fellowship Elementary School Oxidation Pond.

During the Board’s Finance Committee meeting October 24, it was noted that this position has been held by Ronny Steele for many years but due to his retirement from the wastewater arena, they will need to hire someone else as required by law.

The individual must possess all of the wastewater treatment and collection certificates in order to be hired by the Board.

Also at the meeting, the Board voted to purchase a 2019 Blue Bird Vision 71-passenger diesel school bus from Ross Bus Sales for the amount of $70,000.00.

It was noted by Transportation Supervisor Glen Joiner that the bus was previously leased by the LaSalle School System and is in excellent condition with just 43,000 miles.

“A new bus costs around $148,000,” he noted.

The Board also voted to approve a resolution to canvass the returns and declare the results of the special election held October 14 in which they had on the ballot a one-cent sales tax proposition. The proposition failed but the Board still had to legally approve the results.

Several policies were adopted at the November 7 meeting as recommended by the Board’s contracted legal representation, Forethought Consulting. Policies adopted included Teleconference/ Remote Participation in School Board Meetings; Public Participation in School Board Meetings; Executive Sessions; American Recovery and Reinvestment Reporting Requirements; Student Transportation Management; Public Health Emergency; and Video/ Audio Monitoring of School Board Property.

Finally, the Board voted to accept the Personnel Report from Superintendent Garrett which showed the following: Accept the resignation of Cara Greer, Paraprofessional at Nebo Elementary effective October 10, 2023; Accept the retirement of Betsy Warwick, Teacher at Jena High School effective December 31, 2023; Accept the retirement of Sara Gifford, Teacher at LaSalle High School effective December 31, 2023; and Accept the retirement of Norma J. Brown, Paraprofessional at Jena High School effective February 1, 2024.