LaSalle Parish Students of the Year were recognized and honored by the LaSalle Parish School Board during their regular meeting held January 9.

The students were in attendance, along with their families, as their principals shared information about them before presenting each with plaques in recognition of the honor.

Last fall, each school in the district selected their individual Student of the Year and those all competed in the various divisions to be selected as the district-wide Students of the Year.

Those chosen were: Elementary Division – Harper Townsend; Junior High/Middle School Division – Shelby Norris; and High School Division – Hayleigh Boyd.

The entire Board expressed their congratulations to the three winners along with appreciation for their parents in raising outstanding children.

In other business, the Board heard an update regarding the camera installation at all nine schools as part of the Board’s security upgrades initiated last year.

In May of 2023, the Board voted to spend $873,756.00 to have the latest and most modern security surveillance system installed at all schools. The system included many cameras at each school to cover as much of the facilities as possible, with a cloudbased storage ability and other features.

Superintendent Jon Garrett noted last week that Howard Technology Solutions has finished the installation of all cameras at each school and they have been adjusted with everything working great.

“The only thing left to do (as part of the original contract) is to configure the single access doors at all schools,” Garrett said. “But this should be completed within two weeks.”

Principals at the School Board meeting last week had nothing but positive things to say about the new camera system. Along with detailed clarity, the new system allows them to zoom in and the motion detection feature allows for faster searches when issues arise.

They said the new system has already been very beneficial, from helping to solve disputes, finding items or people, to even helping monitor students.

Another feature that was discussed was the system’s facial recognition that has several uses, such as getting alerts should a person of interest come on campus or in helping to locate a student.

Garrett said the only issue is that once all of the cameras were installed and operating, seven of the nine schools realized there were still some areas of their campus that are not covered by the cameras and they have requested additional cameras be installed.

“We have been asked for 26 additional cameras, around 10 indoor cameras and around 16 outdoor cameras,” he said.

The Superintendent noted that each indoor camera costs $821.00 while the outdoor cameras range in cost from $981.00 to $2,800.00 per camera. He noted that the outdoor cameras offer a variety of functions and depending upon what is needed at the school will determine which camera is needed and the cost.

If the Board decides to fund the additional cameras, it could mean an additional $25,506.00 to $54,610.00.

Superintendent Garrett said he is still reviewing the requests for additional cameras, researching costs and will report back later to the Board his recommendation.

Also at the meeting, the Board voted to add a Special Education Teacher position at Good Pine Middle School following a request from LPSB Special Education Supervisor Jeanine Bignar at the Board’s Finance Committee Meeting held late last December.

Bignar noted that over the past year, the number of special education students has risen from 289 to 308 and so has the increase in the level of disabilities.

“We cover all disabilities and we’ve seen more students enter our system with autism, emotional instability and other disabilities,” Bignar said. “Good Pine has one of the largest caseloads in the parish and what we’re wanting to do is pilot a program to where we have one special ed. teacher for math and another for ELA. Right now at Good Pine, one teacher teachers all subjects grades 3-5.”

Although the new position will have to be funded locally instead of federal funds, Bignar said they have elected to not fill three paraprofessional positions to save money to fund the one degreed position.

The Board voted unanimously to add the Special Education Teacher position at Good Pine Middle School, funded through the system’s General Fund.

In other business, the Board voted to: -enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the Central Louisiana Technical Community College and the LaSalle Parish School District, effective July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2024; -approve a change order from United Automation in the amount of $29,376.00 to complete the installation of a new intercom system at LaSalle High School after the old system was destroyed by a lightning strike last year; -enter into a contract with Rodney Roark for the maintenance of the Nebo Elementary School Waste Water Treatment Plant and the Fellowship Elementary Oxidation Pond at a rate of $425.00 per month, beginning January 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2024; -advertise for the purchase of a school bus to replace Bus #14; -approved a proclamation issued by the Louisiana School Board Association declaring January 2024 as local School Board Member Recognition Month in the State of Louisiana; and -approved the Louisiana Board Association Code of Conduct for Louisiana School Board Members.