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Ouachita Parish School District board meeting, Sep 8, 2026

50 min · 0 public speakers

Meeting video · YouTubeOuachita Parish School DistrictSep 8, 2026Watch on YouTube ↗Opens at 28:20 in a new tab

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 50 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
  2. Greg ManleyVice President
  3. Harold McCoyBoard member
What happened

What happened at this meeting

Ouachita Parish school board approves '26-'27 operating budget 11:15

  • The board approved the annual operating budget, which a district staff member said was balanced for the general fund and would maintain a $21.8 million fund balance. 11:20
  • A district staff member described a governor's executive order for a one-time stipend of $2,000 for certified staff and $1,000 for support staff that the state no longer funds, and said the district identified $6 million to pay for it. 13:31
  • The board also took up several bids for Winter Storm Fern damage repairs, and the chair called for opposition after each motion and stated there was none. 28:20
Item by item (14)
  1. Opening and agenda 0:03
    • The meeting opened with a roll call, the pledge and an invocation. ~0:21
    • The chair asked for motions to approve the minutes for August 11th and the day's agenda. 2:08
    • A speaker said there were no comment cards. ~2:44
    • The chair announced the motion to approve the agenda carried. 2:34
  2. Property purchase near high school 2:46
    • The board considered purchasing property at 104 Riggs Street for West Monroe High School. 2:46
    • A speaker said the house had been mentioned at the last meeting as likely to come up for sale, and it did. 2:56
    • The chair announced the motion carried with no opposition. 3:15
  3. Policy revisions 3:15
    • A district staff member said the Policy Review Committee met on Thursday, August 27th, and that the changes came from the last legislative session. 3:37
    • The staff member said the committee recommended extending a change for teachers to all eligible 9-, 10- and 11-month employees, raising personal days from 2 to 4. 4:28
    • The chair called for opposition and said there was none. 5:47
  4. Finance Committee report 5:56
    • A speaker said the Finance Committee met on Thursday, August 13th, 2026, and discussed 5 items it recommended for approval. 6:14
    • A district staff member said the report required no action. ~7:07
  5. Monthly financial report 7:15
    • A district staff member said the district received a $2.4 million insurance advance for damage from Winter Storm Fern, about half of the expected damage. 7:43
    • A speaker asked about a decrease of $136,826, and the staff member said it was a transfer out unrelated to insurance and promised to follow up. 8:46
    • Greg Manley asked whether the reimbursement was FEMA-related, and the staff member said nothing had been received from FEMA yet but claims were being filed. 9:25
  6. Annual operating budget 11:15
    • A district staff member said the budget was presented at a hearing that morning and was balanced for the general fund, maintaining a $21.8 million fund balance, just under 15%. 11:20
    • Greg Manley moved to approve the operating budget as presented. 12:16
    • The chair announced the motion carried with no opposition. 12:24
  7. Employee stipend resolution 13:23
    • A district staff member said a governor's executive order mandated a one-time stipend of $2,000 for certified staff and $1,000 for support staff, which is no longer funded by the state. 13:31
    • The staff member said the district identified $6 million to fund the stipend locally for one year and proposed paying it in halves on October 9th and March 12th. 13:31
    • Greg Manley asked whether the plan tracked with what employees wanted, and the staff member said the half-and-half approach was well received in past years. 18:11
    • The chair called for opposition and said there was none. 19:21
  8. Salary schedules 19:21
    • A district staff member said the board should adopt salary schedules each year and that the packet contained no changes from current schedules. 19:30
    • The chair called for opposition and said there were none. 20:35
  9. State treasury investment agreement amendment 20:35
    • A district staff member said that this year the district had been asked to have a resolution approved by the board to draw down the funds. 21:08
    • The chair announced the motion carried. 21:46
  10. Drainage change order 21:59
    • A district staff member presented a change order from Gentry Construction for drainage work and a bridge across a drainage ditch, totaling $98,749.50. 22:06
    • Greg Manley moved to approve the change order for drainage at Sterlington High School. 23:15
    • The chair called for opposition and said there was none. 23:24
  11. Construction project updates 23:24
    • The staff member said a high school's projects were expected to finish around January, and Greg Manley said Gentry felt comfortable it could finish them. 23:35
    • A district staff member said a fire marshal inspection was scheduled for the 23rd at the West Ouachita football stadium. 24:05
    • A speaker announced a groundbreaking for Richwood Elementary on September 18th at 9 o'clock. 27:22
  12. Storm damage repair bids 27:59
    • A district staff member recommended D&L of Washtaw at $707,000 for bid 6⁠-⁠27, which had a budget of $800,000. 28:55
    • The staff member recommended Manns Construction for bid 7⁠-⁠27 at $732,000, bid 8⁠-⁠27 at $522,000 and bid 12⁠-⁠27 at $934,000 against a budget of $900,000. 29:42
    • For a roof replacement with a $500,000 budget, Harold McCoy moved to accept the lowest bidder and bring it back to the board if it went over. 32:10
    • The chair called for opposition after each motion and said there was none. 29:38
  13. Permission to rebid school property 34:43
    • A district staff member requested permission to put the Burke School property on Highway 139 back out for bid with a floor of $67,600. 34:48
    • Greg Manley asked whether a nearby church had expressed interest, and the staff member said it had not and that interest came from 2 other individuals. 35:23
    • The chair called for opposition and said there was none. 35:43
  14. Superintendent's report and adjournment 47:42
    • A speaker said the next meeting would be October 20th, and a staff member said a meeting could be needed on September the 16th. 47:42
    • A staff member said the annual Adopt-a-School Breakfast would be September 24th and fall break would be October the 10th through the 14th. 48:58

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “Ouachita Parish School Board Meeting Live Stream - September 8, 2026”