[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6345948,"mediaKeyId","2247804-d7ed4f48082c6479a7a021cbed93e387","parentId",2247804,"title","Board accepts $347,600 low bid for junior-high locker-room termite repairs; construction updates and weather delays noted","audioSeconds",103,"startMs",3695000,"endMs",3798000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247804-d7ed4f48082c6479a7a021cbed93e387&start=3695&end=3798","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247804-d7ed4f48082c6479a7a021cbed93e387/thumbnail_3695000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6345948/Louisiana/Board-accepts-347600-low-bid-for-junior-high-locker-room-termite-repairs-construction-updates-and-weather-delays-noted","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345948-ca58e318c70d139e210c6f3dba9d2d7f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179396&Signature=jnZ7-i8yAorEFOvynTy8H1-WOmISIqrOoPF5SmRgn17NMOehEF2JT9f~vCg9Ll166swIzICYlh9GkByE-qq-uP2qJzgD-Qo813cuP2JfWe0Iw0PTUEi8NvtJT3ihfOD4Fpin5zDGfi79ofv~8i4CMDXT3ne8iE4GndxBQJrsnNuYyTqk71gopQ3zkyUVarIkCqcwEeY8Buw4TA2XceGuXLvs5MTadYqe~Cu0Pk5WZfnWzSrqgfJ90PWr0z~ABvN6TjLIwBh0eHqFsXaqIqJwtMgnWApIYrGPcOP3kZBJQv-Rkg6Nl~LTEsgG4zJjbw9P2t86fr-vDZLGKgSZtaJVOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-07T15:57:17Z","article","The St. Tammany Parish School Board approved acceptance of the apparent low base bid of $347,600 from Steel R Development LLC to repair termite damage in the gymnasium locker rooms at St. Tammany Junior (project P0514).

Construction staff said the work followed discovery of long-term structural damage (laminated wood beams and sagging ceilings) rather than evidence of an active infestation; maintenance staff had not found live termites. Because the sagging ceiling and structural issues affected the locker-room space, the project was elevated on the maintenance priority list.

Board members asked how maintenance prioritizes projects and whether older schools receive the same attention as newer facilities. Staff said safety and security concerns drive prioritization and that maintenance meets regularly to triage work orders; termite-related structural concerns are moved to the top of the list when they present a potential safety or instructional impact.

Vote and project timeline
The board voted to accept the apparent low bid; the motion passed unanimously. Staff noted some construction projects across the district were delayed by the recent snowstorm but provided a multi-site status update: Fontainebleau renovations near completion and awaiting final inspections; Saudele High softball locker-room unit installed and sidewalks scheduled; demolition and grading at Fontainebleau site completed for removal of old portable classroom buildings; Mandeville Junior gym locker-room contract executed and upcoming permit/shop-drawing phase underway; several other projects (Little Oak Middle, Folsom Elementary) moved into renovated spaces earlier in the year.

Ending
Staff said they will coordinate phasing and transition plans with affected schools and will report scheduling updates as contractors complete inspections and remediation steps.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","STPPS Committee as a Whole: Finance & Administration – 2/6/25","oneSentenceSummary","The board accepted Steel R Development LLC’s apparent low base bid of $347,600 for termite repairs at St. Tammany Junior’s gym locker rooms and received construction updates on multiple school projects; members discussed prioritization and lack of live infestation.","taxTitle","St. Tammany Parish, School Boards, Louisiana","taxId",13133,"location","Louisiana","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6345952,"District reviews school-meal participation and menu changes as federal rules shift",422,3725000,4147000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247804-d7ed4f48082c6479a7a021cbed93e387&start=3725&end=4147","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247804-d7ed4f48082c6479a7a021cbed93e387/thumbnail_3725000.jpg","/articles/6345952/Louisiana/District-reviews-school-meal-participation-and-menu-changes-as-federal-rules-shift","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345952-54d7bf5d22d4b51305d8e307705f1332/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179396&Signature=JoTjH5Yd5jT9ByOdo-zod-XCo3ljnc~VZXWiQtfH19g5A~Q-Q~5UtuPiIk1dDTh6upNqXAaBYSZ51rnIMuqUacavlIHegyElBS~-gPzrf21bRqzwwnlLou2kF1N05bK5UKF4T--aGKIsR8HfLbXaDlTMcCLz0RLwF7PCsoleWZzmt2nMV6nATxDK-FCulYYji8Lc6OWG-PPJhiPWSoRR55NKbEIyNRQARL479E~CaNmH2lAqGBCrdax3H8AJBceSOqQ801gfKjV9A64KVtkFXP~p~N5pI4qWo47r5N4KVsxqtIeqG~l09iT5vLdVl0SdhJdhW~K6wlImZ2bjOiKqAA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District nutrition staff told the board they are tracking participation and preparing menu changes to increase breakfast and lunch participation while meeting upcoming federal nutritional and procurement requirements.

Casey (staff member) and administrators reported that breakfast participation is up by about 500–750 daily meals compared with the prior year, while lunch participation is roughly even with last year. Staff said they are surveying school cafeteria managers, conducting taste tests and reviewing peer parishes’ menus for ideas (examples mentioned included offering pizza on Fridays where appropriate) to improve participation while not overburdening kitchen staff.

Staff also said they are evaluating menu simplifications to reduce labor demands and to meet new USDA constraints taking effect July 1 (added-sugar limits, possible sodium adjustments) and Buy American procurement rules. They emphasized the requirement that reimbursable meals include a fruit or vegetable equivalent to a half-cup on the plate to meet USDA rules.

Free-meal program and next steps
Board members asked about the district’s participation in the federal community eligibility provision (CEP) and whether the universal free-meal program will continue. Nutrition staff said they are monitoring guidance and expected USDA or federal reimbursement guidance this spring; any change in eligibility or funding would be presented to the board before action. Board members requested full cost data and options before any decision to end universal free meals.

Staffing and operational notes
Nutrition leaders said staffing constraints remain a concern and they are analyzing production and staffing models to improve efficiency without reducing nutrition standards. They are also evaluating alternatives to polystyrene trays and said those options require weighing wash/labor capacity versus single-use disposables.

Ending
Staff said they will return with participation trend data, menu-change proposals, and financial modeling for the free-meal program when federal guidance is released.","Nutrition staff reported breakfast participation is up and the department is reviewing menus and staffing to boost participation and meet upcoming USDA constraints on sugar and sodium; board asked for data on the free-meal program’s future costs if federal rules change.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6345955,"Board scales back small-dollar quote requirements, tightens vendor-selection committee rules",388,2075000,2463000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247804-d7ed4f48082c6479a7a021cbed93e387&start=2075&end=2463","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247804-d7ed4f48082c6479a7a021cbed93e387/thumbnail_2075000.jpg","/articles/6345955/Louisiana/Board-scales-back-small-dollar-quote-requirements-tightens-vendor-selection-committee-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345955-bd276f2c9efd229288de39ac0040e0b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179396&Signature=Mk5Myr1TGv9PcdghO0i6QdZVPAjBUFRWkz9KjlHgDWJVOcxvtB1PdlOwKRsNsY5J6VL8mlJfhaXUttp8TUZ2TgNA5cMRdt2fwZhUBF0r810xOl~co2CKDoj5Q-lKXg5jhLO7enil2O8KY0GiAm~Ft-a60JJu-vaxT3ymSsFGaCL9hrZQP8HdvLKWy8HpdIB1TARqHQD0xbTdzjfxwrIXR5UT3FJpT4cSiNzvvkuSTyVAHCHfQTMU1KGnUbb6-seXqLhcjMduvmzKtVhChNwHFzxxHIKwT14WP1V2GUm9M8k1gYjE95prj4IeRK0kBXnLbDdNcAlVnb7tznSm61GQmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Tammany Parish School Board approved a package of revisions to procurement- and contract-related policies intended to reduce administrative burden on schools and to tighten conflict-of-interest safeguards for competitive procurements.

Key changes approved
- Quote thresholds (policy DJED): Purchases under $10,000 will not require formal quotes (quotes still encouraged). Purchases from $10,000 to under $30,000 will require three quotes; the $30,000 statutory threshold for state law remains in force. Staff said the change aligns district practice with federal guidelines that require quotes at $10,000 and acknowledges vendor reluctance to provide multiple quotes for smaller buys.
- Contract-signature language (policy DJE/DJA): A duplicated contract-signature paragraph was removed from DJE because DJA (revised in August) already specifies signature authorities. DJA requires board president and superintendent signatures for contracts of $60,000 or more; superintendent may sign routine contracts under $60,000.
- Professional services (policy DJEF): The board added language advising that elected officials should not serve as voting members of evaluation committees and that purchasing staff and the legal team should not be on evaluation panels to avoid conflict or appearance of compromised independence. Board members may attend committee meetings as nonvoting observers for information only.
- Purchase orders (policy DJEG): Clarified this policy applies to school purchase orders and updated the threshold language to match the district’s school finance handbook; schools may not write checks for $5,000 or more except in limited pass-through situations (e.g., some field trips).

Board debate and votes
Board members raised concerns about raising the quote threshold from $5,000 to $10,000, citing past incremental increases and worries about price transparency; staff explained vendors increasingly refuse to provide quotes and the higher threshold will reduce administrative burden for school bookkeepers. The DJED change passed 10–1. Other policy amendments passed unanimously.

Why it matters
Staff argued the changes will reduce repetitive paperwork at schools and central offices without lowering statutory protections: state law’s $30,000 threshold remains unchanged. Board members said they want to ensure contract oversight and controls remain robust despite easing smaller-dollar quote requirements.

Ending
Staff and board members said they will monitor implementation and remind schools that controls (purchase-order approvals, principal sign-off, multi-department approvals in the purchasing system) remain in place.","The board revised multiple procurement policies: raising the no-quote threshold, aligning federal and local thresholds, clarifying purchase-order rules and removing duplicated contract signature language; changes passed mostly unanimously, with one 10–1 vote on the quote threshold change.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6345958,"Board reviews ITEP policy changes after governor’s executive order; superintendent appointment to local committee required",122,1207000,1329000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247804-d7ed4f48082c6479a7a021cbed93e387&start=1207&end=1329","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247804-d7ed4f48082c6479a7a021cbed93e387/thumbnail_1207000.jpg","/articles/6345958/Louisiana/Board-reviews-ITEP-policy-changes-after-governors-executive-order-superintendent-appointment-to-local-committee-required","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345958-74469cd621303baea73bb7bb7fc8b3a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179396&Signature=QbgY-r1fG1wtqzzr5LQdgxoi7cZzjbnWDu32kuX50R~4f9f2LyVx~yQ0D8lOvJh5uaUvIApFZZfiZLMOYyUn2BKDSpiKWRinhnnDIpvJ4UVoEN~b13sk0vuNcoxcbFoM4hz-UGdbHrcrpzS2~oAIcmi7Aa3XxWKVS3hZAPmFC2FPsHKI4Bsl39VR-PZ8CNOdLyyRMHC8B~lMAfIhSQsnZW-bCJkpBmdOdu7yF0ylBn-ltbvk52xRo77eYaCaUOKX8WF7njJCZS9pcSu4wY0VHrxZ3hm8q2UK6X0DMuNHqAIlZTlx6yL6VyE5RDhrurFpYmP4s1I4p0hmD6EZ7dv7gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","St. Tammany Parish School Board members reviewed proposed revisions to board policy D.F that align the district’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) procedures with a governor’s executive order.

Terry Prevost, who presented the policy update, told members the executive order issued Feb. 21, 2024, removed job-creation requirements for ITEP awards and changed how local ITEP committees are composed and operate. Under the change, a local committee must include the parish president, the school-board president or the superintendent, the sheriff or the sheriff’s designee, and the mayor of affected municipalities. Prevost said the executive order also requires committee public meetings be held at a parish government facility and requires the committee to approve or deny applications by resolution before submission to the Louisiana Economic Development Agency (LED).

An administrative deadline
Prevost told the board that LED notified the district it must pass a board resolution stating that it will appoint the superintendent to the local ITEP committee; that resolution must be approved by Feb. 28. The presenter characterized this as an administrative task to specify whether the superintendent or the board president will sit as the school system’s voting member on the committee.

Board discussion
Board members voiced concerns about the change from elected board presidents to superintendents as voting members on the local committee. Board member Michelle Gallaher and others said it feels like a transfer of an elected official’s role to an appointed district official; members discussed the limits of local authority because LED or the governor may override local approvals or denials. Finance and economic development staff explained the parish committee will set minimum criteria consistent with LED requirements and may adopt a local rubric that could be stricter but would not bind the state decision.

Vote and next steps
The board voted to adopt the revised policy language and directed staff to place the required resolution (appointing the superintendent to the local ITEP committee) on the agenda for the next Thursday meeting to meet LED’s stated deadline.

Ending
Staff said they will return with the resolution for board approval and with any recommended local rubric language for committee review.","Board discussed revisions to policy D.F (Industrial Tax Exemption Program) following an executive order that removes job-creation thresholds and requires new committee composition and procedures; the board will add a resolution appointing the superintendent to the local ITEP committee by Feb. 28.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6345961,"St. Tammany schools receive clean audit; board approves federal and state budgets",124,1001000,1125000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247804-d7ed4f48082c6479a7a021cbed93e387&start=1001&end=1125","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247804-d7ed4f48082c6479a7a021cbed93e387/thumbnail_1001000.jpg","/articles/6345961/Louisiana/St-Tammany-schools-receive-clean-audit-board-approves-federal-and-state-budgets","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345961-bad4c2da0f11570e67b1e44141d6dfea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179396&Signature=Up9DWSCsNsMH9jy2WnXevDSw2OmBSXGUrp-M72puAcCsWHy-DGVQktFRAxYc05Q9jaPE9x5cxXVJeYG0PGRFDNi21brxLfZmR4XQcmGWyQCF6S6OGXftWdOrm-s-ytFM1i9i9k83kOwHJuf5cztP62uB2x6eTvdYaVIRSe7bYAzld8-ZfM5rzgvrr5~IIEDFJvrwgkwPfy-m29yIOGrUDkeULTtpCbqB~wS0fBVXQey-m-gKKVfl1faZ6nFtdC8--La8y-Vxf8X8lGdI64O7HE9gjfD95kSH~Tvr0OoncAcjhzQQJ-pXK8co-QY4AEP~x28m4xAlWuwtvT96c7G~~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","An external auditor told the St. Tammany Parish School Board the district’s fiscal-year audit resulted in an unmodified opinion and no reportable internal control weaknesses.

The finding, delivered by Lester Rishu of LaPorte, was the headline of a finance update during the board’s public meeting. Rishu said auditors also reviewed federal awards including Education Stabilization Fund spending and “didn’t encounter any issues that we had to report” in that portion of the federal awards audit.

The clean audit — often called an unmodified opinion — means the auditors did not find conditions that would require a qualified opinion or reportable control deficiencies. “No weaknesses or control deficiencies,” Rishu told the board.

Why it matters: a clean audit reassures the public and state oversight entities that the district’s financial statements fairly present operations and that basic financial controls are in place.

Board action and related budget items
The board voted to approve recommended fiscal year 2024–25 federal and state grant budgets, which the superintendent and finance staff described as largely controlled and approved by the Louisiana Department of Education. The board’s vote was procedural; staff said the state approves the budgets and the board’s action is administrative.

Board members also received monthly financial reports for November and December. Board members asked for and received clarifications about interfund transfers and project funding: finance staff explained a planned $3,000,000 transfer from the general fund to parishwide construction that is spread monthly and expected to be completed after property-tax receipts are received this winter, and said some items previously paid from a construction account may be reallocated to security funding in February.

Quotes from staff
“An unmodified opinion — that’s exactly what you hope to see in a situation like this,” Lester Rishu said while summarizing the audit results. CFO Terry Prevost and accounting staff were recognized in the meeting for transparency and for receiving national awards for budgeting and accounting practices.

Board concerns and next steps
Board members pressed staff on the timing and destination of transfers and on specific December expenditures (for example, a small recorded “land” expense that staff characterized as an appraisal or property study). Finance staff said they will continue to provide detail and would move some security-related purchases (radios, fencing) to a security budget where appropriate.

Ending
The clean audit and the board’s routine approvals leave the district’s prescribed financial controls intact; staff said they will return with any recommended reclassifications of specific expenditures and with continued monthly reporting.","External auditors delivered an unmodified (clean) opinion on the district’s fiscal year audit; the board approved recommended federal and state budgets and reviewed monthly financial reports including transfers into parishwide construction.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board accepts $347,600 low bid for junior-high locker-room termite repairs; construction updates and weather delays noted

District reviews school-meal participation and menu changes as federal rules shift

Board scales back small-dollar quote requirements, tightens vendor-selection committee rules

Board reviews ITEP policy changes after governor’s executive order; superintendent appointment to local committee required

St. Tammany schools receive clean audit; board approves federal and state budgets