[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6130197,"mediaKeyId","5741001-d1e3943ae4a1f79672e9164c40b69487","parentId",5741001,"title","Board discusses pilots to reduce chronic absenteeism, coordination with DA and community partners","audioSeconds",3398,"startMs",1344000,"endMs",4742000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5741001-d1e3943ae4a1f79672e9164c40b69487&start=1344&end=4742","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5741001-d1e3943ae4a1f79672e9164c40b69487/thumbnail_1344000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6130197/Louisiana/Board-discusses-pilots-to-reduce-chronic-absenteeism-coordination-with-DA-and-community-partners","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130197-31eecf8dfad6469a4b285bc77b358a8e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775143182&Signature=Nr4BctZvoQ2C~f~9r3fYsvo0DkoKMobkFZmUwvkI~WHYAKlzSxgKSqR3ikS7tofT7yd175fkCmVJU0qraji91IwIxFUPqqzrNdfjFoHgsWK59Q8oMoGI5S-6qYgjzwSMgx~97EALSQmwSZn6z3hlySen2NpqbWt13cwQIyXvFfAccjUXwpz8H6jSqK8RPVTMxKtGVOuE2rlQiCgyH6h3dvukSpZAJkgtl52uLnd4ztpklEviLR-dQ9NDoTcZZlpLaWGLmgWcdYQWGA21j7SiT1UsNi5PXXApQwAeSu9yV2owSGp82s6U~~7PsCcny~jmtRtvEOb9mKhyovoNokvF5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CADDO PARISH PUBLIC SCHOOLS","date","2025-05-28T08:45:12Z","article","District staff told the board they are prioritizing attendance supports in middle schools and will reallocate existing staff rather than add recurring costs, describing several pilots and community partnerships intended to reduce chronic absenteeism.

Jeff Howard, the budget presenter, said the draft includes \"addressing chronic absenteeism, truancy, and chronic behaviors\" and noted the budget establishes a pilot group and increased supports at target schools. Superintendent Burton and staff explained the approach emphasizes family‑level interventions so that attendance problems do not immediately go to court.

\"Once they know we have extinguished all of our supports, then it...turns into an improper supervision complaint against the family,\" Burton explained of the DA’s process; he said the district is coordinating with the DA, juvenile judges, the sheriff’s office, the police chief and volunteers to pursue supports and home visits before legal action.

Staff said they plan to reprioritize and reallocate clerical and behavioral‑support positions to most middle schools (other than the magnet campus) and to train principals to protect attendance clerks’ time so they can focus on outreach. The district also cited existing partnerships — for example, Volunteers for Youth Justice, FINS officers and TASC programs — that help provide on‑campus supports.

Board members requested more detail on staffing reallocations and program costs. Staff said they would supply the requested information in upcoming materials and that the district is not proposing layoffs tied to the reallocations discussed at the work session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","CPSB Budget Work Session - General Fund: May 27, 2025 | 2:00pm","oneSentenceSummary","The district outlined plans to redirect existing staff to improve attendance at middle schools, launch pilots to address chronic absenteeism and behavior, and coordinate with the DA and Volunteers for Youth Justice to address family-level issues before escalating to juvenile court.","taxTitle","Caddo Parish, School Boards, Louisiana","taxId",14434,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6130202,"Board hears security brief: district pays SROs, budgets $6M for security and is piloting AI camera and gun‑detection tools",1611,2935000,4546000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5741001-d1e3943ae4a1f79672e9164c40b69487&start=2935&end=4546","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5741001-d1e3943ae4a1f79672e9164c40b69487/thumbnail_2935000.jpg","/articles/6130202/Louisiana/Board-hears-security-brief-district-pays-SROs-budgets-6M-for-security-and-is-piloting-AI-camera-and-gundetection-tools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130202-ba5e5ae1f4242efd1c2ceb1abb4ec37f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775143182&Signature=dtRdaSfEn0zwwDw1Sz9GGUAp4gs5GCddUtL2MKFizuWX7GnVr21g5KsG1WCG83oNeHbXncGhSeT~ZtT5YTBFKAy6N0dAPq3cA63Pqao6Zcpk1jbB9AQ4P~8m~xkaPBLFQrhk4zK1QdkM-x7iehuYPc2h0Np7qEhdX8SfqDig5AMT0SeAMCEnBQ7yZNLLPBn4RJPZ4X1hIbJjJxdkie~t9UDpO-j253OZY-wuzFdodtbmpTk5qy-SVYA4HZeTFTBgSqb-yGkr-hrwcBQW5fcgHv1iBSpjoZ75ZJQKzRuPhW3-hP-pAWFgVAVNyNIe8JOVY8eGq1DGux3KAxGrYPhvVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board members pressed district security staff and administrators about school safety and how security personnel are assigned across campuses during the May 27 budget work session.

Chief security staff Mr. Gibbs told the board that the district pays school resource officers’ salaries and benefits for 10 months and that high schools have SROs in place. \"We pay their salary and benefits for 10 months,\" Gibbs said when asked whether the district pays for SROs.

Board questions and staff responses established several key points: the security budget lines total about $6 million across security coordinator salaries and related lines; the district employs roughly 70 security coordinators reported in the budget and serves about 60 school sites. Gibbs said assignment of security coordinators is based on \"the number of incidents\" and on demonstrated campus need rather than strictly by enrollment size.

Gibbs also described planned technology upgrades that rely on artificial intelligence. \"We're currently in the process of implementing some platforms on top of our current camera systems that will identify through facial recognition, individuals that...have been deemed as a ban from our campuses,\" he said. He added the district is deploying \"gun detecting software\" that will integrate with cameras to send notifications to staff and law enforcement when a threat is detected. Staff said funding for some security upgrades will come from bond allocations earmarked for security and capital improvements.

Board discussion included requests for more detailed cost breakdowns and clarification of how security coordinators will be reassigned when schools close or consolidate. No policy or procurement decisions were made at the May 27 session; staff indicated further briefings and potential executive‑session discussion on sensitive security protocols could follow.","Board members pressed staff on security staffing and technology costs; the district said it budgets roughly $6 million a year for security staff, pays school resource officers’ salaries for 10 months, and is implementing AI tools for camera‑based weapon detection and banned‑person alerts.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6130207,"Employees press board on UKG timekeeping costs and pay-step discrepancies; staff to respond with analysis",2959,992000,3951000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5741001-d1e3943ae4a1f79672e9164c40b69487&start=992&end=3951","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5741001-d1e3943ae4a1f79672e9164c40b69487/thumbnail_992000.jpg","/articles/6130207/Louisiana/Employees-press-board-on-UKG-timekeeping-costs-and-pay-step-discrepancies-staff-to-respond-with-analysis","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130207-a9cba93808e293b8d9391c3bfc4bd796/orig.mp4?Expires=1775143182&Signature=gzuA1c8kwlUMk6Rp--8TqeLamIBtIFndLI0K~IoN70ThHilPFRUikWSLF3-y0EKSJ6~EQSMuRqalAWCr2VVLLb-D0uaLJllpNBEpYz4rKCktLfuq~aVViRysQArAHcIARyWIs0htrlTuI~D8PAB5XCnxJk3jqI9mKDhgSe01b6hZDb0SIE6Kx-DhldN4-j5prqT~7Y8Sec0HHVyxcy2gjOgUUfAW5lj16bje11srIN~gAT9~aJUAKx5Hf0hLzzd5SclbCrPCJW~3QtxZKFLnyUuMHkcaI331uw-hEwK9pC-dkt7VJZZCol1FR5qlim-XFhKx2sxmkViAsscJntb86w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jordan Thomas, executive vice president of Red River United, told the Caddo Parish School Board on May 27 that the district’s UKG timekeeping system cost \"around a $400,000 initial setup, $200,000 annually\" and has not functioned as intended, contributing to employee grievances.

\"It has never done what was intended to do and is being revisited due to employee grievances,\" Thomas said during the public‑comment portion of the budget work session and asked the board to consider related compensation adjustments while reviewing the budget.

Board members and staff also discussed long‑standing pay placement questions tied to a 2013 change in how the district converted experience and other factors into pay steps. Several board members and staff said conversion rules introduced under Act 1 (the district transition described in 2013) led to situations where some hires from other districts were placed on higher steps than some long‑term Caddo employees; staff reported they are assembling a detailed analysis of affected employees and the cost to remediate.

Superintendent Burton told the board staff would prepare an accurate response and circulate it in the coming days: \"staff will have that to you within probably within the next 2 days.\" The HR team confirmed the district continues active recruiting to fill vacancies and said some instructional specialists have been reassigned temporarily to cover special‑education needs.

Board members also raised the UKG subscription’s ongoing cost; staff noted the system’s recurring costs will be reflected in the next budget cycle and that some implementation expenses will be accommodated by reallocations elsewhere in the business services budget.

No salary‑policy changes were approved at the May 27 session; board members requested the staff analysis to quantify how many employees are affected and what a remediation would cost.","Community and union representatives urged the board to address a problematic UKG timekeeping rollout and long-standing salary‑placement differences that left some long‑tenured staff behind peers hired from other districts; staff said they will deliver a detailed response within days.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6130212,"Visitor, attorney debate public access to budget backup; board attorney says agenda notice satisfied legal requirement",330,773000,1103000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5741001-d1e3943ae4a1f79672e9164c40b69487&start=773&end=1103","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5741001-d1e3943ae4a1f79672e9164c40b69487/thumbnail_773000.jpg","/articles/6130212/Louisiana/Visitor-attorney-debate-public-access-to-budget-backup-board-attorney-says-agenda-notice-satisfied-legal-requirement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130212-9c3c5365fd680f8420811146f93f0485/orig.mp4?Expires=1775143182&Signature=aBISoVC17-DS9pa3~vRjO~t9Eq2kV1omuMRsY8ec6DACEI95AOAAynvFvHQoo54o78Hg6RS2tV3EGoTcwIqczkVKD3Z52~Wm5sKVMhwF5XqB668o-Jq3Y~PLwshhucRM9-YVVKbxPpDzB0sGqMk8kv~1PWf9rzNC9rm-kyq6cgG3lCe~p7i251AU3LM0iXH1f0rLajMs-KPbYnqL48iWJdNguDmBdv23z94-CQ4P0gAPrHASIa0VvovUYF1lmwlAv5be~LqgygwegHLB3aJOIYCWQX3TK3P9XRGaGZe7N4RnyPQHFRaqPgCH9kHz7a8OzZS1DYWpTB-AZuXbE~ZUaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Glover, a resident of Shreveport, told the Caddo Parish School Board on May 27 that the budget document for the meeting had not been uploaded and that the omission made it \"very disheartening\" for members of the public who wanted to review the packet in advance.

\"It is very disheartening to have to stand here before you all and give a comment to a document that has not yet been made available to the public,\" Glover said, asking how members of the public would obtain a copy.

Board attorney Abrams responded that state law requires the agenda be posted at least 24 hours before a meeting but does not require that supporting backup materials be posted that far in advance. \"As far as the policy is concerned, as long as the item is on the agenda, there's no requirement that you have to have backup on the agenda until the meeting that you actually have,\" Abrams told the board. He noted the board’s policy includes guidance about providing materials to media and the public and recommended that staff nevertheless try to make backup available within 24 hours when practicable.

President Green told the board the packet had been posted that morning and staff confirmed online access during the meeting.

No policy change was made at the session; the discussion ended with staff and the attorney describing the district’s practice and policy language and with a board request for staff to circulate materials as possible ahead of subsequent sessions.","A visitor told the board the budget packet was not posted before the meeting; the board’s attorney said state law requires posting the agenda 24 hours ahead but does not mandate posting backup materials that early.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6130217,"Caddo Parish proposes balanced $426 million general fund, cites enrollment losses and end of ESSER aid",433,1108000,1541000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5741001-d1e3943ae4a1f79672e9164c40b69487&start=1108&end=1541","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5741001-d1e3943ae4a1f79672e9164c40b69487/thumbnail_1108000.jpg","/articles/6130217/Louisiana/Caddo-Parish-proposes-balanced-426-million-general-fund-cites-enrollment-losses-and-end-of-ESSER-aid","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130217-c987b8dd2c1e800e18af4fc437ca7576/orig.mp4?Expires=1775143182&Signature=Faa7vf6bB0rYTm3tMTymE119TQOSx1A0C1ghpnkVfuHaIqUJuzexInyqUK9gPpHi3MNf0816g6VFgtL9XgaCUh-W2iLPzkIlGsHQUfAK0~Pl3Nd-ZcNnvERxBq6gZhSQvvVrFX0R5mOzMW05RHcdbEdnhiUPWvTuQrVX5iIE~9aZ73zGrJlnwlJbHtNHX7sxkPxGUsEU8MZlcCRFzl63e~LHfZFVI~TJIS6GglS8T3ndvBivW2j7dUtLAwxPrKPGESJ4YNxtElKATCf33q~czr8B~H~oMbg3AaCr69G7iZLRMHyPM-8CA6qeHHTS~0r6F72S7GuHtavSqmUtgmwfCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Caddo Parish School Board staff presented a draft 2025–26 general fund budget on May 27, 2025, showing approximately $426 million in revenue and expenditures and an anticipated year-end fund balance near $162 million.

The proposal, presented by Jeff Howard, staff member and budget presenter, aligns spending to district priorities and includes step increases for qualifying employees, retention of the middle-school math block, and start-up costs for a modified block schedule at high schools. \"This draft does show a balanced budget with no deficit spending,\" Howard told the board, adding the draft does not rely on using savings or fund balance to operate.

The district projects continued enrollment declines, which staff said are the primary revenue pressure. Howard said the district receives an average of $5,500 per student from the state’s Minimum Foundation Program and is budgeting to lose about 750 students for the 2025–26 year, after a loss of roughly 850 students the current year.

Howard also told the board that the end of ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funding has shifted recurring costs back into the general fund. He estimated indirect-cost revenue tied to federal programs would drop from about $15 million this year to roughly $3.5 million in a post‑ESSER structure, noting the district used ESSER to fund numerous programs that are now recurring costs.

Board members asked for clarifications on several line items. The budget document shows the district levies just over 72 mills in property taxes overall, with 55 mills supporting the general fund; Howard said property-tax revenue was budgeted flat for next year. Sales tax receipts were described as uncertain, with recent months showing small up-and-down fluctuations.

The draft also reflects a variety of program choices intended to protect instruction and student supports: targeted pilots for chronic absenteeism, a calming academy at Summer Grove Elementary, and braided Title I funding to sustain priorities previously funded by ESSER. Howard said the timeline for the budget process includes another work session June 3 focused on special revenue and capital funds, a public hearing and approval by the board on June 17, and a July 1 start to the fiscal year.

Board members and staff agreed no legislative action was scheduled at the May 27 session; the meeting was informational and further meetings were planned to refine numbers and answer follow-up questions.

The board flagged several items for follow-up, including a line-item explanation of reserves and an accounting breakout for major program shifts from ESSER to the general fund. Howard told the board staff would compile requested answers and circulate them later in the week.","District staff presented a draft 2025–26 general fund budget that leaders say is balanced without dipping into reserves, while officials warned ongoing enrollment declines and the end of federal ESSER funding will continue to pressure future years.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board discusses pilots to reduce chronic absenteeism, coordination with DA and community partners

Board hears security brief: district pays SROs, budgets $6M for security and is piloting AI camera and gun‑detection tools

Employees press board on UKG timekeeping costs and pay-step discrepancies; staff to respond with analysis

Visitor, attorney debate public access to budget backup; board attorney says agenda notice satisfied legal requirement

Caddo Parish proposes balanced $426 million general fund, cites enrollment losses and end of ESSER aid