Board broadens pupil-appraisal job qualifications, approves insurance renewal and personnel items for 2025–26

The Acadia Parish School Board approved several personnel and benefits items intended to broaden applicant pools, maintain benefits and authorize administrative flexibility for the 2025–26 year.

The board approved updates to the pupil appraisal facilitator job description to broaden required qualifications beyond the previously narrow educational-diagnostician-only description. Staff explained the pupil appraisal department includes four disciplines — social workers, school psychologists, speech therapists and educational diagnosticians — and the job description was revised to allow applicants from any of those fields. The board was told there is no change in pay; the position remains 12 months at an existing index (1.465) and the update was expedited because the current facilitator filed paperwork indicating departure in June.

The board also approved a Blue Cross health insurance renewal for fiscal year 2025–26 and a recommendation from the Budget Finance Committee to approve salary schedules for FY25–26 while authorizing the superintendent to update schedules to reflect any legislative action taken in the legislative session ending in June 2025.

In personnel business, the board approved adding additional performance targets to the superintendent’s contract and discussed plans for strategic goal planning over the summer to revisit the board’s mission and vision now that the superintendent has nearly a year in the role. The board also approved out-of-state travel requests: North Crowley Elementary students to the Elementary National Beta Convention in Orlando, Florida, June 27–29, 2025, and Church Point Middle School students to the Junior Beta National Convention in Orlando, June 28–July 1, 2025.

All personnel items and committee recommendations were approved as presented; the board did not change salary amounts during the meeting.