Caddo Parish board discusses revised meeting, budget schedule ahead of April 15 agenda

Caddo Parish School Board executive committee members reviewed proposed changes to the district's meeting calendar on April 1 and discussed when budget work sessions and regular meetings would occur in May, June and July as staff prepares the fiscal-year materials.

Why it matters: scheduling affects when the board can adopt the budget and when staff must complete and distribute budget documents. Board members sought clarity so they can plan attendance and public events such as graduations and community celebrations.

Key points discussed: board members and staff discussed a proposed schedule that included a regular/combined executive meeting on May 20, a budget work session on May 27, and additional budget-related meetings on June 3, June 10 and June 17 (with June 17 also described as a combined regular and executive meeting). The committee also discussed a combined meeting on July 15. Staff member Mr. Howard said the district would need additional time to balance the draft budget and could not guarantee a completed packet for distribution before Memorial Day; he said district staff would provide the balanced materials to board members as soon as they were ready.

Board member concerns and clarifications: several board members expressed confusion about the memo's layout and dates. Miss McLean and Miss Yates asked staff to ensure budget items such as general-fund votes be scheduled where appropriate; Mr. Howard confirmed that the district often distributes budget materials the week before Memorial Day and that in past years the board has had flexibility to hold additional meetings "if needed." Dr. Benson asked whether any preliminary budget materials could be shared earlier for board review; Howard said there was nothing yet ready to distribute and the district needed time to balance funds before formal presentation.

Process notes: committee members said that one meeting being removed from the draft (May 6) was not the intent; rather, staff intended to schedule meetings so the board could complete budget work before the June deadline to adopt the budget. Members asked staff to present a clearer calendar and to label combined meetings and budget work sessions in future memos so that members can plan for childcare and work schedules.

Next steps: the proposed calendar was included on the draft April 15 agenda; the full board will consider the schedule and the timeline for budget adoption at the April 15 meeting. Staff said it will send budget materials to board members as soon as they are balanced and available.