Miss Lametta, a district staff member, told the St. Bernard Parish School Board education committee on Tuesday that the district is in the final year of its five-year strategic plan and adjusted goal language to reflect Louisiana’s new school accountability metrics. "This is the last year of this 5 year strategic plan," she said, summarizing changes to how student achievement and growth will be measured under the new system.

The committee heard specifics about the accountability changes: the district will no longer use a numeric assessment index or a point-based growth index. Instead, schools will be evaluated on whether students reach mastery bands and on whether students meet a midway growth increment within achievement bands. "So it's no longer a growth score or assessment index," Lametta said, describing the shift to yes-or-no mastery and band-based growth thresholds.

Miss Licciardi, a district staff member who presented the safety technology, described an "Evolve" weapons-detection system the district plans to install at Chalmette High School for the coming school year. "This is a major step forward in our commitment ... to ensure the safety of our students and faculty while still allowing for a smooth and fast entry onto the campus," Licciardi said. She said the system is not a traditional metal detector, that multiple people can walk through at once, and that a staff member monitoring a tablet will see an orange box indicating the area of concern for a secondary, discreet check.

Board members asked operational questions about the system. Board member Mr. Rodriguez asked whether the system would detect knives; Licciardi replied that detection depends on settings and size, and that in the district pilot it flagged knives and tools but did not trigger for phones, keys or loose change. Committee members and staff said plans call for four units at Chalmette High — at the main front entrance, the freshman front entrance where buses arrive, the gym lobby, and a gate at the back entrance — and that families will be notified by mail before school begins.

The committee discussed other strategic-plan items including certified-staff recruitment and the district teacher-certification program led by TSP coordinator Erin Larson, whom Lametta highlighted as central to teacher development and retention.

Committee member Miss Dysart moved to send this year’s strategic plan to the full board for discussion; the motion was seconded on the floor and passed 9-0. The committee did not adopt the plan at this meeting and will return it to the full board for final action.