Livingston Parish School Board authorizes advertisements for WAN and internet RFPs, approves assistant principal contract and payments; introduces 2025–26 draft

The Livingston Parish School Board on Jan. (date of this meeting not specified in transcript) voted to let the superintendent advertise two requests for proposals for network services to maintain eligibility for the federal E-rate program, introduced a recommended 2025–26 school calendar selected by employees, approved a performance-based contract for an assistant principal at Maurepas High School and authorized payment of invoices and district supplements.

Board members granted the superintendent authority to advertise RFP 25-03 for wide area network (WAN) connectivity and RFP 25-04 for internet access after a presentation by the district's director of technology, Carlos Williams. Williams said the WAN is the fiber network that connects the central office to school sites and that the district’s current capacity is 20 gigabits across the network. The RFPs will request an initial two-year contract term with two optional one-year extensions; Williams said that structure gives the district flexibility to reprocure or extend as needs change. He said the first advertisement was slated to run “on the 30th” and the goal was to bring recommended vendors to the board on March 20 for final action.

The board heard that vendors may bid on one or both items; Williams said past responses have ranged from two vendors up to six and that price is the highest-weighted factor on the E-rate scoring rubric. The board approved motions to advertise both RFPs.

The board also heard an introduction of the proposed school calendar for 2025–26 from Assistant Superintendent Bruce Chaffetz. He said a calendar committee of roughly 20 people — including representatives from LPPA and LPTA, central-office staff, two school board members and, for the first time, a student (the district's high school student of the year) — developed three options. Employees voted, and option C received 53 percent of the vote, option B 33 percent and option A 14 percent; because option C received a majority, Chaffetz said that option will be the calendar brought back for board approval at the next meeting. Under that draft, teachers would begin Aug. 5, students would begin Aug. 8, and the school year would end on the 22nd (month not specified in the transcript). Chaffetz said the committee preserved two fair days, Thanksgiving and a Christmastime break similar to the current year, and recommended three days for Mardi Gras; the calendar discussion included particular attention to scheduling around Easter and the state testing window.

On personnel and fiscal items, the board approved Superintendent Purvis’s recommendation for a performance-based contract for Charles Neil as assistant principal at Maurepas High School, effective Jan. 15 through June 30, 2027. The board also approved payment of invoices and district supplements.

In superintendent comments, Purvis thanked staff and law enforcement partners for coordination during recent winter weather and said the district planned to keep school closed for students tomorrow and have employees report at 9 a.m. so staff could inspect campuses, prepare buses and plan instruction. Purvis said the staggered return gives teachers time to prepare lessons after missed days so instructional time when students return is used efficiently.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes of the Jan. 9, 2025, school board meeting — motion by Jeff Cox, second by (as recorded) Bridal Sharp; motion carried, no opposition recorded in the transcript. - RFP 25-03, wide area network connectivity — motion to grant the superintendent authority to advertise by Brad Harris (mover), second by Cecil Harris; motion carried. - RFP 25-04, internet access — motion to grant the superintendent authority to advertise by Jeff Cox (mover), second by Bob Seals; motion carried. - Assistant principal contract at Maurepas High School (Charles Neil, performance-based, effective Jan. 15–June 30, 2027) — motion carried (mover recorded as Brad Sharp; second Caitlin Cockerham in transcript). - Approval of payment of invoices and district supplements — motion by Jeff Cox, second recorded as Bradshaw in the transcript; motion carried.

What this means The board's approvals begin the procurement steps needed to preserve the district's eligibility for federal E-rate discounts that subsidize school internet and network connections, and set a procurement timeline aimed at vendor selection by the March 20 board meeting. The calendar introduction reflects employee input and will return for formal approval; the assistant principal contract and the payment authorizations are final board actions recorded in the meeting.

Meeting context and next steps The RFP advertisements will start the competitive procurement process. The district's director of technology told the board the network is at 20-gig capacity now and that optional contract extensions are intended to give flexibility if needs evolve. The calendar will return for a vote at the next board meeting. The transcript does not specify the exact date of the present meeting or the month associated with some items (for example the advertised “30th” and the calendar end date given as “the 22nd”), and the article notes those details as not specified in the record.