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Bossier Parish School Board approves $90,000 LDOE work-based learning pilot and a series of insurance renewals
Summary
The school board approved an LDOE-funded, paid work-based learning pilot starting with four students and voted to renew or adopt several insurance and benefits recommendations from the insurance committee, including rejecting uninsured/underinsured motorist auto coverage for the 2025–26 policy year.
The Bossier Parish School Board on Sept. 4 approved a $90,000 Louisiana Department of Education grant to pilot a paid work-based learning program at a district site identified in meeting materials as Bibstall/BIPSTEL, and adopted a set of insurance and benefits recommendations from the board’s insurance committee.
Assistant Superintendent Waylon Bates told the board the program will start small with four students on-site, pay participating students $9.50 an hour and award Carnegie unit credit as part of career and technical education. Bates said the district intends to expand the program over time into maintenance, transportation, cafeteria operations and other CTE areas with the long-term goal of hiring participating students into district roles. “If we don't use the money, they would end up sending it back,” Bates said, urging approval so the funds remain in Bossier Parish.
Board member Ms. Smith moved to approve the LDOE-funded work‑based learning pilot; Mr. Bullard seconded and the chair announced the motion passed.
Also on the consent-type business, interim insurance committee chair Glenn Bullard summarized committee recommendations from the Sept. 4 insurance committee meeting and asked the board to approve them. The board voted to:
- Renew the district liability package for one year, covering auto liability, general liability, employee benefits liability and related errors-and-omissions and abuse liability.
- Approve renewal of auto physical damage insurance for driver‑education vehicles as required under the district’s lease with Red River Motor Company LLC.
- Approve the Employer Group Waiver Program (EGWP) administrator bid as presented.
- Approve a dependent audit to begin in January 2026.
- Approve a benefit modification plan as presented.
In a separate motion read into the record by a committee member, the board voted to reject uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily‑injury and property‑damage coverage on the district automobile policy for the policy period of Sept. 20, 2025, through Sept. 20, 2026, and authorized Chief Financial Officer Nisha Bamberg to sign the rejection on the board’s behalf. The committee member read the motion for the board: “Make a motion to reject uninsured, underinsured motorist bodily injury and property damage coverage from the automobile policy and further move to authorize Nisha Bamberg, chief financial officer, to sign on behalf of Bossier Parish School Board to reject uninsured, underinsured motorist's bodily injury and property damage coverage from the automobile insurance policy for the policy period of 09/20/2025 to 09/20/2026.” The board voted and the motion passed.
The board also approved routine trip requests earlier in the meeting. Later, the board voted to enter executive session to discuss investigative proceedings pursuant to La. R.S. 42:17; the chair announced, “We are now in executive session.”
Outcomes and next steps: The work‑based learning pilot is approved and will be implemented under grant rules; insurance and benefits changes were adopted and will be implemented through the district’s administrative offices.
