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Calcasieu Parish School Board moves to adopt 11 policy updates covering qualifications, leave and student health
Summary
At its Nov. 18 meeting the Calcasieu Parish School Board voted to adopt 11 policy revisions from state-directed changes, including board member qualifications, meeting-notice rules, sick-leave bank procedures, immunization language and behavioral-health evaluator definitions.
The Calcasieu Parish School Board on Nov. 18, 2024 moved to adopt 11 policy updates that incorporate recent state statutory changes affecting board qualifications, staff leave rules, student health procedures and notice requirements.
Staff told the board that the revisions to school board member qualifications now state that "school board members shall possess a high school diploma or its equivalent as determined by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education." Legal counsel explained that the state enforces dual-office holding and that, where questions arise, the district will seek an Attorney General opinion.
Other changes the district described include: an expanded definition of "clinician" in sick-leave policy to include physicians, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses; revisions to sick-leave bank rules consistent with Act 115 allowing direct donations between employees; updates to medication-administration language to accept prescriptions from practitioners licensed in any U.S. state (Act 161); and immunization-policy edits prompted by Acts 460 and 674 that prohibit staff distinguishing among students by vaccination status while preserving required documentation procedures.
Staff also clarified behavioral-health language, saying the term "evaluator" will include licensed psychiatrists, medical psychologists, certified school psychologists, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers and applied behavior-analysis providers who are certified by their Louisiana licensing board and are not district employees. The district said it uses a mix of Title I, special-education funds and contracted agencies to provide outside counseling services.
Board members asked staff several implementation questions, including how the commissioner-of-administration posting requirement will work; staff said the commissioner's office was not yet configured to accept automated postings but the district will comply when directed. Staff also said ongoing work to revise employment contracts after Act 31 will continue and further contract batches will be brought forward in later meetings.
A voice vote was called to adopt items 1 through 11 as a block; the chair announced the motion and the transcript records the board answering in the affirmative. The vote was taken by voice and the transcript does not record a roll-call tally in the segment provided.
The board moved on to remaining agenda items after the adoption.
