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Tensas Parish School Board approves 2025–26 calendar, sells acreage to police jury and adopts phone policy
Summary
At its Feb. 13 meeting in St. Joseph, the Tensas Parish School Board approved the 2025–26 school calendar, changed Feb. 18 to a regular school day, authorized sale of 1.22 acres to the Tensas Parish Police Jury for $7,930, readvertised Newellton properties at 80% of appraised value after no bids, and waived first reading to adopt a revision to FILE: JCDAE on electronic devices.
The Tensas Parish School Board on Feb. 13 in St. Joseph approved a set of routine administrative actions, including the 2025–26 school calendar, a land sale to the Tensas Parish Police Jury and adoption of a revised electronic telecommunication devices policy.
John Turner, president of the board, presided over the meeting. The board voted to approve the 2025–26 school calendar on a motion by Turner, seconded by Joseph Tarver. Separately, the board approved a motion by Annice Miller, seconded by Turner, to change Feb. 18 from a professional development day to a regular school day for students, paraprofessionals and teachers.
The board also addressed surplus property. With no bids received for the Newellton Elementary School properties, Turner moved and Miller seconded a motion to readvertise the properties at 80% of the appraised value; that motion passed. In a separate action, the board approved the sale of 1.22 acres in Section 16, T11N‑R12E, adjacent to Tensas Elementary School, to the Tensas Parish Police Jury at $6,500 per acre for a total of $7,930. The motion to approve the sale was made by Turner and seconded by Miller.
On policy, the board added an addendum to consider FILE: JCDAE (Electronic Telecommunication Devices), waived the first reading and approved the policy revision after a motion by Jennifer Burnside, seconded by Knola Ransome. The policy file was listed in the minutes as "FILE: JCDAE Electronic Telecommunication Devices Cf: JD." The board’s minutes record the motions as passed; specific roll-call tallies were not listed in the transcript.
Routine business included approval of the Jan. 9, 2025 minutes (motion by Jennifer Burnside, seconded by Knola Ransome) and receipt of the December financial statement and budget-to-actual update (motion by Annice Miller, seconded by Knola Ransome). All motions recorded in the minutes are noted as "Motion passed." The meeting adjourned after Superintendent Joyce M. Russ offered brief announcements and remarks.
Superintendent Russ reported a visit earlier that day by the state superintendent and team to Tensas Elementary School and thanked school staff, noting photos of the visit on the state department and Tensas Gazette Facebook pages. She also announced a TES Elementary event, "Parishes around Louisiana," scheduled for the following morning at 9:15 a.m., reminded the public that schools and offices will be closed Monday for Presidents' Day, and noted that the Tensas Panthers' game against General Trass had been moved and would be played that evening.
The meeting concluded with John Turner, president, and Joyce M. Russ, superintendent, signing the official record.
