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Board approves Smart Steps teacher stipend, updates job handbook and employee dress code
Summary
The board approved a $5,000 Smart Steps teacher stipend for the 2026–27 salary schedule, adopted minor job description updates including Smart Steps positions, and modified the employee dress code (jeans allowed on Fridays; Crocs restricted in unsafe areas). The Smart Steps program will operate at LP Vaughan for K–2 students.
On July 14 the Natchitoches Parish School Board approved several personnel and program items aimed at supporting students with acute behavioral needs and updating employee guidance.
Superintendent Dr. Grant Eloy and staff clarified an amendment to the salary schedule to add a Smart Steps teacher stipend of $5,000 for the 2026–27 year (the board had earlier approved a $3,000 paraprofessional stipend). The board discussed program logistics: Smart Steps will be district‑run on the LP Vaughan campus, serve kindergarten through second grade, require substantial parent involvement for enrollment, and emphasize training and therapeutic supports rather than punitive discipline. Staff said pairs of teachers and additional support services (OT, PT, speech, counseling) are expected to be integrated as needed.
The board also approved annual updates to the job description handbook (including new director positions and Smart Steps job descriptions) and modified the employee dress code to provide more guidance. Changes noted by personnel chief Ramona Winder include clearer language on footwear and safety (Crocs restricted in areas where slip‑hazards exist), permission to wear jeans on Fridays without being charged by schools, and relaxed language about tattoos to align with nondiscrimination guidance. Board members emphasized the safety rationale for footwear changes and the district’s flexibility for medical accommodations.
All motions passed on voice votes. Staff said additional program details and a Smart Steps handbook will be provided at a future meeting.
