School Board OKs contracts for 2 jobs

Contract wording for a construction manager and communication specialist were approved by the St. Landry Parish School Board Executive Committee Thursday.
The contracts presentsed by Superintendent Patrick Jenkins hit a snag in March when the committee asked that they be advertised.
In March, Jenkins indicated he had selected Don Simpson, a civil engineer of Zachary, who Jenkins said he worked with before becoming St. Landry Parish superintendent in October 2016.
Jenkins also said he had person to fill the communication job.
The construction manager was to be contracted at a $400 daily rate and a maximum of 24 hours a week for a maximum of $62,400 a year.
The communications job would pay $33 an hour with 30 hours a week maximum to promote a positive image for the school system.
At Thursday’s meeting, Jenkins said Simpson was the lone applicant for construction manager.
There were three applications for the communications job included the person he had planned to hire.
The jobs were advertised for one week on the school system’s website.
According to board policy on the website: “The St. Landry Parish School Board shall make a concerted effort to recruit the best qualified applicants available. When vacancies occur in existing positions or when new positions are created, and such positions are not filled by transfer of qualified personnel, the Superintendent or his/her designee shall post notice of the vacancy and shall have the discretion to advertise for certain positions when circumstances warrant.”
The construction manager is to be paid out of a $10 million bond issue that has paid for Leonville Elementary construction and new roofs at several facilities.
The contracts come as Jenkins and the board discussed holding a tax election to fund raises and a building plan.
Proposed at this time are a 9.8 mill increase to fund a $3,000 raise for teacher and $1,500 for support staff. Also proposed is a 11.3 mill tax to fund a 20-year $90 million bond issue for capital improvements.
The current millage rate is 20.3.