School Board tables transportation recommendation

A recommendation that would allow for the school system to stop providing transportation for non-public school students to public schools for gifted and talented and disabled classes was tabled pending further consideration of the matter.

Two speakers appeared at the St. Tammany School Board meeting Thursday night to ask for the transportation of students meeting certain criteria to continue from non-public schools to public schools to attend certain classes, including those for the hearing impaired, other disabilities and those who are gifted and talented.

Currently, transportation is provided to public schools by the school system from the students’ regular schools, including private and faith-based schools.

The recommendation made by the committee as a whole would continue providing services for the non-public schools in exceptional areas, but would have stopped providing transportation.

The vote to table was approved by Neal Hennegan, Michael Dirmann, Jack Loup, Donald Villere, Jody Palmer, Ron Bettencourtt and Ronnie Panks. Dissenting were Mary Bellisario, Ray Alfred, John Lamarque, Charles Harrell and Elizabeth Heintz. Mike Gambrell, Daniel Zechenelly and Bob Womack were absent.

Recommendations from the committee as a whole on business and administration were approved unanimously. These recommendations were:

The purchase of 30 acres adjacent to Abita Springs Elementary School, on the north side of Louisiana Highway 36 and the south side of Level Street for $420,000 or $14,000 per acre;

The acceptance of the low bid submitted by Polk Construction Corp. of $4.17 million to replace wings 100 and 200 at Fontainebleau Junior High School;

Approval of the revised budget for fiscal year 2008-2009;

The committee also accepted a resolution to maintain the 2009 millage at the 2008 level. The millages will remain at the same levels with 3.80 mills for the constitutional tax; 4.84 mills for additional support tax; 3.44 mills for the construction, maintenance and operational tax and 35.47 mills for maintaining and operating tax.

In addition, the committee unanimously approved a resolution to levy millage at a reduced rate for the repayment of debt service from the current 21.90 mills to 20.90 mills.