School Board Tables Board Member Compensation Vote

The Central Community School System board met in a regular meeting tonight and all members were present.  In addition to other routine business, the board voted to allow a home schooled student who meets all LHSAA (Louisiana High School Athletic Association) guidelines to join the swimming team at Central High School.

The item of great discussion for the evening came in a motion concerning compensation of school board members.  Currently, serving on the school board is an unpaid position.  Marty Guilbeau moved that school board service be for no compensation until such time as the available financial reserves meet the governmental accounting reccomended level equal to three months of operating expenses.  The school system currently has about $166,000 in reserves and a three month cushion would be about $7 million.

The motion was seconded by Russell Starns.  A substitute motion was then offered by Sharon Browning to “Lay the motion on the table.”  This motion would cause the vote on the original motion to be delayed until the new elected school board is in place.  The substitute motion was seconded by Jim Gardner.

Public discussion was then opened up and about seven persons spoke, all in favor of defeating the substitute motion and calling for the current appointed board to vote on Mr. Guilbeau’s motion.  Board discussion then followed and the vote was taken by roll call.  Voting to “table” the motion, thus delaying a vote on school board member compensation until after the election, were Anderson, Browning, Easley, and Gardner.  Voting not to table the issue, thus requiring a vote by the current board on whether to compensate board members, were Foil, Guilbeau and Starns.

In short, the board voted 4 to 3 to take no action on setting or denying compensation, delaying any such vote until the new elected school board meets after the October 4th election.