Committee recommends supply money for teachers, schools

With the sale of a surplus parcel of land in the works, Acadia Parish School Board member Gene Daigle said he wants to see the $90,500 put to good use.
“I want us to do something special with this,” he said as he formally proposed the idea to the Budget/Finance Committee this week that the funds be allocated to teacher supplies.
“I don’t think I need to sell you gentlemen on the fact that our teachers are digging into their own pockets everyday. I don’t know of a teacher — and it doesn’t matter if they’re in their first year or 40th year — that doesn’t do it.”
The idea met no opposition because none would argue that many teachers annually deplete their classroom supply funds and, by the middle of the yearare digging into their own pocket for needs/wants.
However, there are some that are not using these funds and Superintendent John Bourque wants to make sure teachers are aware these funds exist in an account for them.
“I think the thing is communication,” he said.
But, timing is everything and the proceeds from the property sale are appearing in a time that school and teacher budgets are running slim due, in part, to Common Core and the amount of paper that is being used to teach students the standards on a daily basis.
The motion by Rev. James Proctor, seconded by David Lalande, is to provide teachers about $100 extra for supplies this year and $1,000 to each school. It passed unanimously.
Teachers in Acadia are already presented with a supply fund at the beginning of the year in the amount of $5 per child in the classroom. Thus a teacher of 15 students, would have a balance of $75.
If not all the funds are used in one year, the amount remains in the account. Teachers are also eligible for fundraiser matching funds and page duplication funds as well as the media center.
At some schools, it was disclosed, the remaining account balances ranged from $25 to upward of $700.
It was for that reason that Daigle’s proposal was met with questions. Proctor voiced the main two — how would the money allocation be managed and was it really necessary to spend the money there?
The first was simple, the money would be allocated to teachers just as their current supply funds would be, however, Bourque mentioned plans to communicate with principals, school leaders and instructional assistants at upcoming meetings the importance of making sure teachers know that the money is there for them to use.
“When we give it to you, spend it, that’s what it’s there for,” said Bourque.
Some teachers appear to not be using their classroom supply funds annually, but for those that do — and it appears that is a rather fair percentage in the district — the extra $100 this year will be welcomed, noted Bourque, along with other board members.
Acadia Parish has 640 teachers and 27 school.
During the meeting Wednesday, the committee also unanimously favorably recommended the following items to the full board:
• the renewal of Worker’s Compensation coverage, which decreased in cost this year due to the market and good experience with Acadia Parish;
• a budget revision and budget preparation calendar, which looks to be adopted in June 2016 instead of July; and
• the request to bid equipment for the Child Nutrition Program, which will be at least one item — a dish washing machine for Crowley High — but possibly two — two double-stack ovens, one for Mire Elementary, the other for Crowley High – pending market price.