Monroe City School Board of Education
2006 Tower Drive
Monroe, Louisiana 71201
MINUTES
The Monroe City School Board met in regular session, Tuesday May 5, 2026, at Monroe City School District Central Office, 2006 Tower Drive, Monroe, Louisiana 71201. The meeting was called to order at 6:01p.m. by Board President Brandon Johnson. Mr. Johnson offered prayer and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda Item 1C – Roll Call
Present: Mr. Sampognaro, Ms. Jennifer Haneline, Daryll Berry, Betty Ward Cooper, Brandon Johnson and Brenda ShellingAbsent: Bill Willson
Agenda Item 1D – Adoption of the Agenda
On a motion by Mr. Berry and seconded by Mrs. Shelling, the board approved the agenda as printed. The motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item 2A Point of Pride Neville High School Neville High School Youth Fraternity’s Blue Knights Steppers – Tampa, FL – 3rd Place Chicago, IL – 1st Place, Grand Champion (which is the highest score of every team in the competition) Dallas, TX – 1st Place, Grand Champion, Best Theme Atlanta, GA – 2nd place, Best Theme, Best Stepper (Elijah Rodgers) Stomp Wars, Dallas, TX – 2nd place with a score of 817, 1 point from being tied to the 1st place winners that scored 818. BOOM Dragonboat Team – 1st Place in the Youth Division, 3rd place overall.
Superintendent Moore and the board recognized the Neville High School BOOM Team.
Agenda Item 3A ,B and C Consent Agenda
On a motion by Mrs. Cooper and seconded by Mr. Berry the board approved the board of education minutes for April 14, 2026, permission to advertise for bids for 2026-2027 instructional and janitorial supplies and permission to advertise for bids for 2026-2027 school food service products. The motion carried unanimously.
Agenda Item 4A-C Reports
Safety Update
Dr. Bush provided an update on ongoing school safety initiatives, including campus access control upgrades, metal detector planning, and increased law enforcement presence on campuses. Access control surveys for nearly all schools are expected to be completed this week, and quotes for metal detectors and related equipment have been secured for every campus.
Dr. Bush, Dr. Watson and Superintendent met with local law enforcement officials to discuss expanding School Resource Officer (SRO) coverage. Dr. Bush explained that SROs must be provided through local law enforcement agencies, and the district is working collaboratively to secure officers for every campus.
Currently, three SROs are assigned to high schools, with one additional officer detailed. The district is exploring the use of off-duty officers to increase campus coverage. Estimated costs for full implementation are approximately $1.1 million annually.
Superintendent Moore reaffirmed its commitment to prioritizing student safety and continuing efforts to secure officer coverage for all schools during the 2026–2027 school year.
Report of Superintendent and March 2026 Financial Reports
Superintendent Moore stated that the financial report had previously been discussed during the Finance Committee meeting and located on the website.
Academic Report
Mr. Moore reported that end-of-year DIBELS testing concluded with 71% of K-3 students scoring at or above benchmark. He stated that this reflected growth from the 2025 performance and commended students, teachers, administrators, and the academic team for their efforts. Special recognition was given to Lexington Elementary School for the highest proficiency rating and to Roy Neal Shelling Elementary School for the most growth with an impressive 30-point gain in growth.
Mr. Moore stated that the district’s three-year goal was to reach 72% proficiency and noted that the district achieved 71%, missing the target by one point. He expressed appreciation to Dr Brittany Robinson and the Academic Team for the continued progress across the district.
Mr. Moore reported that one on one interviews conducted by the Federal Programs Director, Dr. Shanae Herron and district consultants informed the development of comprehensive needs assessments used to identify school improvement needs and guide funding allocations. Principals received executive summaries with talking points to help communicate to parents how funds will be allocated to support students.
Mr. Moore further reported that district stakeholders, community members, and strategic planning partners collaborated on strategic priority 1 of the district’s five-year strategic plan. He stated that Year one efforts focused on developing the district’s “Portrait of a Graduate” for the district that will ground, energize, and inspire the district.
Mr. Moore reported that after several meetings and surveys were sent out to stakeholders a document describing a portrait of graduate was created that addressed the desire of all involved. The result – Monroe City Schools’ Portrait of a Graduate emphasizes rigorous and engaging learning experiences designed to equip students with the knowledge, character, and skills necessary for success in an ever-changing world. He noted that a one-page flyer outlining leadership, real-world readiness, self-awareness, and curiosity had been developed, and that students would participate in promoting the initiative through social media, videos, posters, and flyers.
Mr. Moore addressed district staffing for the 2026-2027 school year and clarified that staffing reductions were based on projected enrollment numbers. He reported that most schools would experience no staffing reductions. Regular education reductions are concentrated at a few sites:
Barkdull Faulk 3
Cypress Point 3
Minnie Ruffin 4
Roy Neal Shelling 2
Carver 1
Carroll Junior High 1
These cuts are based on projected student enrollment.
Special education impacts are limited to two campuses, Cypress 1 self-contained class and Martin Luther King Jr. Junior High 1 self-contained class. All other schools and alternative campuses reported zero cuts.
Operational updates were presented as follows:
Child Nutrition Services
Reported ongoing cafeteria redesign. TA2G were contacted for consultation and currently in the bid process of requesting bids for furniture at the district’s three high schools.
Summer feeding sites will be Berg Jones, Carver, Carroll Junior High, and Roy Neal Shelling based on current numbers. This will include food transportation services to Neville and Wossman campuses to accommodate the students.
After conferring with Attorney Lawrence and James Kelley, Dr. Watson plans to bid out the following for the 2026-2027 school year
Milk & Juice, Fresh Fruit & Vegetables, Food/Bread Products and Paper & Cleaning Products.
Mr. Moore reported that Berg Jones will be recognized as the Gold Standard school for this month.
Custodial/Warehouse
- June 5, 2026 will be the last day for employees
- 5 mowers for next year to maintain the campuses will be purchased
- Sallie Humble will be recognized as the “Gold Standard” for this month.
HVAC
All 3 185-ton Chillers need to be replaced at Neville High (operating at 50%).
Units at Wossman and Sherrouse will also be replaced soon (parts are nearly impossible to find).
Shelling has minimal air flow in the hall on the 2nd floor. The recommendation is to re-pipe the corridor.
Brandon Hunt and a technician will attend Chiller Training this summer
Maintenance
Turf replacement projects begin at Carroll and Neville High Schools, with work also planned for Wossman High School. The district will utilize ULM facilities for high school practices during portions of the construction period. The Carroll High School ticket booth contract was signed, with bids to be accepted and a projected completion date of October.
Mr. Moore also reported that the district would review roof warranties and develop a districtwide roof replacement plan due to aging infrastructure and hard to find parts. This is another project maintenance and operations cover
AT&T building was found to have several issues that was concerning. Currently, the district has decided to step away from this project at this time.
Transportation
Lonnie Hudson has been named interim transportation Supervisor and will allow him to give his assistant beginning July 1. Mr. Moore reported that the district plans to replace 51 buses over the coming years due to the aging fleet. Route consolidations and recruitment incentives, including stipends and sign-on bonuses, are being implemented to address driver shortages. This concludes Superintendent Moore’s report.
Agenda Item 5A – Future Meetings
Board of Education Meetings – June 9, 2026, July 14, 2026 and August 4, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. with notice that any changes would be communicated publicly.
Agenda Item 6 – Recess/Adjourn
There being no further business to come before the board, on a motion by Mr. Berry and seconded by Mr. Sampognaro the meeting adjourn at 6:43 p.m.
______________ _______________
Brandon Johnson Sam L. Moore III
Board President Superintendent
Note: These minutes summarize the final decisions made by the Board at the referenced meeting. This meeting was also audio recorded, and that recording is available for review by contacting the Board clerk at tonya.robinsons@mcschools.net.
