Meet the Board

Dean Roberts - Chair

Karen Hardy-McReynolds - Vice Chair

Billy Breaux

Dr. Betty Washington

Patrick Pichon

Phyllis Ayo

Rev. Desmond Wallace

Russell Castille

Shawn Baumgarten

Tony O’Banion

Damon Hardesty - Chair

Phyllis Ayo - Vice Chair

Aaron Natali  

Damon Hardesty

Dr. Betty Washington

Glenda Gay

Karen Hardy-McReynolds

Mary Fontenot

Patrick Pichon

Shawn Baumgarten

Tony O’Banion

Full Board

Russell Castille - Chair

Mary Fontenot - Vice Chair

Aaron Natali - Chair

Tony O’Banion - Vice Chair

Billy Breaux

Dr. Betty Washington

Karen Hardy-McReynolds

Patrick Pichon

Phyllis Ayo

Rev. Desmond Wallace

Russell Castille

Billy Breaux - Chair

Glenda Gay - Vice Chair

Damon Hardesty       

Patrick Pichon             

Phyllis Ayo

Shawn Baumgarten  

Tony O’Banion

All students who earned perfect scores in subject areas on their LEAP test were recognized at last night's board meeting. We're incredibly proud of these students and their teachers. 

Cecilia Stevens from LSU Ag Center and Seeds to Success presented Calcasieu Parish with an award for their work as Cohort 2024 of the Louisiana Farm to School Institute. The Farm to School initiatives included procuring locally grown foods for all schools, expanding school gardens, adding Farm to School lessons, and cooking competitions using produce from school gardens. The Seeds to Success team include Leslie Petross, Tareze Sandifer, Summer Rion, Nathalie Miller, Elizabeth Barron, and Jacqueline Richard.  

The board approved the purchase of two pieces of property near T.S. Cooley Elementary and Moss Bluff Elementary. If the district is able to make the purchases, the piece near T.S. Cooley would be utilized for parking, and the piece near Moss Bluff Elementary would be utilized as a stack road to alleviate traffic on Sam Houston Jones Parkway. There is a house on the property near Moss Bluff Elementary, and the district will attempt to sell the home separate from the adjoining land. 

The board voted to officially call elections in bonding districts 25 and 34. These districts include schools in Iowa/LeBleu and Southwest Lake Charles. More information will be coming soon on these elections which will happen in April.

The board approved a loan request of $115,000 to Sam Houston High School for new lighting on the baseball field. The money will be paid back to the district by the school. 

The board listened to a report from Bell City High School 5th grader Connor Rogers about 4H. Connor shared about how the 4H organization has impacted his life and set him up for success in the future.  

Superintendent Dr. VanMetre publicly read the district’s intent to call spring elections in Districts 25 and 34. More information will be coming soon.  

The board approved sales tax supplements for employees. Those on the teacher pay scale will receive $8,570, while support staff will receive $6,000. These will appear in the October payroll checks. There is an additional state stipend that will appear on November checks of $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for support staff. Differentiated compensation supplements will be in December payroll checks, and other remaining differentiated compensation allocations will be paid in the January and February payroll checks. Compass Supplements for teachers and leaders were also approved by the board.  

The board voted to approve two ITEP applications from W.R. Grace by votes of 6-5 on both items.  

Jamey Rasberry gave a report to the board regarding the district’s relationship with Lake Charles Memorial Hospital.

The board voted to accept the new two-story classroom building at Maplewood Middle School as part of District 23 Bond Funds.

The Superintendent’s evaluation was discussed in executive session. While the discussion remained confidential in executive session, it was reported by the Board president that the evaluation came back as exceeding highly effective.

The board voted to advertise for improvements as part of District 31 bond funds.

There is a Budget Committee Meeting followed by an A&P Committee Meeting on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. 

DeQuincy High School’s Ty LaVergne was recognized on being named the 2025 National High School Rodeo Association World Champion Bull Rider. He was also named the 2025 Cinch World Championship Junior Rodeo World Champion Bull Rider Louisiana High School State Champion. 

Students from both T.S. Cooley Elementary and Gillis Elementary were recognized for National Junior BETA Convention awards earned over the summer. Both schools had students place at the national level in various categories. 

The board voted to award two separate contracts to Johnson Controls for HVAC services, one for each side of the parish.  

The board voted to officially call elections in bonding districts 24 and 30. These districts include schools in Sulphur and Starks. More information will be coming soon on these elections.  

The 2025-2026 Pupil Progression Plan was approved and will be available online soon.

After board vote, CPSB meetings will now air on the C-GOV channel. This will be additional airtime to the live feed already in existence on CPSB’s YouTube.  

The board voted to allow CPSB’s Risk Management Department to create an RFP to partner with an urgent-care style clinic that employees and dependents can access for healthcare.  

There is an upcoming C&I Committee Meeting on August 21.  

Our 24-25 State Champions from across the district were recognized. Those in attendance and pictured here are the champions from Sam Houston, Bell City, Sulphur, Barbe, and Starks. Recognized winners are listed here: bit.ly/3HRveI6

Tayla Holloway from Starks High School and Mya Charles from Sulphur High School were recognized for their incredible achievement of perfect attendance. Tayla achieved 13 years of perfect attendance, while Mya achieved 12 years. 

A memorandum of understanding was approved with Big Brother Big Sisters' mentoring program. 

The district evaluated a piece of land one block east of Bell City High, as it is no longer needed for school purposes. The board voted to accept the staff recommendation to obtain an appraisal of the property, which will allow the district to obtain a broker and sell the property.

The board voted that Johnson Control (JCI) will be awarded the east side of the parish for HVAC services, while the west side was sent back to staff with recommendations expected within 30 days.

The board approved the hiring of outside counsel for a tax dispute with PNK, LLC dba L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles. 

Last night's board meeting included numerous recognitions from across the district.

Valentina Peoples from Frasch Elementary was recognized for earning over 1,000 Accelerated Reader points this year.

Many students were recognized for placing at the Region V Social Studies and Science Fairs.

Middle School BETA Club officers were recognized as they soon begin campaigning for a national office position. Those students are Evan Brown – S.J. Welsh, Reicker Dugas – S.J. Welsh, and Gunnar Guy – Moss Bluff Middle. 

District Teachers of the Year were recognized. Congratulations again to Tevya Turner – Dolby, Mehgan Clavier – S.P. Arnett, and Shi Garriet – Washington Marion. New Teachers of the Year recognized included Jordin Quinn – Kaufman, Colin Hyatt – F.K. White, and Hannah Miller – Iowa. 

Our Support Persons of the Year were recognized. Job well done to Judith Haney – R.W. Vicent, Karl Klinefelter – Moss Bluff Middle, and Eva Davis – Iowa.  

From the committee reports, the board opposed the addition of an Assistant Director of Transportation position. The board did vote to approve the addition of a Field Supervisor position in Transportation and also voted to change title of the Transportation Fleet Supervisor to Transportation Personnel Supervisor.

Policies regarding public conduct on school property were voted on, adding clear bags as a requirement for all sporting events on CPSB campuses.

The Board voted to change the name of the position of Director of Career and Technical Education to Administrative Director of Career and Technical Education.

A Memorandum of Understanding for the Simon Youth Academy at the Prien Lake Mall and the former D.S. Perkins were both extended.

Temporary classroom purchases were approved by the board for Combre-Fondel Elementary, Fairview Elementary, and Moss Bluff Elementary.

The Request for Proposal for safety services was voted upon and awarded to Allied Universal, the company currently in place on CPSB campuses.

An Industrial Tax Exemption was approved by the board for Lotte Chemical, LLC.

Our Principals, Counselors, and Librarians of the Year were recognized at last night's board meeting. Congratulations again to all of these winners.

Our top scoring Quiz Bowl students in the district were highlighted at the meeting as well. Job well done to Aaron Coker and Henry Piranio from Sam Houston, Mathieu Keenan from Vinton High, and Daniel Smith from Sulphur High. 

Several changes were made to the Code of Conduct for the 25-26 school year, including adding black as an approved color for bottoms in the district's uniform policy. Those changes can be viewed in the full agenda here.  

The restructuring of Ralph Wilson Elementary and J.J. Johnson Elementary was unanimously approved by the board for the 25-26 school year. The school restructure will move all grade levels from Ralph Wilson Elementary to J.J. Johnson Elementary, making J.J. Johnson a kindergarten through 5th grade elementary campus. Ralph Wilson’s campus, set to be renamed the Ralph Wilson Center of Opportunities, will transition to a site to serve students who are over-age in the middle school setting. Read more here.  

The board voted to increase the CPSB Employee Wellness Program premium discount from 5% to 10% beginning in the 25-26 plan year, meaning the increased discount would be applied to the 26-27 plan year. If you are not currently enrolled in our Wellness Program, learn more about it here. 

In an effort to help our families and employees plan ahead, the district submitted drafts to members of the School Board for a 25-26 and a 26-27 school year calendar. These drafts were approved unanimously by the board. View them here.

Due to issues with the General Contractor on the Sulphur High hurricane repair project, the board approved the Superintendent's declaration of default and contract termination. The vote authorized the Superintendent to execute contracts and other documents appropriate for completion of the project.

Staff recommendations were made in order to revise instructional minutes for the remainder of the year due to storm days. Staff recommended shifting the March 10 teacher in-service day to a virtual day for students, allowing students to complete work online or via packets or projects. Board member, Eric Tarver, made a substitute motion to have students attend school in-person on this day as opposed to the virtual learning day. That motion failed 7-7. The board then voted in support of March 10 being a virtual learning day. In addition, the motion included increasing needed minutes from 380 to 385. Schools should be able to adjust this with transition times between classes and not impact the beginning or end of day times.

There is an Employee Benefits Committee meeting on February 18 with a Superintendent's Evaluation Committee meeting to follow. There is also an A&P Committee Meeting on March 27 with a Budget Committee to follow.

Maplewood Middle Band Director Kyle Cook was recognized by the Board on winning the Milken Award earlier this school year. 

The Board approved the district entering into a contract with Allied for school security services to replace the previous vendor. This will be in place for the remainder of the 24-25 school year. School security officers will be maintaining the same duties as previous officers.  

The district received approval to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with McNeese State University for diagnostic and repair services of University musical instruments by CPSB’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts. 

The District’s Athletic Training Services contract with Lake Charles Memorial Hospital was extended through July 31, 2029.  

There will be a C&I Committee meeting on January 28 at 5 p.m. The Superintendent’s Evaluation Instrument Committee will meet following the C&I meeting.  

Sulphur High School’s Amiah Henry was recognized for being named a Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) State Ambassador. Amiah is a junior at Sulphur and is the first student from Calcasieu to achieve this honor. She represented our parish on a national stage recently at the National Student Leadership Academy in Washington, D.C.

CPSB Social Worker Lacitta (Lottie) Lavergne was recognized for being named the Regional Public Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers. Ms. Lavergne works in our Federal Programs Department and is dedicated to serving students in need on and off the job, as she is also a foster parent for the Department of Children and Family Services. The recognition moves her on to compete at the state level.

The board voted to reformat the current teacher salary schedule to make it less confusing and to compress the number of existing steps. Once this is completed, the salary schedule will be brought back to the board for approval prior to implementation next school year.

A contract renewal with Solutions Counseling and EAP was approved by the board. This approval renews the contract for three years.

Board meeting and committee meeting dates for 2025 were approved, and new officers were elected. Reverend Desmond Wallace will serve as Board President, while Aaron Natali will serve as Vice President.

A resolution establishing a capital improvement fund was passed by the board due to the anticipation of additional sales and use taxes from industrial construction projects and other sources. This fund will be utilized for salaries (40%), capital improvement (40%), general fund reserved for future Hurricane Cost share (10%), and general fund (10%). Revenues will be allocated to each bonding district based on that district’s student count. All projects will be subject to approval by the School Board from recommendations made by the members of that bonding district. This fund will be audited annually by the Internal Auditing Department.

Two committee meetings are scheduled to take place on January 28 at 5 p.m. A budget committee meeting will be followed by a C&I committee meeting.

Board members formed a board committee to develop a new superintendent evaluation instrument. The nine-member committee will develop a new tool to be utilized beginning next Fall.  

T.S. Cooley Elementary was recognized on their being named a National Blue Ribbon School. This is the third time the school has received this honor. You can read more about the award here.  

The Board voted to purchase the Knights of Columbus Hall in Sulphur. It’s adjacent to property already owned by CPSB.  

The differentiated compensations were moved to December as opposed to November. This was done due to these payments being based on Compass scores that are not yet available.  

The Board voted to change the way school buses are assigned. Recently, new buses were assigned to the longest routes being driven. Changes were made to instead replace the oldest buses in the fleet with the newest buses. This will be done at the discretion of the Transportation Department.  

The A&P Committee Meeting will meet on Monday, November 18. 

An Act 311 allocation plan was approved out of committee by the board. The district will provide a total of $200,000 to schools to help alleviate the financial requirement of this new law.  

An approval to increase the middle school cheer sponsor supplement to $1,000 was approved.  

The board approved this year's Sales Tax Supplements for all employees. All employees based on the teachers' salary schedule will receive a supplement of $7,185, while all other personnel will receive $5,030. Part-time employees will receive one-half of that amount.  

The board also approved the two state supplements allocated by the state to employees. All teachers will receive a $2000 supplement and support staff will receive a $1000. Differentiated compensation supplements were also approved.  

All approved was a plan for the implementation of eHall Pass in the district. The district will cost share the implementation with schools to cover the cost of the visitor software.  

The HVAC contract with Johnson Control Industries was extended for one year, and at that time, the RFP process will be enacted.  

The board also granted permission to fill the Elementary Department position of Director of Curriculum, previously held by Dr. George Reado. The application process for that position will open soon. 

• Students from Gillis Elementary and F.K. White Middle Beta Clubs were recognized for their performances and placements at the National Beta Club Convention. Gillis students brought home three national placements, while F.K. students secured two.
• A supplement for theatre sponsors was passed by the board last night. The $2,000 performance supplement will be provided to theatre program currently approved by the district and include Barbe High, LaGrange High, Sulphur High, and Westlake High.
• The Board voted to renew the district’s existing relationship with Big Brother Big Sisters’ MentorU program.
• New job descriptions for school counselors were also approved.
  • Several employee supplements were approved at the meeting.
  • ESSER Recruitment/Retention of certified staff for 15 hard-to-staff schools - $5,500 – This will be paid in September checks, and it is the last year of this stipend.
  • Remaining ESSER Funds - $1,325 teachers, $925 support staff - – This will be paid in September checks, and it is the last year of this stipend.
  • Compass Stipend for teachers – Performance and Demand - $200, $225, $250 – This will be paid in November checks.

Additional supplements will be brought to the board in October including the Sales Tax Supplement for all employees and two differentiated compensation supplements.

• An ITEP request from Lotte Chemical, LLC. was approved.

At last night's regular board meeting, Paranika Ethakota was recognized for being the regional Scripps Spelling Bee Winner and competing at the national event. Paranika is a student at T.S. Cooley Elementary.

Preston LeDay from Combre-Fondel Elementary was recognized for placing third at the National BETA Convention this summer. Preston plays the drums and will be continuing his educational journey at Oak Park Middle.

Board meetings will now be live-streamed in accordance with a new state law. Last night's board meeting can be viewed here.

In accordance with Act 311, job descriptions have been amended and approved following last night's meeting. Job descriptions for counselors were removed from the vote and will be revisited later. You can view the full agenda, which includes the job descriptions, here. 

Revisions to the Code of Conduct were approved in accordance with new state laws, including Act 313. According to CPSB's Code of Conduct, student cell phones must be turned off and stowed away during the instructional day. The revised Code of Conduct will be shared publicly via our website and social media soon.

Several other things were approved at the meeting, including a revised Pupil Progression Plan, Performance Contracts, Emergency Pay Plan, and MOUs for Reunification Plan sites.

There is an upcoming C&I Committee meeting on August 27 and a Budget Committee meeting on September 24.