337 Napoleon Street
New Roads, LA 70760
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
Thursday, February 26, 2026
The Pointe Coupee Parish School Board met for their regular monthly meeting on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 337 Napoleon Street in New Roads, Louisiana 70760. President Frank R. Aguillard, Jr. called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
Mr. Frank Aguillard offered the invocation, and Mr. Chad Aguillard led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America.
Members of the School Board present when the roll was called: Chad Aguillard, Frank R. Aguillard, Jr., Lisa Loupe-D’Aquila, Walter Grezaffi, Aubry Hendricks, and Thomas Nelson.
School Board Members Anita LeJeune and Jason Lemoine were absent.
President Aguillard announced a quorum of six members are present.
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Central Office Administrative Staff in attendance: Kim Canezaro, Superintendent; Natalie Aguillard, Director of Human Capital; Dawn Albert, Supervisor of Exceptional Student Services; Ms. Tonya Burgess, Administrator of Virtual Academy of Pointe Coupee; Marcie Cazayoux; Supervisor of Data & Accountability; Andrew Duhe, Supervisor of Maintenance and Support Services; Amanda Fontenot. Supervisor of HeadStart; Brandi Forbes, Chief Academic Officer; Karla Jack, Director of Federal Programs/Assistant Superintendent; Stephen Langlois, Chief Financial Officer; Tabitha Ransom, Supervisor of 21st CCLC Program, Kate Roy, Supervisor of Child Nutrition; and Dr. LaShonda Victorian, Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance.
School Administrative Staff in attendance: Bridget Bush, Assistant Principal of STEM Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee; Dr. Rosie Courville, Principal of Livonia High School; LaMonica Edwards, Principal of Rosenwald Elementary; April DosRamos, Principal of Rougon Elementary; Sara Taylor, Principal of Valverda Elementary, and Carolyn Wells, Principal of Upper Pointe Coupee
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Expression of Sympathy – On a motion by the six members of the School Board present, and seconded by those board members, condolences were offered to the family of:
David H. Major, the husband of Fran Major, the Attendance Coordinator for the Pointe Coupee Parish School Board.
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Remarks from the Superintendent-
Ms. Canezaro stated notice was received today that the state has no objection to the school district advertising bids for the relocation of the central office building. Members of the Board will be sent a copy of the advertisement prior to being published in the local journal, The Pointe Coupee Banner.
Superintendent Canezaro mentioned that although it was announced earlier this week, she would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge that Ms. Marcie Cazayoux will officially begin her role as Chief Program Administrator of STEM on Monday, March 2, 2026. Ms. Cazayoux has been working with STEM over the last several years as the Supervisor of Support; therefore, I am confident that this will be a smooth transition. I am also confident that she will continue the great things that are already in place along with bringing her own leadership initiatives which will only further our success so Congratulations to Mrs. Marcie Cazayoux on her new role!
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Consent Agenda- Mr. Thomas Nelson offered a motion, seconded by Ms. Lisa Loupe D’Aquila to approve the consent agenda items. Hearing no opposition, the motion was carried by a unanimous vote of the six members of the Board present and voting.
Approval of the minutes from the regular School Board meeting of Thursday, January 22, 2026.
Approval of the Executive Committee meeting minutes of Thursday, February 19, 2026.
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Receive the Head Start Supervisor’s Monthly Report – Ms. Amanda Fontenot announced the Head Start Supervisor’s Monthly Report was placed on BoardDocs for review and will be happy to answer any questions regarding the report. Ms. Fontenot informed the Board the Office of Head Start Program Performance Summary Report is also on BoardDocs She mentioned that due to the short timeline to correct the deficiency specified in the report, she is recommending the Board approve a request for a 30-day extension to submit the corrective action plan addressing the deficiency regarding the incident that happened.
Mr. Thomas Nelson made a motion to grant permission for Ms. Fontenot to submit a letter to the Office of Head Start Oversight Division requesting a 30-day extension to prepare the Corrective Action Plan regarding a deficiency noted in the monitoring review. Mr. Walter Grezaffi seconded the motion. Hearing no opposition, the request to submit a 30-day extension letter to the Office of Head Start was approved by a unanimous vote of the six members of the Board present and voting.
Ms. Lisa Loupe D’Aquila offered a motion to approve the January 2026 Head Start Monthly report prepared by Ms. Fontenot. Mr. Walter Grezaffi seconded the motion. Hearing no opposition, the report was approved by a unanimous vote of the six members of the Board present and voting.
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Approval of Request to Advertise Bids for Child Nutrition Program for 2026-2027 School Year.- Mrs. Kate Roy stated she is making a standard annual request to start the bid process to advertise items for the child nutrition program for next school year. Mr. Frank Aguillard stated although his company is not going to bid, he would like the records to reflect that he recused himself from voting on this agenda item.
Ms. Lisa Loupe D’Aquila made a motion, seconded by Mr. Aubry Hendricks, to authorize Mrs. Kate Roy to advertise bids for bread, food, large equipment, milk, and non-food items/supplies for the child nutrition program for the 2026-2027 school year. The motion carried by a vote of YEAS: 5; 1 recusal; and 2 members of the Board were absent.
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Approval of 2026 Summer Feeding Program – Mrs. Kate Roy stated she would like to start planning for the 2026 summer feeding program and will submit information to the LDOE in early March as they requested. Mrs. Roy is asking the Board for approval for feeding sites at Livonia High School, Rosenwald Elementary School, Rougon Elementary School, STEM Magnet of Pointe Coupee, Upper Pointe Coupee Elementary School, and Valverda Elementary during the summer of 2026.
Mr. Walter Grezaffi made a motion, seconded by Ms. Lisa Loupe D’Aquila, to approve the 2026 summer feeding program at the following sites: Livonia High School, Rosenwald Elementary School, Rougon Elementary School, STEM Magnet of Pointe Coupee, Upper Pointe Coupee Elementary School, and Valverda Elementary. Hearing no opposition, the motion carried by a unanimous vote of the six members of the Board present and voting.
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Discussion and/or Action Regarding Monthly Financial Information and Budget to Actual Reports-. Mr. Stephen Langlois stated the monthly financial information and budget to actual reports have been on BoardDocs. Mr. Langlois mentioned the school system received the large Ad Valoreum check from the Sheriff’s Office that we receive annually at this time. It is for the 2025 Ad Valoreum collections. He inquired if there were any questions regarding the financial reports. Having no questions, President Aguillard entertained a motion.
Mr. Thomas Nelson made a motion, seconded by Mr. Aubry Hendricks, to adopt the monthly financial report and the budget to actual reports as prepared by Mr. Stephen Langlois. Hearing no opposition, the monthly financial report, and the budget to actual reports, were adopted by a unanimous vote of the six members of the Board present and voting.
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Discussion and/or Action Regarding Extension of Contract with First Student, Inc.-
Mr. Stephen Langlois announced that, as discussed at last week’s Executive Committee meeting, he and Superintendent Canezaro have been in negotiations with First Student, Inc. regarding an extension of the company’s contract for student transportation. He mentioned the pricing information for the two proposals are on BoardDocs, and it is their recommendation to continue the good relationship they have with First Student and are recommending the five-year extension starting next year.
President Aguillard stated it has been a really good working relationship with First Student; he mentioned two representatives from First Student, Inc. have accompanied Mr. Brad Darensbourg, the location manager in New Roads and asked if they wanted to introduce themselves.
Mr. Tony Vidrine, Sr. Vice President, stated it has been a while since he has attended a Pointe Coupee Parish School Board meeting. He mentioned they have had a long relationship with the Board, is glad they are satisfied with the services they provide to the district and thanked them for their support. Mr. Charles Holmes announced that he is the new Area General Manager, from New Orleans, and is looking forward to working with Mr. Brad Darensbourg as another resource for the Board. Mr. D’Arensbourg mentioned that most everyone knows him. He thanked Superintendent Canezaro and Stephen for working through the new proposal and also thanked the Board and Administrators for being great to work with. He mentioned that he is looking forward to continuing the relationship.
President Aguillard asked if any Board members had questions or comments. Ms. Lisa Loupe D’Aquila stated that she would like to ask the Superintendent for her recommendation. Ms. Canezaro stated she is happy to recommend the five-year contract with First Student. Mr. Aguillard stated that he would like to entertain a motion on Superintendent Canezaro’s recommendation of a five-year contract extension with First Student.
Mr. Aubry Hendricks made a motion, seconded by Mr. Walter Grezaffi, to approve Superintendent Canezaro’s recommendation of a five-year contract extension with First Student, Inc., effective July 1, 2026 through July 30, 2031. Hearing no opposition, the motion carried by a unanimous vote of the six members of the Board present and voting.
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Discussion and/or Action Regarding Lawn Maintenance Contract for School Campuses-
Mr. Stephen Langlois stated as discussed at last week’s Executive Committee meeting, the current contract for lawn care and grounds maintenance services is scheduled to end on April 29, 2026. Mr. Langlois mentioned that it has been a good working relationship with Reliance One Scape. Mr. Langlois stated he spoke with the owner, and they are willing to maintain the same pricing, if the Board approves utilizing one of the two 12-month extension options that is specified in the contractual agreement. Mr. Langlois also stated the company is very willing to accommodate the school system with any additional cuts and/or service other locations (athletic fields, LaBarre site, STEM, Livonia) upon request. Mr. Langlois stated it is his recommendation to execute one of the two options to extend the contract with Reliance One Scape for a 12-month period, maintaining the same pricing. He mentioned the Board can revisit this in a year to determine what they would like to do going forward.
Board Member Chad Aguillard asked about the sites the company services and the number of cuts they provide. Mr. Langlois stated the company (Reliance One-Scape) services Rosenwald Elementary: Rougon Elementary; Upper Pointe Coupee Elementary, and Valverda Elementary, with 38 minimal cuts per year at these four sites, but upon request can cut other sites as well. Mr. Langlois announced they cut Livonia and STEM campuses upon request, which has been requested a number of times. Board Member Chad Aguillard questioned if the administrators at the sites have been spoken to regarding their satisfaction of the service. Mr. Langlois announced that school administration notifies him if there is a problem, and he addresses it with Reliance One Scape to let them know they need to speed up the cut or inquire as to why they missed a cut. Mr. Langlois explained that athletic fields are not included in the contract; they are cut upon request. Superintendent Canezaro stated Administrators are asked to attend School Board meetings for representation of their campus. Administrators in attendance said they are happy with the service being provided by the company. Mr. Aubry Hendricks inquired if anyone is keeping up with the 38 number of cuts. Principal Sara Taylor stated Mr. Andrew Duhe’s secretary sent a log to track the number of cuts and her custodian tracks the cuts every time they service the Valverda campus; however, they do come on weekends. Principal Carolyn Wells suggested that the company be given the cell number for each administrator to notify them if they plan to service the campus on the weekend. Mr. Langlois announced that each company vehicle is equipped with a global position system recorder, and we can request a report that will show us a lot of information regarding where the vehicles have been and how often they go there by offering another tracking method. Board Member Aubry Hendricks inquired about use of the tractor the school system purchased a few years ago. Mr. Andrew Duhe’ stated it is used for the UPCE campus, the property at the LaBarre site, the old Morganza school site, and the School Board Office; he stated the LaBarre site was mowed today.
Ms. Lisa Loupe D’Aquila made a motion, seconded by Mr. Aubry Hendricks, to approve the recommendation from Mr. Stephen Langlois to utilize one of the options to extend the contract agreement for 12-months (effective May 1, 2026 – April 30, 2027) between the Pointe Coupee Parish School Board and Reliance Once-Scape for lawn care and grounds maintenance services. Hearing no opposition, the motion carried by a unanimous vote of the six members of the Board present and voting.
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Discussion and/or Action Regarding Adoption of a Resolution to Approve Assignments of State Agency Lease 21603 to Single Barrel Partners, LLC- Mr. Stephen Langlois announced an email was received from a law firm (Ottinger Hebert in Lafayette) overseeing the oil and gas lease that was sold to a new company requesting the School Board adopt a Resolution to approve an assignment of State Agency Lease 21603. The information is on BoardDocs.
On a motion by Ms. Lisa Loupe D’Aquila, seconded by Mr. Aubry Hendricks, the Pointe Coupee Parish School Board voted to adopt Resolution No. 3 of 2026 approving a series of assignments of State Agency Lease 21603 to Single Barrel Partners, LLC. Hearing no opposition, the resolution was approved by a unanimous vote of the six members of the Board present and voting.
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Discussion and/or Action Regarding Awarding Bid for Physical Security Improvements at Livonia High School/STEM Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee Under the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools Grant Program.- Mr. Stephen Langlois stated as was explained at the Executive Committee meeting last week, the school district applied for a federal grant to update the security and surveillance technology on all six campus sites. He stated the federal government awarded $50,000 in funding under the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools Grant Program for two of the six sites - Valverda Elementary School- Grant Award Number FY266-LCSSGP-0027-131, and Livonia High School - Grant Award Number FY26-LCSSGP-0027-130, divided equally between two campuses - Livonia High and the STEM Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee.
A Resolution proposal of $70,000 for security equipment devices, including a 1-year service agreement, was presented with American Integration Contractors, LLC as the contractor; the company is on state contract and complies with all state and federal laws. Information is posted on BoardDocs (Resolution No. 2026-05).
Mr. Langlois stated he is asking the Board for permission to approve a Resolution authored and proposed by Mr. Craig Schwartzenberg for American Integration Contractors, LLC (AIC), to do the work utilizing $50,000 in grant funds and $20,000 from capital outlay funds for the security equipment devices for both Livonia High School/STEM Magnet Academy.
On a motion by Mr. Thomas Nelson, seconded by Mr. Aubry Hendricks, the Pointe Coupee Parish School Board voted to approve Resolution No. 2026-05 awarding the bid to American Integration Contractors, LLC (AIC) for physical security improvements at Livonia High School/STEM Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee, utilizing $50,000 in federal grant funds (Livonia High School - Grant Award Number FY26-LCSSGP-0027-130) under the Center for Safe Schools Grant Program, divided equally between two sites to include the STEM Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee, and also approving $20,000 from the capital outlay fund account for the balance in cost. Hearing no opposition, the Resolution was approved by YEAS:6, NAYS:0, ABSTENTIONS:0, and ABSENT: 2.
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Discussion and/or Action Regarding Awarding Bid for Physical Security Improvements at Valverda Elementary Under the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools Grant Program-
Mr. Stephen Langlois stated as was explained at the Executive Committee meeting last week, the school district applied for a federal grant to update the security and surveillance technology on all six campus sites. He stated the federal government awarded $50,000 in funding under the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools Grant Program for two of the six sites - Valverda Elementary School- Grant Award Number FY266-LCSSGP-0027-131, and Livonia High School - Grant Award Number FY26-LCSSGP-0027-130, which is split between two sites to include the STEM Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee.
A Resolution proposal of $65,000 for security equipment devices, including a 3-year service agreement, was presented with American Integration Contractors, LLC as the contractor; the company is on state contract and complies with all state and federal laws. Information is posted on BoardDocs (Resolution No. 2026-04). Mr. Langlois stated he is asking the Board for permission to approve a Resolution authored and proposed by Mr. Craig Schwartzenberg for American Integration Contractors, LLC (AIC), to do the work utilizing $50,000 in grant funds and $15,000 from capital outlay funds for the security equipment devices for Valverda Elementary School.
On a motion by Mr. Thomas Nelson, seconded by Mr. Aubry Hendricks, the Pointe Coupee Parish School Board voted to award the bid to American Integration Contractors, LLC (AIC) for physical security improvements at Valverda Elementary School, as specified in Resolution No. 2026-4, utilizing $50,000 in federal grant funds (Valverda Elementary School- Grant Award Number FY266-LCSSGP-0027-131) under the Center for Safe Schools Grant Program, and approving $15,000 from the capital outlay fund account for the balance in cost. Hearing no opposition, the Resolution was approved by YEAS:6, NAYS:0, ABSTENTIONS:0, and ABSENT: 2.
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Consider Adoption of the 2026-2027 School Year Calendar; the 12-month Employee Holiday Calendar for July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027, and the 2026 Summer Work Schedule for 12-Month Employees – Mrs. Marcie Cazayoux stated the proposed calendars are on BoardDocs. She mentioned the 2026-2027 school year calendar is a standard calendar similar to last year. Holidays will be the same as last year, including an election day holiday on November 3, 2026. She referenced the color-coded information on the top of the proposed calendar for school year ’26-’27. Mrs. Cazayoux announced there are 182 days for teachers (Tuesday, August 4, 2026, is the beginning date for teachers and Tuesday, May 25, 2027, is the ending date for teachers). Mrs. Cazayoux also announced the first day for students is Monday, August 10, 2026 and the last day for students is
Monday, May 24, 2027; there are 174 instructional days for students (three are remote learning, and two are early dismissal days, with three (3) contingency days built into the
calendar. Information regarding 12-month employee holidays, and the 2026 summer work schedule for 12-month employees, were also posted on BoardDocs for consideration of adoption.
On a motion by Mr. Walter Grezaffi, seconded by Ms. Lisa-Loupe D’Aquila, the 2026-2027 school year calendar, the holiday calendar and the 2026 summer work schedule for 12-month employees were adopted by a unanimous vote of the six members of the Board present and voting.
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Consider Adoption of New Policy EFAB (Employee and Student Acceptable Use Policy for Artificial Intelligence) - Superintendent Canezaro stated that policy EFAB is on BoardDocs; it is a new policy that pertains to employee and student acceptable use of artificial intelligence. She mentioned other school districts in the state have adopted this policy, and it is her recommendation that the Pointe Coupee Parish School Board adopt the policy for our district.
On a motion by Mr. Thomas Nelson, seconded by Ms. Lisa Loupe D’Aquila, New Policy File: EFAB (Employee and Student Acceptable Use Policy for Artificial Intelligence) was adopted by a unanimous vote of the six members of the Board present and voting.
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Adjournment - On a motion by Mr. Thomas Nelson, seconded by Mr. Chad Aguillard, the meeting adjourned at 5:54 p.m.
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Frank R. Aguillard, Jr., President
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Kim Canezaro, Superintendent cost $729
