COVID sick pay for school employees extended

Emergency paid sick leave for COVID-19 approved by Congress last year but not renewed in last month’s economic stimulus package has been extended for St. Mary Parish School System employees through June 30 for those who have not used their time, the school board unanimously agreed to in its Thursday board meeting.
Parish Schools Superintendent Teresa Bagwell said that the original legislation was passed through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and allowed for 10 paid days of leave. The policy, which went into effect nationally April 1, 2020, is for employees to make it through quarantine or who have tested positive for the virus, Bagwell said.
“When Congress acted over the holiday break to pass the stimulus package, this piece of leave was not included in the stimulus, so what the policy asks that we do is to extend the same exact leave that was initially enacted by Congress through the end of the year, June 30 of 2021,” Bagwell explained to the board before they approved her request. “Same parameters, same inclusions, same exclusions, just to extend it until the end of the school year.”
The change does not grant 10 additional sick leave days, Bagwell said after the meeting. It just extends any unused days that were allotted in the original plan.
Also during Thursday’s board meeting, new officers were elected for two-year terms. Kenny Alfred was selected president, while Marilyn LaSalle was elected vice president.
Alfred was nominated by board member Wayne Deslatte, while board member Sylvia Lockett nominated Pearl Rack for the position. The board selected Alfred on a 7-2 vote, with Alfred, Ginger Griffin, LaSalle, Deslatte, Mike Taylor, Dwight Barbier and Roland Verret each voting for Alfred. Lockett and Rack voted for Rack. Board member Joseph Foulcard Jr. hadn’t arrived at the meeting yet and board member Alaina Black was absent.
For the vice president position, Griffin nominated LaSalle, while Lockett nominated the incumbent Rack to serve again. LaSalle was elected vice president on a 7-3 vote, with Alfred, Griffin, LaSalle, Deslatte, Barbier, Verret and Taylor each casting votes in her favor. Foulcard, Lockett and Rack each cast votes for Rack.
In other action Thursday, the board:
—Adopted a resolution in support of St. Mary Excel’s efforts to bringing a National Estuarine Research Reserve in Louisiana to the area after hearing from St. Mary Excel members Catherine Holcomb, Kelly Lind Boudreaux and Margaret Metz Theriot. The Atchafalaya Estuarine Zone is one of seven sites being considered in Louisiana for the reserve. Among the benefits touted by St. Mary Excel of having the LaNEER locally are economic development, educational opportunities, funding for boat access and college internships.
Boudreaux said the first step in securing the project is public support. A meeting will be held at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium on Jan. 22 at 9 a.m. to discuss the project and answer any questions. Community leaders are encouraged to attend to show support and ask questions, Boudreaux said.
—Agreed to keep its monthly meeting date as the same day, time and place, which will be the second Thursday of each month at 5 p.m. at the Central Office Complex in Centerville.
—Proclaimed January as Louisiana School Board Member Recognition Month, Jan. 25-29 as Louisiana Literacy Week, February as National African American Month and Feb. 1-5 as National School Counseling Week.
—Granted permission to advertise for bids for a hunting and trapping lease on Possum Bayou.
—Granted permission to fund new electrical service for the Crowell Elementary building at an estimated cost of $20,000.