Pubdate: Thu, 19 Sep 2002
Source: American Press (LA)
Copyright: 2002 Shearman Corporation
Contact:  http://www.americanpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/926
Author: Cliff Seiber

DRUG TESTING REQUIRED FOR CALCASIEU SCHOOL BOARD CONTRACTORS

The Calcasieu Parish School Board Tuesday adopted a mandatory drug testing 
policy for general contractors and subcontractors on school construction work.

The policy was requested by Carpenters Local Union 953.

Testing, at the contractors' expense, will be required before any work is 
performed on a job, and the school system has the authority to request 
random screening of contractor employees.

The board delayed action on approving a cooperative agreement with the 
Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Department on placing deputies in the schools as 
resource officers. The proposed agreement calls for the school system to 
pay $200,000 for 2002, $175,000 for 2003 and $150,000 for 2004. The board 
paid $250,000 last year.

Board members asked that a representative of the Sheriff's Office meet with 
the board next month and explain the agreement and a grant the sheriff 
received for the program.

The board voted to sell $7 million in bonds for bonding District 23 to A.G. 
Edwards of St. Louis at an interest rate of 4.22 percent. The bonds are 
part of a $27 million bond issue approved by voters in 1999.

Also approved was the sale of $10 million in bonds for District 31 to 
Morgan Keegan of New Orleans at an interest rate of 4.12 percent. The bonds 
are part of a $38 million bond issue approved by voters in 2000.

Purchase agreements for three parcels of land adjacent to schools were 
approved. The school system will pay $151,847 for a strip of land 50 by 607 
feet adjacent to Fairview Elementary School. It is on the north side of the 
school.

The board agreed to pay $27,425 for a piece of land at 2322 Medora St. and 
$6,223 for a tract measuring 50 by 115 feet, containing the old George 
Theriot store, also on Medora. Both tracts are adjacent to Molo Middle School.

New equipment and software for the school district's data processing system 
was approved, as was the creation of a new position, network administrator.

The equipment and software will cost $1.2 million, and the annual recurring 
cost will be about $240,000, said Jim Crawford, director of data 
processing. That will be an increase of about $20,000 a year over present 
expenditures.

The network administrator position, part of the recurring expenses, will 
cost $63,000 in salary and benefits, Crawford said.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens