School Board Meetings Summary, April 2026

Zachary Community School Board | District 8

Compiled by Dr. Crystal London, District 8 Board Member

April’s meetings focused on finances, student discipline, district operations, and future planning. Across the Committee of the Whole, the Discipline Policy Review Committee, and the Regular Board Meeting, the board reviewed district spending, discussed a possible workforce training partnership, continued conversation around a district policy audit, examined handbook revisions, and recognized a wide range of student and staff accomplishments. The month also included important discussion around family communication, due process, and how district systems support transparency and accountability.

Finance, Budget, & Operations

• Received the monthly financial presentation comparing actual revenues and expenditures against the adopted budget. (April 14, 2026) 

• Considered a proposed MOU with Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) to offer career and technical training opportunities for both Zachary High School students and area residents at Zachary High School and Port Hudson Career Academy. Discussed possible updates to the MOU, including student costs, district costs, instructor selection, and course oversight. (April 14, 2026)

• Considered renewal of the Banking Fiscal Agency Agreement with Bank of Zachary for an additional three years. Raised questions related to the bank’s temporary closure, possible community benefit arrangements, and whether student account holders are exposed to overdraft fees. (April 14, 2026)

Policy & Governance

• Continued discussion of a possible district policy audit, with conversation centered on how to structure the review process and whether it should be completed over time or approached in smaller targeted phases. Considered possible approaches for the audit process, including an ad hoc committee, assigning sections of policy to board members, or identifying a smaller number of policies using set criteria. (April 14, 2026)

• Shared board member professional learning updates following attendance at the Louisiana School Boards Association conference and related events. (April 14, 2026) 

• Received reminder of the scheduled board group photo at the upcoming regular board meeting. (April 14, 2026) 

Discipline Committee: Handbook Revisions & Student Supports

The Discipline Policy Review Committee met on April 15 in the boardroom to allow for broader attendance by parents, teachers, administrators, and community members. The discussion centered on proposed handbook revisions for Zachary Elementary School and Copper Mill Elementary School. (April 15, 2026) 

For Zachary Elementary, the proposed changes included stronger consequences for academic dishonesty or cheating, unauthorized cell phone use, and pushing or shoving, as well as a bus rule clarifying that cell phones are not allowed on the school bus. Concern was raised that parents should be clearly informed whenever disciplinary consequences are being increased so that families understand the changes before implementation. (April 15, 2026) 

For Copper Mill Elementary, most changes were editorial including updates to available course listings, updated dates, and a welcome letter to parents. Some concern was expressed about proposed language stating that student work papers and tests would not be sent home, with grades instead being posted through Parent Command Center and JCampus. The concern raised was that when student work is not sent home, parents lose a meaningful way to understand their child’s strengths and struggles and are less able to support learning at home. It was also emphasized that students need timely feedback, not just posted grades. (April 15, 2026) 

Additional discussion at Copper Mill included fee changes and alignment concerns between school-level language and district or state policy, including around drug-related provisions. The uniform policy was also placed into a quicker reference format within the handbook. (April 15, 2026) 

The committee also revisited concerns related to the district’s newer long-term suspension framework, particularly the reality that students can be assigned lengthy removals from school while families do not have the same appeal rights that would exist in an expulsion case. The concern raised was that students may experience the practical effects of expulsion without access to equivalent due process protections. (April 15, 2026)

Recognitions (April 21, 2026)

• Recognized the 2025-2026 Students of the Year

• Recognized Kai Richard, Indoor Athlete of the Year

• Recognized Peyton Lewis -DEMCO Essay Youth Tour Finalist

• Recognized Leah (Angie) Mitchell - All District Soccer Coach of the Year

• Recognized Trinity Spence - District Offensive MVP for Soccer

• Recognized Thiago Costa - First Team All District Soccer 

• Recognized Ava Lewis - named to Second Team All State, All District, and All Metro Soccer

• Recognized Erica Mayes, High Point Individual for the Louisiana State FFA Veterinary Career Development Event

• Recognized students named to the LHSAA State All-Academic Composite Team

• Recognized recipients of the LSWA Class 5A All-State Awards

• Recognized Jonathan McClinton, the District 4-5A Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year

  
  

Actions Taken

• Approved minutes from the April 15 Discipline Policy Review Committee Meeting, the April 14 Committee of the Whole Meeting, and the March 17 Board Meeting. (April 21, 2026) 

• Approved the ABC partnership MOU and the Bank of Zachary fiscal agency agreement. (April 21, 2026). Entertained clarifying questions related to both items, including contract terms, district responsibilities, student participation costs, and banking practices. (April 21, 2026)

• Heard a closed-session student expulsion appeal and modified the outcome for that student. (April 21, 2026) 

• Discussed agenda items for the next board meeting and adjourned. (April 21, 2026)

Looking Ahead

April closed with ongoing discussion around policy review, district banking and operations, student discipline, family communication, and future workforce training opportunities. The month reflected both routine district oversight and broader questions about how school and district practices affect students and families in real time.

Taken together, April’s meetings reflected a district balancing operational decisions with broader concerns about fairness, communication, and transparency. The month included celebration of strong student achievement, while also surfacing important questions about handbook changes, parent access to information, disciplinary due process, and the long-term work of policy review. As these conversations continue, families and community members will have more opportunities to stay engaged in the policies and practices shaping school life across the district.

Thank you to everyone who attended meetings, shared perspectives, and remained engaged. For full details or to share questions, feedback, or concerns, visit www.ZCSD8.org or contact me at drcrystallondon@gmail.com.