School Board Meetings Summary, November 2026

Zachary Community School Board | District 8

Compiled by Dr. Crystal London, District 8 Board Member

As the School Board moves into the final meetings of the current term, the November 10 Committee of the Whole focused on district finances, attendance and enrollment, sixth-grade elective grading, employee compensation, and Board professional learning.

Finance, Budget & District Reserves

Mr. Musso provided the monthly financial update, including discussion of district revenue, expenditures, cash flow, reserves, and the impact of recent state funding decisions on employee compensation.

The district currently has approximately $18.2 million in fund balance/reserves, including about $11.2 million in investments, $3.4 million in operating cash, and $3.6 million for monthly payroll. That represents about 3.32 months in reserve for an approximately $68 million annual budget. Property-tax revenue is received primarily in January and February, while MFP and sales-tax revenues are distributed monthly.

The Board also discussed how state compensation changes interact with the district’s ongoing Zachary Forward work to increase employee salaries. (Committee of the Whole – November 10, 2026)

Attendance & Enrollment

Districtwide attendance is approximately 94.8%, ranking Zachary 5th among 69 Louisiana school systems and placing the district in the top 7% statewide. Attendance is also above the state average at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

The district continues to use JCampus notifications, attendance letters, proactive truancy-prevention steps, and PBIS incentives to encourage stronger attendance. The Board also discussed exploring additional community partnerships and incentives.

Enrollment is lower than last year, with some of the largest declines in the younger grades. District leaders noted that similar trends are occurring statewide and nationally.

The district is also seeing a higher concentration of students receiving special-education services in the younger grades. PreK–3 averages approximately 19% special-education enrollment, compared with 10.5% in grades 4–12, excluding gifted/talented and speech-only students.

The presentation also showed that the percentage of economically disadvantaged students has increased from 46% to 62.06% over the past ten years, the second-largest increase among Louisiana school systems. (Committee of the Whole – November 10, 2026)

Sixth-Grade Elective Grades

The Board returned to the discussion about grading practices for sixth-grade elective courses at Copper Mill Elementary.

Dr. London reintroduced feedback from elective teachers who supported moving from S/N/U ratings to A–F letter grades, citing student accountability, parent communication, progress monitoring, and preparation for middle school.

Mrs. Marangos reported that a broader survey of 18 elective teachers produced more mixed responses, including concerns about grade anxiety and students missing elective instruction because of interventions.

The discussion expanded into a broader conversation about sixth-grade transition and readiness for middle school. The discussion concluded with plans for continued collaboration with teachers and staff. (Committee of the Whole – November 10, 2026)

Employee Compensation & Salary Schedule

Mrs. Williams and Mr. Musso presented updates on the salary schedule, differentiated compensation, and proposed one-time employee stipends.

For 2026–27, the district received approximately $132,669 in differentiated-compensation funding, which may be used for designated teacher shortage areas, teacher leadership, and other state-approved categories. Critical-shortage areas currently include secondary math, secondary science, and K–12 special education.

The district also reviewed progress under Zachary Forward, which has moved beginning teacher pay from approximately $50,022 to $54,022 through district-funded salary increases.

A proposed one-time payment of $2,000 for certificated employees and $1,000 for support employees would cost approximately $1.4 million. The Board also discussed the difference between one-time stipends and permanent salary increases, which require recurring funding. (Committee of the Whole – November 10, 2026)

Professional Learning

Dr. London shared that she will represent Zachary Community Schools and Louisiana at the School Board Partners' Our Collective Power Conference in Georgia.

The conference builds on her participation in the School Board Partners National Fellowship and continued work around governance, student outcomes, and Board leadership.

She also shared her hope of nominating another Zachary Board colleague for a future fellowship cohort. (Committee of the Whole – November 10, 2026)

Looking Ahead

Several issues may return for action or continued discussion at the next meeting, including:

• employee compensation and proposed one-time stipends;

• sixth-grade elective grading;

• and continued implementation of the Zachary Forward compensation plan.

  
  

The next Regular Board Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.

This article will be updated following that meeting.