School Board Meetings Summary, October 2026
Oct 20
6 min read
Zachary Community School Board | District 8
Compiled by Dr. Crystal London, District 8 Board Member
October’s School Board meetings included updates and action related to district finances, retiree health coverage, academic programming, the Pupil Progression Plan, residency verification, the 2027 Board calendar, and continued work on district policy and community engagement.
The month began with the October 6 Committee of the Whole, where several of these issues were reviewed in depth before returning for additional discussion or formal action at the October 20 Regular Board Meeting.
Finance & Budget
Mr. Musso provided the Board’s monthly financial presentation as part of the district’s ongoing monitoring of revenues, expenditures, and fiscal operations, emphasizing requirements for account balance categories.
(Committee of the Whole – October 6, 2026)
Retiree Medicare Advantage Renewal
The Board received a presentation from Gallagher regarding the district’s 2027 Medicare Advantage plan for retirees.
The district currently has 159 retirees enrolled in the Louisiana Blue Medicare Advantage plan. The original renewal proposal represented a 30.7% increase, but after negotiations and competing quotes were obtained, Louisiana Blue reduced the proposed increase to 14%, bringing the rate to $390 per member per month.
The presentation also compared Louisiana Blue with other available options and discussed the value of maintaining continuity for retirees, including the current carrier, network, benefits, one ID card, local customer service, and wellness benefits.(Committee of the Whole – October 6)
The Board approved the 2027 Medicare Advantage renewal at the negotiated 14% increase. (Regular Board Meeting – October 20, 2026)
Academic & Instructional Quality
The Board received an Academic and Instructional Quality presentation from Mrs. Marangos, Mrs. Brister, and members of the academic team during the October 6 Committee of the Whole. The presentation continued the district’s Strategic Plan focus on academic growth and student achievement. (Committee of the Whole – October 6, 2026)
Pupil Progression Plan
The Board reviewed the proposed 2026–2027 Pupil Progression Plan, which governs student promotion, retention, placement, academic support, graduation planning, transfer procedures, grading, and other academic progression decisions.
Among the revisions were new state requirements related to third-grade literacy and Individual Academic Support Plans, expanded career-related activities beginning in middle school, the addition of numeracy to K–3 screening and support requirements, and clarification of Honor Graduate language. (Committee of the Whole – October 6)
The plan returned for formal approval at the October 20 Regular Board Meeting.
During that discussion, Dr. London again raised feedback she had received from sixth-grade elective and ancillary teachers at Copper Mill Elementary regarding the use of S/N/U grading rather than the district’s A–F grading scale.
Seven of the eight teachers who provided feedback supported moving to letter grades. Among the reasons they identified were:
preparing sixth-grade students for the grading expectations they will encounter at Northwestern Middle School;
strengthening student accountability and motivation;
giving families clearer information about student performance;
allowing assessment results to better inform instruction, intervention, and enrichment; and
recognizing the academic rigor and measurable learning taking place in courses such as music, art, Spanish, robotics, and STEM.
Dr. London also noted that the issue of students being removed from elective classes for tutoring or other interventions should be examined separately so students are not academically penalized for instruction they were unable to attend.
The Board approved the Pupil Progression Plan, with Dr. London requesting that the sixth-grade elective grading question return at the next meeting for a separate decision. The relevant grading language appears in the section beginning on pages 39–40 of the October 20 packet. (Regular Board Meeting – October 20, 2026)
Residency Verification & Educational Continuity
Residency verification remained one of the most significant issues discussed during both October meetings.
At the October 6 Committee of the Whole, the Board considered an administrative residency-check update alongside a proposed Student Residency Verification and Educational Continuity Policy introduced by Dr. London.
The proposed policy is intended to balance two responsibilities: ensuring that students attending Zachary schools are legally eligible to attend while also protecting students from unnecessary interruptions to their education while residency questions involving adults are being resolved.
The draft addresses areas including:
educational continuity while residency verification is pending;
protections for students who may qualify under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act;
procedures for families living in doubled-up or other nontraditional housing arrangements;
reasonable documentation requirements and alternative verification methods;
adequate notice and an opportunity for families to respond;
written residency determinations;
an appeal process;
staff training; and
annual Board reporting regarding the outcomes and educational impact of residency-verification activities.
A central issue throughout the discussion has been the amount of instructional time students may lose while residency questions are being investigated. The draft policy would treat residency verification as an administrative matter between the district and a parent or guardian rather than as student misconduct and would protect currently enrolled students from losing access to instruction solely because documentation is incomplete or under review. (Committee of the Whole – October 6)
The residency-verification policy returned to the Board on October 20, but Dr. London asked that additional time be allowed before moving the policy forward.
Community perspectives are still being collected from families and residents with experience with the district’s residency-verification protocols. The Board is also awaiting additional implementation data from Mr. Monte Burke and the Child Welfare and Attendance team.
Dr. Lathon expressed interest in expanding the community survey to reach a broader group of respondents.
Dr. London encouraged Board members to review the draft and submit proposed revisions so that community feedback, Board recommendations, and updated district data can be incorporated before the policy returns for further consideration. (Regular Board Meeting – October 20, 2026)
The goal remains to develop a policy that protects the district’s legitimate residency requirements while also establishing consistent procedures, safeguards for students, meaningful due process for families, and clear Board oversight. (Regular Board Meeting – October 20, 2026)
Recognition of Retiree Brian Monte
The October 20 meeting included recognition of Brian Monte, who was honored upon his retirement for his years of custodial service to the Zachary Community School District at Zachary High School. (Regular Board Meeting – October 20, 2026)
Superintendent Update
Mr. Necaise provided several district updates during the October 20 Regular Board Meeting.
One announcement involved a new initiative referred to as ZCA, which would allow the district to make selected course offerings available to students who are not enrolled full-time in Zachary Community Schools, including students attending private or charter schools and students who are homeschooled.
The superintendent described the initiative as an opportunity to both expand access to district course offerings and generate additional district revenue through participation fees or tuition.
He also shared that the Zachary Community School District had received recognition for student progress, including progress in LEAP mathematics (Regular Board Meeting – October 20, 2026)
2027 Board Meeting Calendar
The Board approved its 2027 meeting calendar, continuing the current structure of one Committee of the Whole meeting and one Regular Board Meeting each month.
The Board separately considered the meeting start time.
Some Board members expressed interest in beginning meetings at 6:00 p.m. Dr. London noted that the Board had previously spent considerable time discussing meeting times, including community feedback favoring a later 7:00 p.m. start.
The Board ultimately maintained 6:30 p.m. as the meeting time — the compromise previously reached between the earlier 6:00 p.m. preference and the later 7:00 p.m. preference expressed by some community members. (Regular Board Meeting – October 20, 2026)
Policy Audit School Community Committee
During discussion of upcoming agenda items, Dr. London also provided an update related to the Policy Audit School Community Committee, which the Board previously approved to create broader opportunities for students, families, teachers, staff, and administrators to participate in reviewing district policy.
Questions were raised about whether this work should instead fall within the purview of the Board’s Executive Committee.
Dr. London noted that the full Board had already authorized the Policy Audit Committee and reiterated that the work belongs to the Board collectively. Board members remain welcome to participate in and contribute to the process as the committee moves forward.
A more detailed progress update is expected in December. (Regular Board Meeting – October 20, 2026)
Student Interns Attend the Committee of the Whole
Members of the District 8 Internship and Fellowship Program attended the October 6 Committee of the Whole and the October 20 Regular Board Meeting.
Board meeting attendance is an important part of the program because it allows students to observe local governance firsthand — following issues from community concern and research through public discussion, policymaking, and Board action.
It was great to have our students in the room, learning alongside us and seeing the work of public service up close.
Actions Taken
At the October 20 Regular Board Meeting, the Board:
approved the minutes from the September 15 Regular Board Meeting and October 6 Committee of the Whole;
approved the 2027 Medicare Advantage renewal for retirees, including the negotiated 14% increase;
approved the 2026–2027 Pupil Progression Plan;
approved the 2027 Board meeting calendar;
separately maintained 6:30 p.m. as the start time for Committee of the Whole and Regular Board meetings; and
continued discussion of the proposed Student Residency Verification and Educational Continuity Policy.
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