School Board Meetings Summary, September 2026

Zachary Community School Board | District 8

Compiled by Dr. Crystal London, District 8 Board Member

September’s School Board meetings included updates and action related to district finances, transportation and bus conditions, academics, arts and student opportunities, discipline data, drug-awareness programming, the Copper Mill Elementary homework policy, the superintendent evaluation rubric, legislative policy changes, artificial intelligence, employee and student support, and upcoming community activities.

The month began with the September 1 Committee of the Whole, where the board reviewed and discussed many of the issues that later returned for formal action at the September 15 Regular Board Meeting. 

Finance & Budget

Mr. Musso provided the board’s monthly financial presentation, including year-end financial outcomes and updates on district revenues and expenditures. The district reported approximately $2.1 million in sales tax revenue, while the presentation reviewed spending across major operational areas such as classroom instruction, administration, clerical support, board operations, and other district functions. (Committee of the Whole – September 1, 2026)

Transportation & Bus Conditions

The board received updates on several transportation concerns raised during the opening weeks of school.

A major topic was air conditioning across the bus fleet. Transportation representatives reported that an audit of bus air-conditioning systems had been completed and identified issues had been addressed. They also explained that the systems are generally designed to cool approximately 20 degrees below the outside temperature, meaning buses can still feel very warm during periods of extreme heat. Another audit was expected to be completed that week. (Committee of the Whole – September 1, 2026)

The board also received updates on the arrival of new buses. Eight of 11 new buses had arrived, with additional administrative and licensing steps still being completed before all could be placed into service. Dr. London asked for clarification regarding earlier commitments about the total number of buses the district expected to receive and where the district currently stood in fulfilling those plans.

Transportation staff also reported responding to approximately 1,500 requests related to route changes since the beginning of school. Updates were provided on the Flanacher Road bus turnaround, and the board learned that some bridges previously restricted for bus traffic had since been removed from the affected list. (Committee of the Whole – September 1, 2026) 

Academics, Arts, Athletics & Student Opportunities

The board received a broad Strategic Plan update focused on the district’s “Three A’s” — Academics, Arts and Athletics — along with other student opportunities. The presentation showed how academic pathways, arts programming, athletics, career-connected learning, community partnerships, and student wellness are being connected across the district. (Committee of the Whole – September 1, 2026) 

Among the initiatives highlighted were:

• STAR Academy at Zachary High School, beginning with an initial cohort of approximately 80 students and focusing on transitional ninth-grade students who may benefit from additional academic support and progress monitoring.

• Zachary Early College Academy and the Zachary Honors Academy, expanding access to career-connected, advanced, and accelerated learning opportunities.

• The Gifted Program Screening Blitz, held September 1–11 to increase awareness, referrals, screening, and identification of students who may qualify for gifted services.

• A Mason Partnership for dyslexia support.

• A partnership with the East Baton Rouge Parish Library to expand access to books, digital resources, research tools, programming, and library cards.

• Young Audiences of Louisiana supporting arts-integrated Social Studies instruction at Northwestern Middle.

• A fourth-grade field experience to see The Lion King at the Saenger Theatre, with planned connections to ELA, Social Studies, and arts instruction.

• A partnership with the Greater Baton Rouge Arts Council at Northwestern Elementary.

• Expanded athletics opportunities at Copper Mill Elementary, including sixth-grade tennis and fifth- and sixth-grade soccer.

• Zachary Snow, a student-operated snowball stand designed to give students practical experience with customer service, budgeting, teamwork, marketing, inventory management, and entrepreneurship. (Committee of the Whole – September 1, 2026) 

  
  

The district also reported that 255 students were participating in the Zachary Early College Academy, and the Honors Academy was underway.

Dr. London specifically expressed support for the Gifted Screening Blitz, noting that it represented a direct response to prior audit feedback and an effort to improve access to gifted identification. She, along with her colleagues, also expressed appreciation for the broader range of opportunities being made available to students across academics, arts, athletics, entrepreneurship, and community partnerships.

Drug Awareness & Prevention

Drug awareness and prevention continued to receive significant attention across both September meetings.

At the September 1 Committee of the Whole, the district outlined plans for developmentally appropriate fentanyl and drug-awareness presentations for students in grades 7–12, community and family education, and continued DARE programming for fifth-grade students.

During the September 15 superintendent’s update, Mr. Necaise provided additional details about implementation. Middle and high school students were scheduled to participate in drug-awareness presentations during the week, while DARE rotations were preparing to begin with fifth-grade students at Copper Mill Elementary.

Approximately 12,000 coloring books were also being distributed at the elementary level to support age-appropriate introductory drug-awareness education. The City of Zachary, Zachary Fire Department, and Zachary Police Department will also provide informational stations and rotate among district schools so students can learn more about drug awareness, prevention, and community resources.

The district also announced a community drug-awareness conversation on October 5 at the Zachary High School Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC).

These efforts build on the district’s broader prevention strategy, including family communication, counselor support, community education, law-enforcement partnerships, and age-appropriate instruction.

Recognitions & Celebrations

At the September 15 Regular Board Meeting, the board recognized two district retirees.

Anette Havard was recognized and thanked for her service as head chef in the Child Nutrition Program at Rollins Place Elementary School.

Susan Varnadore was also recognized and thanked for her years of service as school secretary at Northwestern Elementary School and for the important role she played in supporting students, families, faculty, and the broader Northwestern Elementary community.

The September 15 agenda formally listed both retiree recognitions under the district’s Workforce Talent strategic pillar. (Regular Board Meeting – September 15, 2026)

Child Nutrition Program

Board members thanked employees across the program for the important role they play in the daily operation of the school system and in ensuring that students have access to healthy and nutritious meals. (Regular Board Meeting – September 15, 2026)

Superintendent Update

The superintendent’s September 15 update included drug-awareness programming as well as several upcoming student and district activities. The district is preparing for an upcoming Zachary High School college and career informational event. Monday, September 21, will be a remote-learning day.

Zachary High School will celebrate Homecoming Week, culminating in Homecoming on Friday, September 25, with the football game scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (Regular Board Meeting – September 15, 2026)

Quarterly Discipline Update

The board received its quarterly discipline update.

The packet showed 76 cell phone violations districtwide, making cell phone violations by far the most common incident category during the reporting period. Of those, 69 occurred at Zachary High School. Other leading categories included willful disobedience, use of profane or obscene language, and fighting. (Committee of the Whole – September 1, 2026) 

The board also reviewed discipline outcomes. Detention was the most frequently recorded consequence, with 83 assignments, followed by 24 in-school suspensions and 13 student conferences. During this reporting period, the data showed one out-of-school suspension and one in-school expulsion.

The data were also broken down by race/ethnicity, economic status, and gender.

Dr. London requested additional context for interpreting those demographic figures, including the district’s overall student demographics, so the board could evaluate whether discipline outcomes were proportionate to the students enrolled in the district. (Committee of the Whole – September 1, 2026)

Copper Mill Elementary Homework & Student Work Policy

The board returned to concerns involving the Copper Mill Elementary homework and home-school communication policies. The issue had initially been raised during a previous Discipline Committee meeting but had not received the full-board discussion Dr. London had requested during subsequent meetings. Formal committee minutes documenting that earlier discussion were also unavailable.

The Copper Mill handbook currently states that grades will be posted in Parent Command Center weekly and specifically says that Copper Mill does not send home student work papers or tests. At the school's recent open house, however, parents were informed that they could request access to their children’s work. Dr. London acknowledged that clarification but raised concern that access had been communicated and applied inconsistently.

She also asked the district to ensure that its procedures and policy language were consistent with FERPA and parents’ rights to access their children’s educational records. If parents are permitted to request and review student work, Dr. London asked that the policy clearly communicate that right rather than relying on informal practices or varying implementation. (Committee of the Whole – September 1, 2026)

The issue returned as a stand-alone item at the September 15 Regular Board Meeting.

The board approved revised language stating that while Copper Mill does not routinely send graded assignments or tests home, parents or guardians who wish to review their child’s assessments or graded assignments may contact the teacher to schedule a meeting. Those meetings may occur either in person or virtually, depending on the needs and availability of the teacher and parent or guardian.

Dr. London thanked Ms. White-Allen and Ms. Barangos for their work on the revisions and for helping provide families with clearer information about how they can access student work and support learning at home. (Regular Board Meeting – September 15, 2026)

Superintendent Evaluation Rubric

The board also began a discussion about updating the superintendent evaluation rubric. Mrs. Williams provided an overview of the process used to develop and administer the current evaluation tool. The board discussed the timeline for possible revisions and noted that the rubric had not undergone update during Mr. Necaise’s tenure.

Dr. London recommended moving toward a more goal- and outcome-oriented evaluation framework, similar to the expectations placed on teachers and school administrators. The current evaluation includes a 70/30 structure, with 30% connected to student outcomes: 15% related to third-grade literacy growth and 15% related to third-grade mathematics growth.

Dr. London emphasized that the superintendent’s goals should align more directly with the district’s own strategic priorities and measurable student outcomes. She also suggested revisiting the rubric following district performance reports so that measures remain relevant to current goals rather than becoming static over time.

She indicated that she would share information and examples from her work with School Board Partners as the board continues considering rubric revisions. (Committee of the Whole – September 1, 2026)

Legislative Policy Updates

The board reviewed the first group of 2026 legislative policy updates. These were draft policy changes presented for board consideration following changes in state law;

The proposed updates covered:

• Child Abuse: Updates definitions and reporting language, including references to child care providers, and updates related statutory references. (JGCE) 

• Personal Leave: Increases employee personal leave from two days to four days per year. (GBRIA) 

• Education of Students with Exceptionalities: Proposed language would place the burden of proof on the School Board in special education due-process hearings. Counsel recommended that this proposed change not be added. (IDDF) 

• Cameras in Special Education Classrooms: Clarifies that the initial viewing of a recording must include either the superintendent and a designee or two superintendent designees. This generally reflects the district’s current practice. (IDDFC) 

• Behavioral Health Services for Students: Adds a clearer framework for how schools coordinate with behavioral health providers selected by a parent, including communication, scheduling, and service delivery during the school day. (JGCFA) 

• Discipline: Updates procedures when a student assaults or injures a school employee and clarifies how disciplinary requirements interact with protections for students with exceptionalities. (JD) 

• Emergency Operations Plans: Expands the district’s emergency planning team and responsibilities and updates school safety and emergency-preparedness procedures. (EBBC) 

• Expulsion: Adds requirements related to assault or battery of a school employee, including how expulsion procedures apply while still accounting for protections for students with exceptionalities. (JDE) 

• Sick Leave: Expands and clarifies leave protections for school employees injured while performing their duties, including injuries resulting from assault, battery, or certain physical interactions with students. (GBRIB) 

• Suspension: Adds provisions stating that a student found to have assaulted or battered a school employee generally may not return to the school where that employee is assigned, subject to the circumstances and applicable requirements. (JDD)

  
  

All ten legislative-policy items, listed as Agenda Items 6A–6J, returned for formal consideration at the September 15 meeting.

One item, IDDF – Education of Students with Exceptionalities, received separate discussion. The packet specifically identified proposed Forethought language placing the burden of proof on the School Board in special-education due-process hearings as “not recommended, not required.” 

Legal counsel recommended that the additional language not be placed into local policy because applicable law governs the district regardless of whether the provision is repeated in board policy. A motion was made to accept counsel’s recommendation. Dr. London voted no on that motion.

Artificial Intelligence Policy

The board also reviewed a proposed new policy governing Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI in district instruction and operations.

The proposal would establish a districtwide framework for reviewing and approving AI tools, protecting student and employee information, determining appropriate classroom use, and ensuring that human and professional judgment remain central to important decisions.

Among other provisions, the draft would:

• require district review before AI tools are broadly approved;

• prohibit entry of confidential student, employee, or district information into unapproved public AI systems;

• require heightened review for AI used in areas such as grading, discipline, placement, employment, or resource allocation;

• establish staff responsibilities for verifying AI-generated information;

• distinguish between permitted, coached, and prohibited student uses of AI;

• require age-appropriate AI literacy for students;

• establish professional development for staff;

• require periodic review for bias, privacy, security, and equity concerns;

• provide mechanisms for student, staff, and parent feedback;

• and require ongoing reporting to the board about district AI implementation.

  
  

The policy also states that AI should support rather than replace professional judgment and human decision-making.

Dr. London thanked Dr. Hand and the students, educators, staff, and other members of the school community who contributed to development of the policy. She also acknowledged that additional state legislation and guidance emerged after the district’s local policy-development process had already begun, requiring the final policy to bring together both stakeholder work and new state requirements.

(Committee of the Whole – September 1; Regular Board Meeting – September 15, 2026)

Actions Taken

At the September 15 Regular Board Meeting, the board:

• recognized retirees Anette Havard and Susan Varnadore;

• received the superintendent’s update;

• received information concerning the Child Nutrition Program;

• approved minutes from the August 18 Regular Board Meeting and September 1 Committee of the Whole;

• approved the 2026 Legislative Policy Changes, Part I, Items 6A–6J;

• approved File IFBGB – Artificial Intelligence Implementation and Acceptable Use;

• approved revisions to the Copper Mill Elementary homework and graded-assignment language;

• and received agenda requests and announcements for upcoming board meetings.

  
  

The September 15 agenda confirms the structure of those stand-alone actions.

Looking Ahead

Several September discussions will continue into October.

Dr. London requested that the board revisit the district’s residency-verification protocols, including how the process is administered and what formal board policy or additional safeguards may be appropriate.

The district also announced several upcoming dates:

• October 5, 2026: Community Drug-Awareness Conversation at the Zachary High School VPAC

• October 6, 2026: Committee of the Whole, 6:30 p.m.

• October 20, 2026: Regular Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

  
  

The October 6 and October 20 board dates are also listed in the September 15 meeting packet.

September’s work now moves into implementation and follow-up, including the newly adopted AI policy, legislative policy changes, parent access to student work at Copper Mill, drug-awareness and prevention programming, superintendent evaluation work, discipline monitoring, transportation, and residency-verification procedures.