Morgan City High security upgrade approved

By JEAN L. KAESS
jkaess@daily-review.com
The St. Mary Parish School Board approved $6,500 in maintenance money to upgrade the surveillance system at Morgan City High School.
The work will include a new DVR unit and more cameras, according to Blaine St. Romaine, school system maintenance department representative.
Money for the project will come from District 3 maintenance funds.
In other action during Thursday’s School Board meeting, the board approved a one-day suspension without pay for an employee who had inappropriate physical contact with a student on Sept. 24. Details of the incident were not released.
The discipline, outlined by Superintendent Donald Aguillard, was approved by the board with the exception of member Bill McCarty who cast the lone dissenting vote.
Also Thursday, Aguillard announced that School Performance Scores should be released the week of Oct. 21, reminded voters of the election for a tax to build a new school building for Patterson Junior High on Oct. 19 and fall break began today and runs through Tuesday for students. Parent-teacher conferences and in-services will be held Tuesday.
In other action, the board:
—Approved a list of new hires including that of JROTC instructor Joseph Thomas Jr. at Franklin High School. Confirmation of his salary from the military could not be obtained because of the federal government shutdown. However, the school system is paying him what they expect he will be paid.
—Approved an increase to the monthly retainer of Lee Bloch who provides consulting services for the school system’s Section 16 lands and represents them in litigation regarding those lands. His current retainer is $3,600 per year, and that is being increased to $18,000 per year for the next two years with the understanding that if his time exceeds more than 120 hours in one year, he will bill the board at $125 per hour. Following the two-year period, Bloch’s retainer will be $8,400 per year.
—Approved a change order to decrease the contract sum of the air conditioning system at J.S. Aucoin Elementary by $7,507.