During Monday’s meeting of the Bogalusa Board of Education, Superintendent Lisa Tanner detailed her plan to further improve the city’s school system.

Tanner, who became superintendent on July 1, 2017, said that the BCS has already made great strides, but can still get better.

“Everyone needs to know what our vision is, so that we can all get on the same page about what we need to do to make Bogalusa Schools the best they can be,” Tanner said.

Tanner’s vision statement is “To establish a dynamic school culture that raises student achievement, increases teacher effectiveness, and strengthens public confidence.” The overall goal is to improve the district to a “B or better” grade within five years.

The plan also includes several specific targets for improvement, including:

• Students will improve their literacy and reading comprehension.
• Students will improve their mathematical literacy and comprehension.
• Students will have quality, engaging instruction in all classes.
• Students and teachers will have relevant technology resources.
• Students will be Career and College-ready.
• Students will graduate on time.
• The community will become partners in education.
• A commitment to continuous improvement.

Tanner’s plan includes benchmarks and specific tasks for different school employees — including herself, supervisors, leadership teams, guidance counselors and lead teachers — in order to accomplish each of the goals.

In other business, the board:

• Tabled approval of a proposed Orkin pest control contract, and a maintenance proposal for air conditioning and heating from Morgan Mechanical.
• Approved a contract with Melissa Jackson, school psychologist for the year 2018-19.
• Approved June 2018 Revised Budgets, Financial Statements, General Fund, Food Service, Special Revenue and School Activities.
• Approved new state travel imbursement, effective July 1.
• Approved the superintendent evaluation form.
• Approved changes to the 2018-19 Code of Conduct. Phlesher Mingo, BCS supervisor of child welfare and attendance, discussed the changes in detail during the board’s committee meeting.

One change is that the code of conduct now allows for students to wear the heavier, special bullet-proof backpacks, if a student so chooses. In addition, a written rule is now in place that every student must have a parent (or parent’s designee) at all bus stops, both for home departures and arrivals.

Finally, Mingo noted that Saturday detention has been removed from the high school — detention will only be after-school. In addition, high school students may only wear “spirit shirts” on Friday, but elementary school students may wear them throughout the week.

• Heard from Olivia Kemp, who discussed a summer enrichment program she had participated in while at Ole Miss. During the program, Kemp and other students visited rural elementary school systems and provided summer activities to keep the young students educated and energized during the summer months.

Kemp said that perhaps Bogalusa could start a similar program, using Southeastern Louisiana students, and Tanner expressed interest and said she would like to talk to Kemp more about the program in the future.