St. John the Baptist board adopts revisions to probation, parent‑conference, wellness and student health policies

At its Jan. 16 meeting, the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board adopted a suite of policy revisions covering employee probation, parent‑teacher conferences, school wellness and student health services.

The board approved the revised GBG probation policy governing teacher probationary periods, contract appointees, bus operators and other school employees. The motion carried with 10 yeas and one absence.

The IHAD parent‑conferences policy was approved after a motion by Wallace and second by DeFrancesch; the updated language requires at least two parent‑teacher conferences in the first semester and sets procedures for disciplinary conferences, attendance notices and follow‑up, with an emphasis on not penalizing students for parent nonattendance.

The board also adopted the JGB School Wellness policy. The comprehensive wellness update references USDA and Louisiana Department of Education standards and sets nutrition, vending and physical‑activity goals (including a recommendation of 150 minutes per week of health and physical education for K‑8 and 30 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous activity), vending nutrition criteria, tobacco‑free campus rules, monitoring and annual compliance reporting.

Finally, the JGC Student Health Services revisions were approved. The policy covers establishment of school health care centers supervised by licensed nurses, hearing and vision screening schedules, dyslexia screening requirements, seizure management plans, protocols for delegated catheterization and noncomplex health procedures, and annual monitoring obligations. Board materials cite relevant state statutes and federal guidance where applicable.

Roll-call tallies were recorded for each policy motion and are reflected in the minutes. Board members said the revisions aim to align district practice with state law and federal nutrition standards and to clarify responsibilities for health and safety across schools.

The policies include multiple statutory references (e.g., La. Rev. Stat. Ann. sections cited in the minutes and federal USDA program rules cited in the wellness policy). Implementation responsibility was assigned to the superintendent and appropriate departmental staff, with monitoring and annual reporting required.