Board approves Lean Frog salary study and one-time teacher sign-on bonuses

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board on March 16 approved a contract with Lean Frog for a Central Office Organizational Review and a districtwide compensation study at a cost of $39,725 and approved a one-time teacher sign-on bonus program to recruit certified teachers.

Mrs. Debra Schum moved to approve the Lean Frog proposal; the motion passed by roll call. On a related motion, the board approved a substitute proposal by Holden to pay a one-time sign-on bonus of $3,000 for East-bank schools and $5,000 for West-bank schools to certified teachers in specified subject areas (ELA, math, science, social studies, special education and foreign language). The bonus is to be paid in three installments with a maximum budget of $200,000 including fringe. The substitute motion passed 10–1; Board Member Triche recorded the lone Nay vote.

Board discussion cited recruitment and retention pressures as the rationale for the study and the bonus. The transcript does not identify the funding source for the $200,000 cap or the timeline for implementation beyond the three-installment payment structure; those details were not specified on the record and will be determined by administration.

The Lean Frog study is intended to inform central-office organization and district compensation recommendations; Mrs. Schum said the Finance Committee approved the proposal on March 14. The board did not vote on any contract awards from the study at the March 16 meeting.