Board Meeting Comments

I am writing to you to share my opposition to the proposed contract renewal for Dr. Narcisse. Mainly because, as he has shown in applying for the Broward County position, he is not invested in our school system any longer. He has done his 3 years, and is now looking to move on from us. However, that isn't the only reason I object. The proposed raise bonuses that are in his new contract are not reflective of the job that he has done in the past three years. We have seen more turmoil in the years of his tenure than I ever saw prior. From the mass exodus of teachers and staff to not paying workers a living wage, he has repeatedly shown that he does not care for the students or families in EBR Public Schools.  With the $55,000 raise, the $24,000 for professional development, the $10,000 car allowance, the $20,000 performance pay, and the automatic 4% raise each year, the board could afford to pay for bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and other ancillary staff to be able to live comfortably

My daughter attends Mayfair Lab. This week there is no sub for one of the bus routes and no parents were notified that the bus wasn’t coming this morning. The fact that you’re considering a raise and contract extension while the bus crisis is still going on is frightening and would be a terrible misuse of tax dollars.

I am opposed to approving this audacious contract. This is the contract for an absolute majority Rockstar of a superintendent, in a financially sound district, for someone with unwavering support of his employees and the entire community - THAT IS NOT OUR REALITY. This contract is a slap in the face to all EBRPSS employees who were not given raises, to caregivers living through his transportation crisis, and every tax payer in this district. Please do not approve this contract.

The new employee contract set to be approved for the superintendent is excessive. It’s just too much in light the districts continued teacher pay issues and now the transportation issues.

I do NOT support the proposed contract for the superintendent. This compensation package is irresponsible and unjustified. In a time when our schools face so many financial hardships, the superintendent should NOT receive a 20% pay raise and so many extravagant benefits. Please consider more meaningful uses of this money, such at better pay for our teachers and staff, hiring more bus drivers, improving transportation, providing schools sufficient equipment and supplies, etc.

I DO NOT support giving the superintendent ANY kind d of raise. Transportation needs funds. Teachers need funds. There should not be a se person that gets a raise before the persons actually out there doing the day to day work. Use that raise money that we didn't have to purchase new buses.....that's a good example of something I can get behind. Or schedule the a raise for bus drivers.....I can get behind that too.

Dear Members of the School Board, The salary and benefits package you have drawn up for Superintendent Narcisse is more appropriate for a CEO of a lucrative corporation than it is for an impoverished school district. Recently, our transportation department lacked buses and drivers to get students safely to and from school. Many logistics issues linger today. Money has been wasted on tracking systems that do not work rather than using funds to guarantee “longevity” of bus drivers, substitutes, and mechanics. How many weeks were spent arguing over salary raises for bus drivers who have unlivable wages of $19 thousand a year? Yet you have the audacity to propose a vehicle for the Superintendent rather than vehicles for our students. During the teacher shortage, Narcisse increased the high school class requirement to eight periods which creates an unreasonable class and student roster for faculty. If you examine the faculty pay scale, you will see that even teachers with PhDs and over a decade of experience cannot earn more than $65 thousand a year. If you vote for Narcisse’s contract, you are voting against faculty and staff and signaling to students that their needs come last.

I am extremely unhappy with his job. See the mess happening this school year. Especially to the school bus system, 2 extra minutes to make up the lost time, school year schedule, etc. if you have asked the students and teachers and the parents. You will know what you should do. For the mess of school bus system, he didn’t have a plan B before the school year. My kid lost the school bus in our neighborhood. I have to drop her off 5 miles away from home to catch a bus. The system has never been this bad.

Please do not renew the contract for Sito Narcisse. He tenure has been an utter failure and embarrassment for both our children and community. He did not have adequate credentials for the job when he got it and has proven that he is unqualified and simply incapable of doing this critical job. Now is the time to correct course.

This message is to oppose the renewal of Sito’s contract as well as any raise. In no private entity would an employee ever receive a raise for performance we have observed such as Sito’s in his EBR tenure. He was originally not even qualified for this position, yet he was appointed. His performance has been utterly horrific. We are repeatedly told there is no money to pay teachers, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers a FAIR wage. However the board is considering a raise for Sito of upwards of a teacher’s annual salary. Please be honorable stewards of our budget and our children’s education. Please do not renew Sito’s contract or award a raise. This situation is absolutely embarrassing, and your constituents deserve better. As do our CHILDREN.

No way. We’re not paying Narcisse more/year than Cade Brumley, State Superintendent of Schools. Early in his tenure, Narcisse was quoted in an article saying you can’t make decisions without buy-in from stakeholders. Yet He’s done the exact opposite of parent/teacher opinion with every major decision. So much money wasted on Pathways (TV ads, employees, slick paper ads), when our very basic essentials: teachers, transportation, infrastructure, safety are crumbling. It’s actually against state law to mandate DE & AP. Teachers and bus drivers deserve their raise first. I don’t support his contract renewal at any amount, much less this amount. He has not moved his family here. He is more invested in his resume than our community.

I have a student in EBR and I support the contract extension of the superintendent. He is doing what he can with what he have!

I am a parent of two 5th graders who attend BRCVPA. Please vote NO to the superintendent's contract renewal. We have repeatedly been told EBR cannot afford to give teachers a much needed raise, which also prevents teacher recruitment and retention. EBR does not fund resources teachers for IEP students and now is under federal investigation. EBR says it cannot afford to pay its school bus drivers and cafeteria workers a basic living wage, which resulted in absolute chaos when the transportation system fell apart. Given all of the above, it is hard to understand how EBR now has funding to pay the superintendent the proposed salary--particularly given his subpar performance. Quite frankly, he has failed this parish and should be fired, not rewarded with an exorbitant salary and raises. Please put the students first. Put the money where it will help them most-teachers, bus drivers, and others who actually work to make their lives better. Find a better superintendent.

I work for EBR and strongly disagree with the superintendent getting a raise. Its not an issue of quality, it is simply unfair. If we can"t get a raise, neither should anyone.

He has not been good for our school district and I oppose the contract extension. He wanted to leave during his last contract and he didn't get the job that he applied for so why should we extend his contract. Buses break down, bus driver and teachers on strike, lose good teachers to other districts. Find someone that has been in the district for years and knows what is going on!!!!

I support the decision that the school board decides in conjunction with the contract renewal of the Superintendent. The observations I offer is that the proposed contract salary is considerably above the average for school superintendents and that the increase is to reflect performance. I am an advocate of pay for performance. Therefore the School Board Members who are elected to give an objective performance review for the superintendent is to also be aware of the job entrusted in them to spend/allocate the tax payer dollars wisely.

While I don't necessarily agree that this contract should be renewed at all (y'all don't listen to us anyway), giving this man an actual raise is beyond egregious. If you're going to renew the contract, the least you could do is save this district some money. Thank you.

Please DO NOT RENEW Mr. Narcisses contract! I am appalled at his handling of Covid, not to mention the numerous other things he’s mishandled such as teacher and bus driver pay. I believe he cares more about lining his pockets than helping the kids of EBR. As a taxpayer, I am ready to see new management! Again, DO NOT RENEW his contract!

To renew the contract of this man would be a continued violation of the trust placed on the superintendent of EBR schools. This man has ensured that our children have less than appropriate education. Please do NOT renew his contract.

As a second-year teacher in the district, I am deeply concerned and disappointed by the proposed superintendent renewal terms for EBR. It is disheartening to see such a significant disparity in compensation, with the superintendent's salary increasing by 20% to 310k, while I, as a dedicated educator, struggle to make ends meet on my salary of under $50,000. The automatic 4% pay increase annually only adds insult to injury, as many teachers face stagnant salaries and financial challenges. Additionally, the four-year contract, coupled with the extravagant benefits such as the 24k annual professional development allowance, 10k car allowance, and 20k performance pay, result in a staggering total compensation of almost 1.8 million over four years. This allocation of resources is not only unfair but also fails to prioritize the needs of our students and educators. I implore the board to reconsider these terms and ensure that all employees are fairly compensated and supported.

Honorable Councilmembers, Please do not renew Sito's contract. It is time to move on and start anew. Over the past few years, there has been a lack of fiscal transparency and accountability, not to mention stability. There have been countless restructurings (firings), scandals and incidents. And frankly, the outcomes Sito promised, the equity he has championed, have not come to fruition and the charters he has funded through our public education system have put all students, drivers, staff and faculty/educators at financial and learning risk. He is not worth the current pay, let alone increased pay. We need to actually get back to the basics with a leader who knows what that means - who speaks life and unity into the relationships between the board, the admin and educators and who lifts up children and their families. And who believes in actual public education. Please vote NO on his contract renewal. Thank you and Happy Holidays. - Gelle

Every member of this board should be ashamed to pass such a massive pay increase for ONE PERSON in a public school system while grossly underpaying your employees. How tone deaf to even put this up for a vote right now. You ARE NOT representing (or even considering) the best interest of the students or employees of this school system, let alone your constituents. I’d argue that you’d need to some some pretty impressive successes to propose such a large increase in a system that constantly talks about financial insecurity.

I am disappointed to read the proposal for contract renewal let alone the inclusion of any sort of raise. Mr. Narcisse has shown he doesn't want to stay - which should be enough. He needed to leave for his family. Let him go. There are too many FINANCIAL issues plaguing our district for any increase to be allowed. "It's about the numbers." We don't have enough busses. We don't have enough bus drivers. We can't afford to pay a competitive wage to teachers or support personnel and are losing employees to neighboring school districts. Buildings are in disrepair. Contract renewal? NO. Proposed raise? No. NO. NO. Should the school board superintendent make more than the governor?!?!?

School Board President Lanus, shame on you! How dare you bring such a ridiculous and insulting proposal to retain and reward Superintendent Narcisse. Our School district has already suffered from fiscal irresponsibility. Problems have grown under Superintendent Narcisse. If anything, his salary should be forfeit until situations improve for the entire district: teachers, employees, students. Where are the raises for teachers, support staff, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other essential employees? There are still issues with Transportation, Communication, and employee retention. That money is better spent in ways that will directly benefit the students more than one man. I implore the Board to vote against renewing Superintendent Narcisse's contract. Do better.

In a district plagued by budget issues, it is highly inappropriate for a Superintendent to request an exorbitant salary package for himself. Just this year teachers have been denied raises, schools playground and safety equipment, and our Transportation deparment adequate salaries and resources. Many teachers have to drive for DoorDash just to pay monthly bills. This is in addition to the teacher work outside of school hours in order to be effective for the students about which the Superintendent claims to care. Our school system is in crisis. If this proposal (or one similar) receives YES votes from our board, this will only further anger and alienate the employees that remain dedicated to the cause. Have you attended an EBRPSS Job Fair recently? They are like ghost towns. People are not lining up to work here the way they once were. Not only is this a PR nightmare if you ever hope to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers, it is an actual nightmare for those on the front line

I wholeheartedly reject renewing Sito’s contract. He has not proven himself as an asset or an ally to the students, families, or workers of the EBRPSS. Our schools deserve better. I have 2 children in EBRPSS & I beg of you, please do not renew this contract!

LETRS has been mandated and purchased BUT it takes 40 hours to complete. Teachers are working without pay raises and without pay for added programs being completed in their own time. We received a plea last year from Mr. Robinson to just try and find time. Why are teachers being asked to do it again this year?

Please DO NOT renew Dr. Narcisse's contract. He should never have gotten the job in the first place. The contract renewal is undeserved and insulting to those of us on the stagnant EBRPSS salary schedule. Please talk to any bus driver or go tour any decrepit building (the Goodwood offices would be a good place to start) and then justify a $55,000 pay raise starting in three weeks. You can't. He wants to leave our state anyway; let him.

Reading through this contract felt like when a student asks me to change their grade to a 100 A+ but they haven't turned in one assignment all year. Are we, as a community, going to not only reward but reinforce the absolute mess that this year has been by renewing this contract? If the board chooses to renew, that means everyone was right. I was told countless times to not work in EBR because of Sito. I was told we were the laughing stock of Baton Rouge. That I was punishing myself by working here. Why are we trying to prove them right? I love my district, my school, my students. Why can't the board love their district, their schools, and their students? By renewing this contract, you're signing a goodbye card to the best parents, students, teachers, and staff EBR has.

If Dr. Narcisse has done such a great job in his tenure, why has EBR lost so many teachers since his takeover? I can promise you that many more will follow if this over-inflated proposal passes (and we really can’t afford to lose any more!) Ultimately our students will continue to suffer.

I oppose renewing Dr. Narcisse’s contract. He has created multiple problems in our district and his deliberate lack of communication shows that he has no plan on improving any of these issues. He is not committed to our district and I strongly encourage you to reject this renewal proposal, especially given the ridiculous salary raise.

The devil you know versus the devil you don’t is not the right attitude to have for this position. We cannot sustain this type of leadership. Too costly in too many ways. Vote NO. We have to do better.

Since Sito Narcisse became superintendent, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights has opened an investigation, we have had a transportation crisis that resulted in no raise for severely underpaid drivers, he has refused to take accountability for the illegal Day of Hope event, TRSL has fined EBR, our schools have fallen into more disrepair after his switch to HES, we have wasted an amazing amount of money on six-figure salaries for his friends in Central Office, our schools have known safety concerns that have not been addressed, and the list goes on and on. In what world should this person be rewarded with a contract renewal and a pay raise? EBRPSS will continue to lose teachers and have a very hard time recruiting new ones if Sito Narcisse remains superintendent.

Of course test scores have rebounded; the students are back in classrooms with TEACHERS. Do not confuse a rise in scores with the leadership of this superintendent. Vote NO to this completely absurd contract renewal.

I would like to suggest that you vote against renewing the superintendents contract. The community has suffered through many harmful and careless choices without any accountability. We need to prioritize our educators, school andmin, and all support staff. I know many certified teachers who are working in other fields because of concerns over the superintendent and his staff.

I went to EBR public schools from 3rd to 12th grade. I'm now the parent of a child in an EBR public school. I am insisting that Sito Narcisse's contract not be renewed. His communication is horrendous. His regard for teachers is exceedingly low. His decisions are based on no data or evidence. He has hopped from one job to the next across the country, leaving schools in ruins, like Boston's English High where 75% of employees quit or were fired after he forced one controversial plan after another, like single-sex classrooms and getting rid of D letter grades. He has even attempted to leave EBR for Miami -- the same school system he toured in 2021 for "inspiration" after EBR hired him. Our community shouldn't be stuck with Narcisse for any longer than we have been. From forcing EBR employees to attend a job fair and change schools to his mismanagement of our bussing, he has been allowed to continue his irrational experiments for too long. Please do not renew his contract.

I vehemently oppose renewing the superintendent contract. Not to mention the request of pay raises is ludicrous and is a slap in the face to our teachers and all the support staff.

After 4 years and many reforms that has been made, the District is in worse shape than what he found it. His inability to understand the needs of the children not only in the District, but the city has negatively impacted their educational needs. Where he championed for certain charter schools in the last charter renewal meeting wad an embarrassment as there were I only 2 charter schools that scored above a "C" letter grade. We need someone who will be committed to the students, teachers, and stakeholders. Someone who was/is all of those things! We need change. Do not renew his contract.

$130,000=Louisiana Governor's Salary $285,000=Louisiana State Department of Education Superintendent's Salary $400,000=United States President Salary The EBRPSS is NOT a corporation that can afford to pay a "CEO" $410,000/per year. It is also not a small country, where it can afford to pay a president the same amount. What has Dr. Narcissist, I mean Dr. Narcisse done over the past 3 years that would merit such an asinine salary. Not only is paying this type of money to one person absurd and ridiculous, it is also reckless and EXTREMELY dangerous because you send the message that no one else, including students, matters in this district, but him. Employees were promised an 8% raise by this man a couple of years ago. You, the Board, stated that those raises could not be sustained; the money was NOT there! All of a sudden, you can find nearly $2 Million to pay him for ineffective leadership! He has hoodzpah (colossal/supreme arrogance) to think he is worthy and no one else is!