By Pat Culverhouse

Johnnye Kennon will be serving her second term as president of the Webster Parish School Board following a Monday vote at the board’s final meeting of 2025. Kennon represents District 10 on the board.

Debbie Thomas was selected Vice President for the new year. Thomas, who was elected in 2022 elections with 61 percent of the vote, serves the school board’s District 2.

Both Kennon and Thomas were elected without opposition.

Also Monday, board members:

• Approved a trip to Piney Park in Marshal, Texas for Kindergarten through second grade students from Doyline High School. Cost to be paid by students.

• Recognized Amy Lee, special education facilitator, as Employee of the Month for December. Award presented by Kevin Thompson of Taylor and Sons.

Board members gave in globo approval to $477,785.57 in invoice payments from the various school system maintenance and tax funds. Payments approved were:

• Consolidated District 3 Maintenance Fund: $209,245.60. Major expense $190,900 for extensive repairs, repainting existing structures at Lakeside Jr/Sr High baseball/softball complex, also repainting and new flooring plus some electrical and plumbing work at Lakeside boys’ and girls’ field house.

• District 6 One-half Cent Sales Tax Fund: $207,203.78. Includes $63,982 to repair drainage issues on athletic field at Webster Jr. High; $57,114.50 to dispose of 4,405 sq. ft. of ceramic tile, add metal stripping to attach new tin, apply water proofing to seal concrete backer board at Webster Jr. High; $47,257 to demo old basketball court and replace slab and goals at J.L. Jones Elementary; $12,704 to purchase Kubota RTV520 for Minden High; $5,164.37 to install two additional cameras for two special ed classrooms and one camera for street/playground area.

• Cotton Valley Maintenance Fund: $5,345.90 for additional phone in nurse’s office at North Webster Upper Elementary.

• Doyline Maintenance Fund: $18,265.05. Payments include $8,430 to change inverter compressor, inverter board, fan driver board with wiring harness at Doyline High; $3,500 for installing compressor inverter board at Doyline High, $2,599 to purchase softball pitching machine for Doyline High.

• Sarepta Maintenance Fund: $1,011.15. Largest payment is $861.15 to replace non-working phones at North Webster Jr. High.

• Shongaloo Building Fund: $1,440.30. Largest payment is $1,100 for 66 pounds of refrigerant at North Webster Lower Elementary.

• Springhill Maintenance Fund: $35,273.79. Payments include $26,544.53 to purchase two desktop computers and monitors, seven laptop computers and 50 Chromebooks for Brown Upper Elementary; $5,400 for Interface Mod 02092 at North Webster High.