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The Bogalusa School Board approved a new two-year contract for superintendent Lisa Tanner, during Thursday’s school board meeting.

The contract renewal was unanimous by a 6-0 vote. Board member Richard Killingsworth was absent from the meeting. Tanner’s first day as the Bogalusa City Schools superintendent was June 1, 2017.

“I appreciate the opportunity to continue to work for the next two years,” Tanner said. “I believe that we have the right people in the right places with the right (professional development) now. I believe you will see growth.”

Tanner said that the last year has been difficult because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She noted that she would communicate better with the board, in the next two years. Tanner said that when she started as superintendent, she had been sending weekly letters to the board members on progress being made in the schools. She said recently she had fallen out of that habit, but would return to doing it again.

During board member comments later in the meeting, Toni Breaux expressed her congratulations to Tanner.

“I would like to offer you, in public, my sincere congratulations,” Breaux said. “And I hope that you can work toward bringing this system up to where it needs to be. If there is anything that I can do, I’ll be glad to do it.”

“I appreciate that,” Tanner replied.

In other business, the board:

• Approved bids for Frozen, Processed, Milk, Produce, Kitchen Supplies and large and small equipment for school year 2021-22.
• Approved the June 2020 Audit Report.
• Approved various budgets and financial statements.
• Approved the 2021-22 school calendar.
• Approved a plan to discard fixed assets.
• Approved declaring surplus properties, including Columbia Street, Denhamtown, Long Avenue, Pleasant Hill, Superior Avenue and the ag building. Finance Director Deloris Walker will get new appraisals for the properties, and then they will be put up for sale.
• Heard from three citizens during public participation. One speaker asked a question about the effectiveness of the kindergarten curriculum, especially now that technology is being used far more since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A second speaker asked about starting an archery program at the schools, and a third speaker asked about starting a semi-pro basketball league that could use the gymnasium at Bogalusa High School.