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EBR School Board votes to require contracts now be signed by both superintendent, deputy superintendent
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BATON ROUGE — All contracts involving the East Baton Rouge Parish School System will now be signed by both Superintendent LaMont Cole and Deputy Superintendent Adam Smith, the school board unanimously decided at its Thursday meeting.
No contract, amendment to a contract, memorandum of understanding, cooperative endeavor agreement, or purchase order will be valid unless both officials sign it. With the approval of the resolution, this new policy will be in effect through the end of July 2027.
Under the new policy, Deputy Superintendent Smith "shall provide monthly compliance reports to the Board listing all countersigned documents." Smith will also be required to read the vendor name and contract amount for each executed contract valued between $25,000 and $50,000 into the board's record at each meeting.
The board's vote also directs the district's external audit firm to conduct extended additional audit procedures on contracts, amendments and other documents from March 21, 2024, to the present. The findings of these will be reported to the board during its September 2026 meeting, with a final report due by the November 2026 meeting.
The resolution also implements internal administrative controls on contract executions.
"It does not remove the duties or responsibilities of the Superintendent, does not reduce executive compensation or benefits, does not constitute a disciplinary action or suspension and carries no finding of personal wrongdoing," the resolution reads.
The decision to add the safeguards comes only weeks after Superintendent Cole was indicted on corruption charges tied to his time serving on the Metro Council before he became the head of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.
Cole's allegations were not directly acknowledged during the proceedings leading up to the vote, but School Board General Counsel Gwynn Shamlin said that the resolution was drafted to "protect the legal and financial security of the board and the school system and to reinforce [its] commitment to operational transparency."
A spokesperson for the school district, Taylor Gast, said the school system's goal is to ensure complete transparency.
"The East Baton Rouge Parish School System’s goal is to ensure the public has complete transparency and confidence that EBR Schools is putting children first while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. We welcome clear processes and protocols that strengthen accountability, protect the integrity of our work, and ensure the district remains focused on its most important responsibility: serving students and our community," she said.
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