001County Board of Education is now in session. If you will all rise for the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for The first item on the agenda is a special presentation. >> Good evening board. Uh before we begin our points of pride tonight, we have we do have a special presentation and I would like to invite Mr. Steve Haley who is here representing the Tennessee School Boards Association to make that special presentation. Mr. Haley, >> thank you. >> And thank you, Chairman Griffy, members of the board, and Dr. Lyn. It's my privilege to be here tonight to present you with the TSBA distinction award. This award is one
002of TSBA's most prestigious awards and I commend the board for meeting the requirements in the four key areas. Those four areas, as you know, are planning, policy, promotion, and board development. As you're aware, the requirements are extensive and not every board meets their qualifications as a board distinction. However, this board is amongst those few select. As I look back on the walls that came in tonight, I see that there are 11 of these awards prior to this one. And for those that are watching, the award is anywhere from a two to three year period. So since 1999, this is the 12th award for this board and boards that preceded you. So it's great continued work you're doing and I think you're setting a good groundwork for future boards, too. It's to be recognized. On behalf
003of the Tennessee School Board Association, I'm proud to present the Board of Distinction Award to the Clarksville McGomery County Board of Education. Congratulations. Yes. We'll just [Applause] All right, as we continue with our points of pride, uh the first two students are both from Kirkwood High School. We will start with David Lee if he could come forward along with any school representatives that are here with him. David Lee is a junior at Kirkwood High School who earned first place for classical art at the National Junior Classical League Convention at Miami University in Ohio. He was the only delegate from Tennessee who won first place on an academic test this year. David studied 100% independently for the NC uh NJCL classical art written exam and his efforts paid off when he scored not only first place
004within his level which is Latin 2, but also best in show for this exam. To be a best in show, it's an additional award given to the highest scorer on each contest across all levels. This means David earned the single highest score in the nation as a Latin 2 student when this exam is taken by students all the way up to Latin 5 and above. And if I remember correctly, there were couple thousand students who were there. So congratulations David on this accomplishment. [Applause] And our next student, Ignatius Olgett, if he could come forward. He's actually receiving two points of pride this evening. Ignatius is a Kirkwood High School senior who made a perfect score on the ACT exam. The perfect composite score is 36. This score is an average of the four section scores
005for English, math, reading, and science. Getting a perfect score on the ACT is very rare. You've heard me say this before. out of the nearly two million students across America who take the test each year, only.3% of students earn a perfect ACT score. So that's his first point of pride. Let's give him a hand for that. And additionally, we are proud to announce tonight that Ignatius is also one of 16,000 semi- finalists across the country for the National Merit Scholarship. The semi-finalists are academically talented high school seniors who have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,800 national merit scholarships worth nearly $26 million. To compete for National Merit Scholarship, semi- finalists must advance to the finalist level of the competition by fulfilling several additional requirements. We are rooting for you, Ignatius, as
006you compete for the final round, and we are proud of you for all that you've accomplished. [Applause] And finally, uh, Coach Hetland could not be here this evening. Uh, he's the head coach of the Clark High School baseball team and he's, uh, out at an FCA event this evening. However, we are proud to announce that after an exceptional 2025 season, Coach Hetland has been named a 2025 American Baseball Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year. This prestigious award presented by ATEX Sports is selected by members of the uh baseball association all-americ and coach of the year committees across all nine divisions. Congratulations to coach Hetland and we will send his certificate uh since he couldn't be here. That concludes this evening points of pride. Thank you. >> Thank you. [Applause] >> Our next item on
007the agenda is public conversation. We have several signed up tonight. Uh, Miss Sharita Weissinger will be first. Um, if you will, as you're making your way to the podium, uh, you'll turn on the microphone by pressing the right silver button in front. There will timer will display to show you your a loted time and the microphone will light red to show it's active. The microphone will flash when you have one minute of a lot of time left. It will go out when your time is expired. >> Okay, >> you're go ahead. >> Thank you. Good evening, chairman, members of the board, director of schools, and fellow community members. My name is Sharita Wisinger, and I stand before you today not only as a parent, but as an advocate for the young people of Clarksville, Montgomery
008County. I'm here to strongly urge this board to adopt policies that will bring middle school wrestling into our district. For me, this is not just about a sport. It is an opportunity that can shape lives, redirect futures, and build strength in young people during some of the most vulnerable years of their lives. Let me share a personal story, one very close to my own heart. My daughter, Shay Weissinger, began wrestling in 2021 after our family experienced a season of unimaginable loss. Within a short period, she lost her only two uncles and four family members. The grief weighed heavily on her. Like many young people facing trauma, she could have gone down a destructive path. But Shinaya chose to try out for the wrestling team at her school instead. She tried other sports throughout her life,
009but nothing quite fit. It wasn't until she stepped onto a wrestling mat that something clicked. On that mat, Shania found her calling. Wrestling became her outlet, her therapy, her safe place. It taught her discipline, self-control, and resilience in ways no other activity could. She didn't just participate, she excelled. She went on to win two individual state championships, a team state title, and countless other awards. Today, she is a college sophomore, still wrestling, and just last year, her team won the national championship. Her journey shows exactly what wrestling can do for students who are searching for their place in this world. Shania has proved that wrestling can change lives. And she is not alone. There are other countless young people who just need that one opportunity to step onto a mat and discover their own strength.
010Wrestling is one of the oldest and most respected sports in the world. But beyond medals and trophy, it build character. When a student steps onto the mat, it's just them and their opponent. There are no excuses and no hidings. Win or lose, the athlete learns accountability, discipline, and perseverance. At the same time, they are surrounded by teammates who push them, support them, and celebrate them. The combination of individual responsibility and team unity is rare in this sport and very powerful. What makes wrestling truly special is the bond it creates. Wrestlers spend hours training, enduring the same challenges, making weight, pushing through practices. That shared struggle becomes a shared strength. Teammates turn into family. And then there are the coaches. In wrestling, coaches often become more than instructors. They become mentors, role models, and sometimes even
011father figures or mother figures for the athlete. A wrestling coach sees a student at their highest high and their lowest lows. They teach not just moves but values, hard work, humility, perseverance, and respect. Many Ely carries the lessons from these wrestling coaches into their adult lives, careers, and family. This type of mentorship is especially critical during the middle school years when young people are still forming their sense of identity and direction. Middle school is the critical entry point. Research shows that early exposure to structure structured athletics reduces dropout rates, improves classroom performance, and increase social belonging. Wrestling, in particular, has been shown to benefit students who might not fit into other sports. It doesn't matter if your student is tall, short, heavy, or light. There's a weight class for everyone, and it's one of the
012most inclusive sports, and it builds confidence in kids who may otherwise never find their place. And this is not just about athletes. Wrestling programs strengthen entire schools. Let me emphasize this. Had my daughter not found wrestling, her story could have ended differently. She turned grief into greatness because she was given access to this sport. Imagine the hundred of other of childrens in our districts who are struggling right now. Whether it's grief, self-doubt, or lack of direction, wrestling can be the answer for them, just as it was for her. This is why I'm urging you tonight to support the adoption of middle school wrestling in CMCSS. This is not an expense, but it's an investment and an investment in stronger students, stronger schools, and stronger communities. Our children deserve every opportunity we can to help them
013grow, heal, and thrive. Thank you for your time and I ask that you [Applause] Hunter Gil Stap Mr. St. I don't know if were you listening as I gave instructions about the mic. The red the silver button at the right turns the mic on. When it's red, it's live. You'll have five minutes. There's a timer there. When it begins, the red light flashes. You'll have one minute left and the mic will go silent when your time is up. Yes, sir. >> Good evening. My name is Hunter Stap. As someone who is planning a berry seat on the school board next year, I was glad to see the conversation around middle school sports take place at last month's meeting. And I hope this leads to further discussions and questions on ways we can continue to provide
014students with uh further opportunities outside of the classroom. Opportunities I feel are vital and part of our ethical responsibility as a community. I have been attending these meetings for the past year and after hearing statements made in last month's public meeting as a fifth grade teacher at East McGomery Elementary and a high school wrestling coach, I felt compared uh compelled to share my perspective on the potential budget proposal to implement middle school wrestling for the 2627 season and hopefully further create a comprehensive plan to implement the rest of the sports available through the TMSAA over the upcoming years. I would like to point out that this vote is not about the hundreds of students who already are fortunate enough to wrestle through local clubs. They will continue to have those opportunities. This vote is about
015all the students who don't currently have the opportunity, the ones that need it the most, but whose families cannot afford the club fees, equipment, and travel expenses associated with the club team. It's about opening the door for students who would otherwise be left behind and left out. I know this firsthand. I first discovered wrestling while in seventh grade at Richview when a friend invited me to join the future champions wrestling club. I didn't even know wrestling existed outside of what I saw on TV and involves the use of holding chairs. But there I was that afternoon after first hearing about it doing bicep curls at home to get ready for the season with my mom's pink 5-pound Jane Fonda dumbbells that she bought but you know never really got around to using. Fast forward four
016short years and I had the honor of being on the starting all state heavyweight on Clarksville High's 2000 state championship team. That team was the first athletic team from the any sport from Clarksville to win a state title in nearly two decades. But even more important than that, wrestling gave me purpose. That next summer, I was asked to lead a week-long kids wrestling camp at the YMCA. It was there I realized I wanted to work with kids. That summer, I switched my plan major from civil engineering to elementary education and never looked back. Without middle school wrestling, I would not be the the teacher or the person I am today. But here's the truth. I was lucky. I had parents who could pay for the equipment, the fees, the travel expenses required to be on
017a club team. Not every child has that. This past year, one of my fifth graders reminded me of that reality. He was bright and showed flashes of leadership, but his home life weighed heavily on him. He showed little interest in school and with little to no support or opportunities at home, he showed little interest in anything else either except for football. He loved football, but with no support at home, he had no opportunity to play in the youth football league. Then during Rich View's sixth grade preview day this past spring, he found out he could join the school's sanctioned football team with no extra transportation or costly fees. The change was immediate. He lit up. He started asking questions about grades, about what it took to get into college, about staying out of trouble so
018he could keep playing. School mattered to him in a way it never had before. That is what sanctioned middle school sports can do. It can change someone's perspective and in turn change their life. It won't just help the athletes who already participate in those sports. It will change the trajectory of the students who would have never had the chance otherwise. For some, it may even be the very thing that keeps them connected to school, inspired to set goals and motivated to dream about their future. You never know what a sport can spark in a child. Even though there are some obstacles and hurdles to overcome, I hope in addition to proving this expense that the board continues the conversation to include the other available middle school sports and other opportunities out there for our children
019to excel outside the classroom. Who knows, one of them might even become a teacher or coach or even sit on this very board one day. Thank you. David Johnson. John, did you hear the uh pushing the button and the timer and all that stuff? >> Yes, sir. >> All right. All right. So, uh you kind of heard from uh some people earlier. We're advocating for it. I'm back again. Um so, last month we encouraged you guys to support it. This month I kind of came up with a different plan. So, I know we got we're trying to get the budget trying to make it use for this. But I had a different approach after talking with a handful of people and I'll kind of give you my spill and we can go from there. But,
020uh, so just our district is growing. Um, I try to pull the stats from 2010, you know, CMCSS we served, uh, 28,000 students and today that number is over 35,000. That's more than 8,000 students since 2010 to our present time. Um that's a 28% increase. Athletic programs now we just we have far more students than the current schools were designed to hold. Um at the same time, wrestling participation has exploded nationwide and locally. The rise of girls wrestling has been especially strong um strong with Tennessee and many other states sanctioning the girls division as well. This means more students, more teams, more demand on space. If we don't act now, we're going to quickly fall behind. um some of the problems that we currently have now. So the problem with shared gyms currently wrestling teams
021are being crammed into the o the auxiliary gyms, shared with the basketball, the volleyball, the cheer, the PE team. Um practices are often shortened, moved or cancelled. We they have to roll mats in, roll them out. Um which that daily use of them like that, it causes more wear and tear. We'll have to replace them more, higher replacement cost, greater safety risk due to them just falling apart from the additional use. These spaces were never designed to handle the sheer volume that we have today. Um, also the shortage of proper facilities has also another consequence. Uh, families of talented wrestlers are leaving Clarksville. Uh, I mean they're moving out of Clarksville, they're moving to either Cleveland, they're going out of state, they're going to much better places with the proper facilities um to find better
022opportunities wherever they can and yearround facilities. um if we want our best athletes to succeed here, we need to give them the same resources that they're going other places to get. So, what I'm proposing is um the benefits of having a dedicated wrestling facilities. Um so, having a dedicated wrestling building would solve a lot of these issues. You'd have year round mat setup uh involve uh improving the safety and extending the mat life reliable practice space for both boys and girls teams. The capacity for youth teams, summer camps, community events. Uh the ox gyms would also be freed up for all the other sports. They would have more room, you know, less coaches having conflicts fighting the basketball team over space. Um, with that for the cost comparison, you know, Clarkson now put out an
023article saying, you know, it's going to be like $2.5 million for an ox gym. We don't need that. Um, I reached out to Kirkwood. They actually had a quote to be able to build an, you know, not the best, but an acqu, you know, something that could work. They get a nice little 6,000 square foot facility for around 600k to be built on the campus. And if we could do that across the other seven areas that need them, excluding Clarksville since they have the one there. Um, you know, maybe give them extra money to, you know, make modifications and improve it just to, you know, get everything up to date. But I think that would be a better course of our time and our money. Um, each facility, you know, we you wouldn't have to
024purchase any more mats. Every school already has high school mats. You could bring those to those facilities and now they're there. So we now eliminated an additional cost because right now these schools have more mats than they have space for. So they're constantly they're in storage. The same ones are getting used. We we don't have space. We need better options. Um not only with that with us just saving money, it's about you know equity. Students deserve facilities that respect that reflect its growth and importance just like baseball, football, basketball, softball. dedicated spaces provide safe and inclusive opportunities for boys and girls. Strengthen their pride. You know, these guys, they can't even put up banners and signs in the ox gym, in the common spaces. They they need a place that they can do that. Uh
025in conclusion, you know, our district is growing, our programs are growing, our athletes need to grow with them. uh instead of pouring, you know, millions into ox gyms, you know, we can make a smarter, more equitable investment in dedicated wrestling facilities, uh supporting growth, safety, opportunity while saving money for the district. Um, if we did this, this could be a base on each campus. You could have one at each high school, the middle schools, elementary schools with the exception of New Providence since that's a little bit away from Northwest. But there's opportunity to put a high school which could involve the middle school. They could have their space for a program which then opens the door for elementary or even youth programs which we currently have. So just a thought to think about. Thank you
026for the time. >> Monica Meeks. Miss Meeks were you overhearing the instructions on the microphone? Okay. >> Good evening everyone. A lot has happened since I last spoke in April. I was doxed by members of the Republican party and publicly labeled a woke left terrorist and a DEI hire on Twitter. That smear campaign led to my termination, but I consider it a gift. So, thank you. I am no longer tethered and I can speak freely. I'm here to advocate for education for all children because last time I checked, Jesus loved the little children. Red, yellow, black, and white. They are precious in his sight. Stop pretending to be a victim or claiming your life was threatened. Peaceful protest is a constitutional right. Extend the same grace to your constituents that you offer to the January
0276th insurrectionists. Every child in Tennessee deserves a high quality public education regardless of their race, class, disability, documentation status, or background. Stop weaponizing the Bible to justify your hate. Perhaps it's time you actually read the books you're trying to ban. As for resolutions, don't cherrypick what falls under the purview of this elected body. You can't claim vouchers, charters, or off limits for discussion while voting to bring new hospitals to the area. Both fall under state law. Be consistent or be honest about whose interest you're really serving, which is out of state billionaires. Have a good day. [Applause] Samantha Rosen Crutch Crutch. Were you listening to the instructions of the button? >> Yes, sir. >> Right here. >> All right. So, do I repress the button because her time is still going, >> ma'am? >> Do
028I reset? Do I repress the button because her time is >> No, it's on. Go ahead. >> Okay. Good evening. My name is Samantha Rosen CR. I'm a proud member of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sority Incorporated, a student at Austin P State University, and a Clarksville native who graduated from this very school system. Clarksville raised me, and I know firsthand how our school shaped lives. Because I am proof of it, the opportunities I was given in Clarksville classrooms built the foundation for the future I am pursuing today. That is why I'm here tonight. Tennessee House Bill 793 and Senate Bill 836 would slam shut the doors of education for immigrant children who deserve the same chance I had. As a daughter of this community, I cannot stand to see this happen in the city that
029raised me. Clarksville is a melting pot of individuals, families, and cultures. From APSU to Fort Campbell, our city thrives because of its diversity. But children cannot build their futures if they are denied the very first steps of education being elementary, middle, and high school. These bills threaten to take that away. And in doing so, they threaten the unity and strength that make Clarksville the community it is. If these bills pass, they don't just punish children, they hurt Clarksville. Denying education not only harms the individual child, but it weakens the schools that nurture us and the society we are all building together. Education is the foundation on which we form the society we live in. Without it, we are failing not just the children but our entire community. Resolutions are not new to Clarksville. Our letters
030have passed. Our leaders have passed them to expand schools, to oppose harmful policies like vouchers, and to recognize the value of our community neighbors. Each of those resolutions was a statement about who we are. Tonight, I'm asking you to make another statement. pass a resolution that affirms all children in Clarksville, regardless of their immigration status, deserve the same foundation and education that I was blessed with growing up here. And when we say community, we can't forget that the word itself holds unity. There is no community without unity. And unity means standing up for all children, protecting their right to learn, to grow, and to dream. Thank you. [Applause] Next item on the agenda is approval of consent agenda. Motion for Mr. Mayberry and second from Mr. are near. Is everyone ready to vote? Please open
031the vote. Are all members satisfied with your vote? Please close the vote. It passes 6. Next item is policy monitoring. Dr. Ber >> board, please find in your board packet information on executive limitation 11 capital projects. This executive limitation has eight compliance expectations that our staff follow to ensure district facilities are safe and adequate in order to accomplish the board's policies and priorities. Specifically, prior projects are prioritized based on a needs analysis. Additionally, the board reviews, adjusts, and approves the list of capital projects prior to allocation of funds. Decisions are based on economics, efficiency, longevity, and the individual needs of each facility. All land purchases are recommended by the county commission, school board, planning commission, CMCSS operations department, and joint land acquisition committee. A proposed construction schedule based on careful analysis of district building capacity,
032student enrollment projects, and planning commission growth data has been developed for the next 20 years. The joint committees review total costs, timelines, and quarterly construction reports. Likewise, leadership teams from school sites monitor ongoing construction projects, and updates are provided to the board and county commission and made available to the public. Projects are prioritized appropriately based on student and staff safety, educational needs, environmental impact, and aesthetics. Projects exceeding $50,000 go to public bid. The lowest and best bids are accepted based on contractor performance, quality, and work history. New school construction or major renovations estimated at greater than $2 million are brought to the board for final approval of staff recommendations for an architect. Chairman Griffy, this concludes executive limitation 11 capital projects. >> Thank you. Have a motion to accept. >> Mr. Garland, is there a
033second? Any discussion? Seeing none, discussion is now closed. Please open the vote. And for your notes, Miss Bryant to cast a second. If you didn't see that, I'm sorry. Is everyone satisfied with your vote? Please close the vote. Passes 60. Next item is election of board officers. Mr. Goodson, our attorney for the evening. We'll be having that part of the meeting. Mr. Goodson. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Before we go into that, I believe we have a motion. Yeah, I want to make a motion to roll this to the last thing we do today instead of being the first thing we do today. >> Do we have a second? And the motion particularly is to make the election of board officers the last action item that the board takes. Do we have a second on
034that motion? We have a second from Miss Bryant. All in favor, we'll do a motion this way. I don't know if we have time to plug that in the system. I was saying let's do a show of hands on the motion. All in favor of that motion, raise your hand. The motion does not carry. Thank you, Mr. Chair. We'll move on if there's nothing further uh to the election of the board officers. First just a review of the basic components of this process and this is under GP11. The board shall have of course two officers, a chair and the vice chair. The chair and the vice chair shall be elected separately. In a moment, not right now, but in just a moment, I'll take nominations for the chair first. And just a reminder to all
035the board members, uh no nomination would require a second. It's not like a motion that would require a second. you to simply make a nomination, but I'll call for nominations in a moment for the chair first. The chair must receive at least four votes to be elected. Once the election of the chair is complete, then the election of the vice chair would proceed using that same method. And just another note for the board, kind of like we did a moment ago, we'll have to do a show of hands. I'll call for a show of hands in favor of the nominees one at a time. So, we'll just do a a show of hands affirmatively. The new officers, of course, will assume their duties on the first day of October, 2025. Those things being said, do
036we have any nominations for chair? Any nominations for chair? Yes, Miss Bryant. >> Mr. Laneir has been nominated for chair. >> Do we have any further nominations for chair? >> I move that the nomination be closed on the said name for chair. >> We have a motion that the nominations be closed. Any second? Seconded by Mr. Griffy. The nominations being closed, I'll now call for the vote for chair. All in favor of the chair being Chris Laneir. Raise your hands, please. Seeing we have at least four votes, Mr. Lair is in fact elected chair of the board. Moving on to vice chair. Do we have any nominations for vice chair of the board? >> I nominate Casey Bryant. >> We have a nomination for vice chair for Casey Bryant. Any further nominations? Seeing none, the
037nominations being closed. Oh, do we have one? Miss Barry, I'm sorry. Forgive me. >> Nomination be closed on this head name. >> That motion is seconded by Mr. Mayberry. The nominations being closed. Do we we will call for a vote. All in favor, please raise your hands for Miss Bryant for vice chair. Seeing four votes, Miss Bryant is duly elected vice chair. Thank you. That closes that particular portion of the agenda. >> Thank you. Next item is CMCS depository authorization >> board. Whenever there is the vote of a new chair, we do have to update our depository authorization for all of our banks. So that will require a vote and and that will take effect in October after the change of chair. I move that we change the authorization signatures on the checks. I can't
038make the motion. I'm sorry you're not sharing anymore. I'm waiting on that motion. >> Second. Any discussion? Please open the vote. All in favor, please cast your vote. Is everyone satisfied with their vote? Please close the vote. It passes 60. Uh budget amendment. Middle school wrestling. Mr. Mayberry, I believe that's your motion. >> Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. I am have a little bit of a different motion tonight, but first I just want to say thank you to the district for your presentation and Mr. Johnson. I appreciate um you coming up here and sharing all the information you shared as well. I want to thank the board for the um honestly great debate and deliberation we've had so far on this. Also want to thank the community um for all the output and all the
039wrestling coaches. There's a lot of wrestling coaches out here in the uh audience tonight and those who spoke today. I just want to um show my appreciation to everybody today. Um I want to reemphasize something that Mr. Johnson said and we talked about on the phone that um we can make middle school wrestling in our current building succeed. So that's something that him and I talked about this week on the phone and we believe the district can do. So with that with that in thought, I'm going to make a different motion than I made last month. So, my new motion is going to be I make a motion to have the district roll out a new middle school sport at least every two years starting in the 2026 2027 school budget beginning with middle school
040wrestling. Mr. Garland motion request. >> Okay, I I'll do the motion and then of course we need a second before we have comments. But um the motion would be I make a motion to have the uh CMCSS roll out a new middle school sport at least every two years um as we discussed specifically just add this context in the ones that you talked about at the bottom there just to be very clear the ones we talked about at the bottom um until those are gone too not trying to go beyond what you you would um propose there uh starting in the 2026 2027 school budget u beginning with wrestling. >> Second. >> Okay. You chair in the meeting. >> Okay. >> Any discussion? >> Mr. >> I have one question. Dr. Luna, are we financially
041ready to do this? And is the county commissioner on board? >> So, I believe what Mr. Mr. Mayberry is proposing and what we would be looking at would be adding this to the next year's budget. We've already talked with John Miller about the ordering of equipment. Um so we would not go to the county commission at this time to ask for any sort of budget amendment to add this. We will be adding this um when we are implementing the new budget for next year. >> Chris Laneir. So the motion that was made is a new sport every two years. How many sports does that include? So specifically, and I apologize the first time I made that motion, but um when Mr. Johnson made the presentation last week, he had a section of sports at the
042bottom that said that these sports could be easy to implement over the next couple years. Um he even gave me feedback on the phone that he felt like there may be another one. um that could be added with wrestling next year. Uh because like I think it was track because it'd be easy to add on. So that's why I said at least not trying to limit it to one sport. Um but so it' be just those few, but you can answer that. There we go. Yes. So I I I think and I want to clarify what Mr. Mayberry is talking about is the sanctioned sports by TWSAA or TMSAA, the ones that are sanctioned by them that were in that presentation. Now, I do want to I want to state and and I know this
043is I don't want to be out of form or anything by the board, but I do want to say that the board ultimately every April makes the final decision on the budget. So, I I think and this would probably be something if if Mark were here and I know Mr. Goodson, you also are sitting in. I I don't know exactly what that looks like since essentially you'd be making a motion, I think, binding on your own body to say that we will make sure that we approve in the budget every year. So, I mean, that's my only thing. With all of that said, the finances that we gave you all in that presentation about how much they would cost um just, you know, high level as you saw implementing, there were a few that were
044uh six figures to implement a couple. Recurring costs though are not as significant. Those are mostly just coach stipens. Um, but I was trying to tally and I apologize I didn't memorize but I think it would be seven. So over I guess the next 14 years. But I think to the point Mr. Mayberry is saying is as the district and as the board plans the budget and we never know I mean all the way up until about April we don't know what the forecast will look like. If there are opportunities I think at some times and that's kind of what I was sharing with Mr. Mayberry is to not limit it that it could just be one because as a reminder that one year we added both uh volleyball and cross country in the same
045year and those were natural fit. So that's the that was my caution I guess is what I'm trying to say is to not just limit because maybe we could have a good budget year we could we could offer more than one. I hope that explains I'm sorry that was on the spot. Mr. Bryant, >> you threw us a curveball. Aaron, um, are there I don't know who to ask this to, but are there benefits to keeping any of the sports nonsanctioned versus sanctioning them as far as facilities or Yeah. So, I I think that would be the point of consideration each year as we are looking at the budget and we are looking at what comes next and what makes the most sense. I think, you know, we would always have coaches, parents, community weigh
046in. There may be some that actually prefer to stay club. Um, and with some sort of subsidizing or or something that we made sure that every student had it available to them. There may not be. Um, I think that's something that each year we would need to look at as we roll them out. Would they would every school would we be able to do it by individual school? So say some schools want to do it one way or would it be all across the board? >> No. So in this district if we are going to offer a sport um it it would be every school. So we would not just peace meal and offer it only let's say to three or four middle schools. It would be offered at all eight similar to how we
047did um football as was mentioned. So there was a point in time, you know, when my boys played that it was exclusively junior pro and we did transition that. um that was a 2-year program. That was a really expensive program. So, that's why we did that in the two years, but we made sure that every single middle school had coaches, equipment, and everything to be able to play. >> Okay. And then one more question. If according to the this proposal, would we have to add a sport every two years or we would discuss adding a sport every two years? >> So, I can amend this to say this because I understand what you just said. um to make a motion to have the district roll to put in a budget and then ultimately it would
048be us to vote on that budget. That makes way more sense and I apologize for that confusion. So I'd just be we would be directing the district to add um these middle school sports to the budget every two years and then ultimately it's our decision if we're going to go forward with them or not at that point. Um so I don't know if I need to restate that. Um and I can that'd be a question to legal the way that he's doing it, we would have the option as a board not to add one. We did not need to financially or any other reason because we come up every two years. Did you have a comment on that? >> Yes. Yes. So, we have a motion. Uh, are you withdrawing your motion and making another
049or we have a motion to amend the motion you've got? >> Uh, whatever is easest. I can withdraw the motion and do a new motion here to make it clean. >> Cleaner that way. >> Yeah, let's do that. So, I would draw a motion and make a motion to um have the district put in the budget a new middle school sport at least every two years. Um, I'm sorry, at least one sport every two years starting in the 2026 2027 school year budget. Uh, beginning with wrestling. >> Did you end that with for the board's consideration? >> With for the board's consideration. Yes. >> Is there a second to the new motion? Second, Miss Bryant. Um, now I'm continuing discussion. Mr. Garland was next. Is your discussion still there? Is it changed with a new
050motion? still there. Okay. You know, um we can come up all kinds of fabulous plans. Um the state ain't going to give us no money to implement this. Uh we have a partner that's going to finance whatever we hopefully for whatever we ask for. But one of the things that we got to do, we got to make sure that they are in the position to actually finance this when it come to pass. This year they have taken 7,000 over $7,000 per child that want to go to a private school, public charter school, however you want to call it. Now we want to take millions of dollars to put in a sport. got no problem with sports, don't get me wrong, but we definitely need to make sure that our partners that actually finance our ask
051that they are in a position to be able to do it. I don't know whether anybody actually sat down and talked to them. Uh if we haven't, I think that we'll be going rogue uh to actually try to force this on them every other year. Um that is my position. Uh I believe that every child need to be able to excel. I I believe every child need to uh be able to do the sports that they want to do. But my question is also how many children have actually signed up for the sport in Montgomery County school system? Not out in the private sector in Montgomery County school system. How many children of the 39,000 that we have have actually called and asked said that they want to be part of this wrestling team. And
052I have no more nothing else to say about this until the vote. >> Mr. Barry, >> thank you, Mr. Chair. I know that our county commission has been more than generous to CMCSS, meeting the needs of students academically. Should I think we should be academically focused more so than anything else. I'm not against sports, but can we afford to fund all of these middle school sports? Like Mr. Garland said, can we afford them? And our county commission should not be burdened because we are so focused on supporting sports. Now I believe that again academics should be our priority. Most of the funds should be used for educating our students. I think children should have extracurricular activities, but I do not think that the constituents of this county or the burden on our commission because of
053middle school sports, you know, if we had the statistics on high school sports, it's very expensive. And then we're going to do the same same thing for middle school. and in some instances looks like they won't wrestling in elementary school. We must be realistic. We don't live in a dream world. Our county commission, I've never known a time when they didn't support something that was going to make our schools better and increase the academic performance of our students. I think we need to table this And then the talk about add one every two years. What will our economy look like? What will our budget look like? County commissioners, we don't know. So, a lot of that will depend on do we increase taxes? And I don't know about you, but my constituents do not like
054increasing taxes. I don't mind paying my fair share, but we must be realistic. my budget. If I go over my budget, the creditors are coming after me. I'm going to pay. If we go over our budget, what the county commission can deem necessary. I'm just saying that we have to make sure that we're doing what's right for students and for Clarksville, Montgomery County. >> Mr. Mry, Mr. Taylor, could you tell us the budget number for CMCSS this year? >> The the whole number >> the whole number for GP fund was 456 million and change. >> 465 million. Thank you guys. We have a budget of 460. Say it again. >> 456 million. >> Thank you. 456 million. We are not talking about millions of dollars for sports. As Mr. just said wrestling was 160,000 onetime
055startup costs and then was it 160,000 >> 260 260,000 one-time costs and then it's we're funding coaches from that point forward other sports had almost no costs. It was very very little. We're talking about a $456 million budget and then we're talking about $260,000. The fund budget, as we discussed last week, needed to be 13 million by state standards according to our overall budget, which I don't think it needs to be there, but we're talking about it currently being at 86 million. That that'll be from the county commission next month. Um, we're talking about adding in to our budget to support our children in our district. By the way, the state gave CMCSS about 10 to 12 million, and that can be confirmed over here. Um this year we give the state gives the district
056more money every year. Um this is not millions of dollars. This is thousands of dollars. Academics are greatly impacted by sports. Greatly in increase sports. And our county commission, they're definitely going to vote to either approve or disprove the budget. That is their role. But our role is to give and lead this district. That is our role. And so I'm just simply asking as a board we give the district some direction. The direction is that we as a board, if we vote on this tonight, want to see our middle schools expand in their sporting. I believe it'll have great dividends to our community. And I've already shared all that last month in great detail. But I believe our academics will grow tremendously. the health of our children as even we heard today during public comment
057will be greatly impacted in a great way. There are currently hundreds of students I don't have the exact number but hundreds of students I know for a fact are in our wrestling programs at the high school level. This is a great investment and this is not and and I mended this by the way to be a new sport every two years because I thought it was incredible what I heard from the district's explanation of all the different sports we could implement and I got excited about that and I heard from the community saying we want bowling and we want I think it's one of them is it? Yes. And we want track and and all these other sports that they're potentially on the horizon that we could do. I I'm excited about that. So, I
058mean, I want to urge our board, it's within our it's in our purview to give direction to the district about what we want to see the district do. Just like the areas of focus that we we give that we vote on every single month that we reaffirm every single month, we'll be able to vote on this again when the budget comes through. So, this will be simply put in the budget. At that point, we can have the discussion again if you'd like, but if we don't give the direction now, it potentially won't be there. And then that's kind of a never- ending kicking the can down the road scenario where if it's never there, we can never vote on it. If and then it never happens. I'm just simply saying as a board, I would
059love to see us invest in our children, invest in their ability to have these um athletic opportunities and that's why I brought this forward. Thank you, >> Chris Laneir. Not that middle school wrestling's a a bad thing or anything. I think what you did is throw us for a loop because if you obligate the future boards every two years to >> vote >> I know but still we have to put it into the budget. You're obligating them to to think about it. And then um I don't think you meant bowling, but bowling requires another facility. But um yeah, I think just the motion I think I think we kind of got off from wrestling into this other kind of gamut. So just let y'all think about that. >> Mr. You know, I uh I sat
060and listened to uh Aaron and um he has a good I mean he has a good rap. I mean what he's saying might make sense to him. Uh but you know he said that the community was asked no one from my community have asked me that I know of that might be of my community. Some of those people that spoke might be in my community. I don't know but no one have come to me and told me that Mr. Garland is imperative that we have sports that we have wrestling at the middle school. No one has come and asked me that. So I don't know who he's been talking to. I don't know what constituents he's been talking to. Bottom line is I you know like I say wrestling may probably is a good sport.
061I have no problem with it. But the bottom line is if we can't afford it now, if our partners, who's going to fund this? We can think of all kinds of great things, but if our partners not in a position to fund it, something's going to have to be taken out of the budget in order for the budget to pass. And so, what are we going to give up? When I first came on here, it was nurses, it was staff at this level, it was principles, it was all kinds of people that was let let go so we can do some of the things that we wanted to do. Now we have someone that got a big idea uh want sports, all kinds of sports added to the curriculum, but ain't nobody bringing any additional
062money into McGomery County without, as Mrs. Barry said raising taxes and that is not what we should be about. We if we're going to raise taxes, let's be for academics. If we're going to if we are going to do this, let's be let it be for academics. Wrestling good sport. Um if the board pass it, that's something that we're going to have to deal with. But I really do believe that we need to talk with the county commissions before we actually entertain this again. Mr. Mayberry. >> Yeah, it's the second time increase in taxes has been brought up and I've already address this once, but no one's calling for increasing taxes. And if you think we need to increase taxes over $260,000 and some coaches, I mean that's not No, I'm not calling for that.
063No one's calling for that. I just want to make that abundantly clear. U Mr. I just want to say just back to that is um I'm not obligating future boards to do anything. I'm just asking for something be in the budget that I've been asking for several last several years and to have the opportunity to vote on and it hasn't been. That's our opportunity as a board to give that direction. That is what end that's what it's our purview. It's what we do and that's just simply why I'm asking. I just want to be able to have have in the budget and at that point if the board decides they don't want to do it then we would have that vote. I'm just having asking for the opportunity for it to get in the budget
064and then you can hear from the community. >> Mr. Bryant, >> I had a whole write up for wrestling tonight that was prepared. Um, but I'm going to go into a little personal story. Sports basically saved my life. I had a pretty rough time in high school and um I got a soccer scholarship, a walk-on soccer scholarship to college and so it's because of sports that I'm probably not dead in a ditch right now and put me through college. So this is pretty near and dear to my heart. Um when my daughter my daughter does wrestling uh central and when she joined said decided she wanted to join the wrestling team, I thought it was the weirdest thing in the world. I had never watched a wrestling match um specifically for girls, but as we
065got more and more into the wrestling community, I realized actually how pretty amazing that community is. Um the the kids there's no politics in wrestling because the kids have to compete for their position. So, it's it's a really amazing sport. And I will say also being involved in that community, there's a very very large demand for wrestling in our community, both for boys and girls. And uh and I realized that I mean we've have we've got hundreds of kids going through the high school and it's a lot having both kids that are competitive with sports. If they don't start in middle school, it's really hard to be competitive in high school. My daughter just started as a freshman. She lost pretty much every match last year, her first year. And I really wish that she
066would have had an opportunity to start sooner. So, with that being said, is there I think Aaron, you just kind of threw us for a loop. I don't I'm not sure how this goes, but if we can go back to the original proposal and just focus on wrestling, I think that we'll have a better chance of making progress tonight. That's just my thought. Miss Barry, >> you know, one of the things that my family enjoyed was going to the wrestling matches, paid to go. But when I think about wrestling, it's a dangerous sport and it's near and dear to my heart because we have a child in this very district that got his neck broke. We have I mean broken. We haven't said a word about that and I don't want to be the negative
067one but face reality. According to the information, that child worker's neck has a damaged spine, may never walk again. If parents want to risk their children's health, do it. I'm just not going to sit here, you know, and just say that wrestling is good. Like I said, my mom paid for us to go every week down in Columbus, Georgia. We drove like 45 minutes to go to the wrestling match. But that was a parent choice and parents can make choices and you can pay for it. I know that I have a grandchild in softball. They have to pay for everything. You know, we choose to have our children. I did. And everything she participated in, I paid for it. And when she got in high school, there was interest in her being on a team
068that was sponsored by the school. But I don't think everything in middle school needs to be sanctioned. And I my heart goes out to that child who probably will never walk again. paralyzed, wrestling, smart kid, bright future. Think about all of it, not just part of it. Reality. It might be the fact that I'm looking at this affects a child's life forever. not just today, not just uh selfish ambitions, but for students to look at what's best for them for the rest of their lives. And like I said, I'm not a negative person, but we must look at reality. >> Mr. U Miss Bryant, you mentioned going back to the original motion. Are you talking about the original motion by taking it out of the fund balance or would you want the would you be
069supportive of the motion being to just add it to this upcoming budget that for us to vote again? The first or the second? Okay. So, I'm going to withdraw my motion and make the motion to have the district put in this upcoming budget for middle school wrestling to be included in the budget for us to vote on in the upcoming budget season. I would need a second. >> So, you're withdrawing the motion about every two-year thing and going back to restate that motion. I want to make a motion to have the district add in middle school wrestling to the 2026 2027 school budget for us to vote on. Okay. Is there a second to that motion? Have a second. Any further discussion on this motion? Seeing none, we'll close the discussion. Please open the vote.
070Is everyone satisfied with your vote? Please close the vote. It passes 41. Four four to one and one. So motion passed. Next item for camera school as officer. >> Good evening, Dr. Luna Veter, members of the board and commission. My name is Karen Watkins. I'm one of the school liaison representing the garrison at Fort Campbell. We're excited for the 2025 202526 school year. Over the summer, our collaboration and partnership supported many families, and we look forward to keeping this momentum strong. Together, we launched programs that provided real-time transition support, connected students with resources before the first day of school, and strengthened ties between our schools and military families. During our state of education brief that was held on the 9th of September, Laquivia and I shared that CMCSS we shared the status of being a
071100% purple star district as well as ways we collaborate to ensure military student transition success. our engaging adopt a school program 101st band strong presence at various events throughout the school year and the readily and available support that we receive from Kimmy and the accountability department and Mr. Massie and the student service department. Whenever we call, email, or text, they support. Achievements like these set us apart and highlight your commitment to serving military families. Thank you for your continued support with Fort Campbell. Together, let's make this another great school year. Thank you. You ca representative Good evening, director, chair, and board. My name is Chris Gerald, and I am the vice president of the Clarksville McGomery County Education Association. Our president, Stephie Outlaw, who usually speaks at these meetings, couldn't be here tonight, so she
072asked me to step in and I was happy to oblige. We are living in uncertain times. Policy decisions at the state and federal levels can shift quickly and the resulting pressures can easily make us feel divided or discouraged. But moments like these are exactly when our partnerships matter the most. Educators and schoolboard members share more than responsibilities. We share values. We believe in preparing every student for the future. We believe in treating educators with dignity and respect. And we believe that strong schools build strong communities. Partnership is not about always agreeing, but it is however always about listening. It is about building trust even as we navigate challenges together. Our association is committed to sitting at the table with you, collaborating in good faith, and working towards solutions that keep students at the center. When
073educators voices are heard, and when the board and staff move forward together, we show our community that we are united. That unity inspires confidence, helps us attract and retain great educators, and most importantly provides stability for the students who depend on us. As we move forward, I urge us all to focus on what binds us together, not what tears us apart. Let us reaffirm our shared commitment to public education, lean into our partnerships, and remind our students, families, and communities that we are on the same page. Because no matter the mandates or uncertainty in the funding, the certainty is this. Together we can ensure that every child in CMCSS receives the education that they deserve. Thank you. Good night. >> PG Representative. Good evening board and board members. So short and sweet tonight. Just wanted
074to let you know that my fellow educators and I were able to box up and ship out over two million pocket constitutions this last couple of weeks to educators in schools all across the district and all across 50 states. So we celebrated constitution week last week because it's our fourth and eighth grade standards that we have to study. So just wanted to let you know success there. Thank you. >> Comments for county commissioners. Thank you. Just just a quick one, and I hate to be the dad in the group, but I'm going to have to be the dad tonight. Um, anytime you have a board, a committee, or a commission. You do not have the power to obligate future boards to take your directive. That's a mistake. It would have been thrown out anyway. I'm
075glad you changed the motion, but I'll admonish you, you cannot obligate future boards uh to take a certain direction because you don't have that power. So anyway, have a good night. >> Comments by board members. >> Mr. Maybe >> I just want to uh thank the board for the the great deliberation there. Um and I appreciate the conversation. I do also want to say to all the kids tomorrow uh participating to see at the poll um we love you and we're praying for you. Thank you, >> Carol Barry. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to say that make sure that you think about what you're doing before you do it. You're not the only person in this room, in this world. Try putting others before yourself. Don't mistreat people just because you can or
076because they're different from you. And what does it cost us to be kind, loving, and caring? The children are watching us, and they want to be just like us. I kid you not. Thank you. I don't normally make any but got one or two tonight. First of all, the award that was presented to the board early on for the board of distinction I'm grateful to get. The board is grateful to get. But we want to recognize it's not the board's award. It's the school systems award. The board could do nothing without the help of the staff, the parents, the commission, and the superintendent, our director of schools. and it's a team effort. So, the county has been honored tonight, not just the school board. Second, I want to uh congratulate uh Mr. Ber and M.
077Bryant for the election of new officers and I look forward to working with both of them. And I want to say thank you to this board for the times that I've served as your chair. I appreciate greatly the opportunity and I look forward to working in the trenches with other board members. Now, >> Cesy Bryant, >> Mr. Griffy, I just want to tell you um thank you very much for serving as our chair. You've done an amazing job and I've learned a lot from you already. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Mayor. Yeah, I hit my button again because I I had to say that um Mr. Griffy, three years ago you became the chair. You did an incredible job. I appreciate your leadership. Uh I appre appreciate your mentorship over this past time and um
078I'm thankful for you in my life and and call you a friend. Thank you so much for your leadership. You >> director of schools report. >> Good evening board members. I'm excited to announce that our high school student advisory has elected one of their members to serve as the first student representative of the CMCSS Board of Education. Elijah Fuller will make history this October when he joins you to bring student voice to the work of the board and represent his peers with distinction. Elijah is a well-rounded student, currently enrolled in three dual enrollment courses with an above average GPA, a member of the football team, and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He serves his school as a student ambassador to welcome new students to campus to ensure they feel supported and connected.
079Elijah is also actively engaged in his church youth group and serves each summer as a counselor at the children's camp. As mentioned in the established timeline, Elijah's first meeting will be October 21st, and he will be present each month at the formal meetings. He is a member, a senior currently at Kirkwood High School. Student advisory did also select Joseph Taylor, a student from Kenwood High School, to be an alternate when Elijah is unable to attend. I look forward to welcoming them both next month. Next, we are working collaboratively with Montgomery County government and the election commission to find the next school board member to fill the vacant seat for district 3. Applications are currently available through Wednesday, October 29th. County commissioners will hear from all qualified applicants at their informal meeting on November 3rd and
080make a selection on November 10th. I encourage everyone to be present either watching online or in person and let your county commissioner know your choice for school board member district 3. Finally, as a reminder, students will be in attendance tomorrow. It was originally scheduled for a professional development day, but training has changed to October 7th to accommodate the special election being held in our schools on that date. Mr. Griffy, this concludes my report for the evening. >> Thank you. That concludes our G.