001I now call this meeting of Bent County Board of Education to order. Will you please stand with me to say the pledge and remain standing for the prayer? You want to do first? Yes. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Let us pray. Our father in heaven, thank you for this day. Thank you for each blessing that you give us. Be with all of our students and our teachers and all of our other employees and help us to do the very best for them and for the citizens of this county. We pray in your name. Amen. Amen. Miss Michelle, will you please call roll? Mr. Hedge here. Mr. Mills here. Miss Douglas
002here. Mr. Marks here. Mr. Blue here. Mr. Thornton here. Mr. Hargus here. Mr. Livingston here. Mr. Wyers here. Mr. Hyatt here. Miss Kennan here. Miss Arnold here. 12 present. With 12 present, we do have a quorum. Next on our agenda is approval of the agenda. Remember, when we do this, we are also approving the consent agenda. I'll make a motion we approve. Second, deadline. We have a motion and a second to approve the agenda and the consent agenda which includes approval of February minutes. Approval of substitutes pending background checks. Approval of March the 6th as a special area staff appreciation day which is a utrus day. Approval of Cody Hassel as a non-staff CJH football assistant coach. Approval of Jacob Clinton and Don Craig as bus drivers. and approval of science textbook adoptions. Any additions
003or corrections? The the only thing I would tell you is that Jacob and Dawn are actually employees of ours, which is encouraging, but I want to go ahead and put them on there because just so the board will approve them, but they are our employees. So, that's encouraging. And then I just wanted to thank Miss Sts. Um, she there she is. And and Mr. Armstrong and Miss Brandy and um that the textbook adoption team, they put a lot of time into uh the science book adoption. And if the next one didn't come up to eight years, so Miss Phelps is going to get eight years to rest before before she adopts the next science book. But uh I told you st today, I don't know how we could have a better person leading our science
004textbook adoption. So Miss Stelps, thank you and the rest of the team for that. So, um, if you have any questions on that, Savvice is who they, uh, there's one book, I think, in high school that Sav did not have, and that was the only one that was not selected. So, you got a list there. Um, cost about where I told you in the budget committee, it's like around a half a million dollars. Just curious, how many books is that for a half a million dollars about? It's it it's textbooks for one student and that that's grades 3 through 12, correct? And then a lot of um workbooks um a lot of online materials. So there's textbooks for all students. Then um you know all that extra books, supplementary materials, what do we call that?
005Non perishable consumable. So, because we'll have to make copies each year. It It's It's quite the expense. So, little less than ELA and math, we hope. We hadn't seen the total yet. That's just a guess. But it's eight years, so that's encouraging. And and it used to be every six years. Anything else? If not, we will vote. All those in favor of approving the agenda and the consent agenda, please say I. I. Any opposed, please say no. Eyes have it. We have approved the agenda and the consent agenda. Next is approval of the policy committee report. Um, Mr. Hyatt, would you read that? Yes, ma'am. Uh, the Ben County Board of Education policy committee met on Thursday, February 27th. the BOE support center conference room present myself Mr. Livingston, Mr. Wyers, Mrs. Douglas, Mr. Blue,
006Mr. Kenned, Mr. Argus, Mr. Arnold, Mr. Hedge, and director Mark Fence. The committee met to review and discuss the following policy 6 point 6.200 200 attendance. Possible changes to the tier three in the progressive truency intervention plan. Plan for route 12 for the rest of the 2425 school year. Providing transportation for students assigned to the Benton County alternative classroom. Review the 26 27 calendar. And that's on our agenda for tonight. uh and current education legislation. A lot of big words meeting adjourned and I make a motion we policy committee report. We have um a recommendation and a second to approve this policy committee report. Any further anything on that one? If not, let's vote. All those in favor of approving the policy committee report, please say I. I. Any opposed, please say no. Eyes have
007it. The policy committee report has been approved. And they got holes punched in them. So, you know what to do with them. Yeah, we have to do those next. Next on our agenda is approval of policies 4.603 and 5.118 on second reading. We can get a motion in a second. We can discuss if we need to approve. We have a motion and Miss Betty Jo. Any discussion on these? The first is promotion and retention and we talked about that at our last meeting. And the second is background investigations. If there's no discussion, Miss Michelle, will you please call RO? Mr. Hedge. Yes. Mr. Mills. Yes. Miss Douglas. Yes. Mr. Marks. Yes. Mr. Blue. Yes. Mr. Thornton. Yes. Mr. Hargus? Yes. Mr. Livingston? Yes. Mr. Wyers? Mr. Hyatt? Yes. Miss Kennedy? Yes. Miss Arnold? Yes. Would
008anyone like to change their vote? 12. Yes. Motion to approve those two policies on second reading passes. They do have holes in them, so they go in your policy notebook. Next on our agenda is approval of the budget committee report. Mr. Hargus, would you like to read that report, please? Okay. Bittton County Board of Education Budget Committee met on Thursday, February the 27th, 2025 at PM. Present were myself, Mr. Wyers, Mr. Hedge, Miss Arnold, Mr. Belaloo, Miss Douglas, Mr. Hyatt, Mr. Livingston, Miss Kennan, and director Mark Florence. The committee met to discuss and review the following coaching supplements proposed raises $2,500 for certified staff and 2,000 for nonlicensed staff. February TISA projections for 202526 school year. Health insurance projected with a 4.5% increase. local maintenance of effort in 2025 26 proposed GP budget revenues and
009expenditures and review the fund balance and the meeting was adjourned and I'd like to submit that as a motion to approve second. We have a motion and a second to approve the budget committee report. Any further discussion on this? Just a reminder that uh Miss Fowler and I will present um not the budget but our plans to the budget committee on March the 6th. They budget committee understands that it's a little early to have the budget ready for the school but we're pretty close. And then I know some of you were unable to come to the meeting. So, you know, if you want to come by the office, you'll call. I'll be glad to sit down and uh go over the budget with you. I know that's if not the most important thing. obviously one
010of the most important things to do. So, I'll be glad to sit down with you and go over that and then we'll have another meeting. We'll talk about a little later. We'll probably have another meeting next week or so. Any further discussion? With no further discussion, we will vote to approve the budget committee report. Miss Michelle, please call roll. Mr. Hedge, yes. Mr. Mills. Yes. Miss Douglas. Yes. Mr. Marks. Yes. Mr. Blue. Yes. Mr. Thornton. Yes. Mr. Hargus. Yes. Mr. Livingston? Yes. Mr. Wyers? Yes. Mr. Hyatt? Yes. Miss Kennan? Yes. Miss Arnold? Yes. Would anyone like to change their vote? 12. Yes. We have approved the budget committee report. Next on our agenda is approval of budget resolutions. I move we approve them as presented. We have a motion and Miss Betty Joe seconded that
011um we approve these budget resolutions as presented. Mr. Florence, do you have explanations for them? Yeah, all of them are just basic move but the two bigger ones I was explaining like on the health services that's the second one the 19,000 um for medical supplies. The reason that's pulled out of insurance, if you remember, we have the grant and so we we have a little since the grant's paying for some of that, we have a little money in insurance that we could pull and uh purchase those supplies. And then the 40,000 for technology um Mr. Baylor and um with Dr. Shannon's help. They're doing some new network um work. Plus um with we have to spend I think it's our match is like 30,000 in order to get that. And it's if we if we
012don't use it, we lose it. So we just pulled that out of um instruction contracted services and moved it into technology contracted services. So um it does move series, but it's basically um the same um thing. And then that the rest of them are just um moving either for contracted subs. The 16,000 that was the browwood where the basement was flooded for the chiller. Um they said they would leave that claim open. I think the original claim was like 12,000. You can see this resolution is 169 and I submitted another one today for 9600. So it just keeps climbing as they come and repair parts. It's not enough when that flooded when the water um was cut off back the day before Thanksgiving. So that's what that that's just insurance money that we received. So
013performance of the small units that we put in there uh during that real cold snap was satisfactory. Um I would say better than satisfactory. Um we uh Todd Prince and um and an engineer out of Nashville are working to get um us some drawing so we can bid to do the rest of Brywood. Um I'm hoping we can get that done with summer camp. It's going to be um hard to fit in, but we're going to do our best to have that done before school starts cuz we've talked about getting rid of the chiller. I hated to put the money in the chiller, but I think Mr. White would agree that we better not not have air at Briwood the last three months. That could be hard. But um hopefully the majority of that's been
014paid for by insurance. But um it has worked um really well. Agree Mr. White, the the mini splits. I think the teachers the only problem we have with the mini splits now you have one pod where they're able to control the environment and two pods where you either really cold or really hot. So, but it is working well. Yes. Can you explain this one? Um Miss Right. The the the medical insurance is just probably have a little more in there than your medical insurance. I shorted it. I shorted it. So, I have to move some money back into it. Oh, okay. Okay. I'm sorry. She She had to pull some money out of equipment to I was looking at it reverse. So, she she had to add some money. She's got all kinds of money.
015If you don't if you need to know, Miss Michelle does. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. Not Miss Michelle herself, but she We actually spent $8,000 just on rollup doors in the in the cafeteria at the high school this week. But that's that's what that is just where she had to add some for insurance. Anything further on these? If not, we will vote to approve these budget resolutions as presented. Miss Michelle, will you please call roll? Mr. Hedge? Yes. Mr. Mills? Yes. Miss Douglas? Yes. Mr. Marks? Yes. Mr. Blue? Yes. Mr. Thornton? Yes. Mr. Hargus? Yes. Mr. Livingston? Yes. Mr. winners. Yes. Mr. Hyatt, yes. Miss Kennan, yes. Miss Arnold, yes. Would anyone like to change their vote? 12. Yes. We have approved the budget resolutions. Next on our agenda is approval of the 2627
016district calendar. Miss Betty Joe has um made the motion to approve the calendar. I second. We have a motion and a second to approve the 2627 district calendar. Is there any discussion? What day of the week does school start on this calendar? I think it's Monday because of the election. The election will be on Thursday. I have to go back and look at my calendar and fair day. We is Friday. This year it worked and you know that's why we always put to be determined. I I'm going to talk to the election commission about possibly um you know not using the schools as a precinct, but I don't know that that's going to be doable. So, we I didn't look at my calendar, but I'm pretty sure that that that's a money. It is just
017a three-day start to answer because I know that's a that's the main issue there. And I I totally get that on the teacher standpoint. Any further discussion, questions, comments? If not, we will vote. All those in favor of approving the 2627 district calendar, please say I. I. All oppose, please say no. Eyes have it. We have approved the 2627 district calendar. Next on our agenda is approval of the NFHS contract for CHS baseball and softball fields. We don't have the contract is not in our packet. If you can get a first and second, but yeah, I'll make a motion to approve. We have a motion to approve. Do we have a second? Second. We have a motion and a second to approve the NFHS contract for CHS baseball and softball fields. Um, Mr. Florence, do
018you want to explain? Yeah, I I think Chairman Chair Cannon has seen it. Uh basically if you have um if you NF NFHS is the high school network where they video stream u football and basketball and they had contacted Mr. McDow. The city will provide the internet at the city park and um the cost to the district was 4,000 is $2,000 a c a camera and they will 20% of any membership will go back to the school. it it but it will give our um parents and our community an opportunity to watch softball and baseball um if they're a member in NFHS. Now, it will cost the school some additional money next year and I told Mr. McDow that we would get it going and then um that would provide that opportunity, but anytime we
019can um provide our parents and our community an opportunity to to watch their um kids or grandkids or whatever an opportunity to do that. I think it's worth it. So, um, but once we sign the contract, they will install the cameras and then, um, like I said, 20% of that membership goes back to the school. Now, that's probably not going to pay for that expense, but if if you've had an opportunity to watch a basketball game or a football game, it does if you can't go, it does give you that opportunity so you can watch it. So, it's a subscription. Yes. It's not expensive, though. It's like I think $10 a month or $99 a year, something like that. We need to bring up the lights at the softball field, too. There's four of them
020that cannot be fixed. We worked on them last Thursday. So, I don't know if that's going to be a city responsibility or that's going to be a or a joint. Can we put LEDs there? We'll have to do something. Okay. But I mean, they've got a tournament or they had a tournament this past weekend. Have one coming up, I think. Okay. Have one coming up. They won't have any lights. Not enough. We have any any further discussion on the NFHS contract? With no further discussion, we will vote um to approve the NFHS contract for CHS baseball and softball fields. Miss Michelle, you please call the role. Mr. Hedge, yes. Mr. Mills, yes. Miss Douglas, Mr. Marks, yes. Mr. Blue, yes. Mr. Thor, yes. Mr. Hargus, yes. Mr. Livingston, yes. Mr. Wyers, yes. Mr. Hyatt, yes.
021Miss Kennan, yes. Miss Arnold, yes. Would anyone like to change their boat? 12. Yes. Simultaneous flash or it's live. It's live. Or you can go back. Yeah. You can watch previous, but it is live. Like if you're a member, you go back and and watch the whole season. It's it's a big thing for the coaches, too, cuz it gives them access to ball games that they can go back. And of course, they have another thing called Huddle, so they probably spend more time on it. But it's pretty neat. But this is just video only. It just runs silently. No. Well, if you have like if the radio stations there or if you wanted to have a student do Oh, they'll add the track. You could. Yes. So, and they keep the score at the bottom
022like this. And it works most of the time. Yeah. It's not like ESPN, but it does give you an opportunity to watch it. Oh, that was on the news. Interesting. Ready? You're up. All right. First of all, thanks to Miss Amy and her staff for your hospitality, the cookies and the sweet tea and the unsweet tea and the brownies. Thank you, Miss Amy. I know we don't want you to have to work a whole lot extra, but we appreciate that. And a big part of the school board's um strategic plan is to to come to different schools. And so, we appreciate that. We appreciate you coming. Spring planning is tomorrow night or tomorrow from 1 to 8:00 p.m. Um we will have la dinner around 5. Um and that will give you um your TSBA
023hour. So hopefully everybody can attend. I know um you know if you have can't get off work if you can come get sign in and um hope hopefully you can make most of it and get that training in so you'll get your hours this year and plus be a great time and Miss Tammy with TSBA does a great job. So I think it'll be a very informative planning so hopefully everybody can come. Windstorm windstorm it is going to be a little windy tomorrow. um the Brywood project. Um I told you last time that we were almost done. Well, we're still almost done, but they have um come and fixed all the down spouts. Um we did have one little leak. Um and this this is a problem at all the schools with a old gym
024that connects to a roof, but they were in last week and assured us that um it would be fixed and done right. And so we had the same issue at Big Sandy. And so I think they're looking at that, but the rest of it besides that area, I don't think we've had any leaks, have we? Mr. White. So, um, so that project is almost, um, completely done. Now, um, budget meeting, we do need to schedule I I I think if we schedule one the 20 the 20th. Um, I think that would probably give us an Well, yeah, I'm looking at um Miss Kenyan's calendar, but I think I think we could catch everything up there. Mr. Hargus, I don't see any need to meet um but once, but if we could schedule a meeting. Is
025the 20th okay with you, Mr. Hargus? As far as I know, what day is that on? Thursday. On a Thursday. And and I don't know. I know we we have some parents and grandparents that have ball going on. So, I don't know if we wanted to look at 3:00, I mean, at 5:00 or I don't know if that'd make a big difference between 6:00, but why don't we just say the 20th at 5:30? Hit it in the middle. Is that okay? [Music] Okay. So, budget committee Thursday, March 20th at 5:30 and and I should have you a draft by then. I hopefully we'll have our second TISA projections by then, but we we did receive the February February projections. I don't see a lot of changes unless the governor's budget's not passed and that that
026could definitely put us in a a buying, but I don't see that happening. uh personnel committee meeting and I'm I'm asking this um for uh chair Kenan cuz she does have a little boy playing baseball and during the week's kind of tough and um it is that time of year where you'll need to review the director's contract and do your evaluations. Does anybody have an issue with maybe looking at a Wednesday at 4:00 we would be done in time for you to get to church? And I know we don't usually meet on Wednesdays, but that's a time when we don't have ball games going on. Does anybody have an issue with that? And then I'm going to let Chair Kenan, she can find a good Wednesday and I'll send that out to y'all. Does anybody
027everybody okay with that? Yeah. Okay. Good. Thank you. And then don't forget spring break is um I don't think our teachers and students are going to forget but uh that is March the 31st through April the 4th. The board meeting does fall on the 7th so we're not having to um the 31st is on a Monday so we're not having to move that forward like we usually do. And also I passed a card around for Miss Jennifer French. she was not able to make um the uh board meeting last week or last month for the teacher of the year. So if you hadn't seen this, I'd encourage anybody not read Miss Okay. And last thing and I did tell most of you were at the um policy and budget committee. I just wanted you to
028know that Mallette got a clean report. we've been in remission for two years and they even told her that um that if it was most hospitals they wouldn't asked her to come back. I tell you that for to thank you for your prayers and your support during the last three years. Uh I I just don't have the words to explain the support that the board give us during that time. But but thank you and um that's all I have, Miss Kennon. Okay. Um I do have I'm sorry. Go ahead. Please keep Daniel Armstrong in your prayers. He lost his granny last night and he's got another unspoken prayer that he just needs our prayers. So, please keep Daniel in your prayers. Now, I'm done. Do we have any visitors? Do we have anybody sign in?
029We have no visitors. We have anything else? Yes. I just want to thank Miss Baker for letting me have see all the artwork down the stairs and downstairs. You go see it if you can. It's really neat. Kids do a good job. And over here in the window, too. All these over here in the window, right? Um Thursday night is the art exhibit for parents and families to come in. But if you guys would like to see that, um a lot of it is downstairs in that downstairs hallway because that's where the art room is. So, you're welcome to take a look. We'd appreciate that. And um Mr. Florence, I'm gonna brag on. Um my third grader. Um we have Kinley Robbins in third grade. She's she received the 10 under 10 award from the
030state. This is the third year in a row. I'm going to brag on Angie Hearn as well. Third year in a row that a third grader from Holiday School has received that award. And that that award is based on when a student comes to kindergarten, maybe they're not a ready reader as they we would like for them to be. Kinley fit that description then, but she has made exceptional gains and she's doing great at reading in third grade. So, she's going to receive um it's kind of like a scholarship that will, you know, be in the bank for her and will help with her education when she gets ready for college or um tech school or whatever. So, that's pretty cool. We're proud of her and proud of Miss Angie. Um, reminders. Tomorrow from 1
031to 8, we have our spring planning with Tammy Grien. We're going to eat at 5. Um, 3:20. That's a Thursday, March 20th at 5:30 p.m. We have a budget committee meeting. Um, we'll probably talk more about a Wednesday for the personnel committee um, tomorrow at some point. Spring break is 3:31 through 444 and our next meeting is Monday, March the 7th at 6:00 p.m. at um the board of education support center. If no one has any further business, the chair would entertain a motion to second. We have a motion and a second to adjurnn. All those in favor, please say I.