001motion. >> I second. >> Thank you. Thank you. All in favor? >> I. Anybody opposing it? >> No. >> Okay. Uh, Miss Perkins, give us the certification for this evening. >> Uh, yes. Um, 2-2 or 2.2-3711A1 personnel. 2.2-3711 A7 consultation with legal counsel 2.2 22-3711A88 consultation with legal counsel general. Madame Chair, I move to certify that to the best of our knowledge only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion to go into executive session were heard, discussed, or considered in executive session. >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. We'll stand for the pledge. >> I pledge algiance 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
002for all. Any adjustments to the agenda tonight, Dr. Hooker? No, Madam Chair. Do we have a motion that we finalize the agenda tonight? >> I'll make that motion. >> I second it. >> Thank you, Mr. Ball. And thank you, Mr. Eaton. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Okay. Dr. Hooker. Uh, would anyone like to address the board at this time? >> Madam Chair, since my seatmate, Mr. Perkins, is not here, I'm going to take his position today. We can bow our heads for a quick word. Father, you command us to pray for our leaders. You command us to pray for our nation. You command us to be obedient. Father, bless us. Bless our leaders to hear your word, to hear your leadership, to follow, to make good decisions, to be stewards for their
003community. Bless our leaders both at the state and national level to hear your word and to follow. You command us to listen and to ask for wisdom. Father, we ask for that wisdom to be cast down upon our leadership so that our children will be safe, so that our schools will be led, and so that our community will prosper. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. >> Amen. >> Thank you, Mr. C. >> Thank you. Would anyone else like to address the board? >> Okay, Madam Chair. Okay. Do we have a motion? Uh to approve the minutes, >> I'll make a motion >> of our previous board meeting. >> Okay. Do we have a >> I'll second it. >> Thank you, Miss Perkins. And all in favor? >> I. Any oppose? Okay. Uh Dr. Hooker, we're
004to the recognitions for tonight. >> At this time, I'd like to ask Mr. Mullins to please come forward to help with recognitions tonight. >> Thank you, Dr. Members of the board, uh, tonight we have two employees from Homeaker Elementary School and I'll ask Miss Jennifer Eaten to come on up by yourself here first and we'll do the employee of the month nomination for Mr. Dustin Presley. Dustin Presley is a true blessing to our school community. He shows up each day with a servant's heart, never complaining and always putting students first. Every morning in the cafeteria, it goes far beyond his job description. opening milks and just doing whatever the little kids want him to do for that amount of time that they're in there. Whether he's patiently picking marshmallows out of cereal because a kid
005doesn't want to eat them, opening milks, or offering a hug to a kid that simply needs it, Dustin needs to meet each child with kindness, dignity, and genuine care. When students want him to help clean, uh he doesn't turn him away. He reaches on the rag. So, here you go ahead and help me. Dustin also has a a bond with the challenging students and uh talks to them. And over the past month, he's had his own challenges at school with flooded rooms that he responded with calm and grace. And uh he always answers, "Sounds good. It's all right." And I'm privileged to be here tonight because I've been with both of these employees we're recognizing as the principal and coworker. And what Dustin said, I can't echo enough what they put in here because that's
006Dustin. Whatever you need him to do, he'll do it. He does it with a smile and keeps on going. I'll let Miss chime in on Mr. Tra. >> He is he is a true little woman in prek. Every morning she wants to clean. >> So she's a little rings around and she watches all the so many times whether it's whatever it doesn't matter you call and say good and he goes and I just he I love you >> and he is >> I think that I think that might be the reason these motions are moving so fast tonight too This acknowledges that Dustin Presley Homeaker Elementary School has been named support staff employee of the month. So I say thank you all FOR >> trying to rush here. >> Somebody else is in a hurry.
007This time I'd like to ask Miss Wanda Jen to come forward for our teacher of the month. >> No, that's good. >> If you look, I'm sure everyone have trouble seeing me. If you look up the characteristics of an ideal first grade teacher, you'll find everything that describes Miss Wanda Jim and probably her picture beside that. Often called the little boy whisperer, she can take the wildest of the wild and transform them into a model student. I've seen that happen with my own child. So, uh, they love her. They want to do her very best for her. And beyond a child tamer, Miss Jent has played a pivotal role in mentoring more teachers than one can count. Teaching styles and curriculums have come and gone, but the steadfast nature of Miss Gent remains influencing students
008and teachers just the same. She's a master of her trade, and the world needs more teachers like Miss G. >> That's for sure. >> And my two children still speak of Miss Jen very fondly. They enjoyed their time in first grade and third and I know her and Jason kind of bonded over March Madness back in the day. So I'll let a few >> I don't think I can add to that like my son and he still has me. Thank you. This acknowledges that one elementary has been a teacher of the month. Thank you. >> Thank you for all you do. Come and see. >> Okay. Do we have a motion that we pay our bills this evening? >> I make a motion we pay our bills. >> Thank you, Mr. Eaton. Do we have
009a second? I'll second. >> Thank you, Mr. Gibson. And all in favor? >> I. Any oppose? >> Okay, that takes us to the retirements and resignations. Dr. Hooker. >> Yes, Madam Chair. We do have a list for the board to approve tonight under resignation and retirements. >> I'll make the motion that we >> Thank you, Miss Perkins. Do we have a second? Second. >> Thank you, Miss Garrick. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Okay, your new personnel. Yes, Madam Chair. Again, we do have a little longer list on this one for the board to approve tonight under new hires and transfers. >> I'll make a motion we approve that one. >> Thank you, Miss Perkins. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Eaton. And all in favor? >> I.
010Any oppose? >> Okay, Dr. Hooker, we're to the second reading on these policies. Yes, Madam Chair. The staff uh requests the approval of the second reading approval of policies JHC-R, JHCD-R, and JHCD-R1. >> I'll make a motion these be approved. >> Okay, >> I second. >> Any discussion? And everybody good with those? >> Okay. All in favor? I >> I any oppose? >> Okay, Dr. Hooker, you're to the calendar. Yes, we do. The second action item, we do have the request the approval of the revision to the 2025 2026 school calendar. We have six makeup days that we've added to the end of the year and that's May the 21st through the 29th. Another change that we would like to may make make is with the uh April 21st special election. We want to split
011spring break. Uh that means that we will go to school on March the 30th and 31st, that Monday and Tuesday, and we will be off on April the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The two days will be taken on April the 20th and 21st. The reason we want to do this is so we don't miss an extra day. I'll make a motion to approve that. >> Okay. Do we have a second? >> I'll second. >> Any discussion? >> All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? >> Okay. Dr. Hooker. >> Yes, ma'am. The third action item is that we request the approval of the last day of school and graduation date. The recommendation from staff is to amend the calendar for the last day of school to be May the 29th, 2026, which will be a
012full day. We will be make do the makeup days, as I said earlier, on May the 21st and 20 through the 29th, but we will be getting May the 25th off for Memorial Day. Um, the recommendation from the staff is for the graduation ceremony for the class of 2026 to be held on Sunday, May the 17th with Castlewood High School being held at 1:00, Lebanon High School at 400 p.m. and Honacre High School at 7 p.m. Also, Russell County Career and Technology Center graduation date will be Thursday, May the 21st at 6 PM at Lebanon High School. Do you need a vote or it's all It's all good. >> We need a vote. Yeah, we need a vote. >> Motion. >> Thank you, Mr. Parsons. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you,
013both of you. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? >> Okay. Dr. Hooker, you're two. Action. The action item number four. We request the approval of the special education annual plan for the 2026 2027 school year. >> Okay, >> I'll make that motion. >> Thank you, Mr. Ball. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Parsons. And all in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Okay, Dr. Hooker. Yes, we do have one action item or one information item and that will be the first reading of policy DL-L which is for special pay policy group fixed annuity. >> Okay. Would you care to explain that because I've had calls today about this particular okay policy. >> The plan will be utilized by employees who receive compensation for unused sick leave and vacation
014upon retirement. Any employee with less than $1,000 in compensation for sick leave and/or vacation upon retirement would be paid through payroll and a lump sum. Any employee with sick leave and/or vacation vacation compensation of 1,000 or greater would be required to participate through horseman at which the time the employee may ask for immediate withdrawal. They can roll the compensation into an existing annuity with any other company of their choosing or they can remain with horse man. The purpose of the special pay policy is to save payroll taxes for both the employee and the Russell County public schools. Thank you for explaining that. Does any board have any? >> Is this just a reading or do we need to vote on that? >> No, this is the first reading. >> We'll vote on it next time.
015>> That's effective for the 2025 2026 retirees. >> Yes. >> Well, it benefits the employee and us. So I don't I think it's a good thing. >> That's all the information items I have, Madam Chair. >> Okay. The sales tax is $46132866 and as uh as of January 31st, 2026, u the ADM was 3,046. Does any board member have anything on the maintenance report or the expenditure report tonight? >> Okay, Dr. Hooker, your future agenda items. >> Um, I don't have anything. >> You don't have anything? >> Does uh any board member have any? >> Yeah, I do. the future. >> Uh we have a coach at Honeacre High School that coaches varsity basketball, the girls, >> and she has had a phenomenal season. Um and she's had a phenomenal year uh or coaching >>
016uh all in general. She's career. Yeah, she's had a a phenomenal coaching career. It's just it's unreal the amount of wins um that she's had. She's not only a great coach, but she's a great mentor. Um, I grew up right next door to her. She's uh she's like a sister to me and and I know that she's she's been an asset to Homeaker High School in general. Um, but with that being said, um, I'd like this board to approve um, and I'll make a motion to name the Honeacre High School basketball court the Misty Miller basketball court at AP Baldwin Gymnasium. Okay, >> I'll second that. >> Thank you, Miss Garrett. And congratulations. They'll be playing ball here about 7 o'clock. And we hope them a win that maybe they go on up country again.
017Bring bring home some more wins. All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Okay, Dr. Hooker. Yes, we do have one future calendar item. On April the 29th at 5:00 pm in Wise, Virginia will be the 2026 VSBA spring networking forum at the end at WISE. Okay. And that's always a good local meeting that we can go to and hopefully we'll have some Russell County Art Winners because they do some really good projects and it's it's unreal what what they come up with. So, and our next uh school board meeting will be budget workshop 4:00 on April the 7th. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. >> We need to thank the Leon Primary School for the meal tonight. >> Thank you. Thank you. And the lady that made the macaroni salad and the fudge. >> It was
018very good. So, we appreciate that. Does any board member have anything else this evening they'd like to bring up? >> I'll make a motion we dismiss. >> Okay. >> Second. >> Okay. >> Don't you all get a ticket getting to Haker? >> Oh, Lord. >> Thank you. All in favor? I >> Okay. >> Oh, Lord.