001June 5th, 2025 regular session meeting. Please stand as we observe a moment of silence followed by the pledge of allegiance led by Miss Font Ridley. 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. Right. We just have a few announcements. As Mr. Mr. Triplet mentioned at Monday's work session, due to changes in state law that will affect our schools for the 2526 school year, the administration recommended that an additional policy review meeting be scheduled during the next few weeks. You received an email yesterday, but I wanted to announce publicly that the meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, June 26 at 10:00 a.m. in this boardroom. Also, Mayor Jacobs is hosting his fourth annual Night of Champions
002event next Tuesday, June 10th, from 6 to 8 at Covenant Park and will be celebrating the achievements of Knox County High School athletes who have triumphed in TWSAA state championships. For members, if you plan to attend, please let Terry know or RSVP directly to the email you received from Rhonda Smithson in May's Mayor's Mayor Jacob's office. We do have one change to the agenda. He received an email earlier today, but I wanted to mention that item 6D2 on the consent agenda has been withdrawn at the request of Emerald Charter Schools. Are there any other requested changes? Second. Motion by Miss Christie, a second by Mr. Triplet. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? All right, Miss Cody. Thank you, Madam Chair. Item five, consideration of 2025 through 2030 strategic plan. Second. A motion
003by Miss Christie, a second by Mr. Triplet. Do we have any discussion? Reverend Butler. Yes. Uh, thank you. I had asked this question during one of our committee meetings. um two things and more possibly. But with the disparities in education outcome that we've experienced over the last several years, uh wanted to make sure that we would be able to see and understand what type of strategic planning actions are we taking to help uh decrease that also because we had the region five strategic plan done previously to address some of those issues. How is that interwoven into our current strategic plan for the for the district? Miss Lner, thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Reverend Butler. So, I um I will begin, but members of the strategic planning committee, please join me fill in any blanks
004um that I leave out as well. And I appreciate you lifting up the qu the the question, Reverend Butler, because I think it highlights how um co cohesive and comprehensive the approach the committee took to strategic planning can be. So I'll take the question separately and looking at just education um outcomes in general across the district and being aware of where achievement gaps or gaps in behavioral outcomes lie and where those interventions would reside in the strategic plan itself. I don't know if everybody has the plan in front of them tonight, but if you do, I would take a look at pages 26 and 27 under the success for every student uh goal. Under that priority, you'll see under objective 4B, a focus on strengthening and streamlining academic interventions. Those of you who have seen
005our annual action plan over the past couple of years know that when we report out on the uh outcomes of that work, it usually looks like us reporting out on individual student subgroups and how well we've closed achievement gaps uh or moved the needle to closing achievement gaps by student subgroup in ELA and in math. So you'll see that kind of continuation and that reported progress in that space from an academic standpoint as we think about just access to general classroom instruction, that tier one learning environment, and really making sure that our behavioral practices are geared toward incentivizing, making sure every student has as much time in the general education setting as possible, accessing that tier one learning. um that is really where you're going to look at objective 4C and all of those interventions,
006all of those wraparound supports, the whole child learning um teams and uh support teams and the work that schools are doing just to to help inject uh as much support as possible into our school and student populations. And so that would be I think my district-wide answer in terms of the region five strategic plan. And this is something that I think is very exciting about the framework of the 2030 strategic plan is that it allows for those initiatives to be integrated throughout the document. And so you'll see references to implementation of at this point it's wild to think this those year three uh outcomes because we're in year three or we will be in year three next year of the region five strategic plan. You'll see that referenced under um success for every student and
007those priority based objectives. you'll see it referenced under the great educator objectives because there's some work we're doing um in that space as well and you'll also see it called out explicitly in two other priorities in uh excellence and foundational skills and also in career empowerment and preparation. So anywhere you see a crosswalk under over the next five years, that language there and it says implement uh the goals uh laid out in the region five strategic plan, you can see where we're going to be very focused on making sure that work is still conducted and fulfilled in a meaningful way as well. One other question, this may be the superintendent's answer. uh when the um group came and asked about the quarterly reports uh how are we planning on doing that going into next year?
008And thank you, Reverend Butler. We we have continued to post those. I think I believe they're semester by semester. We have those on our website available. Uh we've had members of a few organizations reach out to ask how to access those and we've shown them where those where those are. So, we've continued to uh to report those and we'll continue to moving forward. But I don't know if Miss Lner or if you want to add to that. Thank you. The only thing I would add is that yes, they are semesterly and so we've worked with a couple of community organizations just to land on um a frequency that would be reflective of changes in the data since we usually capture that data on a semesterly basis. That felt like the most responsive option. So on
009the impact page on the KCS website, you can access it from our homepage. You can find those reports updated semesterally in um January and in June. So, we've got another report that'll be updating probably in the next week or so once all that data is finalized. Thank you, Re Butler. Miss Templeton. Yeah, I just had a reporting request. Um, first I want to thank um Reverend Butler for um that question and that answer and thank you for being so thorough and um I'm just recognizing um taking um the important work that's happening in region 5 and doing that across the board for tier 2 and tier three. Um I think that's wonderful. Can we also look at um when we look at our annual plans, can we also include um progress from tier 2 and
010tier three um as they grow hopefully into tier one students um you know and in our annual plans as well. Miss, thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Miss Templeton. I would absolutely love to see that in future um annual action plans. I'm going to look and see if Steve Rudder is here and if he just fell out of his chair. He is not. Um and he has not. So, one thing I will say is that um and you and I have kind of talked about this as well because I think that's where the magic happens right in that tier 2 and that tier three space and we really talk about closing those those achievement gaps. Um our reporting and monitoring systems aren't set up in such a way just yet and we received those from
011the state to make that an easy report. um but it is worthwhile work to dig into and that is something that our team is taking a look at and as soon as that is feasible um to do in a responsive and intentional way. We would like to be able to bring that to you all as a proposal. And so I don't know if you'll see it in this first annual action plan, but it's something we'll be taking a look at and just to see how how easy it will be to couch that in a way that is accessible and understandable. Yep. Awesome. I appreciate that. Thank you for bringing that up, Miss Templeton. Thanks. Anybody else? All right, seeing there's no more discussion, we'll go ahead and vote on this item. All those in favor
012say I. I. Any opposed? All right. Motion carries. Item six, consent agenda. Second. A motion by Miss Christie, a second by Mr. Triplet. Any discussion? Seeing there's none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 7A. Approve first reading of Knox County Board of Education policy E200 Insurance Management as amended. Second. A motion by Miss Christie, a second by Mr. Triplet. Any discussion? Seeing there is none. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 7B. Approve first reading of Knox County Board of Education policy G162 nepotism as amended. Second. Motion by Miss Christie, a second by Mr. Triplet. Any discussion? Seeing there is none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 7 C. Approve first reading of Knox County Board of Education policy G212, employee
013background checks as amended. A motion by Reverend Butler, a second by Miss Christie. Any discussion? All right. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 7D. Approve first reading of Knox County Board of Education policy G410 retirement as amended. So moved. A motion by Mr. Triplet, a second by Miss Christie. Any discussion? Seeing there's none. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 7E. Approve first reading of Knox County Board of Education policy G461 sick and bereavement leave as amended. Second. A motion by Miss Christie, second by Mr. Triplet. Any discussion on this item? Seeing there is none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 7F. Approve first reading of Knots County Board of Education policy G462, personal and professional leave as amended. A motion
014by Reverend Butler, a second by Miss Christie. Any discussion? Seeing there is none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 7G approve first reading of Knox County Board of Education policy G467 paid parental leave as amended. Second motion by Miss Christie, second by Mr. Triplet. Any discussion? Seeing there is none. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 7H approve first reading of Knox County Board of Education policy I 171 intercolastic athletics as amended. A motion by Reverend Butler, a second by Miss Christie. Do we have any discussion? Seeing there is none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Seven. I approve first reading of Knox County Board of Education policy I 330 senior classification as amended. Second. A motion by Miss Christie. Second
015by Mr. Triplet. I see we have discussion. Reverend Butler. Yes. Uh I won't belabor it, but I think that uh we've gone halfway. I think that uh we either have competition or we don't and and competition meaning against one students against one another where they're going to be placed. It we we could do the Latin terms just using great GPA and and decide how we would uh celebrate each student or celebrate them all. So, I'm going not going to vote for it because I think we've only gone halfway. Miss Dimpleton, I just want clarification. Re Butler, um in I just want to make sure that I understand um what what you're thinking. Um and you're thinking GPA and looking at GPA levels or are you thinking keep the val and incorporating the Latin with the
016valadictorian. I was curious what exactly your preferred method would be. I try to make it very quick. Uh my understanding of what the collegic uh process is is that you counted in certain classification by your GPA is not by your standing in the class whether you're top 5% or top 10% or whatever. And that's what I'm saying is is that the way that if if we're going to say that you you you are being measured for a classification, it would be based on whatever GPA that is determined. And I know that there are some issues across the district of how that would play out. But we one of the major things that I heard was is that the competition was not was not the the way that we wanted our students to to to decide
017how they're going to to uh experience high school, what what or middle school for that matter, and what classes they're going to take. If it's the GPA that is the determination, then they're just going competing against themselves with the GPA and not against one another. So, as long as you have a percentage or a number, you're still going to have that same issue. And that's once again, I just think that we haven't gone all the way. We've gone a little of the way. And that's the reason why I just won't vote for it. Does that make sense? I see it as buckets like a 4.0 or a 4.5. And anybody who falls what he my understanding what you're saying is whoever falls in that bucket of a 4.0 know or whatever the number is or
0184.5 is what he's as opposed to the top 10% or the top 5%. Do we have any more discussion? All right. Why don't we do a roll call vote on this just so for clarification? Thank you, Miss Cody. Absolutely. Dr. Betler. No. Miss Templeton, yes. Miss Fontino Redley, yes. Miss Bike, yes. Miss Morgan, yes. Mr. Triplet, yes. Mr. Wright, yes. Miss Christie, Miss Henderson, yes. Miss B, would you like to change your pass vote? That is seven yes votes, one no vote, and one pass. All right, motion carries. 7J approve first read even skating board of education policy I440 wellness policy as amended second a motion by Miss Christie second by Mr. triplet. Any discussion? Miss Fontley, I would like to submit an amendment to this policy um revisions. Um I want to add online.
019I thought I had it up. Sorry. And there are two versions attached, right? Yeah, that's what I'm looking at. Yeah. Thank you for that. on page three. It would be version two that we're looking at. Version two. Yeah. Yeah. Visions. Yeah. Yeah. So, version two is Miss Font Ridley's her Yeah. Yeah. is her version. Yes. On page three, line 32, I would like to include in that sentence nor imposed upon. And the meaning being that um have been from my entire teaching career, it bothers me when I see kids having to walk laps on the playground because of behavior in the classroom. I know that it's it's um it's an effective way, but it kind of puts a band-aid on what the problem is. And um I would like to see more effort in changing
020the behavior that made them have to walk lats than um actually just keep walking the laps, walking the laps, walking the laps. So, it's almost being withheld from them by making them do that. Yeah. I mean it's it's physical activity but the definition of unstructured is unstructured point of order. So when the motion was made was that made on original version two? That's a great question. Since there's two it should be on version one. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a great question. voting on version two. Okay. So, so the motion and we will be voting on will be version two which is if Mr. Triplet is okay with that as well. Okay. Okay. Thank you for that clarification. Yeah. Oh, did you have the same thing, Miss Templeton? The same question. Okay. Awesome. Awesome. All right.
021I was motion version two. Yep. Okay. Sorry about that. Go on. Oh, that's okay. I was just going to bring up that the two premier organizations in the United States, SHAPE, which is the um American Society of Health Physical Education and NASPE, the National Association for Sports and Physical Education, have both published positions on this um uh specifically in their in their I wouldn't say policies, but their position positions on certain things. Um, and if anybody needs that, I can send it to you in an email. And thank you. Awesome. Thank you, Mr. Triplet. Dr. Wilson, question for you related to this. anything that we do that this could create a problem for, you know, PE, you got to finish making these laps or, you know, anything like that that that's going to set ourselves
022up for somebody to come back and say the policy says you can't impose this on us and this is punishment, anything like that. So, I would say I mean I I don't have a a large concern about the addition to to that. I think it reiterates what's already stated in the in the language and and again this this policy and the language in here being crafted around the change and the requirement for the physical activity. The new piece being that that term of unstructured which Miss Fonta really has already labeled is uh again we can't impose right like that these are these are the two things I think it restates what's already there in terms of the unstructured and because it is contextualized in the policy and in the law around uh this kind of
023recess physical activity time period. I don't have a problem with it. Okay. Thank you Miss Morgan. Thank you Madam Chair. Uh Mr. Triplet. Thank you for asking that question. I wanted to check on that. And Miss Font Ridley, thank you for bringing this forward. I think it's a good uh not harmful reiteration that physical activity should be a positive thing, not a negative thing. And personally, it has always bothered me. I have one kid who's walked a lot of laps at recess, which she earned. I'm not saying she didn't, but um I don't want I don't like that negative association with physical activity, so I support this. Thank you. Awesome. Anybody else? All right. Well, with that, we'll go ahead and vote. We are again voting on version two. All those in favor say I.
024I. Any opposed? All right. Motion carries. Item 7K, approve first reading to rescend Knox County Board of Education policy G J340 student insurance program. A motion by Miss Christie, a second by Mr. Triplet. Any discussion? Seeing there is none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 8A. Approve consolidated grant application and receipt of funds from the Tennessee Department of Education for fiscal year 2026 federal title 1 A, Title 1D, Title 1 N, Title 2 A, Title 3, and Title 4 in the amount of $18,857,71740. A motion by Reverend Butler, second by Miss Bike. Any discussion? Seeing there's none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 8B. Approved consolidated grant application and receipt of funds from the Tennessee Department of Education for fiscal year 2026 part B in
025the amount of 15,394,458 and preschool in the amount of $472,571. A motion by Miss Bike, a second by Miss Christie. Any discussion? Seeing there's none. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 8 C. Approve Tennessee Department of Education fiscal year 2026 Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Grant in the amount of 978,536.14. A motion by Miss Bike. Second by Miss Christie. Any discussion? Seeing there is none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 8 D. Approve Tennessee Department of Education fiscal year 2025 additional targeted support and improvement 24 grant in the amount of $200,000. Second. A motion by Miss Christie, a second by Mr. Triplet. Any discussion? Seeing there is none. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 8. Approve second amended
026and restated memorandum of understanding with Simon Youth Foundation Incorporated regarding the continued development and operation of the Dr. Paul L. Kelly Volunteer Academy and receipt of grant funds in the amount of $100,000. A motion by Reverend Butler, a second by Miss Templeton. Any discussion? Seeing there's none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 9A. Approve terms and conditions and privacy policy with KDOM Incorporated for the purchase of KDOM 6 through 8th grade science curriculum at a cost of $3,400,000. A motion by Miss Christie, second by Mr. Triplet. Any discussion? Seeing there's none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 9B. approved contract with Lewis Group Architects for the design of the new K through 8th grade school for the Mechanicsville Lonsdale and Bowmont area in the amount
027of $3,256,000. So move a motion by River Butler, second by Miss Christie and Miss Tippleton. I see got your light on over there. I do have my light on. Um first I want to thank Dr. Adams um for creating an RFQ that is unlike any other. um you and your team went um line by line looking for ways to make this a new and novel um opportunity for architects to apply to um to be super creative. Um, and I realize that um, the um, RFQ is approved through the county. Um and um I will certainly be voting for this and my hope is that um Lewis Group will be a fantastic architect and we'll take into account all of those details um that your um department really took a lot of time um putting in
028there um just to be creative um and to create a K through8 that is innovative and um will um set the standard for um what is to come. So, wanted to say thank you um and just put it on record that I really appreciate it. Go ahead. Yeah, Dr. Adams. Madam Chair, thank you, Miss Templeton. I I Mr. Schaver is here, so I want to give him a shout out because uh he's an architect by trade, but he really thought outside of the box and really got a good understanding of what this looks like. He's worked very closely with the academic team, our special education department, and he's done an exceptional job of getting understanding of how we're moving forward with the design of schools in RFQ. So, I'd like to thank Mr. Mr. Shaver
029for lot for the work he's done as well. Thank you, Mr. Schaver. Thank you, Dr. Adams and Miss Templeton for highlighting that. I really appreciate that. Have any discussion on this item? All right. Well, we'll go ahead and vote. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 9 C. approved contracts with Amerus Healthcare Staffing Incorporated, ESS South Central LLC, and Stellar Therapy Services for provision of supplemental staffing services for the term of July 1, 2025 through June 30th, 2026. Second. A motion by Miss Christie, second by Mr. Triplet. Any discussion? Seeing there's none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 10 A approved resolution donating certain land to the Commission of Knox County, Tennessee for its reservation for the sole purposes of construction, use, and maintenance of the
030Gibbs pedestrian bridge and related improvements and further reserving said donated land and additional land owned by Knox County for said purposes. A motion by Mr. Wright, a second by Miss Christie. Do we have any discussion on this item? All right, seeing there's none, all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 10B. Approve renewal charter agreement with Emerald Academy through June 30th, 2035 pursuant to board resolution 25001 dated January 9, 2025. Second. A motion by Miss Christie, a second by Mr. Triplet. Miss Bank, see discussion. Thank you. Um, I don't have much discussion on this, just that there were definitely some things about the review um, about Emerald Academy and so I I will pass on this one and not be voting in favor or necessarily against it. Thank you, Miss Mike. Do
031we have any other discussion? Why don't we do roll call just so we capture everybody's vote? Thank you, Madam Chair. Dr. Butler. Yes. Miss Templeton. Hi. Miss Fontino Ridley. Miss Bike, pass. Miss Morgan, yes. Mr. Triplet, yes. Mr. Wright, yes. Miss Christie, Miss Henderson, yes. Dr. Betler, would you like to change your pass vote? Miss Templeton, Miss Fontin Ridley, Miss Bike, that is five yes votes and four pass. All right, motion carries. Mr. Mr. Triplet, I believe we've got a public forum speaker. We do. Candace Bannister, if you'll state your name, county residents, and you'll have three minutes. First employer for the job he had between graduating from college and starting grad school in the fall. The content was of great interest to me as it is pertinent to my concerns regarding the failure of
032Knox County Schools to even do an investigation when 43 stakeholders wrote letters of concern regarding the admin from my younger son's high school. I asked my older son if he remembered what this was about, but he said he has no recollection, but he was certain it did not result in a death. Mr. Banister, our company's human resources department has been notified of concerns regarding your location of employment. The company takes all concerns very seriously and appreciates you bringing this matter to our attention. Human resources has completed the investigation into the concerns. As a result, information was obtained from you and various other s sources. After reviewing the information provided, we have concluded our investigation. Based on the results, please be advised appropriate corrective action has been taken where necessary. Thank you for notifying us of
033this matter. Please let me know should you have any questions or future concerns. Sincerely, and it's signed by their HR manager. This is what employers who care about their stakeholders, employees, students, customers, and everybody else, parents do. They acknowledged his concern, initiated an investigation, took appropriate action, and then asked their employee for not thank them for notifying them of this issue. It makes zero sense that a school system the size of Knox County did absolutely none of these things in conjunction with 43 complaints about this administrator. Absolutely nothing. A year ago, Dr. Ricewick told me this man has a very clean record. How is that even possible when 43 people wrote of their concerns regarding his behavior as an admin at my son's school and yet no one ever even initiated an an initiate initiated
034an investigation? Have any of you asked where these 43 written concerns are? Have you asked if HR has a procedure for dealing with concerns? I can't tell you how incredibly disrespectful it is to our family to know that there was never even an investigation into the person who bullied our son. I have been speaking to you all about this administrator for about a year now. Will there ever be any action? You are the caretakers of nearly 60,000 students a day during the school year. How can you be sure that they are safe when your HR department doesn't do anything, and I mean absolutely anything, about 43 written complaints about one person. No investigation, no action taken, no acknowledgement that there was even an issue raised. It is heartbreaking. This isn't about hurt feelings. Our son
035died after being bullied by your employee and you didn't even initiate an investigation. Under his leadership at that school for three years, six students died by suicide. How do you know he has a clean record when you never even investigated him to find out? Thank you, Madam Chair. That concludes public forum. Thank you. With that, we are adjourned. [Music] No, it's good for them to hear it every meeting.