001Everyone, welcome to the uh June 2025 meeting of the Coffee County Board of Ed June 9th, 2025 meeting of the Coffee County Board of Education. Welcome to everybody in in the audience and people at home watching YouTube. It's amazing to me that our YouTube numbers just keep going up. I guess people are liking what we're doing or some or they're watching on in fascination. So, um um Mr. Cordell, would you start us off with a prayer today? Absolutely. Be glad to. Let us pray. Our heavenly father, we just thank you, Father, for this another day to enjoy the beauty of your creation. We thank you, Father, for the rain that you sent to water the earth and our crops. Thank you, Father, for those that are here today. We thank you, Father, for our young
002people that will be here, those that have a vision of going into the military. And Father, we thank them for their service and their passion. And Father, we just want to honor our next generation. Thank you, Father, for this team. Father, I just thank you for what you're doing in this group. And with we thank you for Dr. Pal and his leadership in the last several months serving as interim and for Scott coming on. And Father, we just pray today that you give this board wisdom and discernment in the decisions we make to make our county better. Father, I pray for protection and wisdom and and passion for our teachers and our staff. and Lord that you bless this team and bless this day. This we pray in your son's precious precious name. Amen. Amen.
003Amen. Well, we uh we now have the pledge of allegiance and we have one of our military inductees here. If we would ask her to come forward and lead the pledge for us. [Laughter] You know what? And if you if you don't want to be on the spot, that's fine. All right, face the flag. Thank you. I pledge 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. And and what is your name again? I'm Jaylen Grantham. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right, we have um several recognitions tonight. So, first off, we want to recognize Dr. Powell. And if I could get the board to come down and uh Dr. Powell to come up.
004Um we have a presentation. So, for so we can get the board members to go down and because I'm sure we'll want to get a picture with Powell down there. I stand at the back. You still see me over Dr. We wanted to give you this uh this plaque. It says, "Your energy, leadership, and distinguished service will remain with us forever. Coffee County Schools 2425 and we present this to you Dr. Prader Powell and congratulations if any of the board members well we'll give you the mic and then we'll have members want to chime in. As I was telling my staff last week at our meeting uh this is where I started my career in uh 1967. So, it's a pleasure to end it in 2025 and I've enjoyed it. I appreciate the honor that
005the board gave me to do this. I think we've made some strides. We've kept things under control, I think, for the most part as best we could. Uh I've got an office staff that is excellent staff, principles, teachers, the whole uh school system uh has a lot to lot to be thankful for. Uh, we've got some work to do, yes, but we've come a long, long way. I can assure you of that. So, thank you very much and I appreciate it. [Applause] Let me say something first. Dr. Pal, we appreciate you. Thank you. You've just been such a special blessing to this school system in the last year. You've brought just a measure of calm and peace and I just want you to know how much I'm gonna miss you. Well, thank you. I'll miss
006y'all, too. Especially having to get up at 6:30 in the morning. I won't miss that. You won't miss that. But I've enjoyed working with y'all. I certainly have. It's been It's been my pleasure to be honest with you. So, thank you. Anybody else? Thank you for your leadership. Thank you. Thank you. I know Aussy's favorite. You know, when I when I first came on this position, about three people said, "You gonna have to watch Robert Gilly. You're gonna have to keep an eye on him." And I said, "Oh, and I said, folks, Robert doesn't bother me. I can talk with him just like anybody else." And we've had a very good relationship. I think I appreciate you. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it, Chris. Thank you. Thank you. I go back to
0071967, believe it or not. That's about it. Jennifer, you're the silent group. Not really. Maybe in here. Maybe in here. Scott and I go back a long way. He was one of my students in the fifth and sixth grade at East Coffee uh early 70s long. 75. Okay. So, show me how to do layups. So, I did a pretty good job of helping him out a little bit. Yes, you did. I'll be Thank you, sir. Love you. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Dr. in the middle and everybody kind of turn and squeeze in. Say cheese. Oh yeah, y'all look good. The only thing I'd like to say is you people out here, you folks up here, give Mr. Hard Grow the same things that you've given me, your experience, your words of encouragement, your
008help because you're very much needed. So I want Mr. Scott to have the very same thing that you've done for me and I thank you. Thank you. All right. Now we have our military inductees. I guess inductee at this point, but uh come on back up and uh young lady. I guess everybody else skip already skipped out for summer vacation. So high school. This year we've had 11 students, 11 seniors that had entered the armed services uh in the four main areas, Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force. Uh we have to this afternoon with us one young lady named Jayen Gratham, right? And Jacqueline is going to the Marines. And it's like I told her, I said, "The first two, three days you're there, you'd wish time and time again you weren't there, but after
009that 13 weeks that you finished out, you'll be proud you made it." So, congratulations. [Applause] Thank you very much for your service. Mr. B, if I may, let me go ahead and bring out the other names of the students. Yes, please. If you don't mind. Uh going into the Navy, Traan Ross, Wayne Sudsboro, Raiden Todd, Zachary Warick, Ian White, Arson White, excuse me, Ian Walker, excuse me, the Air Force, Hannah Rose, Army, Brighton Barnes, David Featherston, and Von Parker. And of course, we just introduced uh Miss Gratham is going into the Marines. So, congratulations to all those young people. Best of luck to them. Um we're very proud of them. Of course, we'll be very proud of the service they're providing for our country. We appreciate that. Thank you. [Music] All right. Now we have
010a presentation on the C program from Miss Cotton. Good afternoon. I hope this works because I'm not very technologically advanced, but Randy We happen to have a guy in the back of the room who kind of knows his stuff though. Yes. Okay. Um, I'm here today to talk to you about community eligibility provision, otherwise known as C. And you'll hear me say CU because I don't want to read that out every time, but that's what it stands for. And what is C? C is a national school lunch program in school breakfast program meal service option that allows schools in school districts in high poverty areas to offer meals at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. And I put below it what that basically means all that is we would offer free
011breakfast and free lunch to all students and they would not have to do the free and reduced application. That would not be required at all. So that's a good thing. Okay. How to determine C eligibility? Rather than collecting school meal applications, which are the free and reduced applications, to make individual student eligibility determinations, schools that adopt C are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students who automatically qualify for free meals based on their household participation in means-ested programs or their status as f foster, homeless, migrant, or runaway child. And I'm just what I did when I did this was I put it directly off the USDA site because I didn't want to get it wrong. But what that means is it is determined using students that have um SNAP, which is food
012stamps, or TANIF, which is temporary assistance for needy families. So these are determined by the state, not by me putting it in from an application. Also, students are in the Medicaid program like as Tenare that are uh designated by the state as free Medicaid students, they also qualify. So, in determining C, you look at the ones that the state has deemed that qualify, not through applications. So, they like to use that because they feel like they've determined who, you know, is applicable for it, not us. So, How do you qualify for C? For Coffee County to to qualify, we had to meet an ISP number. ISP is the identified student percentage and that term is identifies students that refers to children who are directly certified through the method methods methods excuse me previously mentioned. So
013for example um they take the students that were deemed that qualify through the state programs and then they take this calculation. They take the identified students divided by the amount of students enrolled in our system times 100 and you come up with the identified student percentage. This percentage in order to do C has to be higher than 25%. Ours is 50% 50.67%. 67%. So that is all of our schools combined. Now if you look at each each school individually, some of them are 60%, some of them are 40%, some of them are uh all of them are 25% or higher. But in order for us to do every school, we have to do combined because some of them are lower and some of them are higher and that's our average. So we ours is 50.67.
014So, we do qualify. There any questions? So far, it is rather complicated. I'm used to it, so I I just run through it. But if you have a question, stop me. Okay. If we decide, which we have to do C, your LEA elect for a four-year cycle. So, the numbers that I have right now will last for four years. So, I will not have to every year apply using those numbers. So, it lasts four years. Participating LEAs can end C participation at any time or begin a new four-year cycle early if their ISP numbers increase. So what districts do that do this every year they re-evaluate at the beginning to see if that percentage will raise. So if we had more identified students next year, I could look at it and say, "Oh, my number's
015higher this year. Reapply and use that number for four years." So you have the option of renewing it every year, but if your number's not as good and you want to use this year's number, you can do that. So you're guaranteed for four years anyway, that number. Okay. How much are the reimbursements? To calculate our reimbursements, the ISP is multiplied by 1.6 for the amount of meals claimed at the federal free rate. Uh the 1.6 six, I think, sort of is what we would have had if we had had free reduced applications. So, if we'd had that added on to what was already deemed by the state as free students, that's where they come up with the 1.6. So, it's able to equal that out. So, Coffee County Schools ISP is 50.67%. The multiplier is
0161.6. So, meals claimed at the free rate are 81.07%. The remaining 18.93% are reimbursed at the paid rate. And I I didn't put it on here, but just to give you an idea, the the rate for this past year, I don't know what the free rate will be this coming year because they haven't put that out yet, but for lunch this last year, it was $4.54 for free and 53 cents for paid. So, at the free rate for lunch, uh the 81.07 07 would be at454 and the 18.93 would be at 53 cents. And then for breakfast it was 2.84 for free and 39 cents for paid. So at 81.07 we would be you know getting the highest amount but the 18.93 would just be at the paid amount. So that's not as much. Although
017a portion of the meals served at C schools are reimbursed at the federal rate, participating schools are responsible for covering any potential funding shortage with non-federal funds. Eligible schools must consider their ability to provide meals at no cost and cover their operating cost with federal assistance and any other available funds, including state andor local funds. Our school nutrition program has a fund balance to help offset cost. So, no matter what, you have to cover cover your operating expenses, which this year we were not able to do. But at with this, I feel like we'll feed more kids. And I mean, we'll just have to see, you know, hopefully we'll be able to, but if not, we do have some fund balance so we can offset that. You just have to be aware when we do
018it that if you are you're short the amount, you have to make that up. I have a I have a question just to clarify. So what you're saying is 81% is going to be paid full. Then then the rest of that is a a lesser amount per child. Yes, we get a lesser amount. And then if that doesn't cover the full cost, right, which it probably will if it's a lot of participation, then you have fund balance that would cover that at this point. Yes. Yes. I mean, I I won't forever, but I do now. Right. I feel comfortable trying it this year. You know, I think we have enough fund balance. We we went into it a little bit this year, but I feel like we have enough to to cover it. And I
019know you're required to have so much fund balance anyway, so you can't get below that. You have to have three months operating expenses. Okay. So, but we have enough right now that we can do it. Okay. Using calculations from the C uh from the state, the C tool from the state with sales staying the same, reimbursement for lunch and breakfast here would slightly decrease. So I figured I used their tool and with no increases, we were just like a thousand or 2,000 decrease in what we would get back in reimbursements. If sales increase, then the reimbursements will increase from the current reimbursements for lunch and breakfast. So, um, meals should increase when they're offered for free. I mean, it if you put in like 5% increase, our reimbursements went up from what we currently get.
020If I put in 10% breakfast and lunch, it increased. So, as long as we have an increase in meals, I think we'll get an increase in our reimbursements and we'll be okay. But even if we don't, we're really close to what we were getting anyway. So the 80 really 81% free is pretty good. Like a lot of people in the state, you know, have around that amount. I've checked all that out. Let's see. Um I did meet with Mr. Hardgrove and we decided that this was something that we supported. We both wanted to do it. We discussed all the the good and bad and uh we decided that we should try C for a year and pilot it and then re-evaluate it. the next at the end of next year to see if it's fiscally
021fiscally viable. So, if next year we've lost a ton of money and it just looks like we're not going to be able to maintain, we can go back. But it may be something that I can look at the numbers again and get a better number. But I say, let's try it. You know, uh, Coffee County students at all schools will eat free lunch and breakfast next school year. So I think that's very and um actually I know you have it on your agenda but and it that's fine too but it really the state told me that it only has to be director approved and I mean Mr. Mr. Hargrove was all for it. So, I don't know if you still want to vote for it or Well, I I think the board would probably have
022to approve the provision of uh fund balance to to cover any any costs. Is that correct? Yeah, but it won't it won't have to cover any right now. Okay. You're not anticipating dipping into fund balance? Well, next year that's when we would vote for that. Okay. Yeah, we won't. I I don't anticipate it, but you don't know. But Okay. We're going to do our best not to. Let's put it that way. But also on another note, wanted to mention that we decided to do um 7-day food packs this year for the summer feeding. And we tried it this last Friday and I think it was very hectic. We anticipated 200 meals being given out. And as it got closer, there was a lot of interest. So we increased it to 400 and did 500 just
023in case. There was 967 meals given out Friday at the middle school. Yes. Wow. I think we have a little bit of a traffic jam and we have a few things we need to fix and we're going to have more help, but we had no idea. And I mean, people came from other counties everywhere to do this. So, we just thought we'd try it. We're going to keep doing it every Friday through the summer. Um, except there's a Thursday. We're not going to do it July 4th. never did thirsty before, but I just thought that was incredible that we gave out that many meals. Mr. Harpro, he he said for me to mention that because I was talking about this morning, but that's pretty exciting. Well, I that's probably what somebody called me and said,
024"What's going on at the middle school?" And I said, "I don't know." They said, "There's people everywhere." I was actually on vacation, but I got a 50 million calls that day, which was okay because I'm glad. And so we're going to change up a few things, but we're anticipating that many or more on Friday. And that's not even counting the churches that's going to help with that, too. So, yeah, I've got some people want to help. And what are the How do you qualify to get that meal? They've got something now that's called the um u non-aggregate non non- congregate non- congregate uh feeding program. And it's like a rural program that they're doing. and you have to prove that you're in an area that that qualifies and the middle school did and so but
025a lot of the state does and if you did you could apply and I did apply for it and you could serve it without parents having to come in and get it. So, it was a non- congregate um waiver, I think they called it. And if you applied for it and got it, which I'm sure everybody did that, you know, it was just one of those things you had hoops you had to go through and you got you can just hand it out. So, people just drive through and we hand them meals and you can do more than one day. So, we did seven day meal packs of breakfast and lunch. Well, thank you for a pine for it. Well, I mean, it's awesome. Yeah, it's really good. I'm excited. I just had no idea
026it would be this big, but I'm glad it is. So, is C a federal or a state program? It's federal. Federal. Okay. USDA program. I got all this information from the USDA site. Right. All right. So, that's I mean, we report to the to the state our numbers and they approve it, but it's really a federal program. So, I think it'll be a good thing. Anybody have any questions about C? I have a couple. Yes. Um, this may not be the brightest question, but what happens to um the balances of the my school bucks um accounts that the parents are putting money in for the kids? And anytime a a parent wants money back that they've put in, they just need to contact my office. They can email me or call me and we will
027send a check out to them. But we're also charging for all a cart. So even though breakfast, we're going to have lots of all of cart. Yes, that was my next question. I like to leave a balance and my daughter's just in case she she takes a lunch box, but in case she wants something ice cream, elementary. So all cart stuff is not included in the reimburseable meals. Okay. I just imagine that there may be some that want their balance back or Yes. And if they do, they just write me. We send that to them. Okay. Thank you so much for applying for this and for working so hard to get it going and serving the community is basically what you're doing, the students and the families. So, we really appreciate it. Well, thank you
028and I'm glad is on board. Miss Cotton has worked extremely hard and I think both sets of uh of feedings, the free breakfast and lunch as well as the summer feedings, they're great for our kids, great for our families, great for our teachers and staff because that student's going to be a lot more focused. But I appreciate all the hard hard work and uh the time she's put in on these both these programs. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Cotton, very much. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions? We're very Well, thank you for doing a great job. How can you question something like that? Clarification. All right. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right. At this time we have our um call to order and uh we don't have any public comment.
029Um I saw so um we now have the principal report and we have three very dedicated principles here that are always here that even though it's pretty darn near summer vacation, they're still here. So which one of you wants to go first? I don't have anything. Okay. Mr. Parsley, I know you always have something even when it's downtime. There are always things going on. Um, of course, uh, this week, um, you know, Bonnaroo is coming up later part of the week and, uh, they use part of the high school facility. Uh, they've been there for two or three days now. Uh, lots of folks out in our student parking lot today. Of course, they they've rented the facility out for, uh, you know, their distribution of some of their credentials and things like that. Things
030have gone really well. Everything seems orderly. We did finish up summer school last week at the high school. Uh had uh a few senior students finish up last week and of course some uh sophomores and juniors that were also there uh for makeup credit and everything went really well uh with summer with our two weeks of summer school. Uh aside from that, uh things that involve our students, we've got some summer activities going on with workouts for athletics, whether that be football, whether that be basketball, uh both boys and girls. We've had volleyball practice going on. Uh so, you know, you can you can come by the high school virtually any day uh during the summer. uh and outside of that two week dead period for athletics, uh there's going to be some time during
031the day where there are some students there for something. So, but uh that that's basically what we've got going on at the high school right now. Any questions? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Now, we have a call for intent. So, we need a motion to um well, first of on the uh general consent items, we have had a request to pull um policy 6.312 prohibition and possession and use of personal electronic devices off the consent agenda. So, that will go on our regular agenda as item 12, I think. Yeah, that's item 12. So, um, other than that, are there any other changes to the consent agenda? So, we need a motion to approve the consent agenda and the minutes from the last meeting. Do I have a motion? So, move, Mr. Cornell.
032I have an objection. Okay. Um, I would like to pull um policy 4.214, the AI policy. Okay. For further review and discussion. 214. That then will be agenda item 13. Thank you. AI. And I would like to pull uh 6.701 6.701. That will be agenda item 14. All right, that is the point or 6.71. Okay, that was correct. 6.71. Okay. All right. Any further changes? Do you um uh 6.701 is also tied to 2.601. So they're together. You want to pull both of Okay. 2.601. All right. Any other further modifications to the consent agenda? If not, uh, then I need a motion to approve the consent agenda as modified. Mr. Chairman, I so move. Mr. Cordell, do we have a second? I'll second it. Miss Yench seconds. All right. Any discussion? I guess we already
033had our discussion. I'd like to clarify something. Now, is it three readings or two readings that these policies get approved? Two. Two. Okay. I know at one time it was three. Unless we specify that it's a single reading, but So, it's we changed it a number of years ago to be two readings. Miss Jones, do do recognize that uh the ones that were pulled was a first and final reading, right? The two that were pulled two of two of the ones that were pulled. So, we were just going to run it through one time. Is that correct? Correct. Who determined that? It's usually determined by what the the policy is and where it needs to fit into the school uh year. And with with those two coming up and and um schools need to put
034it in handbooks and so forth, then they they would like to have had it one in final. So it's usually that type of setup. Okay. So the policy committee determined it. Yes. Yes, we did so that we could get it in the handbook in time. Okay. I was only recall it. Sorry. I believe the policy 4.214 214 has to be submitted to the state by July 1st. July 1st. And so that's why it was that's why it was the first and final. Okay. The cell phone was to have time to have time to get something in the handbooks before school. Understand? Okay. All right. Further discussion. All right. Um, let's go this way this time. So, Mr. yes. Approve the consent agenda as modified. Yes. Okay. Miss Matthews, I. Miss Hodgej, I. Miss Jones, I.
035Mr. Hansert, I. Miss Yinch, I. Mr. Cordell, I. Mr. Gilly, I vote I. That passes 920. Okay. Item agenda item number one is um the board meeting dates. Oh, and I would like to point out uh we've kind of been um um skirting Robert's rules of order a little bit here that that we generally need to have a motion on the floor before we do discussion. So, we've kind of been mixing that a little bit. So, we need to have a uh a motion and then discussion and then we vote. So just to kind of keep it keep it on track because it's kind of gets a little distorted I guess is so just a reminder on how that goes. Um so the first agenda item is board meeting dates for 2526. Uh we have
036our we we're going back to our regular um first uh second Monday of every month board meetings. Um and then uh of note is on um April 13, 2026, we're going to have a self- evaluation at 4:00. So we just do that an hour ahead of the normal board meeting. So that's why there's two meetings that date. Uh right now the um the uh the retreats are September 23rd and April 9th. Uh those are the all day retreats. And then the work sessions we have scheduled right now are there in August, November, January, and June. We can add work sessions if we need them, but this is just kind of get get that on the schedule. So um so do I have a motion to approve the uh the board meeting calendar for 2526? I'll
037make a motion. Mr. Hanserts, do I have a second? Second, M. Mr. Cordell seconds. All right. Any discussion on these dates? Hearing no discussion, um, we can go to go to a vote. Uh, Miss Matthews. Hi. Miss Hodgej. Hi, Miss Jones. Hi. Mr. Hansert. Hi, Miss Jen. Hi, Mr. Cordell. Hi, Mr. Gilly. Hi, Mr. Hi, that passes 920 to zero. Um, item number two on the agenda is actually the uh C program, but I think at this point we really do not need to take any action, right? So we can just strike that um and unless at some time in the future we need to move money around through uh fund balance, right? Is that you're referring to the U C program? Yeah, all right. Then we we will just strike item number two. This
038requires no action from the board. Number three is RUP technology and Mr. Damewood. Okay. Uh, you are on. So, the RUP is a responsible use policy. It says policy, but it's it's really stuff that goes into the student handbook. And it is based off what the other policies that were pulled to a later time were. So, I'm not sure how this needs to be worked out because what happens in met motion 12 and 13 dictates what goes into this. And this is one of those timely things that needs to be so it can be ready to go out to the students because this is what they use for their registration if that makes sense. And the and the way it is written in here pretty much whatever happens with the personal device this will work
039because it says it follows the personal device policy. So that's okay. The artificial intelligence uh policy is verbatim mentioned in here. So whatever changes are made on the AI policy would have to be reflected in this unless it's going to conflict at all. I just basically just copied the same thing just so it would be consistent between the two documents. So I'm not really sure what we need to do on that. Do we move this one till is I don't know if it's possible to move this until after and make it 14 cuz and then approve that after you we get through 12 and 13. Is that an acceptable Robert's rule of order procedure? I think that's about all you can do. All we can do on this one. Yes. So, let's let's move this
040to the end and I guess strike three and make make that 15 then. All right. Um, next item on the agenda is differentiated pay and Mr. Shores. Okay. This is what we do each year. um dealing with the differentiated pay. We have to have a different pay uh set up for our system and the the way we have done this for many years now is for extra duties that has uh been performed at the school level. Uh this could be anything from PLC leaders, grade level, grade level leaders, uh content level uh leaders. Uh there there's several different areas, different ways that the principal uh chooses to use this. It is up to a $500 compensation for for those uh jobs that they do, those extra duties. So like I said, this is pretty well
041the exact same um differentiate pay plan that we have used for the past I want to say three years. Uh the year before that it was just a little bit different but but we've been using this this basically the same. So and we're just asking for approval. Uh this goes before the state then as soon as approval is given. And Mr. Hargrove does uh come with your recommendation? Yes, sir. Okay. Um All right. I need a motion to approve the differentiated pay plan. Um Mr. Chair, I'll make the motion. Mr. makes the motion to approve the differentiate pay plan. I'll second that motion. And Mr. Cordell. Okay. Um, any discussion, questions? I've got a question. Sure, Mr. Shores. Is the $500 is that per month or is that annually? Annually. Okay. And once again, that's
042that's a max number. Uh some of the the principles actually breaks it down to a lesser amount, but but it's they're they're given up to $500. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Any further discussion? All right. We will vote on the differentiated pay plan. Miss Hodgej. Hi. Miss Jones. Hi. Mr. Hansert. Hi. Miss Hinch. Hi. Mr. Cordell. Hi. Mr. Gilly. Hi. Ms. Dracoon. I, Ms. Matthews, I will vote I. That passes 920. Um, item number five, special committees. And this was really I guess the discussion here was just replacing Dr. Dr. Powell with Mr. Harrove, which I don't really think needs action by on the on the part of the I guess we're just recognizing that that's taking place. Yes, sir. We can formalize that. In a few months, we're going to juggle the committees anyway. Yeah.
043Yeah. So, I I don't I know Mr. Shores, you had had some I I didn't have any on this one back when when committees were changed completely changed. Yeah. with members of the committee. But but since you're taking the director and replacing with the director, I don't think that there would be any reason to do any changes. All right. Then I think we can just strike this and and I don't think there's any action that's needed by the board. So can I get some clarification on committee meetings? Uh I'm still so new to everything. Um when when a committee wants to meet How do we go about requesting a meeting? Um, I've been told a couple of different things and I just want some clarification on how um I believe if I'm not mistaken, I
044think Mr. had pointed out that uh two members on the committee could request if two members on the committee would like a meeting, it can be requested by two members. But then I've also been told that it needs to be the advisor that I don't think we have chairman so to speak, but maybe on one or two committees. I don't know that the advisor requests the meeting. So I'm just confused about who requests the meetings, the committee meetings. If if some if a board member normally if a board member would like to have a meeting, it's it's and we call it advisor or the chair of the committee. Either way, they're interchangeable. Same thing. uh usually they're the ones that set up the meeting and and and go from there. So I would say you
045need to get in touch with the advisor or the chair of that committee uh about setting up a meeting date. Mr. I I was asking him and he had sent me something out of Robert's rules stating and it and it said and I didn't know, we had to look it up, that two members of the committee can request the meeting. Um and if there is no chairman or chair person on the committee then the then technically the chair is the first person listed on the committee. I don't know if that's I mean that's what Robert's rules of order says. So if that's what we're going by is there a policy that we go by for committee meetings though that would supersede that? I I honestly just don't know. I'm just trying to get some clarification.
046have a policy 1.300 which is board committees 1.3 0 00 Okay. Well, what does it say about does it address that part? Oh, I'll read it here for you. Okay, everybody got it or do I need to read this? Go ahead and read it. I don't think it answers her question, but 1.30. The board shall operate without standing committees except for the executive committee. However, special committees composed of board members may be appointed by the chair at the direction of the board and as and as the need of the board shall require. Special committee shall consist of less than a quorum of board members serve in an advisory capacity only. serve no longer than the annual organization meeting of the board unless reappointed to finish a designated task, hold meetings in accordance with the open
047meeting law, and make reports directly to the board. Such committees shall be discharged when the work is finished or earlier by majority vote of the entire board. Okay. So, it really doesn't address my question. It doesn't address your question, but I think typically what we've done is if any board member wants, you know, they just talk to the advisor and you know, unless there's some reason not to, right? You know, I But it seems it would seem more functional if you did have a committee chairman, you know, right? That, you know, someone that's kind of coordinating or heading it up. We all because adviserss aren't doing, you know, they're not the chairman of the committee. Yeah, Freda. Freda's right. I believe we we've had a chairman just we've got a chairman of every one of
048these committees. It would be the advisor basically. Yeah. We can change the wording. I mean Yeah. I just noticed that it said advisor. If the advisor then that's not a school board member. Yeah. That's an exeicio member. Yeah. Yeah. So it would to me it would be the committee should be a school board. You got a chair of all I mean I've recognized and been recognized by chairs of all these committees. So, I don't know when that Yeah. I mean, you got to have someone that leads the organ the organizational process of a committee, a meeting or anything. We um I think so. Yes. Yeah. We're kind of having a discussion without a motion on the floor, but I guess it's kind of clarifying. We did make a change a number of months ago on
049the policy committee where we made the board a board member chair. Um, and uh, that's I there's no reason we couldn't do that. I would probably wait until we, you know, have our reorganization meeting or we reappoint the committees in September, but there's nothing nothing to matter with that. I mean, is there any reason not to have a board members? Sorry. 1.30 would be the place to plant whatever. Mhm. Right. you're thinking there I mean except for like the safety committee probably you know you probably can't have a board members chair of the safety committee but Mr. chair may also add to it that regardless of who y'all determine who can call the committee together whe it's two committee members or the chair whomever it may be out of courtesy I would ask that you
050would notify the director schools uh also Melissa so she may be able to help set up the committee itself unless y'all have a particular date she can contact those on that committee if it's all right with you folks but you know a procedure like that and I don't have any problem with that you you know, whoever y'all decide to call a committee, but if it's something I think that needs to be discussed, director school needs to be involved in that process as as you well know. Yeah. Because board policy does say and dictate that, you know, anytime complaint or concern, the director school needs to be the one to be involved in that. So, out of courtesy, I would ask that that be done, please. Is that something that should be on the policy committee
051agenda? I just got through googling it. It says in Tennessee, the process of determining a schoolboard committee member chairman is usually handled by the school board itself. The board typically elects its own chair and vice chair who then serve. This is talking about the board for a one-year term. The board chair is then responsible for appointing the chairs and members of any committees. So, you would be the one that would appoint the chair of the committees. No, that's what it says here. Falling down on my job. I can barely Okay. It says the board chair is then responsible once we elect the board chairman, then the board chair is then responsible for appointing the chairs and members of any committees. Is that law or recommend recommendation? It sounds pretty good. It's uh I just said
052it's in Tennessee and it and it is referring to TCA492202. So that's the board policy. When you back to what Miss Matthew said I guess y'all need to determine whether the chairman of that committee can call it or whether it takes two members of that committee. Right. That's that was my question. Plug that in 1.30 as a line item. Yeah, plug that into the board committee policy so that it's all right there written out. So, we probably need to put that on the policy committee meeting agenda. I think we probably need to add to it. Yeah, that sounds good to me. So, yes. So, refer that to policy committee. Yeah, I'm good. All right. I know you got a stack of things, but work work through it, I guess. All right. Any further discussion, clarification,
053questions on that? I mean, I guess I would I would I think since we're we're in June already and we're going to reorganize committees or reappoint committees in September, we probably just let it ride until then and then we can make some wholesale moves at that point. Everybody okay with that? All right. And I don't see where we need any action here. And strike that and move on to student fees. And this was uh um we kicked this down the road from last meeting because we wanted a report on what kind of student fees are collected at the different schools. So, um, do we and I know there's a number of them here. Um, Miss Nelson, do you have a summary that you can elaborate on? Um, so all I have I'm looking at these
054fees now. So, I think these are passed um these weren't passed to me. They were just passed to someone else to put in here. So, I'm looking at them now. So the there should be a um a letter head document you have in front of you that shows what was collected. So I think those there's one for the high school Bader Academy should be middle school and Deerfield. So those are the fees I that these schools collected from the students for um the school this school year. So, it looks like the high school collected around $6,316. Raider Academy collected $1,875. Deerfield collected $126. And then I'm didn't pull up middle school. Hold on. I'm trying to find middle school. There it is. And then middle school collected total of Do you know your total? It's
055not total on here. So they collected for science, STEM, and band. So around a little over $3,000, about $33 $3,400. So these were collected from the individual schools and then we also um give fee waiver to each school. Every school gets it based on their um free and reduced number um is a certain amount per per free and reduced child. So we gave out a total of 33,593 in the school year in the school year and that number changes every year based on the number of students that are on free and reduced. That's kind of um the story. Also we we also give funding for um so like at the high school we provide funding for um music um math social studies art I'm sorry not music art um science social studies math um so
056each instructional area gets a specific amount of money based on um number of students they have at each school and then the elementaryaries they get by grade level. Um so they get like one through five um instructional money and then they get um library money, um kindergarten material money, um and then music money. So they they get other things outside of that, but instructional that's kind of the um kind of how we look at the fees and the money that monies that go out to the schools. Is that does that um I'll take questions if you guys Okay. Specifically, let's wait till we get to discussion. All right. So, I would need a motion um to I guess approve or disapprove the the student fee request for 2526 as written here or some alternative. So,
057if somebody wants to make a motion so we can move to discussion. I just make a motion that we discuss it because I think we've already approved the fee waiver for for the next school year, haven't we? No, we haven't. No. Well, is this is this the same? Is this what we're being asked to approve? This it wouldn't be fee waiver, would it? It's just approving these fees. I mean the fees. Yes. Have we we've approved the fees for next year? No, we have not. We haven't this year. What you have? No, it's student fees. We looked at it last meeting. No, we haven't approved. We have not approved them. What we approved last meeting was the fee waiver money that was left went back to the school general funds. Understand that. But we discussed
058we discussed that the fees for next year and I guess we didn't make we we did we kicked it okay back to this meeting till we could get a summary of of all the uh fees at the different schools. I believe we I believe we had a vote. Yeah, we voted. We had a vote on it because that was a no vote. Yeah, I think we took it off the t I think we took the motion off is what we did. It's in the minutes that were approved earlier in this meeting. Yeah, we we didn't I don't think we voted on it. We just took it off. Right. Well, the minutes are there. I think Mr. Cordell actually made a motion and then he with withdrew his motion. Yes. Correct. So, if no motion is
059made on this, then these fees are not charged. Correct. to the students. They were not approved. If they're not approved, no motion. Okay. And we waited to approve them to this meeting until we had um information on how how much uh each school was collecting in the way of fees. Yes. We need to make a motion to approve. We need to make a motion to approve to approve or some alternative. Um, but that that's where we are at right now on on the fees. We need I need I'll make a motion that we a motion or what's the that we so that we can talk about at least talk about it. So I'll make a motion that we discuss it make it to approve. Yes, Mr. Hansard has made a motion to Sorry about that.
060approve the fees. Do I have a second? I'll second that motion. Mr. Cordell seconds. All right. Discussion. Mr. Chair. Yes, sir. Miss April, how much uh how much waiver money is covered by the state or federal? So, it's not broken out like that anymore. BEP used to tell us what we could do, what we should do. Um, so in the new formula, they don't. So we just chose to keep everything in the same manner that BEP had it, but the state doesn't break it down like that anymore. So, well, I was I was just simply I was I was adding these up and it's less than $10,000 a year for all these schools of monies that are paid in by parents. I'm just wondering what we are losing if we don't submit any. How how
061much funds are we losing that we would have to pay if we paid for all the fees? Um it would all the materials it would just be additional fund balance hit to our budget for this fee because we don't well I'm just wondering what that amount is. So that would be here but it may change a little bit because of the student number. So you may get a lower or higher number based on your students fluctuations each year. Does that make So like you may have I think I think I think going back to what Holly did on the a while ago you I believe you was correct on that because I was the one that was requesting to know obviously how much the schools are bringing in. We got that we're about 10 almost
062$10,000. But then how much are we losing that has been waved by the state or federal that we've submitted for that they've covered? We don't it doesn't so like that that doesn't get broken out like that anymore because we don't know how much we've spent for these same materials that we've covered. Are you talking like breakout per school or like just a just a total number? I mean we can see with all these schools right here that almost $10,000 have come in for parents for recorders and all of these all of these items. I'm just wondering how much was erased or covered by state and federal. So we paid the total cost of these materials. So we paid the schools like the total amount paid to the schools was 335 is what we gave to
063the schools. So 335 plus the 10 is about what we spend every year for these type of materials. Yeah. Plus we also like if you look at the like let me just give an example um math. So look at math for the high school like they collected $790. We also give math funds. Um so when I say 335 that doesn't include the instructional funds that we give to the departments. So we also give that as well. So um and then another one is science. We also give science money to the high school. So when I say 335 that's not all we're giving to the school. for giving um also instructional departmental money that you know could help be helped to pay for supplies and stuff for the school year to cover the free ones, the
064free and reduced. Um I'm I'm just looking for the other side of this $10,000 where the other 90% is. It would it would be in the free what that number is. it would be in the free I don't know what we would call it because um if we're going to cover all then I don't think it could be called fee waiver anymore because it fee waver is only supposed to be used for kids that are free and reduced right so we would have to call it something different but we would just pick up the total amount instead of charging the fees well if you know if if these materials cost $100,000 a year or $50,000 a year you're getting $10,000 back from parents so that would be 90,000 we would be paying for if we
065didn't worry about or actually 100 if we didn't worry about all of it. Correct. Right. If that's the right number and I'm looking for that other number besides the 10. So, we give 335 to the schools. Okay. I I have a question. I have a question. When these fees are collected, for instance, um I'll just pull one out. uh 1875 at Coff County Raider Academy. Is that only collected from the the students that are eligible to pay or is at that time when the fee wavers are used? So that is what was collected from the students who paid every student is asked for it as not that sent. Yeah. So at that point are they told that they have a fee waiver for that for that fee? They're not. So that really there shouldn't be
066any money turned back in at the end of the year in my opinion because there's a way of using those fee wavers. Now I know that middle school, high school and raider have a you know pretty good decent way to spend their fee waiver. I think elementary struggle with it just a little bit and we have to um talk about because they don't have a whole lot of fees and we're required if they only collected $1875 from the students. Okay. and there, you know, there's some of them not going to pay. What do they do at that point? Do they reach into their fee waver money that at that point? Mhm. Yes, ma'am. So, if there's a student that doesn't pay, they just use the fee waiver. Even if they could have paid, they still
067use the fee waver to pay for that at that point. But for only $40 to $50,000 a year, we're banking on parents sending some money with these students and then we'll only pull out if we need to out of the fee waver pot. So for a measly $40 or $50,000 a year, we don't we no longer get into all this and worrying about it. And then if there's any monies left over of the 4050 a year, we roll it over to the next year and then we might only have to stack it with 20 or 30. No, we shouldn't be. I can tell you that that I heard from some parents and asked parents, you know, on Facebook, which is hardly a scientific survey, I know, but but I didn't get one that said uh
068student fees were an issue. As a matter of fact, some said, you know, I'd rather have free lunches or or whatever. And and so, yeah, when you have the options, you know, I know it's not a scientific surveys, but it's a data point for you. So, I'm an advocate for all of them. Yeah. Okay. I guess all of you. I guess my point is teachers think teachers seem to not have enough money because they're on Facebook begging and I can't figure out why. And that, you know, it looks bad on us that asking, you know, we're collecting fees for these students every year and then evidently there's still a need, you know, in the classroom because there are am I am I looking at that right? No. No. So, I think we may have discussed
069this at the last meeting. Um, I obviously am not in favor of the student fee request. Um I feel like tax dollars should cover that. Uh this is public education and public tax dollars are used. Um but we had also discussed you know if teachers are low on supplies could we increase the amount that we give each teacher at the beginning of the school year which I think we said was $200 a year. Most of the time I don't think that covers a lot of the expense it takes to set up a classroom each year. So, we had, I think, tossed that idea around a little bit to give the teachers more at the beginning of the year, and that could possibly offset some or most of these student fees if we could do that.
070If there's a better way to fund the money that's needed for the supplies, I mean, I'm for whatever. I just don't want the taxpayers and the parents and the students done for more money. Is what we allocate to the parents are the the teachers separate from I mean how does how do they go together with the student fees? Does that go into the teachers pot or that may that would be an April question I think. Sorry I'm not comfortable asking that you might I have a question for April. Are all the instructional funds used every year? Is that carried over at each school? Um so we majority spends all of it. We do have some dollars here and there that get rolled into the pool um to the pool fund to roll over for next
071year, but a majority spend most of their money. You might have five, six, seven dollars left for a teacher that doesn't spend it and it rolls into the pulled funds. And I'm not talking about the $200. I'm talking about the money that's allocated aside from that. What's because there's funds at each school for teacher supplies. Is that used up every year? So, you're talking about like the um instructional money that we send? Yes. So, yes, we require them to spend it each year. Um we do have a few schools that send us back. If they do not spend it, they have to send it back to us here. So, we encourage them to spend it all, but very little. So, like I think we might have collected around five or six dollars this year. Like,
072it's it's spent. They use it all. Um just and we monitor that to make sure they do. um because we don't want obviously them to send us a check back for those supplies supply money. So um when when we designate say $200 a year for each teacher um this this money that if they collected student fees, if they did, does does that money go for that department, that teacher? And could we just increase money for the departments. Um, or do or would it be better to increase teacher supply money per teacher or per department? I I don't know what would be better. Um, some departments are going to be more expensive to operate than than others. It's going to cost more to run a STEM program and a science lab than it is to run
073a math class probably. Maybe. I don't know. Um, so it could be that the the amount varies based on the program or the department, I guess I should say. Very much so. I mean, it's a chem a chemistry lab is going to you're going to spend a lot more money, right? Opposed to a world history. I am not for taking away from any department. That's not where I'm going with this. I'm saying that we as a district need to step up and provide this for our students and their parents. That's what I'm for. So, so the classroom fun, just keep in mind the classroom, we give the teachers the $200 that we give the teachers, they have to use it on instructional items for their classroom. I mean, we've got stuff on here uh to
074provide pens and paper and Kleenex and folders. To me, those are those are just basic necessities. You know, why are we asking parents for that kind of thing? That's just my concern. and white boards, cleaning supplies, and I mean, you know, Ziploc bags and Kleenex and disinfectants, paper, pencils. It's public education. Why only Kleenex and social studies? Yeah, making the kids cry. Yeah. Wake up. I don't know. I just my my feeling is that we as a school district I would like to see us step up and take care of this for our teachers, students and parents and not not charge anymore. It it's it's challenging starting a school year as a teacher and as a parent. Some of these students are paying their own way and I just hate to see them ask for
075more personally and sometimes they'reounded for it if they don't. They are they are asked every day and some cannot pay it if they don't have it. Yeah, it's really not. So, if we can fund it ourselves, I would I think that would be wonderful. And it would take the burden off the teachers asking and the kids and the parents feeling like they've got to bring $5 in for Kleenex or dry erase markers. Well, that almost goes back to the principal of each school to see that that's not occurring in a way. Yes. because uh it and and I I personally feel like that there's money there at each school. Maybe it's not getting in the right there may be in the right category or whatever, but that's something that needs to be looked at. So,
076Mil Miss Millson, what would be the best way to proceed from a budget standpoint? Would it be to approve the student fees and then later do a budget amendment to cover those costs so that the fees aren't necessary or would it be better just to make a motion now to do the whole I mean it's kind of hard to vote on something when we don't know the exact amount that we'd be looking at. So, would we be better to do the to approve the student fees as it is and then do an offset to the to the classrooms later as a budget amendment? Um, I mean, if it's if it's going to obviously Yeah. But if it if you increase the fees, we'll do we would have to do a budget amendment for I mean
077if you wanted to increase the amount we give to the schools, whether it be department or teacher or um fee waiver or whatever, then we would have to do a budget amendment in the next school year to take care of that because I usually try to get those out to the schools pretty early in the school year. So we would have to take care of that pretty early um in the budget year. But as far as like which way we would go with that, I would like to discuss that with Mr. Hardrove and figure out what the best option would be as far as which way we wanted to go. Yeah. Even even if we stayed right where we were and just picked up what they're bringing into the schools from parents, that's less than
078$10,000. I would definitely need a budget amendment for that if that was to occur. What? You would need a budget amendment for that? Yeah, because I try to budget to the penny on all those all those items. Okay. I thought the director and I thought you all could spend up to 25,000 and move it around without board approval. Well, it has to be in the it has to be in that line and I may not have $10,000 in that line of it. April transfer depending on where the money came from. sound like this is an administrative nightmare trying to keep up with all of that from all the fees and whatever coming in for whatever sound like it'd be an administrative nightmare. Going back to the point Miss Matthews is making and I know there
079are different departments and they have different needs and whatever. Uh it may be a lot simpler just to increase the amount per department instead of putting all the parents and the whatever through this administrative nightmare trying to collect the fees and keep up with it and balance and determine whatever. Would it not be simpler just to increase based on the needs of the department set a set a budget or whatever and then do it that way and increase the amount per uh department or school or teacher and make it easy on the teachers and the whole system. Yeah. Does that make any system? Does that make any sense? In the past, uh whenever I was over at the school, um we would actually have have a few fees and that made it so that we
080could actually use the fee waiver to take care of it. That's how I used it at that time. Just just a little FYI. Uh, so if I want to do STEM projects and so forth, if we wanted to end up using that fee waiver, then we had to show that we did have a fee with it. But it's a little different now than than that, but that's kind of how we did it. But we have Oh, go ahead. Well, you know, like like Mr. Gilly said if if we fund this which is what 10 thou approximately 10,000 that does away with it there's no fees right so that's simple and then increase increase the instructional supplies for each school and the teachers know that if they need something they need to go to their principal
081not not to the community that's the way I kind of look at it yes I'm all about trying to simplify things and make it easier for our system and our teachers and the whole system. Yes. Thank you. Now, as I understand it, let me see if I get this right. Um, if we charge a fee, then we can utilize the fee waiver and the federal government comes in and helps with that or the state government making up the difference for what the students can't pay. Am I understanding that correctly? That's the way I used it whenever I was at the school by having the fee. I was able then if it wasn't if we if we didn't use it or the the monies wasn't coming in then we could actually use the fee waiver to
082do that. I'm not sure that's how the schools are now, but but I know that's way I did it. April, do you know I mean I know that like um some of the schools so like maybe their fees are on here because it's for a field trip like they have a charge a fee for a field trip and they are able to use the fee waiver for that field trip because there's a fee that's charged associated with it. Okay. So if we don't charge for some things then we won't have that money available to us that would come in through fee wavering. Is that correct? So BEP used to break it out and say this is how much you get for fee waiver. This is your number and we sent that out based on the
083number that BEP gave us. um when BEP went away and got replaced by TISA, we don't have that calculation anymore. It's not based on that anymore. So BEP used to have several different components of calculating our formula, our funding. Um and so we don't have that complex calculation anymore. So the state doesn't say, "Oh, we're giving you this $36,000 for um fee waver um under TISA." And it doesn't say that where BEP said this is the requirement. Those requirements bled over and when we when Tissa, but it's not broken out like that anymore. So when we when Tissa was adopted, we kept the same principle because Tissa Tissa Tissa's motto's always been it's in there. Everything's in there, but they don't show you what's actually in there. So we kind of kept everything um in
084the same model that we would have kept it under BEP. So we don't actually get broken out. It doesn't actually get broken out and say this is what's for this is what's for instructional money. This is what's for the teachers. This is what's for we just kept the same calculation we've always used because when everything rolled together for Tissa that's what they said is everything's in there. So that's kind of how we evolved to through big pay to Tissa. So it's not actually money that we get. It's just money that is always in the in the formula that we've chose to keep in our calculation. We're funding 35,000. We're just talking about funding 45 and technically we're still charging Miss Beth. We would we're still being charged. We're just paying it instead of the parent.
085Okay. Mhm. I don't know. It's the fee waver money would still be there. So, we're really looking, like Robert says, at about $10,000 to increase it, not to have to because you're putting this money towards the kids anyway. So, if we brought up if we ended up funding 10 more thousand, then we don't have to fool with the whole fee fee thing. Correct. It could be 10 this year. Next year it could be 12. It just it just depends on your student number. Could be nine. It just depends on what your student number is for that. Yeah. But you would you would do a budget amendment on whatever that would be or a transfer based on where I could pull it from. Okay. Okay. Thank you. All right. We have a motion on the floor
086to approve the student fee request. Um, so we can withdraw that motion. We can vote on that motion and if it fails, we can propose another motion to pay for the the fees. Um, I um or other options. So, um I think there I think most of the consent I mean I can withdraw my motion if I need because I I mean I like to see it us pay for it as you know myself. Um so I can withdraw my motion if I need to. Okay, that kind of anybody. Mr. Cornell, you seconded it. Are you I'll second that. So So uh so Mr. answer. I would like to withdraw my motion to uh previously made to pay for. All right. And Mr. Cordell agrees to withdraw the motion. Yes, sir. All right. So, we
087uh we then need a motion, I guess, to pay for for the Okay. Then I I'll make I'd like to make a motion to pay for our school funds for our basically make the fees go away. Yeah, our fee waiver. I would like to pay for our fee waver. Make a motion to pay for our fee waiver. Student fees. No, no, the student fees. The student fee waver. I'll second that. Okay, Mr. Chair. Yes, sir. just need to be very careful on the way that the motion is stated because depending on if you're looking at paying the 10,000 that or whatever it was 6,000 more that was paid last time that's one thing. If you're saying we are paying for the fees, then you need to to realize you're looking at each one of these
088for each student for each part. And we're looking at significant money when you're looking at that. So starting just the first one, social studies, $3 for classroom supplies such as pen, paper, da da da, whatever. Every kid that is a going to social studies, that would be $3 for each student. Then we jump down to the next one. $20 for each AP science and honors for $15. We're We're getting ready. So, you got to be careful the way you do that motion on that one. Well, then Well, hold on. Hold on. Can I Can I say something real quick that then? And that should have been spoke up and brought up just a minute ago in discussion because the questions that have been asked this entire time was what was in addition to the $10,000
089and between what we pay for and what parents pay for totals up to be about $45,000. So now if you're talking about that and I didn't disagree with that, huh? And I didn't disagree with what you're saying. No, but you're talking about a significant re. We're talking about a $10,000 raise, right? But but he didn't clarify. That's the reason why I'm saying we need to make sure we clarify in the motion because one thing is what was paid last year by parents, which is what everybody's been talking about. Mhm. But whenever you say we're going to pay for every fee, now you're getting to each individual person in every fee that that person would make in every class for everybody that's in that class, which changed from 10,000 to significantly more. And if you're willing
090to do that and you want to go that direction, it's fine. I just want to make sure you're aware when you're making that motion. But one would assume that the questions because that was the documentation we were given which was those fees you were referencing to we were given those one would assume that the answer from Miss April about the 30 around $35,000 the letters that the principal sent in on their letterheads of the amounts they have collected total to $45,000. I see how you could make an argument for social studies to be 35,000 on its own. Yeah. But I I think we've got a big No, we the way I understood it leaving this in this pandemic. Okay. I thought we were just talking about that the the amount of money that we were
091able to calculate up that we collected last year around 10,000 would be the amount that we would contribute back because based on what we saw last year was right around $10,000 and we would cover $10,000. I don't think we've there would be no point in collecting from every student for every subject. I mean, or saying that we would or or asking us for the money because they're obviously not paying it. I understand. I'm just Yeah, there's two different numbers there that you're looking at. Yeah, I understand. And that's a good point. All I'm saying is be careful and how you say it and what you're you're you're putting in the motion. We may need to This got this got way out of kilter here. A lot of misinformation at last minute. I I you know,
092Mr. Hansert still kind of has the floor on a motion, but this got way out of hand real quick on amounts. Just clarifying that. Yeah, let me clarify that. I'll make a motion to wave the student funds for up to $10,000. Okay. Are you fine with that clarification then since you made the second? Um, that wouldn't Well, does that work up up to 10,000? Uh, but how do you do that? I mean, not for me. I just think that probably But he's not thinking right. But he's not there. He's not there just yet because we still have to cover what the number that April gave us that was collected last year that we would put that amount in towards student fees. That's what I was thinking. Yeah. Whatever. That's the way if that's the way
093the motion and he meant it. Mhm. Yeah. But if I'm wrong, correct it. Yeah. I mean, that's I'm adding up these numbers. These are what was collected in student fees. Correct. And no students are going to be asked for fees. Correct. No students will be asked for fees. They will be unless we do something different. That's what I'm saying. If we if this motion passed, no students will be asked for fees and then our district will fund this the amount that was paid in for student fees last year towards next year, but not not not a fee for every student in these departments, just the amount that we collected last year. Is that right? I'm confused. Well, that's that's where I have a disconnect to what what we're talking about here because what we've what
094we were given and what we looked at totaled up to $10,000. What Mr. Shores just interjected right there on the end is hundreds of thousands potentially. Absolutely. That's why I want to make sure said correctly. That's where I broke rule and everything else to interject here, but that was about to be a costly so we need to be careful. You're right with how we word the motion. That's the reason why I said up to $10,000. So, you know, if that's wrong, I mean, I'm think we're all Somebody make, you know, tell me. And then and then we need to determine what fees what's considered fees. I mean, is Kleenex fees the list we looked at or not the list we looked at? I mean, maybe there needs to be a definition of what fees are
095first. Yeah. The list we looked at or not the list. That's what I'm trying not to do is to make usually, you know, you think of it as a workbook, as a something that goes along with that. I'm wondering where the rest of the story is. Well, the the the motion on the floor right now is to offset fees up to $10,000. So, um, exactly. Do we have discussion? Mr. Chair, may I ask clarification from Miss Matthews? Yes. Are you still seeing that that we will charge these fees for next year as they are listed on the sheets from the middle school later academy and cuff county high school and Deerfield that's the only four schools we only have actually gave us a list okay of things that they in the past no so we're
096not asking right ask for any more student fees no more okay that's what I proposed I think I think that's I I think we've got a big disconnect here between two different numbers that we're still not getting that we've asked for at two different meetings. I think we're not getting the numbers. I think we would be better off to get the numbers presented at the work session and then come back and and then vote on that way we actually see numbers for you know projected numbers what we'd be looking at because it's like last year for social studies at the high school there was zero dollars collected you know now they're asking $3 for every you know for classroom supplies in and every student you know the the AP science is $20. Honors science $15.
097Looking over here, the the science for the high school last year they collected $2,700. So I know there's more than you know you know every student's required science. I know at least two years, three years. So I mean there's got to have you know there's got to be more money. So I think we need projected numbers what we'd be looking at before we can actually take a vote on this. I agree. Agreed. I agree. M Mr. Couns, it is a very complex Yeah. Oh, absolutely. It is. No, nobody had said anything. I love where our hearts are at. Um, nobody has misrepresented anything. Everybody's been right, but it's very a very And it's going to take a minute to get those numbers. Yeah. Am I correct, Miss Nelson? Yes. I think I now understand. Maybe
098I don't um I think I I need to talk with the bookkeepers more but now I need to I well they're well some of them are not here any won't be here for another week but yes I think I now understand kind of and the principles on and get a game plan on how we approach this because I think we were looking at it as in two different in two different ways. I'm just like I say and I think they're they're agreeing. I'm just looking for the cost for those materials whether it comes from parents or whether it comes from the school system. What is the cost of that? But don't we almost need to know the difference in cost and what we've already budgeted and we're already paying in. We need the difference in
099costs to totally cover it. Am I mistaken? Got there tonight, I think. All right, Mr. Chair, I I would like to uh withdraw that motion then and uh make a motion for us to uh make that uh to bring that up at our next work session to discuss this. You you seconded it. Well, I I'm not sure that his motion was ever actually seconded that that last motion about the up to 10,000. I'm not I'm not sure it was ever was it seconded? I think second. Yeah. All right. you basically. So if if Mr. Cordell seconded it, it would be him that would the first one. Okay. Did I second the Okay. Okay. Yes, I'm good with that. Okay. I don't remember what I've done. A lot of scratches here, but that's that's what I
100got on my piece of paper. So you were reading me correctly. So Mr. Hansert uh withdraws the motion with the agreeance of uh uh is that a word? I don't know. uh with the agreement of Miss Matthews and um do we need to make a motion to consider it at the at the uh I think we can just take it, you know, kick the can down the road. We don't need to have a motion to put it on the agenda for the week. Put it on the agenda. What's that? Put it on. Just kidding. Withdraw the motion and this will be brought up at the next work session. Yeah. And then we'll have some some solid numbers then. All right, Miss Matthew, thank you for bringing that up. Oh, thank thank you for your comments
101as well. Appreciate that. All right, Mr. After Muy discussion, we take that off the agenda, kick it on to the work session, which will be next week. Um, Mr. Shores, number seven, weather alert system. I think Mr. Harrow was gonna Okay. I thought that was your item. Sorry. Dr. Pal and I met with Mr. Chambers from the Manchester Fire Department. And um Mr. Shores, what he shared has changed a little bit since the last meeting. Uh at that time, we were responsible for the polls. Um and it's my understanding now, uh there's going to be two tornado voice over speakers placed. One on our high school campus between the baseball and softball field and the other one is at Raider Academy in between the soccer and football fields. And our only obligation would be paying
102for the electricity, not getting the electricity dug, just the electrical bill of operating those. And this actually does not require uh approval of the board. uh before the other was actually installing a pole on our property uh from somebody else. Since that's not the case anymore, it does not require the approval of the board and we can move forward with the the the voice over loudspeaker warning system, which is pretty nice. I really wish they were going in all of them. What about our poor county? I mean, this is wonderful, but it's going, you know, it's wonderful for Coffee County Middle. I mean, for for Raider Academy and High School, but there's Coffee County Middle and all these elementary schools that's not getting that. Why can we not put it in the others? I um
103remember that this is a grant that is being written by the Manchester Fire Department or the city. Oh, so it's going to serve just the city. There's no assurance that anything's going to happen. So, what Mr. chambers had originally thought was that they would set a sirene system uh at the high school, which is what they'd have to set a pole and all that. That's that's not it anymore. What he's asking now is in the grant he's going to put in there or ask for at the high school and the Raider Academy would be that there would be a if they was a tornado warning or something like this, there would not be a siren. It would just be a voice activated thing. there's a tornado warning in this area or tornado watch in this
104area or you know strong thunderstorms. I'm not sure what all they would tell you, but it it would not be a sirene as such like we had originally had been told, I think. So, this is a grant that's being written and they're just asking for us to be able to put in the grant that they have a station at the high school, between the baseball, softball field, middle school, between the soccer field and and the football field that would be a part of this emergency system. It's not a sirene as such. And the reason why those two schools of course they are located in the city limits. Yes. Maybe maybe a in the future a county fire department could apply for the grant or something. Okay. All right. So no action to needed on the
105part of the board. So next up we have uh budget amendment 141-2025-21. Uh, Miss Nelson. So, this is just a um entry that's required by the state. So, it came late last year in the last school year and they didn't give it to us in time for us to get it in. So, what this uh budget amendment does is it records the um the amount that the state paid on behalf of us for um post-secary testing and the students we have in the juvenile detention center. So this is just basically a um entry that we're required to make. And so I have to record the revenue and record the expenditure. So it's a net zero. It's just an entry that I have to I have to do the budget amendment because I don't have money.
106I don't have the money from these lines. And so um this is to take care of that. All right. And it doesn't affect fund balance obviously. All right. I need a motion to approve budget amendment 141-2025-21. I so move, Mr. Cordell. Second. I'll second it. Okay. Any discussion? Questions for April? All right. Let's see. Um, Miss Jones. Uh, Mr. Mr. Hansert. Hi. Miss Yench. I Mr. Cordell. Hi. Mr. Gilly is absent. Mr. Hi. Miss Matthews. I. Miss Hajj. I. And I will vote yes. That passes 820. Item number nine, budget amendment um 141 2025-22. So this is just some normal moving around of funds. Um we needed to increase our retirey dental vision um line to pay that we used to pay our the portion of retirees dental vision out of and then um we
107purchased some software I needed to move funds in that line for and then um our capital line was getting a little bit lower than I like to to be when we go into summer because things could come up large things could come up and so basically there's no specific item that I'm putting in money in this on for it is just to be able to cover some um if we have some huge emergency or a large item that comes up in the summer um to go ahead and move some funds to that capital line. All right, I need a um a motion to approve budget member 141-2025-22. So move a second. Mr. Gordell. Um, any discussion? Questions for April. All right. Uh, Mr. Hansert. Hi, Miss Yench. Hi, Mr. Cordell. Hi, Mr. Gilly. Hi, Mr.
108Hi, Miss Matthews. I miss Jones. Uh, I'll passes 920 to zero. All right. Budget amendment 141-2025-23. This is the budget amendment to take care of Mr. Harrove's um June salary. So, we have to acrew that that funds um the funds to pay him for the month of for the month of June. So, this is to move that that funding into these lines and it doesn't affect fund balance. Okay. Do I have a motion to approve budget amendment 141-2025-23? I so move, Mr. Cordell. I second that. Okay. Thought you were voting. I had a question. All right. Uh, Miss Yench, I had a question. Oh, I'm sorry. Miss Jones has a question. I just had a question about the psychological personnel. Uh, am I looking at the wrong budget? No, that's the money I took. It's
109where I took the money the fun. Okay. So, you took it from that. Okay. And moved it into the Yeah, we didn't end up hiring that position this year. So, I took the funds from that position. That was the next question I was going to ask. So, you did hire a a person, not a contracted person. Okay. That's correct. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We're on number 10, right? That is Yeah, number 10. Thank Did I say something else? It's always possible. It should be Well, yeah. All right. Um, you're right. Miss Y inch I Mr. Cordell. Hi, Gilly. Hi, Mr. Goon. Hi, Miss Matthews. Hi, Miss Saj. Hi, Miss Jones. Hi, uh, Mr. Anert. Hi, that passes. 920. Um, item number 11, budget update. Back to you, Miss Melson. This is the budget update for
110the month of April. Um, we received $3.3 million in state revenue, 625,000 in local. Um, that brought us to 90.23% of of total revenue received for the year. Um, compared to year to date of 89.66%. 66%. Um through April we have spent um 39 million of our expenditures which brought us to the 71.19% compared to last year 67.78%. Um nothing nothing really um stands out. I think budget is on track. We will have um two month two more month sorry three more months of expenditures to record and then um three more months of revenue to record. But so far the budget's on track. I'll take any additional question or I'll take any questions that you have. Okay, we need a motion to approve the budget update. Anybody make a motion? I'll make motion now. Matthews
111and I make them too fast. Y'all make them. Miss Jones. All right. Any discussion, questions for Miss Melson? How does it look like we're getting on on track for um um coming out on the positive side of things? It looks like re revenues are pretty strong. Our sales tax is really strong right now. Okay. Okay, I think we'll come out ahead on that. Um, property tax, it says we collected around 97%. Um, we're still having a little bit trickle in um but it's getting little. So, I don't know that we'll we'll um meet our 100% of of property tax, but sales tax is going to make make up for it for sure. Okay. So, I do think we'll hit 100% of revenues in total. We'll be very close to it. All right. Any further questions
112for Miss Nelson? All right, we vote to approve the budget update. Mr. Cordell, I Mr. Gilly. I Mr. Hi. Mr. Matthews or Miss I like really losing it here. Okay. Miss Matthews. Miss Matthews votes I. Thank you for that. Uh, Miss Hodgej. I. Miss Jones. I and Mr. Hansert I Miss Yench I and Miss Ballard vote one. Nine to zero. All right. All right. So now we move on to the meteor discussions I guess. Um item number 12 on our agenda is to discuss policy 6.312 on the cell phones. And you can bring that up. That is on our on our list here somewhere. There it is. And um Mr. Goon, did you want to lead off the discussion on this? No. or you had some questions or Well, um I'll make a uh motion
113to approve it so that you know we can discuss. All right. So, uh yeah, motion to approve 6.312 made by Mr. I second and Mr. Hansert. All right. Discussion. Um, I guess one of the biggest things I've got is that, you know, you know, the um, you know, we were talking about a complete ban of cell phones and now here we are. We're, you know, basically back to the same policy we had. So, why are we even updating our policy? I mean there's very little there's very little but I mean it's still up to the you know teachers and how it's used and you know the only thing I can say is on the u you know the disciplinary you know the offenses you know I mean that's a little more spelled out but other
114than that I mean why was everything gutted out of it? Why was the meat of the policy gutted out of it? That's well, you know, I'm not on the policy committee, so I'm asking, Mr. Chair, Mr. Gilly. All right. This policy, we spent two meetings in about eight hours in two meetings. Uh, principles, uh, a few people, I think Mr. Hanser stopped by one meeting, uh, for a little while. Basically, there's a we did have a policy that was basically our policy since 2012 was no cell phones period. That's the way it was. Didn't have any repercussions. Didn't have any offenses levels, none of that kind of stuff in it. After this eight hours, the consensus of the majority of the policy committee came back with more of an out of sight, out of mind
115approach. uh with some stiff penalties. Uh we had a lot of people in the policy committee meetings uh one of them being our district attorney general for one of them sat through the session to explain a lot of the reasonings behind the out of out of sight out of mind theory uh when it comes to safety and things of that nature. Uh we we basically started with the modeled Warren County policy and that's the reason you see a lot of things marked out because their policy actually violated law in a lot of places because they're in the process of having to even even totally rebuild theirs as well. So, and and and the basics, we were having to engineer a new theory and a new policy to build off of and work with. And this
116is everyone pretty well knew when we brought this recommendation to this board that sets us something to work with. Mhm. And go from there. This gets us something that achieves the goal that even safety was after with an out of sight, out of out of mind, but also opens the doors for opportunity to where these these kids, you're not getting into pouches. You're not getting into unlawful seizures. You're not getting into things of that nature. U our policy committee meetings had uh the one that Mr. Mr. Northcot was there. There was quite a bit of information explaining when you get to that point of unlawful seizures. There it is and you start pushing it too long getting into things of that nature. So, uh that was a lot there was a lot of discussion on
117this. uh you know, we we still took out some things even from our from our uh prior policy of of where teachers are encouraged to integrate their phones into the curriculum. We took that out. So, we're not necessarily saying they can't have them in in their pockets, in their backpacks or whatever, but you've got stiff penalties if you bring them out because 95% of this policy and the reason the state come down on it and and the law, it has to do with safety. Uh we spent I think 3 hours on the fact of what is instructional time and what isn't. Well, it doesn't really matter. But when you look at the safety aspects of things, instructional time or non-instructional time, doesn't matter. Because if you allow kids to have their phone during non-instructional time,
118if it's interpreted to be in between classes or lunch, you're negating the fact of the security reasons of why you don't want them to have the phones in the first place to be able to have that communication during the school day at school amongst each other. So this was very very complicated and I think we did really well as a unanimous group. It was a it was a full unanimous vote to bring what is here to this board to start with as a great start. Okay. I think, you know, I was on that committee also and I haven't seen this since it was written up, but I don't think it's specific enough uh because like you said, we spent a long long time hashing this out and we finally got where there was a consensus
119of every principal on the first offense, second, third, and fourth offense systemwide. So that's very to me that was very important that all parents and students know that this is what's going to happen you know as consequences of having your phone during instructional time. But my thinking was that we it says students may possess personal communication devices and personal electronic devices so long as they're turned off and stored in backpacks, purses or personal carryoffs. So that means that out of side every school not lockers cuz see they don't have lockers at every school. We went through that as well. But there the middle school did have lockers and I know Mr. uh Anderson it was go you know he has his put in the lockers. So we got to make sure that of tools youard.
120It was remember it was the consensus of tools whatever tools you have at your school to keep them. It was an out of sight out of mind basis. Well, I'm kind of like Mr. now. We've gone back to just it to me it should be the same across the board. I thought that's what we came up with because I know I know the uh the every principal had their own rules that they were going by and they said it wasn't an issue but but uh the middle school was the only one that was following the so so in other words by this policy Mr. Anderson, are you planning on having your students put them in the locker or you I mean that I think that needs to be that needs to be hashed out if
121that's going to be okay. I'm okay because that's that's why I thought we had the meeting where everybody would know parents would know exactly what what their kids can do and what they can't. So it is in our handbook that students are to keep their backpacks and personal belongings in their lockers. uh they they are allowed to carry their books and supplies that they need need to class, but all their personal items need to stay in the locker for the day. So, middle school's different than they they will not be able to have their phones during the day at lunch or between classes. All of them are the same with this. No, middle school has theirs. I mean, Raider Academy has theirs and high school does. And they they don't have lockers. I mean, the
122high school doesn't have they have a few. Doesn't matter whether they have lockers or not. is is it's not the same. You see what you'all understand what I'm saying? So, unless something's changed, you your students are not allowed to have cell phones in the cafeteria during lunchtime. Correct. That is correct. Okay. So, they don't Yeah. See, currently, no, they're all not the same. Yeah. But if the policy if we set this policy and then we enforce this policy, then this is how it goes. So, will they then be allowed cell phones in your cafeteria if we're all No, ma'am. No, because it still You're doing away with cell phones in all cafeterias? Yes, that this policy is systemwide. Okay, it's jokes. Oh, I didn't realize the high school. Are you doing away with phones at
123the in the cafeteria? That's my understanding. Okay. Well, I didn't think that we did. I thought that our consensus was that we were going with the high school and Raidermies apparently. But that was when that Freda Freda that was when you agree with me. Well, we we had I don't know that policy committee Freda that was when the DA come in and explain that high school and Raider Academy is probably our two greatest areas that we need to mitigate those opportunities to have the phones. So, in other words, we're voting tonight to take the phones away from the students all day as as I read the state law. Yes. And a high school student cannot get a phone out at lunch. What about between classes except emergency I believe just like the uh policy states
124right here. Students may use a device in a health emergency or to manage their health. Uh then you get into the IEPs, 504s, individual learning plans. Uh in case of an emergency or possible emergency at your child's school, uh they will do the notifications to the parents. Uh I believe there is many things in this policy that allows the opportunities that they I mean obviously you want them to be able to use them and use them but at the free convenience of discussion and uh things of that nature during the day that was pointed out in those policy meetings without getting into a safety meeting that was pointed out many many reasons as to why okay why would They why would they even have them in their backpack if they're going to be punished if
125they get them out? You see what I'm saying? This is they might be riding the bus. They might get on them after the bus. I mean, there might be an emergency that day. They might be an athlete that is staying after school and need their phone to tell their parent the practice was over with earlier. Well, they won't be able to tell them during the school day. They can't have their phone out. Well, you can go to the office like we've done and I've done when we were in school and everybody grew up too. You can go to the office and make sure your parent gets a message. Yeah. I mean on line 27 on line 27 and 28. I would be okay with it if it says students may possess personal communication devices and
126personal electronic devices so long as such devices are turned off and stored in backpacks, purses or personal carryons during instructional time. Uh because otherwise we're banning phones is what we're doing. But you're negating the safety fact that I'm going I'm going to be personally an advocate as you are for the phones. I'm going to be an advocate for the safety aspect because we were ne we will negate the fact of what we're trying to achieve to cut out the connection conversations and things of that nature between the students that we have a lot of issues with that have been pointed out in those meetings between classes at lunch. Okay. that I would like to you to speak to that because I thought you and and uh uh that you weren't you really didn't have a
127big issue at the high school. Well, we have not had a significant number of of referrals for violation of cell phone policy and Miss Sers had stated the same thing. Um, my understanding with this policy is that students will not be able to have their devices out for personal reasons. Uh the new state law that goes into effect this summer uh and I'm paraphrasing on this states that students must be able to have access to their devices uh or I'm sorry teachers must be able to give access to student devices for instructional purposes. In other words, the classroom teacher could state specifically, we we are going to use these devices for this activity today in class, but that must be an instructional activity. It it couldn't uh students couldn't just have their device out just
128sitting on their desk or or things like that or or messaging. It would have to be for a specific instructional purpose as stated uh in in the state law. Uh which and I know that the verbiage that has been created here does not it's not the exact verbiage of the state law. Yeah. The law the law doesn't say must says can. Are you okay with this? Well so where I am here's where Hold on a minute. Here's where I have a struggle. Um, we run into situations from time to time, for example, where students text message one another and they they end up getting into an argument or an altercation. Uh, those kind of things that we don't want to happen in our school building, which do create safety issues. um where where we're caught
129is in a perfect world and I I've said this over and over. Ideally, I would like for my students to learn responsibility with their devices, but we do have students that struggle and and they're hard lessons for students. Uh an example would be what the the one that I just gave. I mean, they're uh using their devices for for things that are not instructional. Uh they're not using them for positive purposes. And this is not all students by any means, but students definitely do this leading to situations that we have at school involving safety, which I would like to avoid. But again, in a perfect world, I would like for my students to be able to learn responsibility with their devices. For instance, um if there's We got lots of work-based learning students uh particularly
130seniors at our school and that number is increasing by the year uh based upon state laws uh with graduation requirements and so there are lots of work-based learning seniors they leave school some of them will leave this year after second period some will leave after third after fourth and so on seniors um sometimes work schedules change sometimes you know a boss might say well hey I need you to come in at 4 today instead of 3:30. In a perfect world, a student could receive that message and know what they need to do u while they're actually at school. Um I'm not opposed to that at all. What I am opposed to is the communication that tends to occur with some students leading to various safety issues and altercations and arguments and things like that. I'm
131caught in a quandry. So, I want to say one more thing, Mr. Chair. I want to say one more thing. To me, we're we're we we would be better off to say, you can't have it in your backpack or anywhere on you. Take them up. Because if a kid's got a phone on them, you're going to have problems with kids pulling them out and sneaking and trying to use their phone. I mean, if we're going to do this, they don't even need the phone on them if they're going to get punished because, you know, there's offenses starting with the first offense, they and we're going to have a bigger problem with that than we are now if they've got them on in their possession is what I'm saying. If we're going to go this route
132with them in their purses, in their back pocker, they can't get to them. I just see an issue with it if they've got them on their purse and if they can't use them. It would be hard for me not to pull my phone out if I need it on. I do agree that we're going to have students that struggle with abiding by the policy. I I agree. I mean I you know so many adults I mean I I can speak for myself. Um you know we have habits you know we we receive personal messages during the day and when we get a break for a moment we check that. Um, and again, in a in a perfect world, I would like for my students to learn responsibility and checking messages when it's a convenient time,
133when they're not uh uh receiving instruction in class. We just we have the struggles with uh students being responsible with so many of them. And again, altercations because of the phones. Is that correct? That does occur. It does occur. How often does that occur? Um, I would not and I would need to go back and look at data to see to see the specific number. I would not say a lot, but I would say definitely over the last few years with devices. I I I feel like I feel like we had several this past school year. I will say that those don't always manifest themselves uh with physical altercations. uh but but arguments and things that administrators are intervening with uh through uh discussion in the office and things like that and and conversations with
134parents. Mr. Chair, can we can we ask uh can we pause the video just for a second? I'm not going to get in too in depth in some safety things, but I think this board needs to hear just how easy and how vulnerable these cell phones are in our schools. Mr. Dam would let us All right, we are back on the record. So, do we have a motion on the floor to approve this policy? Um, do we have further discussion? I I have a couple more questions. I'm sorry. I don't mean to drag this out. Go ahead. I I don't see anything in this policy addressing teacher usage of cell phone. We have this expectation for our students. What is the expectation of our teachers? I think I think Mr. I think we just asked
135as ask that question, right? Well, that's my thing is, you know, even with, you know, I've talked to several schools about this, you know, through uh Mr. Cope and uh if we don't have a policy for the teachers Oh, implementing this stuff. I mean, you I thought you were talking about implementing it towards the rules to the kids. I'm talking about That's what I thought. Yeah. I I'm talking about um teachers using their cell phones during instruction time. I thought that was different than what you were No, teachers altogether. I mean, in in general, what we don't have no nothing in here for the teachers discipline whatsoever, whether they're using them or Oh, okay. Uh I mean, that that applies to that, Miss Matthews. I mean, Mr. Chair, I'm sorry. I didn't I thought you
136were done, Mr. Hanser. Sorry. Go ahead. Go ahead. I think it was part of theou that teachers are allowed to keep their device uh that you voted on last week or last month. That was part of it was for teachers to be able to continue to keep their device. Is that right, Mr. Dr. So, and then also the other part that Mr. Hansford brought up about the discipline as far as of a teacher for not following the policy. That's the job of the principal to take care of anytime that they are not following any of the policies, then it's it's the job of the principal to bring them in and deal with that accordingly at that time. Uh and that's any of our policies. The principal has to take care of it if if something's
137not being followed. And you still have theou just like you described because we went over that for about two hours in the closet. So all of this was had to Is there something in here that specifically addresses Yes. that the devices are turned off? My question is how do you you can't make a kid turn a phone off. I mean how how would you turn it off or take it up? But but I do that at my work. I I'll just say, you know, I feel like Mr. Anderson, Dr. Anderson at the middle school has done a fantastic job with his cell phone policy. I feel like it um it it took care of a lot of issues. Um, and I think your policy is that the the phone now, you know, cannot be on
138you or you can't have it out. It can't be seen. Correct. It has to be in the locker or it can't be, you know, and so, but you all don't look to see if the phone is turned off. Correct. I mean, unless there's a reason to, I guess. Unless there's a reason. So, we can't make the students turn the phones off, I guess, if they get caught with it. And Mr. Buterson, really not even our policy is lines 27 through 32 is Mr. Anderson's policy. Okay. Exactly. And and my point is, you give a kid a candy bar and they're carrying it around in their pocket or their purse or the backpack and tell them they can't eat it till the end of the day. That's the same thing as with a cell phone. It's
139going to be it's going to be tempting to pull that phone out during the day. And I I just see we're going to have more issues. You either do away with them and not have them all day in with them because I just see it at the high school. I with all those kids out there, I don't see how you could go through a day without a child pulling their phone out and trying to text someone and then they're going to get caught and then you're going to go through all this these steps. I mean, to me, we need to go one or the other. And well, at the first of the year, you're going to have a whole lot of phones taken up. And hopefully by the end of the year that they'll have
140learned, you know, that you know, they can't do it. And you know, and you know, it'll be ingrained in them moving forward. And that's going to be the key is that it this has to be followed to the letter from day one by all schools and all teachers that you know if not it don't work and they got to have support and from administration teachers have got to have it from principles. principles got to have it from administrators and they got to have it from board Jones and as long as there aren't students that are allowed to use theirs like I mean okay let's just say for instance athletes they're they're always having to use their cell phones to tell parents do this do that if we're not allowing them to use them uh is
141that correct that I mean I don't think there should be any discrimination and and I'm grandparent of athlete and So, you know, I understand that parents would want those children to be have have access to their phone, especially during the end of the day. Uh, I just I I know this is such a a hard issue to to I can make a bunch of excuses, but I mean, my child calls my my my child calls me from the office, goes to the the at middle school to let me know if there was a schedule change or my phone beeps and it was the coach that sent a reminds. We're not going to start practice or we're not going to we're not going to go till 5. We're going to cut it off at 4:30 today.
142I mean, okay, I get those reminds constantly from the coach and stuff, but how do you get in touch with her? If I need to, I'll call the school, but otherwise, she's called me from the school number. Okay. I just want to say that um I feel like I this is a hard one. I have laid awake at night so many nights going back and forth and back and forth. Um, but I feel like, you know, it is our goal as a school system, as educators, to help develop and prepare our students to become responsible, dependable adults who can when they get done with 12th grade and then hopefully secondary school after that, college, that they are trained to um to know when it's appropriate and when it is not appropriate to use a cell
143phone. Um, and banning phones, taking them completely away. What are we really do? Is it a control thing? You know, what are we what are we doing here? What are are we encouraging them to use the phones responsibly or are we just banning and saying no phones allowed? No phones allowed. So then when you get out of school and you start college and you're in class with your phone, you know, you hadn't been able to do that so far. So you're just wearing it out over there with your phone because they were banned in high school. I just feel like it is our job to um help students grow to learn to be responsible enough to make that decision and instead of telling them what they can and can't do, encourage them to learn how
144to think, not what to think. I I just feel like this is an overreach. I feel like it's overstepping. Um and especially with safety concerns or the part about managing health. I need some clarification on a student may use device in a health emergency or to manage health. Does that mean if a student begins to feel sick at school that he or she can bypass the nurse and just contact their parent on their cell phone? I think I don't see a problem with that. I think that would go more toward the managing of their health would be like if they're diabetic and they have That's what I was going to ask for clarification on. Check with Yes. Is this some kind of health app that we're talking about using or is this mean that little
145Johnny feels like he's going to throw up any second and so he decides to get his phone out and text his daddy to come get him before he does it all over the classroom. I don't see a problem with that. I' I'd encourage little Johnny to go ahead and do that and I think the janitor would too. So that manage their health. You can interpret that in a in a number of ways. And I think it'd be completely okay for a student to pull out their phone and text a parent or whoever to say, "I don't feel well and I think I need to come home." my opinion, Miss Matthews, what that law or what that regulation be if it's part of their health plan like something like a 501 504 504 that would that's
146where that would have to come like it like it says in the policy before us Mr. care. The the law law law dictates not feelings. As a as a parent, I want to be able to communicate with my child if it's absolutely necessary. Do I want to distract her from from anything as far as her learning goes? Absolutely not. Never. Would I want her to text me needlessly? No. But if she needed something, if I needed something that I felt like could not wait until after school, I I want to be able to communicate. And I think most all parents feel that way. Then advocate to the state legislature and change the law. Well, I'm I'm 100% I'm I go along with the state legislature. I'm 100% against cell phones during instructional time while they're
147in the classroom. They do not need to be out and they should be punished and punished harshly for having those phones out. I think that's where our punishments needs to start and uh at lunch. I think that is a disservice to particularly high school or maybe even middle school kids that they can't have their phone. And uh maybe I'm too lenient, but I'm 100% against it for instructional time. I I mean I think that's a no-brainer. Yes, I'm with you. All right. We have a motion on the floor to uh approve the policy. Um 6.312. Do we have any further discussion? If not, we can go to vote. Did we determine uh instructional time? If there is instructional time, I know there have been times when, say, a teacher is done lecturing, there's no more
148instructional time going on for the rest of the class, they've got 10 extra minutes before the bell rings. Is it okay for a teacher to say, "If you got you got some free time, you can pull your phone out." No. Yes. I know we have teachers who have allowed that. I know we were waiting on TSBA to get back with us on that, wasn't we? So, we don't know that yet. So, we don't So, so this is a new This has just come down. This is a new law that's going into effect. Okay. So, that's why we're having to make this. So, even though Warren County said that they had already enforced it, it's something new. Um, Miss Cole sent me a one from Franklin County today where they've already got the model policy. And
149this is what it says. Students may possess wireless communication devices so long as such devices are turned off and stored. And it has two options here. And you can choose during instructional time or two for the entirety of the school day. And then that it goes on. Such devices include any portable wireless devices that has the capability to provide voice messaging or any other data communication between two or more parties such as a wearable technology, cell phones, laptops, tablets, and gaming devices. And it goes on down and I think it's pretty much in line. There is penalties in it says emergency in the event of emergency a possible emergency occurring at the at the school parents and guardians shall be alerted by and I think on ours what did we put school messenger so so
150I mean the it's this is just coming down this is just passed but that you go back to the instructional time so that shows you there's a difference between instructal time and the day because there yes all day is not instructional time right and a teacher will say I was done with instructional time. We had 10 minutes left. I was done. It was okay for them to She shouldn't be doing that. I know. But but it has happened. No, no, that's No, it's all okay. We got to let them do that. We got to let them do those things in non-instructional time. But now that that is not non-instructional time. If a class period lasts an hour, that hour is instructional time where that teacher saying whatever they're supposed to be instructing. That's that's a
151no-brainer there. But what I'm saying is I have I I agree with this policy except the part where uh lunch I just I just think we're going a little bit too far. But that's just me. So I mean that would be a time that a child could say look you know this has changed. I've got to do this or or even just for downtime, right? But unfortunately you'll have the few that will use that time. And that's where the whole safety concern comes in too. But there they've still got them. Somebody that's intent on doing something bad just because we're selling they can't get out of their backpack. That that is not they're not paying attention to that. Students can also email back and forth all day long on their laptops or their Chromebooks and
152they can communicate that way if they want to. Mr. I'll let you have the final comment. If y'all if y'all remember Mr. coat when he come down here. If you remember some of the power slides that he went through, the most potent time that things happened to cause conflict was at lunch and in between classes if y'all would remember that. And he's got the data to prove it. That's whenever not to, you know, I mean, he had a whole lot of data down here that day and it's hard to soak it all up, but that was your most of your problems that occurred was between lunch was between, you know, classrooms and and lunch breaks and bathroom time. You know, they they had a picture of a someone took a picture I think I've said
153this one before. Someone took a picture of a of a lady sitting on a commode. U you know, it's just stuff that happens. But u All right. It's a hard decision. our our students that are more likely to have cell phones. Well, I'm sorry. I've got something else I'm going to say. Um our our principles that have the majority of kids um that have cell phones that have possession of cell phones have both stated that correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Parsley, that it is not a huge issue. If if I'm wrong, please correct me. I feel like our Raider Academy and our high school are not seeing major issues with the kids having the cell phones at lunch or between classes. Obviously, if it's a distraction in class, that's not good. But that's where
154the the meat of the problem would lie. And they both said they they really, please correct me, don't have a lot of issues with it. And I don't know if Mr. Anderson does or not, but I feel like his policy at the middle school has been extremely effective so far. I'll let you speak to that. I won't suggest it all, but I'm disagreeing with what you've just said. Um, I think one thing of note, um, our students are not supposed to have their devices out during instructional time. They're not supposed to be disrupting class during instructional time. We do not receive a lot of referrals um teacher referrals to administrators as a result of breaking that policy. Now, I'm not at all suggesting it doesn't happen, right? It is frustrating uh to teachers. Um you
155know, sometimes they receive uh students receive, you know, that sometimes receive message from a parent while they're instructing. Well, the the kid may have their phone out and they're they're trying to respond or vice versa, right? Um, as far as checking their phones for an email or a text message between classes or during lunch, our students for many years have been able to do that. So, we we are not getting referrals during that time period because it's been allowed. It's allowed. Uh, so so I mean, I guess in a nutshell, we're not getting a lot of referrals. Um, that doesn't mean there's not a problem during class for sure. Right. And and there are there are issues that result, you know, whether it's messaging during class or whether it's messaging between classes where, you know,
156students might meet up and be in an argument or messages are sent and and there may be something that happens after school and then we're hearing about it the next day. Uh those ongoing things. Now, I I would say this as well. Um, I think definitely the electronic devices contribute to that. Um, but I think I would also be foolish to say that none of that would happen if the devices weren't here because it absolutely happened before we even had cell phones. Communication was going on for those type things. But this policy lines 27 through 32 have been in place since 2012. All right, Mr. Gilly. And we're at that point. Question. Do I have a second? Apparently, it don't matter. I'm sorry, but call to question is a way to silence people and and
157because I'd like to go home after three days of the same thing, the same stuff. spent two meetings and eight hours on this that everyone was invited to and encouraged to attend. I'm not on the policy committee. Nevertheless, Mr. Hans came and spoke very well. That we respect each other. That's all I have to say. And I call the question. Well, I ain't done talking. I got something else I want to say. Well, okay. That's how easy it is. All right. We have two call the questions. So, uh, so, uh, Miss Matthews calls the question. We have to deal. Do I have a second? I'll I'll resend mine. I think you withdrew here when he started to talk. So, second question. Yes. Yeah. A second on Mr. Gillies called a question. Is it Mr. Gillies
158or Miss Matthews? I rescended mine. It's Miss Matthews. Matthew. Okay. Second. Do I have a second? I second. All right. It's debatable. All right. Uh, Mr. Cordell, I'm glad we are learning procedure. Mr. Cordell, call the question. We're voting. We're voting on call the question. Uh, hey. I Mr. Hi. Miss Matthews. Hi. You okay down there? Miss Hajj I Miss Jones hi and Mr. Hansert I Miss Y I I will vote I that is nine to zero to end the debate. So we will move to vote on this particular policy um and I believe that uh Mr. Gilly is first uh on the original motion to approve. Ah. All right. That is We're back to the original motion. We elimined the debate. Now we're voting on the policy itself. Mr. I. Miss. Matthews. No. Miss
159Hodgej. I. Miss. Jones. I want to explain what I'm doing. I was on that committee and I apologize for not reading this prior. I did not see it when it came out. I would vote I if it said students may possess personal communication devices and personal electronic devices so long as such devices are turned off and stored in backpacks, purses or personal carry alls during instructional time. I'd say I but it's not in there so I'm saying no. That is a no. Mr. Hansert on the policy. I Miss Yench I. Mr. Cordell. I will vote I. That passes. Uh 722. All right. That was a healthy debate. I think that Holly and Freda put up a good fight and I appreciate you. I just I hope it works well at the high school. Everything everybody
160needs to remember this is just starting our base. Every one of these are amendable at any moment. That is true. Any one of them. That's true. This just gets us something started. I'm supporting it. So policy 4.214 artificial intelligence policy. Mr. Davewood. Oh, I I I don't have anything to say. I I mean Okay. I know this kind of feeds into your RUP policy, so I wanted to give you the opportunity to Well, I mean, I don't know what the issue is. Okay. 4.214. Somebody requested this this be pulled off. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That was me. Oh, that was you. Okay. Um, so I would I guess to get discussion going, I would need a a motion to approve the policy. I guess 4.214. 214. Do I have a motion? I'll make a
161motion to discuss, Mr. Hansert. Do I have a second? I'll second, Miss Hodgej. All right. All right. Discussion. Okay. Um, so reading over the policy, um, I feel like it's inadequate. Where did the policy come from? Is this something that TSBA provided? That was my first This is very much based off the the model policy that TSBA provided. Correct. Okay. All right. So, I guess my issue with this I feel like it's inadequate. Um and may may possibly I mean my um I guess in that case I would think maybe it need to be kicked back to committee to make some modifications. Um, so really I feel like it doesn't address the teacher use of AI in regard to instruction. Um, I know it there there's a part on here uh line 21 ethical use
162staff, but I feel like it really is very vague in there. Um, for example, should or should not should a teacher not use AI when grading when grading? And I don't feel like maybe I'm wrong, maybe I've missed it. I don't see where that's really addressed in here as far as grading or assessing students work. And I know that that that has happened. It does happen. Teachers are using AI to grade. And I guess um that I can see where that would be very helpful and efficient and time-saving for a teacher who might be grading a multiple choice quiz or maybe even a math paper. But there are instances where ELA teachers have used AI to grade essays and composition type work. And I just I feel like um that this doesn't address that. I
163don't see how you could use AI to to grade an essay without looking at the essay um or the writing or any I think that would go for art or anything in humanities um maybe I've missed it. You do have you do have some lines in there that are I mean like I understand what you're saying singling out certain ones and and in-depth things, but I mean staff is still expected to model ethical and responsible AI use. That's really vague. They also staff must disclose their use of AI when required, including situations where failure to do so would violate AI's tools. That that's that's based on the the company's rules, not ours. I I I do not disagree with you at all. Okay. And you do have some in theou as well. Do you not
164have something about you being able to use AI and things in those circumstances? I don't remember. I don't remember that. Is it not in there? Okay. There was somewhere. It was It was either in that or the uh Well, what's the next one? I don't remember that being in theou either. The ru. Well, if that's the case, then teachers are are they're working themselves out of a job, right? They're just going to use AI to grade everything, especially for writing. And I want to say that ELA, teaching ELA is a bit of a different animal, I would think, than some of the other subjects. Maybe even arts or humanities. That's what I was looking for fall in that category as well, where you it's just not cut and dry. Grading is not cut and dry.
165As an ELA teacher, you would want to be able to read through that student's work and understand getting to know the student helps you understand their writing style. And I I feel like it's up to us as a board to create a policy that makes sure that um the education for the child is not sacrificed for the efficiency or convenience use of AI. Totally agree. Totally agree. Um, would that be in proprietary or confidential work? No, that's not not I don't think so. I don't know. Would would it be possible to I mean I think we could come up with a line that would cover that pretty pretty readily here and then we could move forward. You could you could do it right here without the We don't have to go through the committee, do
166we? Right. You can do that right here. The committee's here. Right. You can do it right here in a minute and interject in a line and it still pass it first. If you look under the ethical use of staff in that little section, the part I have is not numbered. I'm cuz I'm using my RUP which is just a copy of that. So I don't know what number line we're talking about. Oh, thank you. So um so on line 24 after or analyzing data teachers may not use AI to grade. Yeah. Subjective works. That's on the right track. Anything that could be graded subjectively that that would cover would that not cover pretty much everything at that point in time? Yeah. It need needs a human to look at it and assess it principles. Does
167that sound reasonable to you or the of course you could if you were grading for spelling obviously AI could grade that we're talking about the content of subjective material writing yeah composition writing I don't see how you can effectively grade an essay or a research paper anything with using strictly AI maybe you can get AI run it through an AI grader and then go back and and evaluate it from there. But this has happened and a and and a student students were emailed AI grading reports with little to no information about what they should do differently or suggestions perhap and so it was of no value to the students. So they can't they can't improve on their writing if they're getting an AI generated report instead of a their teacher who knows them sitting down
168reading their paper. I can see how you might use it in in combination with an AI checker to just maybe check spelling, grammar, whatever. Well, I mean, Grammarly Grammarly is a is a as you know, a grammar checker that that's been around for years. Somewhat subjective, right? Yes. Um, but I don't I don't think our teachers should be relying on AI for grading purposes because a lot of our subjects are subjective and I just didn't see in this policy where that is addressed. Now, I also want to say that as an e I'm not an ELA teacher, but if I was an ELA teacher and I was having to grade a 100 essays, I can see how you would think, well, AI can help me get through it faster. So I want to be empathetic
169towards that teachers of that subject and if the workload is just too great you know possibly allow for more planning time so that they are not tempted to use AI for grading um allow them more time to grade and read every student's work instead of them feeling overwhelmed and resorting to AI because I do want to be empathetic thetic towards those subjects that require human 45 minutes a day. Those subjects has always required that. Yes. So, so it shouldn't have changed. Yes, I agree. I just don't see where that is addressed in this policy and I think we could add something. Okay. How how about uh Mr. Dr. Anderson had a uh suggestion. Now, you'll have to help me what we just said before because I've completely forgot the sentence that I came up with
170that I thought was okay. Subjective. You said subjective. What did I say? Um, teachers teachers may not use AI solely to grade subjective material material. If you do solely, that means they can use it for spellchecking and all that kind of stuff. And I understand that. Yes. But you you should not in my opinion rely solely on an AI checker to check a a work that could be subjective, a writing, whatever else there is. So I think if we so what Miss West Morland has written down is teachers may not use AI solely for checking subjective material. Yeah. Grading assessing. Yes. For did you say checking or assessing? Grading. Not checking but that should be grading. Grading. Grading or assessing? Assessing or grading. Same difference. Yes. Okay. In other words, AI should not issue a
171grade. Exactly. You could I don't know. Make sure you say AI. So, if you wanted to be super clear about it, in other words, AI shall not Right. Right. Okay. No, that that was that amendment staff. For the record, I I checked theou and is not. Yes. I think that's good. Okay, Miss Matthews, that would be an amendment to the Yes, we would need an amendment. I thought this Okay, wait. I thought this was different. So, we're just amending the motion. She already They already have a motion on the floor. Yeah. So, we would need to do an amendment. They already have a motion on the floor. So, now they to change anything in that then there has the amendment to it to this the work. Then after that, if that passes, then I go
172back to the main. Yeah, we have to vote on the amendment and then we go back to the original motion. So, okay. So, somebody has to make a motion. Somebody has to make a motion. I think we're going to add that. I make the motion to other words once you get to second it. All right. And what is the specific wording? So, uh, Mr. Damewood, can you read it off? What I think you're wanting is teachers may not use AI solely for subjective for grading subjective material. In other words, AIS cannot issue grades or correct. I mean, that might not be the best way to word it un and Mr. Parsley was saying, you know, you might want to add in there grading or assessing. I don't know what you say. I just I suggested
173the word assessing rather than grading, but they assessing is is probably better than grading. Assessing is more appropriate. Yeah. Okay. So, I I have a suggestion. Please suggest. I I I think maybe the word solely needs to go before AI instead of after because it changes the meaning of the sentence. Okay, if you'll follow me. If you say teachers may not solely use AI for grading of a of suggested material, um you're saying that they cannot just use the AI for the grading. They must use other means to grade it. Um but if you move solely to after a um in my mind it changes the meaning of that sentence and I don't know can anybody see so how do you think it should be? No I just I feel like you could move solely
174prior to AI teachers may not solely use AI for assessment of subjective material. I agree with that. rather than putting solely assessing. Yes. Yes. Agreed. And this is to be placed under ethical and use staff. I think it was where I thought it would work pretty good would be on line 24 right after data such as creating instructional materials, notes, images, or analyzing data. Teachers may not. Does that seem like a good place to put that sentence? I think so. though. Yeah, that seems like the most appropriate place to put it. Thank you all for listening to me on that discussion. All right. So, do we have our wording? So, your your motion without appropriate wording? Yes. All right. So, Miss Matthews makes that mot that the motion for an amendment. And do we have
175a second? A second it. Miss Jones seconds. All right. So, um, any discussion on that amendment? May I have a comment here, Mr. Chairman? Yes. Yes, sir. This is an interesting discussion and I'm laughing at it to the extent the state department of education is now in the process of using AI. You know, in certain grade levels, they have to write an essay. Yeah. Right now, the state department of education is looking at a process whereby they can use AI to grade these written tests, but right now it's in the planning stages where they're going to let the AI read them and then let a real person read them and see if there's any correlation. That'd be interesting. and and experiments like that can and probably should be done to see how does AI grade
176compare to how I grade and how well do they how effective is it you know but it's going to take a while to All right voting on the amendment and can you please read that back again just for the record it's going this will be placed under ethical use of staff under line 24 teachers may not solely use AR for subjective for assessing subjective material. Subjective, right? Subjective. Did you say of or sub? For assessing subjective material. Okay, that is the amendment. Um, Mr. I Miss Matthews, I Miss Hodgej, I Miss Jones, hi. Mr. Hansert, hi. Miss, Mr. Cordell, hi. Mr. Gilly, hi. and I will vote I. That passes 920. Now we're back to our original motion to approve the policy as modified by the amendment. Um uh Miss Matthews I Miss Hodgej I
177Miss Jones. Hi Mr. Hansert. Hi Miss Yench. Hi Mr. Cordell. Hi Mr. Gilly. I Mr. I I will vote I. That passes 9 to zero. Now we move on to policy um let's see well uh 6.701 changed to 2.601. Is that No, it's both of those. What's that? There's two policies together. Oh, is it two policies together? Okay. They're in conjunction of each other. All right. And uh so I need to get the discussion going a motion to approve the policies. I'll make a motion to approve. I'll second. Mr. Hansert, Mr. Cordell. All right. Uh discussion, Mr. Hansert. Well, I just What What was we was it brought up for? I mean, what are we trying to change here? I think it's in red on the policy. So, I believe this was policy committee the
178I believe recordkeeping was the only yeah the the that was the only difference it was basically we had two policies one was record record keeping one was fundraising and it was like why have two different things that yeah yeah yeah you know it looks to me like the fundraiser should have the recordkeeping part in it well when you put it into the fundraising well then you can call it all just fundraising activities and it's all in one because part of this was just part of the normal review that we have to do every year of every single policy. And it was just a combination trying to take 2.601 combine it with 6.701, which the combining was just bringing that one little thing over from the other one, the recordeping part that's in red. That's all
179it was. So there was really no no wording change. It was just consolidating two policies. Okay. that answer your question. All right. So, uh any further discussion on this? Is is this policy um reviewed with staff and teachers every year or uh yes the policy committee which is several principles and uh couple board members and then of course you're you're very strictly if you look down at the bottom all the legal references and c cross references they don't give you much room on that stuff it's dictated comproller I just want to make sure our coaches and our staff and everybody is aware of what it says. And yeah, this has not been changed since uh well, now it's been changed. It just goes through, but the last time uh was 2017, that's when it was
180just you last. I just if I was a coach, I would want to know what this says because it's we we didn't go by it. We haven't been going by it for a while. All right. What was the question? I'm sorry. Nothing. It was going by what? Policy. I believe that's that was not my comment. So I What have we not been going by policy? Uh would you like me to read it or on number one? What your concern is? I guess Scott where I'm at. Yeah. Because we were we were doing things that wasn't in the policy. I guess Mr. Pal, I'm not sure what your what your concern is. I mean, and all obviously because every fundraiser that schools do has to come through be approved by the director of schools. I know
181since I've been here I approve sometimes five or six a week depending on the school and I'm not I'm not aware and I may be wrong. I I stand corrected but I'm not aware of anything that's any fundraiser that's taking place in the school setting that haven't come through our office. But I stand corrected. Yeah. Number one there is fundraising activities shall be authorized by the board and shall be for the purpose of supplementing funds for established school programs and not for supplementing funds which are the responsibilities of the board. I agree with the first sentence that the board hasn't over the time that I've ever been involved with fundraising activities of the board and I don't think that you folks want me once a week to approve fundraising activities to the school. I think
182the board through uh whatever has given that responsibility to the director of schools in line number four in line number four. Yes. But I I can assure you just about if if and I'm not trying to be smart. If y'all want to approve fundraising activities, you're going to have to meet once a week and sometimes twice a week, especially during a lot of seasons going on. I think, and this is just this is all I'm going to say. I think what this is meant to explain is the board approves fundraising activities. I don't think that's meaning, Scott, that we approve uh golf to go sell candy. I think it's for the board. The board approves the system to have fundraisers. Then the director of schools comes down here and he approves the selling of Reese's
183cups. Has to be approved of the student principal. Right. So there is another step there. Had some this year particularly at the high school if I may Mr. partially where one organization has wanted to raise funds using this particular vendor. Another fun another group has asked to use that same item to fund raise and it's been denied because we're trying to let two groups use the same thing. If they're going to be selling calendars for some reason, two or three groups can't sell calendars that are not associated with that. But the the principal has to first approve them and then it comes up to the director's office for approval is the way it works now. I know it's not in here, but at one time there was a limit on the number of fund fundraisers
184that a school could have during the school year. I guess that's gone away. I think that's probably been in the past, but it's not anymore. It's not anymore. I mean, I don't know where it I haven't seen that policy. Right. At one time they used to be, you know, have so many fundraisers, but I would say Mr. Parsley has what 150 a year. Um, I could get an answer to that pretty quickly. We have a several with it on there. That's not a stretch, but but but remember that's that's different groups that you're looking at. Boosters. You're I think the school itself is only allowed two fundraisers, but you can start breaking down into your boosters and all the different groups organizations, your support organizations that that's that's where you're starting to get into the
185multiple different fundraisers. But but M. Jones, I I think you're looking still at two for a school by itself. Now, PTO might be a little different, but it doesn't say it in our policy. I'm I'm just going off of what the law states. I believe Oh, okay. I believe the law states two. I I I need to look it back up, but I believe it's two. Oh, you would think they would have it in the the TSBA policy, wouldn't you, if they could only allow two? Let us check that out. I'm not sure. I know at one time there used to be two fundraisers. And I just thought we did it as a as a board, not as state requiring it. I think Miss Freda is right. A fundraiser. They could have a picture fundraiser
186and maybe a harvest festival that was school sponsored and then but the PTO's and PTAs and all the athletic organizations and all the CTE organizations and booster clubs and so forth. That's pretty much unlimited as far as I know right now. It has been I think I don't think I've because I'm pretty good on the law on that. I don't think don't hold me to it but I do not think there's anything in the law restricting the two. Is it not the school system? No, but I think Miss Freda was correct that it used to be a known kind of around here kind of thing. That probably could have been a board policy back many many years ago. Yeah. I I think the what me and Miss Matthews caught multi- phone calls about was us
187giving money away. was the parents that was was getting on to us uh and was asking us why and uh you know while they were having fundraisers and turning around and giving the money away to outside foundations. Okay. I know I know the situation you're speaking of Mander. I'm not disagreeing with you but when that fundraiser was advertised it was advertised as such. So, it wasn't something that was we're doing it, but we're going to give this to this organization. That was in the approval process and that was in the literature that went out. We're going to have a fundraiser. X number of dollars or some of it will be donated to a certain organization. I agree that I think we looked at it fairly close and that could have been a a gray a
188very gray area. I agree with that. I I I think what we talking about what we probably need to do in those situations then Dr. Pal is that probably needs to come to the board. Well then that would take a policy change because you have policy that states that in that circumstance as long as it's between the coach and the principal appro approves. I can't remember the policy number. I'm I'm looking real quick here. All of that is cleared up in policy. I don't I don't think it's in there, Robert. It's not in it's not in the fundraising policy. My knowledge that that's happened one time this year. So I I have a little something on that to because I I I sought out some advice from Ben Torres with TSBA. And I'll just read
189what he said to me in an email. Funds are in a restricted account and must be used for the purpose in which they were raised. If it was a fundraiser, and he just used this as an example. It's not saying this group did this, but he said if it was a fundraiser for the softball team, the funds must be used for the softball team. Now, what you're talking about is if but if if the parents and the people raising the money were aware, I think that changes it a little bit that they were aware um that they were raising money for an outside organization. I think that that may be an exception to this and this I think because they were told we're raising it for this other foundation. Now, if they were never told
190and they're out here beating on doors to raise money for track and then you come in and you give it away to something else and they were not aware of that, I think that's where this comes in. But if you're saying that that the people raising the money were aware that the money would go somewhere else, I I see that that would be one situation I think that that that was addressed early on when the brochure came out talking about fundraiser in the yes the bottom one the bottom line but it's also mentioned that some of this money will be used for other purposes other than the basketball program or the volleyball program or whatever program I think as long as they are made aware of that then I think that you're covered in my
191opinion. I didn't know that that that's kind of a thought process but that's how I interpret it. Has a law license and I don't I don't either. Yeah. Just because I don't think it's just because I've asked the auditor this specific question. Um we had a different incident with a different school and I reached out to our school auditor and asked the question can we give to outside v outside companies outside donations to like dream for weave. It wasn't that one specific, but um it's she he said as long as it's in our paperwork and it was advertised to do that, as long as it's written in all of our paperwork and we have the approval from the director of schools and the intent was written written um in the paperwork and we didn't hide
192anything or misadvertise something, it was allowable. I can say that. And so when we do get audited, those things are asked. We have to provide those documents. Okay. in the approval. So all of that is usually reviewed at the school level when we go through our audit. That makes sense. Okay. We have a motion on the floor to approve this. I think Mr. has one thing. I got I got one quick one quick thing. Okay. And that is on um lotteryies. You know, I don't you know, I know of a couple of times recently where raffle tickets have been sold to raise money and I know I mean that's illegal. So, I mean I you know that's the only thing that you know you know that has to be any game of chance. Exactly. I
193mean, that's a raffle ticket, a drawing, putting your name in a hat, whatever. That that's, you know, I know that's illegal and Well, but you can submit like I think the quarterback club submitted to the state gaming commission because they've been established over five years to do a raffle and if the general assembly passes that, that's same thing uh the dusty elim foundation does. They submit every year to the gaming commission, Tennessee gaming commission, and they'll approve it for them to do the ticket raffle, right? The But, you know, it can be done. So, you'll still have to have a thing just in case somebody could. You'll have to have a restriction in there. Well, not not every uh supporting organization for the school is going to do that. Not everyone, but you still got
194to have something in there to govern them if you need to, right? But what I'm saying is, you know, that hasn't, you know, there's been instances that that hasn't been followed is what I'm getting at, you know. Oh, yeah. And I mean that's something that needs to be reiterated to, you know, to all these groups that, you know, you can't do lotteryies, you know, any lotterybased fundraiser. That's all that that I was getting to. if I could and I I'm going to speak on behalf of the high school and I I can't speak of on behalf of any schools and don't know whether any of the other schools in the district have had u any sort of fundraiser that uh would be considered as is what you're speaking of. Uh but at the high school
195there every year for many years there have been um if you want to call it a raffle, a drawing where tickets are sold, game of chance. Um, we checked on this two or three years ago with Mr. Chuck Kaggel and those drawings can occur where winners are are established. However, when the drawing occurs, the winner must then win a game of skill and uh that game of ski I'm just going to give some examples. That game of skill could be throw a football through a hoop, put a basketball through a hoop. Uh those are just examples. I can say this uh with absolute certainty. Um all of the drawings that I'm aware of uh that we've had at the high school, I know the way they've been set up is when those drawings occur, then
196there is a game of skill that that person must win to actually get the prize. And those games of skill make those uh fundraisers legal. According to Mr. Kaggel. Uh we we did a and I say we it would have Dr. Lawson would have been involved in that back I want to say two or three years ago. I don't know if Mr. Shores or anyone else here remembers uh that specifically, but it's it's been some time ago. We have a couple policies. 2.900 is student activity funds management. Uh and then there's one more. I still have not found it. I had to go through my photos. So we we have other policies that get into that and dictate I I like I said, you know, in talking to Mr. Torres about this as well. I
197talked to him, M. Matthews talked to him. When you go to giving money out to outside foundations, that's what he was saying. it would be better to bring something like that up to a board when you're working inside of the the the school system and giving money inside the school system is one thing, but whenever you start that's what all the parents was so rabbid about and Miss Matthews I think will back me up on that uh is one thing but whenever you're giving it away to the outside foundations that's whenever it starts getting into a gray area and it it probably better if we brought that up before the board and there is nothing in our policy that says that we have to do that. And that's what Mr. Torres was talking about. He
198looked it up for us if I'm incorrect, Miss Matthews. Yeah, that was under the assumption though that the the people raising the money had not disclosed that they were going to give it to an outside organization, but it sounds like in the instance that we were referring to that was disclosed. So 2.900 the activity funds of each school whatever the source all that student activity funds shall be under the jurisdiction of the board but under the specific control of the school principal. That's our policy 2.900. I know get some leftovers. All right, we have a motion on the floor to approve um policy 2.601 which consolidates forward 2601 and the 6.701 and um I guess uh Miss Hodgej um Miss Jones I Mr. Mr. Hansert. Hi, Miss Yench. Hi, Mr. Cordell. Hi, Mr. Gilly. Hi,
199Miss Mr. Hi, Miss Matthews. I will vote that passes 820. Now, the RUP policy, um, given the change we made to the AI policy, does it change the RUP policy? Yes. What we would do is we would mirror our the AI section of the RUP to match what the policy ended up doing. Okay. I may need a motion on that. Yes. Uh we do need to make a motion. So Mr. So move. Okay. I'll second. Mr. Okay. Um discussion. I can read the whole thing out loud if you want. Oh god. Please don't. No. All right. So the motion is to uh approve the RUP policy with the modification that we made to the AI policy. Right. Which is embedded in this. All right. Any further discussion? Then we will have Mr. Hansard. I Mr.
200Yinch. Hi. Mr. Cordell. Hi. Mr. Gilly. No. No. No. Yes. I just want to see if you I'm just taking you at your word. Okay, Miss Mr. C. Matthews. I miss see if everybody still Jones. And I will that passes 820. Okay, that concludes our exciting action agenda. Um, thanks for the great discussion. We have items for discussion. So, um, Mr. you want to start us off? No, I don't I don't have anything. I believe we've discussed everything that I had. Okay, I won't add any more than I've already added tonight. So, I hope everybody's having a great summer. Can we call question? Stop it. Miss Jones, I just want to make sure Mr. Harrove doesn't quit after. All right, Mr. Answer. I'll get to the team. Miss Inch, I'm good. Mr. Cordell, I'm good.
201Mr. Gilly, I'm good. And uh I will just say thank you for to Dr. Powell. You know, I know we gave you the platform. I forgot about you. I couldn't see. Welcome to Mr. Hardrove and it's been fun, but I got to run. We do have dinner afterwards. So, all right. Committee reports. Safety Committee. Do you want to come forth? I can. Yeah, we handled the policy committee because that's all we talked about was those two. Yeah. For two meetings and 12 hours. Freda's fault. Blame it on Freda. I'll take it. She can handle it. Director's report. come through the budget finance committee. If the board approves it, it have to come through the budget finance because it would be in addition to uh it's not in the budget at this time. Would have to
202be a come out of fund balance if the board approves it for the student. Oh, for the right. Okay. That might be some we want to put it on our work session agenda. We could. Yeah. I think it'd be a really nice thing for you to thing is it's about a full hour presentation but it's really well done and maybe we'll be able to share that. That's right. We decided this we'll share that with you all be worth your time watching. Okay. All right. director report then salary and compensation meet uh committee met. I shared with that via email that we talked about um head head mechanic pay as well as the um stipens or um for our coaches assistant coaches of minor sports uh work session on June 17th coming up. We're currently in
203the middle of interviewing for the new union's principal position. Uh we have narrowed eight down to two. Those two will um interview this Wednesday at central office and hopefully by Friday we'll name our new leader at new union. All right. Um wrapping up a great school year. Uh getting ready for the next one. I've been meeting with board with each of you all. I believe I have three left that I look forward to spending time with. Started meeting with the principles this week. Oought to be done by next week. And um uh last but not least, and I Yes, I'm speaking very quickly. Dr. Pal, sir, Thank you. Thank you for your knowledge. I appreciate your friendship. You have a heart as big as a cantaloupe. You have a servant's heart and uh never heard
204that. It means a lot to me. Appreciate it. He had conversations every day about something that's come up or hadn't come up or might come up or will come up. We had We're not finished yet. No, sir. He He is heaping it on and I appreciate it. I'll try to learn something every day and I appreciate your mentorship. Thank you. All right. Thank you very much. I'm I'm sure you're diving right in. So, all right, Mr. Shores, Capital Projects update. Yes, several things going on. We still have window laminate being installed. Uh right now, they're mainly doing the sealant. Uh before long, we'll be doing the the vinyl hopefully. Uh but it's moving pretty quick. Well, I say quick for this amount of windows we have. Uh met with the uh Paul and I or
205Mr. Parsley and I met with Wool the other day uh about the door doors and the partitions and hallways at the high school and making a couple of little tweaks getting ready to take it back to the safety committee. So if you're on it, we'll be discussing that before long. Um Jim Bleachers, uh I was asked to to go over the modifications where we are on it. uh they are wanting to start on it on September the 8th, but there's a few problems with uh high schools afraid that it's going to conflict with possibly homecoming and homecoming is one of those things you try not to conflict with. Uh and also it's uh with volleyball as well. Uh but but they are working to get it comes down to getting the materials. Uh but but
206we are working through that athletic lighting. When Wool was here, they were reaching out to Musco to to make sure that what they quoted to us on pricing for the lighting, what they have planned for the engineering of the the electrical will work with the lighting that they um quoted to us. The high school paving uh they have started doing the drainage. They're digging the the trenches to to put the drains in. Um, a lot of work going there. Uh, still a lot lot left to be done. Um, just FYI for those that are on the safety committee, the safety bullards, uh, we've started that work at, uh, the middle school. It's a process and, uh, so we're working through it and they should be starting to go in probably within the next week or
207so. Uh, we we started actually cut core drilling. So that that process is moving on. Uh the furniture for uh central office cost high school and is uh supposed to be delivered during the week of June the 23rd. High school countertop uh there was one countertop that was not replaced and that did come in and and we'll be replacing that. Our guys will actually do the install but we had to buy the the the actual countertop. uh the CHS. Well, it says CHS, but it's the the track over at Raider Academy. Um, and this is going to be materials or equipment that's going to be used by both the high school as well as the middle school. Uh, they have bought some of the materials and they're starting to show up. Uh, we still have
208a whole lot of other things that needs to be done for making it competitive, ready for some of the field events. That's all I've got unless you've got some questions. All right. Any questions for Mr. Shores? I'm sorry. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Uh, on the bleachers, I I believe our con our completion date is October the 31st, isn't it? I would actually have to look. It's the Monday after fall break. So, whatever date that is, I have to look it up. That's the Monday after fall break. And it looks like we're we're in pretty good shape. But if part of that is if we if we are the reason why they can't get it done, then it's a little harder to to hold to that date. If we're the ones saying,
209"No, you can't come in." I have a little harder time saying it's your fault. Uh but but the date that we did give them is the the Monday after fall break. And they're wanting to start, like I said, September the 8th. So they should be able to get it done. But if if Paul says no, we can't do it that day, then we might have to work we're gonna have to work with them as well. Oh, I just had one question. What's the status of getting the walls painted at North Coffee where all that flooding came in the gym? I got some prices. Uh just got to get get moving on with getting it taken care of. So, we're we're going to have to eat that cost. I mean, we will be we will be
210eating the cost on the paint on the inside of the gym. Yes. Okay. And but the leaks are stopped. Is that correct? Not all of the leaks are stopped and we are still dealing with that. Uh Dr. Clark and I have been in in contact with the the contractor uh trying to get that taken care of. But as far as in the gym, I actually talked to to Mr. Dr. Clark today about it. He said there was no leaks in the gym. Uh the leaks that we're having is actually the connecting hall. Okay. But New Union has no leaks. I mean, I'm just concerned about the construction that was, you know, the renovation construction and new unions. They don't have any leaks now. We don't have any leaks that I'm aware of. No. Okay. Uh
211but there are still some things that's going play taking place. Uh Dr. Powell went over some of those. I think it was last meeting. Uh there's some some things about the roof that did not get approved and and there's and we've actually we're talking to uh Mr. Cable now about it. So, okay. We're in the middle of all that. Okay. But it's not leaking. Mr. Shore, what do we know about I mean, occasionally we'll hear something about the um Hickerson and East Coffee. Where is that process? Because it seems like it's fallen off the end of the world. And and you're correct. It's I always remember I start saying the the word I'm going to say it wrong. The demographer is demographer. Demographer. Demographer. Thank you. Demographer. I knew I was going to say it
212wrong. I told you before. Uh it's in their hands right now on getting the data. Uh so that ball is rolling through that part. We have to get it first before we move to the next steps. So it's it's in their hands right now. Are they limited as to when they have to have it done or did we just kind of leave it out there? We did not limit it, but they have reached out. I've given them some data. Uh we're still waiting for from a couple here to give them some data that's on us for holding them up. Uh so I'm waiting on that and as soon as we get it to them. Okay. Hopefully we'll they'll be moving a little bit quicker then. Okay. Thank you. There's nothing further. Motion to adjurnn. So
213move Mr. Cordell second. Mr. Anert. All in favor signify