001Looks like it worked. We're live. I really did think I wasn't joking. I really did think you were talking about Paris. You're like, "She's from Paris." I'm like, "Oh, okay. way to London as well. Jeez, fancy. Wow. Trying to make sure I have every tab open. Why did that one not open, man? What in the world? Tennessee. Now it's locked up. is going to correct. But if I'm taking my kid there for a high school senior trip, I'm gonna say it's Milan. It's going to be Dr. Deloso, how are you? [Music] That's good. All right, I have 545. I'll call the meeting to order. If everyone would stand for a moment of silence in the pledge, you face the flag. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
002republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Madam recorder, if you'd call the role. [Music] Chair Laura Harrison, present. Vice Chair Jeremy Bernett, here. Michelle Childs, Keith Actton, present. Deborah Thomas. Um, we do have a quorum. This is a work session, so we will take a relaxed approach to the agenda. Dr. Horl, will you lead us through our agenda? Certainly. The first item on the agenda is the opportunity for public comment. Would anyone from the public like to speak? Hearing none. Next item. Next item, we'll go to the report section. uh our legislative liaison is not here but I know she has some updates that she plans to give us at the business meeting um from the legislative session. Uh next for the superintendent report uh I
003want to begin by honoring one of our most outstanding students and I'm going to uh shift the camera here just a little bit so that we uh may be in view. Give me just a moment. All right, if I can members, y'all can come on down [Music] too. Take pictures, please. used to the camera. The camera. That's right. All right. So, uh, we honored at a recent meeting our students, uh, that had made the, uh, the Tennessee Music Educator Association, uh, Allstate Choir. And we had several, just a small number because it's a very distinguished company, uh, number of students that made that critical distinction based on their performance under pressure, uh, having to to get blind judged by a group of people that are listening to their technical skill. and obviously uh applying their
004their voices to the piece of music there. And Jacob Mans surprising no one frankly. Uh but uh one of one of our outstanding uh theater and choir students, Jacob Mans, was one of those students uh that was honored with an all-state recognition and frankly brought that honor to Lakeland Preparatory School and Lakeland School System. Uh the night that we were going to honor him at the board meeting, this is just how busy and in demand he is. uh he was actually opening the program uh for the uh LPS uh theater company's uh awards show. Is that right? So he couldn't be in both places at the same time. So we said we'll come back next month and we will honor you and um I didn't bring his certificate and that is my fault. But we're
005going to have a certificate for Jacob uh like we did for everybody else. But mainly we just want to recognize you and thank you for uh for your accomplishment and for all the great things you do and bring to the school. You're a great guy and we love having you there. Uh but but but mainly thanks for uh just earning this award and showing everybody the great things that are going on at Lakeland Prep. So we appreciate it. So we're going to do a couple things. We're going to get a picture here. And then we'd like to invite everybody up, family included, and Dr. Deloso, if y'all want to come up. We'd like to get a photo with everybody with you in the middle. Y'all family wins. No, you get you get I'm on the
006outside. Family's on the inside. You left, so you need to be right next to you have to go higher than that. The kids tell me you got you got to go higher. Okay. I know. That's what we You ready? Yeah. All right. Here we go. All right. Got it. Okay. Now go do one from a higher angle. There you go. That's what they That's what the kids say. Okay. All right. There you go. I'm going double chin. That's right. Exactly. Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you all for coming. Congratulations. Yes, we are so proud. Would it be nice if I mailed you your certificate? that you're certainly welcome to say, but you don't have to. I said I brought in the ring. All right. Oh. Oh, you got a switch. Oh, my
007notes on it. Are you doing the honors diploma? Yes, ma'am. Yeah, you can. Do you? Good. Good choice. Just bring our piece of paper. Turnabout is fair play, right? I didn't bring your piece of paper. You didn't bring your So, no, we'll get it tonight. We'll we'll figure out get that. Okay. And my guess is tonight would be a good night to stay. Tonight would be a good night to stay, I think. So, yeah. All right. So, uh we will continue with the I that was part of the superintendent report. I do have some a few exciting things I want to uh just share with everybody. Um and the board is aware of most of these, but we like to share these with the public. Uh so, first of all, officially today, uh the Lakeland
008School System District Office moved to 3009 Davies Plantation Road. We uh moved everything out of Lakeland Preparatory School and we had three offices at Lakeland Elementary School and moved out of those on Friday. and uh our uh employees that were on the clock um today and this time of year um and didn't have duties elsewhere reported to uh to the new district office. So, it was very very exciting to be there. There's still some work going on, but it's been painted uh inside and out. We've had some new walls put up and uh it's clean and sparkly most places and we're just very excited to all be in the same place. hosted the principles today for the first time and again I want to appreciate uh show my appreciation uh for the board for making
009that possible. Um we certainly as we've said explored every single option for uh where our district office would be and I think um uh because of the patience and the uh the the desire to make sure we were doing the right thing with taxpayer dollars uh we were very patient and I think uh that that paid off and we've got a great space um at a very good price. I think for for our employees and for the Lakeland community. So that's great. A few other announcements. Uh if you didn't see it, uh the uh we were named by the National Association of Music Music Merchants as a best community for music education for the seventh year in a row for Lakeland school system. So we're always excited about that. Um we are busily planning for
010our systemwide inservice that'll be here before we know it next school year. Um the want to give an update on the video board. Um we actually have movement on the video board at the football stadium and uh if anybody is driving through there, I think they'll start to see that action uh on the on the end zone and um I I think those boards will start going up if not even this evening uh by tomorrow. So all the infrastructure work has been done. We want to say again how grateful we are to the city of Lakeland for uh completely covering the costs of that. That will involve a brand new sound system that I think uh between those two things is going to significantly enhance uh the uh the environment there at the stadium for
011our football and lacrosse and soccer and cheer and marching band and um all the track. Thank you track and field all the other activities uh that happen there. So it's it's very exciting to see that done. Uh we are also uh working through uh I think the final pre-construction phases for the allees outdoor pavilion project. Uh we're certainly hoping to have that ready for the first day of school, but if it isn't ready for the first day of school, uh it'll be ready shortly thereafter. Um obviously, uh we need to congratulate again, uh the Lakeland Preparatory High School baseball team, state champions, um in only the third year of the high school's existence. Obviously, that's been covered widely in the media and celebrated in the community. Um, as it should be, and I've noted to
012some others, um, I have never been, um, despite the the three high schools where I've worked, I've never been a school administrator at a time where one of the teams won a state championship before. So, it's uh, it's it's it's not something everybody gets to experience. Certainly not something I take for granted or that I think uh, anybody should. Very very big deal. and want to congratulate um not only the team but coach Godwin, coach Benjamin, and coach Gore u for their efforts and and frankly want to congratulate and thank uh all the students that played um on those programs and and helped helped get us there. Um also want to congratulate uh Truman H I'm sorry, is it he? How do we say Truman? Truman Hemes, who was uh recently recognized uh with the
013outstanding student technical achievement award uh at the Oreium High School Musical Theater Awards. We had uh several nominations for the Descendants um and had a great showing and some students that participated uh in the uh in the presentation that night. Uh want to again uh recognize a lot of lot of fine arts recognitions tonight, but the uh the Tennessee Arts Academy, just a just a note again, uh named Lakeland Preparatory High School as an artsrich school of merit. Um we have uh recently found out that we were not named as the school of the year, but it is a huge honor to have been named as a school of merit, and we planned on sending some uh representatives to the awards ceremony uh that will take place um later in June. So again, congratulations to
014all those students. Um, couple of just announcements. There is going to be a brand new event, a meet the Lions night, Friday, August 1st. If folks are marking their calendars at Lakeland Preparatory School, we'll welcome family, friends, and the Lakeland community to meet the sports teams for fall 2025. Uh, the marching band will be there, food trucks. It's going to be a great event that folks are getting uh getting fired up about already. So, a lot of great things going on. uh and we're we're very busy at the at the district office and preparing already for next year and uh HR and end of year processes and uh the end of the fiscal year and everything else. So um certainly open to any questions if there are any. Are there any questions for the superintendent?
015Okay, thank you. The only thing I will I will add another thing uh plug for the city of Lakeland for their their event at our facilities. So go ahead. That is a city of Lakeland event, but the uh the city of Lakeland uh freedom celebration, I think is what they're calling it, will be uh July 3rd. Is it Oh, I got it wrong. I think it's the 5th. Is that Is that Saturday? I'm going to check it. I think it's July 5th, the Saturday. You are correct. Yep. Uh July 5th. Thank you. It will be at the uh Lakeland Preparatory School annex. Uh it is it is completely being run by the city of Lakeland, but we have partnered with them and very excited uh to see them use the facility in that way uh
016for a for a public display like that. I like I got to go to the test firing to check the visibility. Uh and it's it's really going to look great from there. So um there was only a couple we wanted to do like a lot. They only it was like pop, but it was a big one. It was good. Uh so that'll be exciting. But thank you for noting that. Uh any other questions or comments there? All right, hearing none. Next item. Okay. Uh the monthly financial summary is attached to the agenda, so anybody can check that out if we like and we can if you'd like and we can also uh follow up on that at the business meeting. But um everything is as it should be as we move toward the end of
017this um financial year. So nothing out of the ordinary to report there. Uh next item on the agenda, uh this is a work session, so the approval of the agenda is not necessary. We have a number of items on the consent agenda. Uh, and I I would like to to do one thing. Uh, item number three on the consent agenda, approval of 2526 textbook fines. This is how efficient this board is. Y'all already did that. Y'all did that in May. And there's actually no changes here. And um I apologize for for not catching that. It's not an update. It's exactly the same. So, we can just remove that if there's no um objection from the board. No objection from the board. So that item number three will be removed from the business meeting agenda next
018week from or item number three on the consent agenda will be removed from the business meeting agenda for next week. Are there any items in the consent agenda the board would like to move to any discussion action for next week or is is everything. All right hearing none. All items will be moved to the consent agenda for next week's business meeting. And can I make two more requests? Item two on the consent agenda and item six. They're both nutrition related. The annual nutrition form, the nutrition form has not been released by the state. So we'd like to push that to July and would also like to push the charge offs of cafeteria accounts to July if necessary. Not a problem. So those items will be carried over to the July agenda without objection. All right.
019Next item. Okay. Next item. Uh as we move to the discussion action items. Uh the first item on the agenda is uh uh approval of update to policy 4.40 instructional materials. I can speak to that. You have the floor, Dr. Hor. Okay. Uh this was uh at the request of Mr. Bernett. We had some conversations about just making sure that uh specifically that the materials that are being utilized uh in in the classroom and certainly anywhere uh meet the uh intent of the age appropriate materials act and um there was a uh suggest some suggested uh changes to the language and uh I know Mr. Bernett had um had had made some uh kind of worked on that further and had uh some further suggestions that um I I think would would be improvements as
020well. Essentially um if I may, Madam Chair, um Dr. Horl and I emailed and and worked on that to add a second sentence after that edit the highlighted section to say the superintendent shall develop and oversee procedures and controls to ensure compliance with this legislation. There any discussion on that change? uh question. I'm assuming that this has been vetted by TSBA or some sort of an attorney that's uh vouching for this. Well, so basically it's it's consistent with our own policy. So I mean we already have the policy um that meets the requirements of the age appropriate materials act. It's just in a different um it's in a different part of the policy manual. And so what this would do is basically just uh highlight it in the instructional materials policy as well. I have
021a request. So the age appropriate materials act of 2022. Can we get the reference put? It would be absolutely be referenced. Yes. Okay. So that would be cited. Yeah. Yep. Okay. That's part of what TSBA does for us. Um Okay. So we would request that. Any more? So the the request can you s I assume you have did you get the sentence or I have the sentence I have I've got it in email. Yep. Can you repeat or Sure will one of y'all? The superintendent shall develop and oversee procedures and controls to ensure compliance with this legislation. So um is there any objection at this point other than I have no objection. I just want to understand would this normally fall under the superintendent purview? Essentially uh I mean essentially the superintendent's responsible for you
022know uh ensuring compliance with the entirety of the policy manual um at the end of the day. So uh that that sentence is common parlance throughout the policy manual. So it certainly you know doesn't make me uncomfortable or feel like it gives me additional I will say in in other places in the policy manual we have superintendent or designate so that gives the ability to delegate it but still ultimately the buck stops with you. Um so is there any objection to having super you know that superintendent or designate so that um certainly it still is your responsibility but you can delegate certain parts of it or development of a procedure or whatever to someone else. So you aren't necessarily typing up the word document that is, but you're responsible for overseeing it. Is it is
023there any concern with that? I think that's a wonderful friendly amendment. All right. I it's a great confirmation and clarification on the you know the desire of the um instructional materials. I think it's appropriate and uh I'm I have no problem with it. Okay. So is there do we want to put this item on the discussion action or would we want to put it on the consent agenda? Madam Chair, I was going to ask if uh we'd be open to moving it to consent agenda. I'm I'm fine with that with the changes. Y with the changes as long as our two Absolutely. Other members don't have any concerns next week and they can pull it off the agenda next week. Yep. Okay. So, we'll move this item to consent agenda. I guess it would be
024number four or five. I'll let y'all keep up with which one it is. I'm not sure. So, all right. Next item. Uh next item is approval of update to policy 6.204 foreign exchange students. Dr. Hor, the floor is yours. Yeah. Um, so this this board um passed uh what was discussed at the time as being a pilot um for our foreign exchange uh program. We intentionally limited limited it um to a fairly low number and said that we would accept two foreign exchange students. We wanted to make sure that our internal procedures were okay and that we weren't uh opening up something that we weren't ready to handle. And also the if the questions asked, you know, why limit it at all? Um there are implications for adding additional students. Um you know depending on
025how many students there are it could necessitate the hiring of additional teacher or uh you know different sections of things. Um so you know we certainly still want to have some controls on it but everybody felt comfortable that uh at this point two was probably too low. Uh so the proposal that we're bringing to the board is to raise that to six. Uh we'll continue to monitor it year after year but we did have a very successful pilot. um with our foreign exchange program and u would welcome the opportunity for a few more students. Any discussion on this item? You have one. I was going to ask uh if it's still intended to have on page two, line 10 and 11 for the student u uh to be classified no higher than 11th grade. So
026essentially, could you have seniors, people that are doing their senior year, or is there a problem with that? I don't know. Let me follow. I guess from a graduation standoint, I think I think it might get I don't know that we want a student in their, you know, uh it's referenced down below in line. You're right. 12. No, no student who has completed the equivalent of the 12th grade in their home country has received a diploma or certificate of graduation is uh or is considered eligible for college or university placement will be eligible to attend Lakeland prep school. Why don't I follow up on that just to Yeah, I feel like this is one that we can move to the consent agenda with just if you'll just provide the board some clarification on You got
027it. That'd be great. Apologies. I should have caught that earlier. No, that's okay. That's a good question. So, move this move to the consent agenda, either five or six. Not sure which one it is, but five or six. And then, um, you'll provide the board clarification on that part of it. All right. Next item. Next item is the approval of the 2526 protected reading lists. Um, I it's okay, Mr. Bernett. I'll I'll note that he actually had requested some follow-up conversation with me um about that list, and I'm I'm certainly happy to do that if that's fair. So, we will leave this item on the discussion action if that um if since y'all potentially have changes or updates or whatever to that. So, we'll leave that on the discussion action item. Is there any issue
028with that? And I know you've got some follow-up items you're going to do. Okay. All right. Next item. Uh next item is the approval of LSS job description director of instruction. Um, what I can tell you, this was uh this came out of the budget process and was just uh one that was not ready for the the last meeting and uh we are very consistent about making sure that the board approves um job descriptions before um the new positions begin and this one begins in July. So, we just wanted to bring this before the board. Any discussion on this item? My only question but I probably asked you but I slept since then so I apologize. Um, I I did note that it's a 10 and a half month position. Um, and I know in
029some of our conversations we've you've talked about some moving some of these positions to 12-month positions. If if that's what this says, then that is a good catch. And then it's very last line. Yeah. No, we need to update that. That is a that is intended to be a 12-month position. That is a 12 month position. So, can any objection to this being on the consent agenda with the change to it being a 12-month position? Good with that. Thank you. So, this item will be on the consent agenda with the change for it to be a 12-month position. Perfect. All right, Dr. H. Next item. Next item is lettering. And I think the and you have had you and I had a discussion about this. I think this will be carried over. You've got some
030work to do and there have been people working not in town on these on these state great state achievements but they haven't tried doing other great things. Yes. So um this will carry over potentially to our July meeting. Perfect. All right Dr. Horn next item. Uh next item is finalize the superintendent evaluation. Is there so you'll do the they'll do the presentation on the evaluation results next week or you want to do it tonight? I think we typically would do it tonight, I think, is my intention. Whenever you'd like it, I can I can present it for it now, but I just didn't know if you were tonight was Yes, go for it. All right. So, yes, that time of year, the uh the superintendent evaluation. Um I should probably just before I get to
031the results, just for uh the public, uh remind everybody what this is. Um, under Lakeland schoolboard policy, every year the superintendent is evaluated by the school board and there is a uh format that is used and it's it's pretty similar from year to year. It's a little different this year in this in in one way. Um, the the the various subjects on which the superintendent is graded. Um it's a five-point scale this year. Had been six point scale for a while with one being the lowest and five being the highest. And then there's six categories that uh the superintendent is graded on. Leadership and strategic vision, board relations, community engagement, communication, operation, operational and financial management, student achievement and accountability, and then integrity, fairness, and ethics. And Dr. Horl uh each each board member grades
032the superintendent on all these things and uh Dr. Horl again once again got a uh a very high score. It was a 4.88 which is fairly close to uh a 5.0 which would of course be the highest he could get. Um in one category in particular community engagement and communication Dr. HL did receive a uh a perfect five score. Um, and uh, that's it. I'm happy to answer any questions if anyone has anybody. Any discussion on Dr. Harl's review? I go ahead. If I might, I just want to have a comment. Dr. Horl, it clearly reflects that this board has great confidence in you. Incredibly comfortable with you. I I think there is absolutely no doubt that five on um uh community engagement, communication speaks to the level of professionalism, competence that we have. We're
033we're extremely glad I'm extremely glad as a board member to have you as a colleague, as someone that um many people may not know, but Dr. Carl and I have a habit of having phone calls at 7:30 in the morning while we're both driving into work and we have very frank conversations sometimes, but it's great to be able to have a frank conversation and have push back and it it informs and changes my mind many times and I really appreciate that. Thank you. Appreciate it. Um, I'll echo the sentiment. I think Dr. Horl has done an amazing job from I guess it's been 11 years. It's we're at 11 years. Geez, it's it goes by fast. Um, so I can't thank you enough. Um, I think, you know, this is a reflection of how strong
034our confidence is in what you're doing and how you've grown our school system and the way in which not just that you've grown it, but the way in which you've done it. And um, I think that it echoes throughout the school system. um just how positive your leadership, the culture in our school system um really it's just amazing. It's an amazing place to be. It's enjoyable. It's it's enjoyable for families. It's enjoyable for staff um to come to work and just to be a part of our school system. So, I thank you for everything you do every single day. And with that, I will ask the board's permission to add an item to the agenda. The discussion action would be for the board chair to negotiate a contract extension for Dr. Horl. Any objection to
035adding that to next week to for the basically it would be approving the board chair to negotiate and bring back a contract extension for Dr. Hville in the July meeting. I think that's a wonderful idea and thank you. All right, any objection? All right, so that item will go on the regular agenda. Um, and I guess it would be number I've lost count. I'll let y'all figure it out. Figure that out. Yeah. All right. Next item. Uh, let me say if I may, I appreciate I don't take for granted the confidence of the board of the relationship uh that we have. Um, this board is an absolute pleasure to work with and um you board members are the ones that put yourselves out there and on the line um through the election process and uh
036make yourselves accountable to the public. And uh I also appreciate the the very honest discourse that we have and I think those conversations and your passion for doing the right thing for kids um have have gotten us where we are today. And uh the the other thing that's gotten us where we are today are the folks that work with me um in Lakeland school system. And uh I I we wouldn't be the success that we are without uh the support staff um all the way down from the district office to the schools to to everybody else. Uh it's a wonderful community. It's a blessing uh to serve Lakeland and uh again I appreciate the the confidence and the feedback. So thank you. All right. All right. There are no further items on the agenda. Is
037there any other Is there any announcements? I want to add one thing that I I've left off. I think uh just there's so much going on. Uh should have noted this though. We had a great first day today of a number of different camps and things that are happening in our schools. Uh the the district office isn't the only place where the action was today. Uh we had uh both of our summer learning camps um that are happening at the elementary and uh and and Lakeland Prep. Our extended uh school year camp for uh some of our students with special needs that we are hosting for the first time. We've typically partnered with Arlington, but uh thanks to Miss Gay and Dr. Dlosa, we are hosting those students for the first time. And that kicked
038off today. Uh as well as kindergarten camp kicked off today. We had camp invention uh that kicked off last week. So um did I miss anything? Dr. Delo, though you covered it. It's uh there's probably more. They're always Well, I know we've got strength there. There's strength camps happening um for the kids out on the football fields that I'm seeing. So, uh just just just like always, it's very busy time. Yes. I don't think the campus is ever empty. Maybe the TSA dead week. That that's the only that's the only time it gets close. And then we're going to have a outdoor festivity for the Lakeland, the city of Lakeland. So it's not going to be vacant then either. So anyways, um any further announcements hearing? None. Is there a motion to adjurnn? We have
039a motion. I'll make a second. All in favor say I. I. And he opposed.