001For the record, he still looks at me. He says that I heard you. I'm texting. So, just give me a second. Maybe he'll respond. [Music] information. He's down at the baseball field. Okay. I think you like that. So, just I got one you can have. You just can't play through here. Yes. Yes. Okay. Bye. Nico, I'mma leave you. That's his new name for us. Deca. It's all for some reason. This is not He said he would head up that way. So if that works like I'm streaming here. Okay. Okay. I see him, but I didn't see you over a little. All right. There's a Cuz I'm right-handed. We don't appear to be streaming. I think something's going Wait, they're not restricted. Not working. It's a heal and die all you shall wait until you're 18.
002[Music] Did you get working? Yep. Oh, great. Try it again. Okay, here we go. Is it working? Yes. actually got it working today for I'm happy to go after you. Oh, okay. Yeah. Uh, let's let's do that. Yeah. Usually people don't want to hear I don't know why I'm so engaging. Yeah. I'll just I'll let him know that you [Music] Take a deep breath. It's been a busy day. Busy, busy, busy. April is busy. Sorry. All right. At 5:45, I will call the meeting to order if everyone would stand for the moment of silence in the pledge. You face the flag. I pledge allegiance 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. Madame recorder, if
003you call the role. Chair Laura Harrison, present. Vice Chair Jeremy Bernett, here. Keith Actton, present. Michelle Childs, here. Deborah Thomas, present. We do have a quorum. I would like to welcome everyone to our April business meeting. Um I think we have a packed house. I think it's almost as packed as last time. Thank y'all for attending. Dr. Horl, if you would lead us through our agenda. I would. The first item on the agenda is the opportunity for public comment. If someone from the public would like to speak none, next item. Next item is our report section. Uh the legislative liaison report is usually first but she is yielding to the superintendent report because during the superintendent report I have the honor of recognizing various groups that have accomplished various things in Lakeland school system and
004we have a large group of students that have uh and their sponsor that have accomplished something amazing and uh if it's okay with the board I'm going to step down to the front and uh once I've changed the camera angle here and recognize those students that are here today. So, you want us to come down so we aren't in the background of your All right. All right. Right. So, one of the things that the board of education likes to do is make sure that we recognize students who have been uh recognized at the state level. And uh many times that is through qualifying for state competition. And we're very very proud of the group of students that are here in attendance with us tonight and of their parents and of their relatives and of their
005family and friends and everybody that's here. And uh the the students in here know what this is, but I'm going to say it for the public. Uh, these students are members of DECA and DECA stands for the Distributive Education Clubs of America. Did I get that right? I'm checking with they're all nodding. The students know what it is. So, basically, uh, this is the organization that recognizes and encourages and supports students that are interested in pursuing various business opportunities. In this case, they work in the career and technical education class of entrepreneurship, marketing, and business. And they work with Miss Eler to do that. And in addition to just coming to school and learning, uh they they make products, they uh promote products, they're constantly selling awesome things that are big hits in the schools,
006but I think more importantly, they also learn about the skills that are utilized in marketing and in the business world and in entrepreneurship. And they go to compete with other schools and students. And in this case, they went to the 2025 Tennessee DECA State Career Development Conference. And uh they had to earn their way there to the conference. So to just go to the conference was an honor and um is is its own level of recognition. So we definitely wanted to bring up all the students and recognize them for that accomplishment. So uh I know we had a number of students that could not make it tonight. That is always the case. Uh I know we have some students here tonight that are going to be leaving and going to lacrosse games and going to
007other activities. And we have folks here that came from baseball games. Here's a tennis player that looks like she just made it. I mean, that that is just the Lakeland way. There is so much going on and uh all our students represent themselves well in so many ways. So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to call the names of the students. If you'll come up here, uh our our communications uh guru here, DJ, is going to take your individual picture and then we're going to get a group picture when that's done. That sound like a plan? All right, let's do it. And if I if I pronounce your name incorrectly, just feel free to correct me. You can just say it. You can say, "Uh, it's soando." Okay? And I'll say it again
008the correct way. All right. First up on my list, we're going to start with the folks that uh had said they were going to be here. So, if you didn't say you were going to be here, I've still got your certificate. We'll call everybody's name. Uh, but I want to bring up Taylor Townsend. [Applause] Great. Just kind of head that way and we'll we'll get ready for the group picture. Brandt Fortune. Congratulations, Connor Van Dyiver. Come on up. Right. I said Vanderber. Somebody earlier they said it's Van Diver. Okay. My bad. My bad. Conor Vander. I thought it was Vanderver. Alex Winnowick. [Applause] Great job. Thank you. S. Yes, sir. Lillian Bogue. [Applause] Sorry, this go this is what sends it home to people. Kylie Davis. [Applause] You're welcome. Thank you Camden Gilo. [Applause] No,
009thanks. Congratulations. My name's Horl. I get called her all the time, so I try to correct it at least. Meline Warner. [Applause] my job. All right. And then we had four students that actually went to the state competition and then were named state champions at the DECA competition. So, I wanted to recognize them in particular. And I think I know I believe a couple of them couldn't be here, but I'm going to call those names right now. Addie Beth Johnson I think is not here. Is that correct? Okay, that's right. All right. And one who is here. Aubrey [Applause] Fry cheering section there. That's nice. And then this pair was also named state champions. Kate Sheridan walk. It went good. She won. Congratulations. Warner was your other one that you already Oh, so I got
010it. I think she's a Oh, well, you were one of the state champions. I did you out of order. That's okay. Come on back up. Let's give her stand right here. State champions. High five. We won't take her pictures yet, but we we will acknowledge. I smile different for the state champion picture. It's a different. All right. I'm going to go ahead and call the names of these other Did I Is there anybody else that's Yes, there is. Okay. I'm just going to call them all. Okay. All right. Yeah, I I will call everybody. I'm so sorry. Piper Bowen. Not here. Not here. I think there's going to be a lot of not here. Oh, there. Elizabeth Foster. I apologize. There you [Applause] go. Jenna Cowell, I think, is not here. Zoe Winford, Ella [Applause]
011Reynolds, Yavanni Taylor, Tommy Pickering. There you [Applause] go. We had you just in the wrong set. Congratulations. Awesome. Emmy Kate [Applause] Ledinger and Kylie Chesser. There we [Applause] go. All right. So now what we're going to do is well we just leave him over there. You want to do that? Okay. Uh and then their principal Corey Martin is here. And then I I got it. I just in time. And then I also want to recognize their sponsor for the faculty members. We do pins and uh some of our faculty members collect this pins. And this is in recognition of state achievement. So Miss Elser, if you will come on up here. All [Applause] right, we get everybody. All right, let's do a picture. Y'all going to have to squeeze in a lot more of that.
012And parents, if you want to get on, you're welcome. [Music] those chairs. Are y'all opening your documents or closing them? Stand close enough. Make sure I'm seeing everybody. Everybody look at DJ first. All right, Alex, I'm barely seeing you, buddy. There we go. All right, great job. All right. Now, parents, just in case parents, y'all want to You can get closer if you want to do whatever you want to do. Everybody good? Got it. All right. first time. Awesome. All right, there's one more right there. We're going to All right, let me switch the angle here. I think this is yours. I think Summer handed it to me. I wasn't. Okay, give me just a second. I usually drawing a pee. [Music] All right. And we we always announce this for anybody that was here
013as a as a guest. You are certainly welcome to stay, but please don't feel obligated. It is not rude if you decide you want to go ahead and leave. I know some of you are staying uh to to take notes and get your get your points for the honors diploma and you're welcome to stay if you want to. All right. Uh Madam Chair, if you're ready. Yep. Is everybody good? Everybody got all their stuff? Okay. All right. The the next item in the report section is the legislative leaison update. Miss child. Okay. Um I will try to quickly go through this. So just ask me questions that you have. But um I was I watched a lot of the um subcommittee and um house session today and one of the one of the things they
014did right before I got here was um they made a flow motion where it's a suspic suspic I cannot say right now. Was it specific? Thank you. Very specific. A suspension of the rules so that the bills could go faster because they are trying to get out. They were it they it was looking like they were going to get out this week before Easter, but now it's looking like it may be next week. Um but quite a number of them have been subpoenaed as a witness in the trial for the former speaker. So they're like really needing to like finish this up. Um all the House and Senate education committees and subcommittees have now closed at this time. Um moving on to specific bills. Um, you know, we're very closely following our bill that this
015the second year in a row that we've um had this bill sponsored, SB 679 HB 401. Um, and that's uh our special education preschool students um throughout Tennessee do not get much funding. It's almost a totally unfunded mandate. Um, and so today it was placed behind the budget, um, because there's not a budget for it right now. Um, which we pretty much um, knew would probably happen when it did not show up in the initial governor's budget, but they have not yet passed a budget. So, it's possible, but extremely unlikely that it could happen. Um, but most of the time when it's placed behind the budget, that's where bills go to die and perish. So, um, we'll continue to follow it. um but is not looking um optimistic at this point. Um next bill is
016SB 158 HB85 and this is a new um this is going to be let's see okay it was set well let me back up. This increases the amount of physical exercise for um students. right now is 130 minutes each week um for elementary students and it would go from that to 40 minutes per day. Um and then it does include some um recess minutes for middle and high school students as well. Um at this point it has passed the Senate and it is set for the House floor. It was set today, but I'm not sure if they heard that one. Um because they did recess at 5:25 and they're going to um meet back tomorrow. Um the I think um most people would agree recess is amazing. The problem is when bills like for our
017students out there, when bills like this are passed, it does not it does not extend the school day and it does not decrease the academic requirements. So then you're left with a quandry of how are you going to have this extra recess done? Um, okay. HB um 1199. Um, this one actually might be interesting for our students as well. Um, the legislature it this is passed in the Senate and it is now on the House Calendar and Rules Committee. Uh it's a law requiring um eleas, that's school districts, to adopt a policy for next school year for having a at least one junior or senior non- voting um school board student member. Um so and I think that's something our board's actually taught about in the past, but as you all know, this is the
018first year we've had juniors and we have not had seniors yet. So for us, this will probably um come in a good time to look at that. Okay. SB16HB25. So this is already passed and it changed TWSAA. Um basically um TWSSA went on and changed their policy knowing that this law was coming, but it allows for um specific transfer rules without having to sit out for sports. Um it's supposed to be for a significant academic, social, emotional, environmental, or mental health reason. for the student transfer without sitting out the year. Um, okay. Um, SB 1020HB 1162. This is a bill where charter schools could be done not like in they could be approved to be in another LEA's geographic boundary. Um, this one actually um did not get heard today for sure. It's going to
019be looked at tomorrow. However, an amendment did get written that established that this would only affect LEAs that were established after January 1st, 2014. So, that would actually eliminate the Shelby County municipals to this bill. Um, SB 1311, HB uh 1323. This one is um uh one that allows for flexibility with teacher lensure requirements and I did watch them debate this one for quite some time and it actually did pass today on the House floor and it already passed the Senate. So this is actually a very positive thing. It's still limited on what it can do, but it basically um a teacher can get um basically if you cannot fill the role with a licensed teacher, then you can um then a person that gets hired can go through the process to get a temporary
020teaching license and then could possibly get it renewed. And the biggest thing that I thought was great about it was um it did include existing occupational teacher license. So it did have this route for CTE process. So it there's a whole bunch of requirements of course, but it's like if the person was like let's say a licensed plumber and they want to teach plumbing um then they would be um a good candidate for this and then they could go through um I guess it's something the state school board will set up where um or I guess department of education where they have to do some type of continue ed and if they do well at it then they could get it renewed. So it is a possibility that um especially in the occupational um the
021CTE classes that that would be really positive for most districts. Um okay, HB 675 SB415. Um, this one had a lot in it, but one of the things that had in it that most schools have wanted was to reduce teacher assessments for high performing teachers and reduce testing, including ACT in high school. But, um, I guess it didn't have the support because the fiscal note had been high because it almost was like omnibus bill where it included some healthcare and made it expensive. But then they wrote an amendment that it would simply be to study this issue. The fiscal note was only $9,000, but they still put it behind the budget. So I guess they did not want to study if our students are um being tested too much. Um okay, that was it. There
022was a lot more, but those were the highlights on the ones I was following. Any questions for Miss Childs? Mr. child. What was the bill number on the CTE and teacher license flexibility? Um SB 1311 HB1 1323. Thank you. And you said that one has passed the House. It did. I watched it pass today. There was a lot of debate on it, but it passed. Okay. And and has it does it have a date on the Senate side or do you know? Um it already passed the Senate. So I guess it's just after I mean it was hot off the presses. It was like late this afternoon it passed the house. So that means it'll just be waiting on the governor to sign it. I think that's something we've had a lot of conversation on
023this board about trying to fill those specialized positions and not having the flexibility. So I think that's a great win especially for our legislative agenda knowing that that was one of the items we have been pushing for several years. So that sounds like a great a great item. That was definitely a very positive thing today. Um the part about the just some of the um decrease in regulations and decrease in testing that a lot of legislators assured the public would happen if they paid for the voucher bill did not come to pass. And as we were concerned that they would have spent all the money on the private schools that we wouldn't have the money to pay for special ed um preschool students. And of course that's so far is what's come to pass unfortunately.
024Any more questions for Yes, I was I was going to say piggybacking on what you said. You know, last year we were sitting here and we felt confident that it was a misunderstanding that a lot of legislators did not understand that there is not in fact funding for mandatory special ed prek. But now sitting here a year later, there's been a full court press. You've led the charge. uh Germantown and some of the other municipalities have kind of jumped on jumped on it too. And I don't know that it's a misunderstanding anymore. I think it's just a choice um on on our legislators part to say we're going to fund vouchers, but we're not going to fund kids who are um not yet old enough for kindergarten but need special services as required by the
025state. I just wanted to clear that up because I do think it's very different from this time last year. Yeah. And I will note it um no one voted against it ever like unlike last year there were a few times again a misunderstanding people not really understanding like what what are we talking about here? What kind of preschool? What are you what are you saying? So on a positive note I think all of them agree it's needed. um in our state it's a balanced budget and so there has to be a source of funding for it and so when um it was not put in the governor's budget and there's like no source of funding for it then that's why it has to go behind the budget but it's going to be you know this
026is going to continue to be a problem if um you know no one steps up and is willing to fund it and yet billions of dollars are being funded for you know current um private school students that don't have any type of special needs like these kids. So, it was still a choice, right? They still chose not to to fund this. And so, as a result, for you all sitting out there, our special ed um prek program, it's about $600,000 out of our budget every year that we have to fund. We don't get any funding for it whatsoever. And we're a small school system. So think about the larger school systems out there who have even more children who are qualifying for services and their services being provided and you know their personnel being hired
027and there's no money from the state at all. It has to be taken from K through 12 funding. Right. Okay. Thank you. Any more questions for Miss Shaw? Hearing none. Next item. Next item is the monthly financial summary. You can find it attached to the agenda for February 2025. there. Uh nothing unusual to report there as we move closer to the end of the fiscal year. Any questions or discussion on this item hearing? None. Next item. Next item is the approval of the agenda. Can I get a motion? So moved to approve. Yes. A motion to approve. Can I get a second? Second. We have a motion and a second. Is there any items anybody would like to add or remove? I'll start with the consent agenda. Um, I'm sorry. Remove from the consent agenda
028or add to the consent agenda. Hearing none. Is there is there for discussion? Is there any any items that anybody would like to add um to the discussion action items? Hearing none. All in favor of approving the agenda as presented say I. I. Any opposed? The agenda is approved. Next item. Next item is our consent agenda. The consent agenda has eight items. Can I get a motion to approve the consent agenda? So moved. We have a motion. Is there a second? Second. We have a motion and a second. Is there any items anybody wishes to remove from the consent agenda? Hearing none. All in favor of approving the consent agenda say I. I. Any opposed? The consent agenda is approved. Next item. Next we move into the discussion action items. The first item is board
029review of disciplinary hearing authority to authority decision of March 14th, 2025. Dr. Horl, will you lead us through this item? Uh I will. Uh we first would have a a motion to get it on the floor. Is there a motion to get this item on the floor? So moved. We have a motion. Is there a second? Second it. We have a motion in a second. Dr. Horl. Yes. Uh this item concerns the disciplinary hearing authority decision of March 14th, 2025 which involved Leo Genevacy. As the school board members know, uh each of you has had the opportunity to review the video of the DHA as well as all the uh accompanying evidence and documentation from that DHA. Uh the board has two decisions before you at this point um as this that decision was appealed
030to the board of education. So at this point the board has to make the decision on whether or not to grant or deny a hearing on this matter which would be an additional hearing to the DHA. And then if that is decided that the hearing would be denied then tonight the board would make the decision as to whether to affirm, overturn or modify the decision of the DHA based on the video and documentation that you have have all I know um reviewed and had the opportunity to ask questions about. So, the first item uh before the board would be whether or not to grant or deny a hearing. And madame chair, at this point it would be appropriate for the chair to entertain a motion to either deny or grant a hearing on this matter.
031Is there a motion to grant or deny a hearing? Madam Chair, I I move to deny a hearing. We have a motion. Is there a second? Second. We have a motion and a second. Is there any discussion on this item hearing? None. All in favor of denying the hearing say I. I. Any opposed. Motion passes. Next item. All right. The next part of this item that's in front of the board is based on your review of the video evidence and documentation. Uh the board has the opportunity to either affirm, overturn, or modify the decision of the DHA. So at this point, it would be appropriate for the chair to entertain a motion to affirm, to overturn, or to modify the decision of the DHA. Is there a motion to affirm affirm, overturn, or modify the
032DHA? Madam Chair, I'd also like to move to affirm the findings of the DHA. Is there a second to that motion? A second. We have a motion and a second to affirm the findings of the DHA. Is there any discussion hearing? None. All in favor of affirming the action of the DHA say I. I I any opposed? Motion passes. Next item. Next item is the review of the superintendent's evaluation process. Um I don't believe there's an a vote required on this. There's not. Uh what I what I am requesting as we discussed at the work session is that uh the board and the superintendent per policy have the opportunity to work together on the evaluation and and mutually agree on the instrument. Uh what I'm requesting of the board is that I I bring some
033feedback from the last evaluation instrument to Miss Harrison in order to bring a revised evaluation instrument, just some very very slight modifications before the board uh at the May business meeting. Is there any objection to this item? And I'm just asking from a procedural perspective, do we need to move to approve the two of you to work together or is that just something we just normally do as a matter of course? You can do it as a matter of course as long as um as the executive committee. Yeah. As long as there's no objection and as long as the board approves the any any instrument changes. Yep. Okay. Just to put it in in the record, I'll make a motion for Dr. Horl and I to uh work on the evaluation process and bring it
034to the May agenda. Is there a second? I'll second it. We have a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion is passed. So, we will work on that and it'll be on the May agenda. Next item. Uh next item is the review of policy manual section six from the first half. My understanding from the work session is that there weren't any uh recommendations to be made. Nothing at this time. As always, board member, a reminder that you can bring any uh policy include section six or any other policy before at any before this board at any point. Um it does not um require that we just cover section six at a meeting. So just as a reminder, we can always uh bring those forward at any point during the
035year. Any discussion on any items from section six? Hearing none. Uh, next item. Uh, no further items, announcements. Are there any announcements? Holiday on Friday, right? Yes, that is correct. School is out on Friday. Don't come to school on Friday. Yes. Don't come to school on Friday. You can go to your game, but don't go to school on Friday. Um, is there a motion to adjurnn? I'll move to adjourn. We have a motion. Is there a second? All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? We are adjourned.