001now let me know that they were unanimous assuming all five of them come um usually your motion is on the floor so if that's what this is what we're doing to the floor and they may some discussion and they may make an amendment and say motion and if they to agenda to blah blah blah I would type out the motion and then I would do first and second made it and then I would say five to zero like that and then I would say you know motion passes M so we'll see if we have to do any that doubt it for cons agenda this one you can really take action okay action not regular meeting all special call meeting there'll be like a recommended motion here so the motion would be move the cons percent
002all right I have 4M I would like to call the meeting to order if everyone would stand for a 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 liy and justice for all Adam recorder if you call the rooll please chair Laura Harrison present Vice chair Jeremy Bernett here Keith Acton uh Michelle Childs Here Deborah Thomas present I would like to welcome everyone to the special called meeting of March 3rd 2025 I apologize that we had to have a special call meeting but duee to scheduling problems and getting Quorum that's why we're here um just to make sure that we get our things approved that we need to get
003approved for this month uh Dr hor would you lead us through our agenda please I would and if it's okay uh Madam chair I do want to acknowledge that we are streaming this meeting but there is an issue with the camera that uh typically shows the uh the front of the board so the camera view we want to acknowledge is showing the uh Podium and there is no one standing there they may have a a shot of Miss dooso uh who just walked in but uh we we will be uh streaming this regardless just to make sure that the audio is is recorded and streamed uh the first item is uh the opportunity for public comment would anyone from the public like to speak hearing none next item next item is the legislatively aison update
004this child's yes we are in um full swing of the general assembly so there's several bills that I wanted to update you on um um okay the first one I'll mention is SB 1336 I'll just name the Senate side um and so this one is if pass would require that County School boards be on the same cycle as their legislative body um and it not be staggered so that you could have a County School Board turnover all at the same time and um us being a municipal um I did consult with tsba today and they said that it would not affect us however if this does pass which tsba opposes this um then it would um there could be pressure to um have something similar with um Municipal School boards um as a note it
005takes away local control and it would be the state legislature making those decisions okay um SB 415 this one would reduce the amount of State mandated assessments um and tsba does support that one um SB 690 would require that if a student is in a public school a virtual public school that they would be the Lea would be required to let them participate in sports in their zoned um public school um tsba does oppose this because um the members had voted against this um SB 1018 well let me back up there's um there's a handful about charter schools and this is one of them SB 1018 would allow that an laa with a charter school oh this is the one just saying they wouldn't charge them money I'm sorry the one I wanted to actually
006mention was SBA 1020 about charter schools that it would allow public charter schools to operate outside of the geographic boundaries of the local Lea so um that would be a scenario where another school district in our County could approve a charter school for our um to be that's in our bound our Geographic boundaries should that one pass um this one's also getting a lot lot of talk SB 158 would increase the amount of um um recess physical activity from um minutes from 130 minutes per school week to 60 minutes per school day and I don't think there's anything written in it about when the required all the mandated education would happen in instead of what this would replace uh tsba opposes that legislation there's still um at least one or two bills about cell phones
007um but again it's just having a policy on it during the school day um our bill um SB 679 um for preschool special education um it is still alive it's still its way through although I did note today that it has a what um Dr H and I view as a very high fiscal note so I think it's inaccurate just curious did they have a number on that on the fiscal note their fiscal note was uh 161 745 um we had it um estimated based on I think some pretty good information at being a total investment of 128 million which would have been an additional investment of 110 because they already have uh have some money invested in there right okay okay um so that's that's all I have right now so do you have
008um any questions that I may may not be able to answer about all the ones I just mentioned Bernette just one on the recess one yes um you said tsba opposes it is that one we voted on on it no no did they give a reason why they opposed it um well it's a huge amount of time so it goes from 130 minutes per week to 60 minutes per day and a lot of the problem comes in with all the um academic requirements and all of the standards that you have to meet and then when are you going to meet them if you decrease the education time because I think everybody would agree that exercise is amazing and having that is a posit thing but I mean your choice is you decrease the academic portion
009or you make the school day longer I mean I don't know how else you would um put it in all right thank you any more questions I had one so I so the SV 1020 Charter Schools operating outside a geographic area was there not um legislation passed not so long ago about not having a school operating inside another Lea for example the German Town High School situation so how does this does this compete with that or conflict with that is there I think it's um I think if you ask the distinguishing uh uh delineation would be that it's that that law that you're referring to was one Lea operating another school I think these are charter schools which they don't consider as Lea and I think they consider them independent of leas they're uh they're
010Lea aren Charter Schools approved by an Lea or well they they try to get approved by an Lea and if the Lea rejects them they can appeal to the state Charter School Board and has the right I mean they're essentially yes they're not governed by even the local Lea even though the approval process puts them through the laa so this bill proposes that it's okay for a school to operate in another ela's jurisdiction but it's not okay for one Lea to operate a school in another school so it just depends on the type of school whether it's okay it does that's yes they're saying they're saying I'm just throwing out the name Bartlett cannot operate a school in Lakeland and Lakeland cannot operate a school that would have been a better example maybe in in
011Bartlett um but a charter school you know Consortium or organization could under this pending legislation could proposed legislation maybe it's better uh could open a charter school in Lakeland or Bartlett get approval by Bartlett what's that but it would be but Bartlet they were saying bartl could have the jurisdiction to approve a school to operate in Lakeland whether it be a charter school public school whatever they're saying bartl could approve that Charter School to operate in Lakeland the child is saying yes I haven't that's what the legislation is saying but they can't approve a regular public school to operate in Lakeland but they can approve a charter school correct that seems yeah and to be honest I've I'm going to try to get more information on this because it to me the part that doesn't
012make sense is that if a charter school wanted operate in let's say Lakeland why wouldn't you just come to that Lea and then if you got rejected there is the state Charter commission so you have this other out so I don't really understand um I'm sure there's a scenario that has happened where they're wanting to go down this path but I I would if you can find out more information and email to the board the specific situation that has driven this law because I'm sure there is that'd be great okay that's all the questions I I just wanted to understand what the difference between a the schools that were being approved all right next item uh next item is the superintendent's report I do have a few things that I'll uh run over even though
013I know uh time is tight um wanted to note uh and this this may not have been put out there so I hope I'm not getting ahead of it but uh we uh both of our schools received the Tennessee purple star school award again um so we're very proud of that association with the military um compact of schools uh which basically acknowledges that uh our servic men and women and their families sometimes need some uh exceptions made and uh we need to be conscious of uh of of the situations of students that are basically required to transfer from one school system to the other based on uh their parents military assignment we're very proud for the support that our schools and administrations offer those families and very proud to be recognized as purple schools again
014for uh for all of our schools uh we have announced that uh Lakeland preparator High School program has been chosen by the Tennessee Arts Academy as an Arts Rich Arts rich school programs uh School of Merit and we're going to move on uh with only nine other schools and compete with uh those other schools for the uh the art Arts Rich School of the Year award so we're uh very excited about that I want to congratulate our director of Technology uh to Dr Wanda Terell um she was she has recently earned the certified education technology leader designation uh by passing a very rigorous certification exam uh from the Consortium for school networking and uh she's she's an amazing leader and we appreciate additional acknowledgement for her uh want to recognize our human resources departments and
015coordinated school health departments who have uh really done a great job with a fit to Roar program in our schools that's got a huge amount of participation and has been a lot of fun I think for employees and has hopefully help uh making them healthier uh making them healthier as well so um great work there uh we do have a community feedback night uh that has been announced for March 27th from 5:30 to 7: as part of our 5-year strategic plan we wanted to introduce additional opportunities for parents and community members to give feedback and want to thank uh Angie dooso and some of her colleagues for uh really taking the lead on that so that parents can show up and give their feedback into what's going well and what improvements they'd like to see
016in Lakeland School System so that's exciting um as well can I can I ask a clarifying so it's open to not just Lakeland families but the entire community yes the Lakeland Community absolutely Lakeland stakeholders is who we yeah in fact the the more the better fact the better okay just want to make sure that people knew that it was open because we could have people that have moved on to private school let's say for whatever reason certainly some feedback based on their experiences would be great too yeah absolutely um this certainly uh pertains to the school board um the school board uh oversees the uh Tennessee school boards Association scope conference we're very excited that we have uh four qualified students that have been selected through a uh a blind competitive process to represent Lakeland
017School System at the scope conference um and they are Mia Anderson Aubry fry Nathan Harrison and Addison Manis uh for being Chosen and that'll be March 11th at Belmont University and um just real real real excited about the group of students that will go there and learn more about public policy and public education and how to conduct themselves in uh in discussing and making public policy lots of Rec recognitions that we'd be up here all afternoon if we started going over all the students that have been recognized for uh for sports and uh the teams and uh and organizations that have been recognized for their uh their we'll be bringing many of them before the board uh but for athletic and Fine Arts accomplishments it's just uh just unbelievable to see all the things that
018are happening in Lakeland school system and and things that are getting done so uh we certainly uh spring break is coming up March 17th through March 21st figured we'd go ahead and announce that um but um I'm certainly open to any questions you might have any questions for the superintendent hearing none next item uh next item the monthly Financial U summary is available for you if you have any questions on that as well any discussion on this item I assume everything's just tracking as we expect it to this time of year percentage wise or account wise I know there's some things that may have es and flows and positives you know as far as where we are at this point but is everything tracking in general yes and that and I should note that's the
019January 2025 because this is a early March meeting um so and we we had an early meeting in February as well so we're a little bit behind but yes we don't we don't have any concerns and we're certainly uh getting our uh budget proposal ready for the board and have introduced some of those conversations and uh we'll more to come and I assume um I don't know whether you're going to set it up before our April meeting but just to say the budget meetings you will set up individual Mee samees we have in the past where you'll set up individual meetings with board members to go over the budget in April some time and then um it would come before the board I'm not sure the calendar at this point but just to you know
020that's the process we may even be able to move that up to kind of late March and then there'll be a uh a presentation at the April work session of the budget and then the board will uh take a vote on that uh at the meet business meeting okay yep thank you uhu any further discussion hearing none next item uh next item is the approval of the agenda um is there a motion to get this item on the floor still moved if have a motion I'll make the second this is a special called meeting so we cannot make changes to the agenda just FYI so just want to make sure everybody knows that as we go into this all in favor of approving the agenda say I I any opposed motion passes next item uh
021the next item is the consent agenda the consent agenda has eight items on it I'll make a motion to get this item on the floor is there a second second we have a motion in a second any now that we can take items off the agenda for clarification we yeah for clarification we can take items off the agenda we just cannot add any new items to the agenda because this is a special called so is there any items in the consent agenda anybody would like to remove here go ahead Michelle I don't want to remove any but just tell me when that we have a chance to make a comment about um that for the consent agenda about an item on it if you want to discuss it we need to move it to the
022regular agenda if you want to have discussion on them on any of the items okay then I would like to um make a motion that we number two be removed off the consent agenda and move to the regular yes item okay a second that we have a motion in a second so it be become item number four on the discussion action okay items or actually are y'all fine with actually can can I note if any one board member wants to remove something for the consent agenda it doesn't require second or a vote we she can just do that yes so item two would become item I'm sorry item two on the consent agenda would become item number three is that four on the discussion okay I'm just trying to make sure I have it right
023on my notes okay so that would become number four any more items anyone would like to remove from the consent agenda all right hearing none all in all in favor of approving the consent agenda as amended say I I any opposed the consent agenda is approved next item next item we move to the discussion action items beginning with approval of anti vaping and anti-drug curriculum I'll make a motion to get this item on the floor is there a second second you have a motion in a second Dr hor yes this is under the board's responsibility to approved curriculum uh our coordinated school health and student services departments have proposed uh that the board adopts the everfi vaping know the truth curriculum for 6th 7th 8th and nth grade um wellness and guidance programs any discussion
024on the approval of the antiv vaping and anti-drug curriculum um if you haven't had a chance to look at it yet it's really well done it's very engaging um lots of different you know interviews with uh people um scientific data a lot of really good things that's um and had the it had the it's a very professional kind of presentation so I think you'll I think you'll like it I just want to say I appreciate all the work that went into it and having it because um I have a student in college and I'm told it is just extremely prevalent I mean just um so you know I think it starts at these ages and so I appreciate um informing our students about it any more discussion hearing none all in favor say I I
025any opposed motion passes next item next item is nomination of volunteer of the Year I'll make a motion to get this item on the floor is there a second second have have a motion and a second Dr hor yes uh this is another Tennessee school board's Association program uh they present the opportunity for a school board to nominate a volunteer of the year that would be submitted to the Tennessee school boards Association uh in the past Miss Thomas has worked with that volunteer to make sure the application is submitted timely uh um and we U solicited for nominations from uh a large swath of people and want to uh thank summer Smith for helping to coordinate that from our ssos and our coaches and uh and other school organizations and we got several very strong
026volunteers man we have some parents that do a lot for the school system it makes it really tough uh but based on the applications I would like to recommend Randy Moss who was nominated by the LPS B boosters as the Lakeland School Systems nominee uh for the tsba volunteer of the Year any discussion on this item hearing none all in favor say I I any opposed motion passes and I will say Miss Thomas thank you every year for working to get this submitted timely and I know you're great at writing so I appreciate that too um for doing that process I'll get with him and get the ball rolling on thank you so much welcome all right Dr hor next item uh next item is uh review of policy manual section five second half are
027there any the struggle I have is we can't add anything to the agenda so there any policies that need to be added to our next agenda from section five no okay so uh if any board member has any um I from any policies from the second half of section five please send them to Dr hor if there's any you would like to to review at our next meeting for the next month's agenda because we cannot add it to this agenda can I make a note on this uh this is actually late breaking from an hour ago uh one one of the uh audits that the school system gets is a policy compliance audit and this in this case it was a limited scope policy compliance audit uh but Lakeland School System was uh noted uh
028for an observed best practice and that best practice was uh the school board having policy reviews on its annual agenda so that was part of the documentation that we submitted and they said good job school board for for doing this even if it's just a a placeholder There To Remind us to do it uh and some we've definitely you guys have uncovered some things that needed to be updated through that process and now somebody else has said it's a good thing too so great job board members you're doing such a great job all right Dr hor next item uh next item is approval of resolution 20231 resolution affirming the intention of the Lakeland board of education to participate in section four of the educ Freedom Act of 2025 relative to teacher bonuses I'll make a
029motion to get this item on the floor is there a second second we have a motion in a second Dr horl uh this was uh basically a resolution where uh as part of the forementioned education Freedom Act of 2025 uh the legislators uh designated uh $2,000 teacher bonuses which we uh understand to mean classroom teachers and guide guance counselors uh not necessarily every certificated person in in the school system uh but in order to receive these funds um the legislation required that the school board had to adopt a resolution um accepting the funds so um regardless of this board's uh thoughts or position uh or my own on the education Freedom Act um I am recommending that we accept the money so that we can uh pass it through to our teachers any discussion on
030this item M CHS yes I just wanted to make a note that um I mean I'm um as Dr Hull said I'm not going to you know I'm not going to oppose our teachers getting said bonus and I believe if I'm not mistaken it's only K through 12 teachers it has been clarified that to my understanding I haven't seen this in writing but the preschool teachers are included oh okay that's good because before we were told that they were not included but um because which leads me into um you know I just want to make a comment that um you know it's still disheartening to me that we have um numerous unfunded mandates one of them is that our special education um preschool program is not funded and that you know um funding current private
031school students became a priority um so I just wanted to make note that you know our board is still opposed to the um the overarching law that happened for this but of course we are very supportive of our teachers and are not going to deny them being able to get um this one-time bonus that they will not replicate next year or the year after any more discussion on this it Mr Bernette I just wanted to really Echo Miss child's statement that this is no way Lakeland School System affirming its support of the education Freedom Act it is specifically a requirement of the provision of law so that we can receive this $2,000 to provide these bonuses um I think that's an important distinction especially for the very vocal um response we've had as board as
032we' talked that we do not agree with the law itself but the specific provision just for funding for Bo bonuses Miss Thomas and I'll put my two cents worth in which is and you alluded to this um that Dr horl that this is um certified teachers and guidance counselors which is again and um fantastic I'm happy that the the legislature has um has acknowledged them in this way but this also is kind of an out of touch moment uh for all the people in those buildings who make everything in those buildings happen every day in our central office um our after hours Crews who clean the schools our um cafeteria Crews who come in and and prepare meals so that kids who can't eat at home can eat at school so I'm kind of disheartened
033that um that was not part of the plan as well I I am grateful for the fact that they're recognizing what our teachers do but it is so much more than teachers and guidance counselors any more discussion on this item all in favor say I I any opposed motion passes are there any announcements Michelle um tomorrow night is the first um regular season game for our boys varsity D and JV the JV game is at 5:00 p.m. and I thought I said soccer sorry soccer I'm getting there it's too many words okay yeah so our boy soccer team is the first regular scheduled games tomorrow night um JV is at 5:00 Varsity is at 7 o'cl and this is the first time they will have a regular season game in our brand new um high
034school campus soccer field that is the correct size and there's seaing there's a scoreboard so yes if you would like to come there'll be many more games but tomorrow kicks it off and I believe another team has a game right next door so you can just go back and forth yes there is another team that is on the turf field so it'll be yet another busy night at Lakeland preparatory school and our Administration is going to handle it well like they always do they're very professional in how they handle it and I appreciate everything that they do every day with the many activities especially spring sports Spring Sports is really interesting how crowded the campus is and it's not just sports like there's so many activities like last week there was band Orchestra Choir concerts
035there's just so many things that go on um I I think if you want to do something every night of the week I think you can at Lakeland preperatory school and if not I'm betting Lakeland Elementary School probably has something like the auction last week the I heard I I haven't heard a final total but I heard the auction last week was amazing um and just a great turnout and everything else so I that I couldn't go and I think Mr Acton represented the board well at the auction I I thank him for doing that so I certainly don't want to leave out Lakeland Elementary School because they certainly kill it every year when it comes to that PTA auction and do great things for the school and does LEF have anything coming up this
036spring that we need to make sure we touch on them too I don't want to leave them out so LF actually meets tonight to review um 16 Grant applications for teachers um for next year um we're in a bit of a reorganizational year and look to launch several um bring back a few of the fundraisers and reinvent some of those later this year the grants is always a fun night so please let the board know when you set set up the grant nights those are always great to celebrate our teachers with those Grant nights and I'm glad you mentioned that we are working to make that a much more visible public event um so that the teachers get recognized we have community members to come um and really celebrate awarding those grants awesome all right
037with no further items on the agenda is there a motion to adjourn so moved we have a motion I'll make a second all in favor say I I any opposed we areour