001Welcome to the April 14th, 2026 special called policy committee meeting. I will ask you all to stand for the pledge of allegiance. 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. Let's get everyone [clears throat] to look over the agenda. Anything you like to add or change? Okay. Move to approve. Thank you, thank I get to make a motion at this meeting, so it's great. I get excited to do >> Thank you, Mr. Vaughn. All in favor say I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Now, we don't have any public comments, so we will just go right into the policy changes. Our first policy is 3.400, student transportation management, and you will see that I
002have added a note to this policy. We will request that this policy be approved on one reading at the next, not this coming board meeting, but the next, to give bus contractors um 30 days in writing notice, which is required by our current bus contract. So, that one has a little bit special note. But, this policy adds language for payment of insurance premiums and some additional requirements for leasing or renting of buses. And so, you will see the highlighted language that is proposed to be added. Now, I'll have Mr. Leake can't be here, but we do have Ms. Gilland here. She's our interim transportation director here. And so, I know that when they met Mr. Ridley, I know you guys met. The big things on page two. And so, if everyone will go to page
003two, these were some of the changes. You'll see that on number five, for contractors who pay their insurance premiums in advance for an entire year's coverage, contractors provide that certificate of insurance to the transportation department by August 1st of each year. For contractors who pay their insurance premium on less than an annual basis, contractors provide a certificate of insurance to the transportation department by August 1st of each year, and then an updated certificate of insurance showing the required coverage to still be in place for each consecutive month thereafter by no later than the 10th of each month. And then, the second bullet, the or second one that we added if a contractor changes insurance companies or coverage, contractor shall provide a certificate of insurance for the new policy to the transportation department within one business
004day of the change in insurance companies or change in coverage. >> [snorts] >> These are good changes. Yes, Mr. Tidwell. I got a question, not necessarily directly to this, and I don't know if there's going to be other things we need to talk about about transportation. I know that the state has brought a lot of different ideas to the forefront, and this would be the appropriate place to to just kind of start hashing some of those out. But, um do we need to put any language in here, or is there language in here about proration? So, if we have a route that comes up in like the middle of a month, and we're having to fill that, and how does that work with the insurance premium? How does that work with a contractor that comes,
005you know, they they give the route up early? Is that all in the contract language that's already there, or is there anything we need to add to that? I'll address that. Yeah, the contract already provides for prorations in those cases. Okay, so we're covered as far as the insurance premiums go. We are. All right. And do we need to put anything in writing about when those premium premium premiums are expected to the contractors themselves? Like uh you know, we've had some discussions about a lot of contractors being concerned that they get those before July 1st. Um is that something that that we need to have in policy? What will that look like? >> I wouldn't recommend it cuz it's going to depend on making sure one, there should always be funds available cuz it's part
006of every year's budget cycle. So, like this year's budget has it in it for next year's upcoming premiums. Have it in this year's budget, if you will. So, like we last year, we took it in advance. This year's budget already has it in it. So, next year's budget will have next the next year's policy year. Yes. Yeah, so we basically did two this year. I wouldn't recommend putting it in policy because I I don't have control over payroll or writing checks. And so, it'd be putting something in place that the board really doesn't >> carry out. I can't carry out. >> Yeah, okay. But, I'll tell you that everything when I've talked to Mr. Smith, our finance director, as long as we have it ready, he said middle of June to the end of June,
007just like we did last year. So, as soon as we tell him to to go for it, I'm sure it'll be the same type of certificate of contract like we did last year. You sign your contract, then that'll be the release, the same exact thing. Okay, great. Mr. Vaughn. It's in the contract. July 1st, it says that we pay them July 1st and no later than July 31st. This year, there's a little concern from the drivers that they're not going to have it by July 1st. We have talked to Michael Smith about it. You know, it depends on how the budget works. You're asking for them to cuz we we issued it this year in last budget year. Did we do it that way? I can't remember. >> able to do it again this year.
008And so, we can roll it back, and it we can pay them before the end of the budget year, but we got to remember that that's an accounting thing here. But, it is in the contract that we pay them the they're a little bit on the warpath right now, but you know, my my advice to them was, if y'all are running that close, if you need 2 weeks, and then you're too dadgum close anyway. So, but it's in the contract, so I don't think you need to add a policy. The only thing that I would bring up about this is that does there need to be a consequence if they don't provide the insurance certificate, first of all, which I would advocate for that, that if the insurance certificate's not there, they're not going to
009get paid. And second thing, and this is a Tammy question. Don't mean to put you on the spot, but I'm going to. >> [clears throat] >> Compliance, do we have the personnel to take care of compliance? Cuz this is going to be an added paperwork little bit nightmare. Have y'all discussed that, or has that even come up yet? Okay. We have a compliance team to help with that. But, they were kind of assigned We were looking at them helping across the board and not just at insurance. But, with this coming up, we may Right. And that's what I was In my mind, not to micromanage, but I was envisioning that this is another step that y'all have got to deal with, that you got to coordinate with 340 something contracts. Right. So, I believe in
010our budget, we have one or two. I can't remember how many. I mean, there's not hardly any new positions, but I know maintenance has two in our request. And I cannot remember transportation has one or two. But, those are two with I can't remember Okay, so I would advocate back So, you've got that covered then. So, I would advocate back to that first question, does there need to be consequence here? And I would strongly suggest that if it's not on file, then there I guess their check be held for that >> something because otherwise, All right, so we do need >> and I have nothing here. All right. Right. So, do I need to Yeah, it doesn't I mean, it's the contract already provides they have to be in compliance with policy to get paid
011on it. >> Right. The contract already It doesn't hurt to add it here if you want to add That's what I'm getting at. So, how does that wording need to be added, Jeff, in your opinion? If the if certificate is not on file by the 1st of the month, then When do they get paid? When's check written? They're It did Yeah, it depends. So, if there's not a certificate on file by the 10th of the month, that's unreasonable. Or am I asking for too much there? Hey, the rest of y'all can speak. >> [laughter] >> All right. Mr. Through this with me. Mr. Mr. Vaughn, and then I'll get with Tami, and then I'll get with Mr. Tidwell. Yes, Mr. Vaughn. I was like Mr. Vaughn, I think we need to definitely need to put
012something in here. Um the requirements for them to notify us of the loss of insurance coverage. We've gotten burned once, and we need to make sure that we put some stipulations in here that is pretty specific and um in the requirements, if they do not if they lose it, and the consequences if they don't. Just like Mr. Vaughn said, I think we need to definitely put that in here. Thank you, Mr. Vaughn. Yes, Ms. Short. Thank you. Um Mr. Blair, I hate to kind of since you're the expert on the insurance, I think one of the things that we need is we know our bus drivers will get notifications from the insurance company and things like that. I wish we had a generic transportation email where the insurance company when something comes up with that
013account, when there's an email that's sent out to the driver, it's also sent to transportation. So, they're simultaneously getting the same thing whether it's a deficiency in coverage or um you know, the bill's due. What do you think about that? Well, it should be cuz they we're listed as additionally insured. Mr. Blair, if you would highlight that for us, I guess. They if you look at your certificate of insurance, it says we will endeavor to notify you within a certain period of time and they will. But the the entity that gets the insurance cancellation they get that they get that quick. But as far as cancellation on the additional insured, that that will come but it may not come as quickly as the cancellation did. But could we add a second email just a generic
014just a generic email? Because that would that would take Yeah, that would kind of take a lot of that out of cuz a lot of the stuff happens during the day while the buses are in while the drivers are in the buses and that means they would get it and we would also get it. But you're not you're not utilizing just one carrier, are you? Or No, I would require them all to to do that. >> I think that would be a tall order. But why didn't we get why >> add a second email? I just Why didn't we get notified? Address? Yeah. Go ahead. Just to add a second email address? Who I don't know that I have an answer to that question. Well, the hang on a second. Mr. Blair, from your experience
015like if the bank has a lien on my truck and they're additionally insured on the insurance policy where they're listed as additionally insured, I guess. I don't know. Uh how long in your general experience has it been before that notification would go out? Would it be a couple weeks? Would it be a couple months? >> I think it would be probably in the 30-day range. Okay. So, the bear the burden though is back on the contractor because they're the one we're doing business with. We're not doing business with the insurance company. I know what you're trying to do there but we can't you know, if they if they hadn't paid their insurance policy, it's on them and if they know if they don't notify us, again, it's on them, I think. And I agree and
016I'm not trying to put the onus on the insurance company. I'm just trying to build in a fail-safe. I understand. Yeah. Yeah. Uh I don't know that we can. That's the reason I said it that way. You were you wanted to say something. Uh yeah, I was just looking at as you were looking searching for a date, if we're on page two, it looks like uh contract shall provide a certificate of insurance to the transportation department by August 1st of each year and an updated certificate of insurance showing the required coverage to still be in place for each consecutive month thereafter by no later than the 10th day of the month. So, you mentioned earlier the 10th day. I I think maybe that's a good spot to land on since we already have some >>
017Agreed. Um requirements there. That's going back to your original thought. Though if it's not if it's not there by the 10th of the month, then their check is held. I think that's fair. Mr. Blair. Do you think holding the check would be enough consequences? Yes. It would be right now. And if it stays lapsed longer than that, then it's subject to termination after 30 days. Correct? If I remember the interpretation of the contract. To this Uh you know, the thing that bothers me is just like what happened when they had a lapse in the insurance. Our liability exposure was just unbelievable. It could have it could have bankrupted the school system in Roane County. If something had happened if it had a serious wreck because it didn't have insurance. I just wish there's something we
018could do to make it where that never happens again because it could have just absolutely bankrupted us. This is a stop. Ms. Darby. Just for clar- clarification, when when we're saying that they have to provide that for the consecutive month by the 10th. So, if they're I'm assuming this means that they're going to show you proof of insurance by the 10th of August for the month of September. Is that correct? Yes, because other Yeah, otherwise they would have been driving for August 1st. >> So, that so then my next concern would be if they if they don't show up with this, I mean, withholding the pay is one thing but do we need to add something that says by the 1st of that following month, if it still isn't there, then they're not driving? Agreed.
019Cuz otherwise they're driving without our proof of insurance. >> Correct. Yep. So, if we're trying to prevent what occurred, then I would say we need to have something in here that speaks to you know, at the expiration of whatever current insurance is on file if they haven't provided updated, they can't be driving. Agreed. Good catch. How would you do Do you have any That's in the contract already. We can add it to the policy. It's already in the contract. How did you have the wording as I saw you So, I think with respect to withholding payment, I think if we want to add that to policy, what we can do what I would suggest is [laughter] the Board of Education may withhold payment to any contractor until the contractor complies with the requirements of this
020policy. I'd put in the word will. Yep. Will? Okay, so you want to obligate Yes. Okay. Them to It'll give Michael direction too cuz he always asks me what I want to do and I'm like I don't want to do I want to do whatever it says to do. So, it's the Board of Education will withhold payment to any contractor until the contractor complies with the requirements of this policy. Mhm. Is it going to be stiff enough so that if it lapses Yeah. after the August thing, if it lapses during the year is this going to come into effect with that, too? It would it would come into effect, yes. Okay. So, that will be added to both paragraph five and number six at the end. Do you have that, Monica? I do. Okay. You
021had a first and a second, didn't we? >> I I second, yeah. Um I got another question on this, Jeff, and this may have been covered as well but if you have if they got till the 10th what they are proving on the 10th is that they have coverage to the following 10th? Cor- correct. The following month, yes. It may not follow the 10th, it depends when their policies are. If those policies kick in July 1st [clears throat] and they're being paid on a monthly basis, it's going to be a coverage for a one-month period, one calendar month. Okay. So, this July 1st and it goes to August 1st. Correct. Don't you still have eight days where they cannot have insurance? There'll be this there's a period of time there you have to make sure
022I mean, there is um they need to have some time to get the new insurance certificate in place. If they pay for it on a monthly basis, they have to pay for it before they issue the certificate of insurance. And depending how the month of falls on the weekend and stuff like that, you need to have enough days so they have the time to give you a certificate of insurance for the next following month. I'm just wondering if and it's if they need to prove the insurance at least to the 10th where we can re-verify it again. You know what I mean? If that's so if there is carries from the 1st of July to August 1st, then we need something that's going to show us past that period of time. Because if we're giving
023them the premium for this for the entire year, I don't understand if you why that we would would be going month to month on most of this anyways. Go ahead. I'm sorry. No, no, you're good. I was just going to say do we need to word it more about having proof of insurance on file for the upcoming month by a certain date so that you're then eliminating a a period of certain amount of days where you may not have it. So, if it's reworded where the contractor must have proof of insurance for the upcoming month on file with central office by this date then you're covering yourself if you're requesting that before the month begins. I think the way it's worded to where it says showing the required coverage is still be in place for
024each consecutive month thereafter. I think that's the way I read it. We wouldn't change. I just the way I read it originally was showing the required coverage is still be in place for each consecutive month. That's how I read it. It was saying consecutive the month after that. But if we Ms. Macklin. Yes, Mr. Vaughn. We're paying them for a whole year. And you know, the thing about it is and and and let me let me make a general comment. I'm not a an attorney. I just play one on TV at night sometimes. Uh I'm in surrounded by people such as my good friend Jeff Reed for most of my adult life but we tried to work through this and and I thank Monica for doing that and everybody kind of listening to me a
025little bit. I I'm not real good. I would yield to any of the rest of y'all. This was just, you know, kind of a hard and fast rule um that I felt very strongly about. We 85% of our contractors are going to take if not 90% of them are going to take the money and pay the entire year's premium. Some of them did last year. Some of them took a vacation. Some of them did a few other things and those we continually had to nursemaid basically the entire year. And so I think putting this in policy maybe makes we as a board, we as a group say, "Hey, listen. Y'all going to do right or you're not going to drive for us." And so I didn't want to be so hard and fast about it
026that somebody couldn't finance their insurance if they needed to, if they did lease a bus, if they were just trying it out because again we would box ourselves in to only doing business we wouldn't give that young driver, that young entrepreneur, young family, or whatever an opportunity to get in the contracting business if we made this so hard and fast. That and that was my mindset in trying to arrive at this. So I would yield to anybody else. Y'all are a lot smarter than I am. Uh however this needs to be worded, but that was the intention in in working with Monica and she listened to me babble for about 4 hours through all this. So We'll We'll get there. Let me ask the I don't know. I still it just bothered the exposure we
027had was just man it gave me nightmares. I know it did y'all too, but we paid these people this whole year. There's no guarantee they're going to do they're going to pay for their insurance with that money. Is there some way that and I think it would help us too that if if the the school system the could pay the insurance company for the bus driver. One would make sure that the money sent to them. Second of all, since we're sending money directly to the insurance company, it seems like to me that we'd be notified in case it lapses. In case, you know, we would keep it from lapsing and for some reason it did, we would be notified right off the bat. Because we're in direct communication with the insurance company, I think. If
028you and that gives you a closer communication uh threshold with them than you would otherwise. And I mean, you know, I don't know. It just bothers me that we're giving these people this money and I agree 90 95% of them probably going to do it right. But you know, I just want to make sure that that these people use that money for the insurance. I I I think I really think this puts them on notice. I really I I I hope it does and that they will pay their premium for the entire year. I will share this with y'all. The reason again going back to some of them that have to finance, the ones that do not have a loss run ratio 3 years, okay? If they haven't driven for 3 years, they haven't been
029in business 3 years, those guys, those ladies, they're paying upwards of 15 16,000 and Mr. Blair, you may be able to comment on that, a year. Some of them is high as 18,000. And and so those are the ones that are really on the edge. And I don't I want to try to keep them in business. I don't want to push them off, but the other side of it is at some point time they've got to grow up and and be business people. Okay. That's the long and the short of it. Mr. Sharp. Okay. I don't disagree with you, Mr. Vault. I I really think that because we are giving the money and Mr. Mr. Vault Mr. Vault um I really think that we should require them to pay that full year or pay a
0306 months and anybody else who maybe fits in the category Mr. Vault is talking about maybe it's at the director of transportation's discretion. Mhm. Other thoughts? Because we we are giving them a lot of money. The money's going directly to the contractors. It's not going to the insurance company. Yes, Mr. Darby. I will say I've heard from a couple of our contractors and I know a lot of them have said that they're anticipating their insurance rates to go up. Um so that would be my only concern to your point that that some of the newer ones some some of some of these contractors what we're giving them isn't enough to cover the full amount. So I would hate to see us require that and then lose some of the people that provide service for us
031because they just don't have the ability to currently do that. Um I think Mr. Sharp has a good idea though that if if the director of transportation is watching and there's someone like let's just say this school year that they have an issue with that they're constantly having to chase after for that insurance, they could it could be done on a per contractor basis and they could let them know, "Listen, next year we're going to require you to pay this in full because we've been chasing you all year." It also gives them time at that point to be prepared and know that they're going to have to come up with that full amount come July. So I don't think that that's a bad idea. I just I don't know. I just think we need to
032require them to show that this money we're giving them is going directly and pay for the to the insurance company. I mean, I you know, I think that they know that maybe need a little more now. It's up to them, but we got to protect ourselves. We got to protect our our taxpayers and everybody else who I mean, we I just want to make sure the money we pay is used for what it's meant to pay. You know, if we allow them to pay 6 months or 3 months or a month, they could put that money in their pocket and run. I don't think many of them would, but you know, it doesn't take but one and then we get sued for it for whatever and I just think that I just think that since
033we're giving them this money for that, it's up we need to I'd like to see it paid directly to the insurance companies for the year. Can you restate the motion as amended or the the You got all You got all that one sentence that we added there? There was quite a bit we were talking about, so Well, What do you want to do? The one thing I think we were adding to section 5 and 6 was the Board of Education will withhold payment to any contractor until the contractor complies with the requirements of this policy. So that's that that's the amendment. That's the amendment. uh paragraph 5 and 6. So if you're making a motion, it'd be a motion to accept these changes that are highlighted in yellow as 5 and 6 with the additional
034uh sentence I just stated. Do we need to vote on the individuals do or can we vote on both of them the 5 and 6 or do they need to be voted on separately? Clarification. >> You can vote on them together. Both of them together? All right. So I'm going to restate my motion then. I'm I'm I move that we approve 5 and 6 with the added language that the board shall will withhold payment. Second. Thank you, Mr. Rozell. I guess in that motion I've rescinded my first motion if everybody's following. Correct? >> We accept. Okay. Thank you. And I second. Thank you, Mr. Rozell. If there's any more comments or questions? All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Thank y'all. Yes, Mr. Vault. I don't think we can, honestly. I I
035think that's where the dilemma is. Uh we There has to be some level of trust here. I and I'm all for that, but I don't legally I don't think we can. Okay. Because they're contractors, not employees. Yes. If they were employees, you probably could, but as contractors you can't. >> [snorts] >> Yeah. >> [laughter] >> I think next we need to get to page Yeah. Yeah. Page 4. And on page 4, this is awarding and renewing contracts. If no contractor accepts the route after an all call, the transportation department will retain the route. Um again, open to any suggestions, but we needed to have something to what do we do next other than just leaving it sitting out there forever. And then you'll see exchanges. We marked exchanges may only occur and instead of saying
036in June of every year with the express written permission of the director of schools or his or her designee after communicating with the contractor to determine if such an exchange creates a cohesive route management system. Yes, sir. Currently written with positive long-term benefits for the students, parents, contractors, and the transportation department is essential to Rutherford County Schools. Those are the >> June language is um the same in the in the contract. It doesn't specify that it has to be in June. So we wanted to make sure that it was the same. Okay. Any comments on Any comments? Page 4. I would so move to approve both of those and I'll explain them if anybody wants to. I think we're wants to understand what it's what's behind that. If we're going to separate them out. Yes,
037let me separately. All in favor say I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Now moving on. Then our last changes are on page five, which is the leasing or rental of buses. You guys can kind of the leasing or rental of buses. Contractors who lease or rent buses for less than a 30 period a period of 30 days for repairs a written lease agreement must be provided to the transportation department. An extension of 30 additional days may be granted by the transportation department. Contractors who lease or rent buses for a period of more than 30 days and a written agreement between the lessee and the lessor must be provided to the transportation department immediately and approved by the board. The contractor and lessor will be responsible for the liability insurance as required in the bus transportation services
038contract during the duration of the lease. And so you guys can That's a lot of legal language. So if you guys want to discuss that a little bit more, definitely outside of my realm of expertise there. You want you you want me to give you the background? >> Please. This is and after kind of thinking through several several of our contractors have been drivers for other companies before and they have simply come up here and applied for a route. They've got a route, but then they're leasing a bus from somebody. It could be Blue Bird, it could be one of the other contractors. Uh it could be some other transportation company and what we discovered in all of this was that um I kind of got so aggravated about it that I decided that the
039leasing was causing us a lot of the problems because if if you look back about 20 of those buses that failed to have insurance on them were leased buses and I'm thinking how did that fall between the cracks? And and there's all kinds of side deals going on. And and so after talking to probably 10 or 12 of the contractors and me voicing my opinion saying I'm fixing to cut all this crap out. We're we're not doing this anymore. Basically they didn't beg and plead, but they gave me the insight to it. Some of these guys and ladies have to lease a bus for a a small period of time if they have a bus broken down. Tyler Black, I think he's been one of the contractors that has provided buses to to people on
040a temporary basis. I think Mr. Carter did. And when I got to talking through a lot of them a lot of the people that have from four to eight buses their self, they have a spare bus or two and they're able to help their fellow contractor out without having to go to Blue Bird and all that. If they have a breakdown, if they have something happen. And and and some of these fuel system problems, it's taken Blue Bird or Thomas 30 days or longer even to get the repairs done. And and so I thought, well the board needs to take a position. We don't care. Less than 30 days, I don't care. I don't want to get in your business. You do what you got to do. If I break down my truck, if I'm
041if I'm if I'm in the trucking business if I'm me farming, I have leased tractors on a temporary basis when one of mine has gone down. I think all of us have, you know, we've we've had a wreck. You go to the leasing agency and you you lease a car temporarily. So we do we really care less than 30 days? And I took the position, no I don't care. I don't care. Y'all handle it. Y'all do it the way you want to. Just let transportation know that you've done this in some type of written form. And then if they need to you know, if the parts didn't come in or something, they need 30 more days, it can be granted by the transportation department. I didn't feel very strongly that it need to come across
042our desk. I think Tammy and her staff can handle that. Think they're very capable of doing that. But here again, when we have somebody that comes to us and says, okay, we're going to we're our business model is we're going to lease a bus, we're going to get a we're going to get a route from you guys. We're going put in for a route. And their their business model is is they're going to lease a bus for the extended period maybe four years for that entire contract, then I think it needs to come across our desk. The written agreement needs to be between both parties provided to the transportation immediately and approved by us. I feel very strongly about that where we know a little bit about what's going on. Again, I don't want to
043micromanage. I say that all the time. We don't need to, but I think that stopgap measure, it takes some heat off of transportation trying to make judgment calls. It takes it off the director of him not nothing personal, Dr. Sullivan, but you trying to stay in the flow of who's doing what over there. I think it's something that we can just look at if it's once a month, once every two months. I've also asked for transportation to kind of keep us a little bit better informed. And I think they will. Not that they it's been bad, but I just think we need to look at that. That is a significant part of our budget. It affects you know, two-thirds of the school population. We just don't need to get in the position we were before.
044But anyway, so that's kind of the basis of that. If y'all want to amend this, y'all want to change the language, that's the idea behind it. I just think it needs to flow across with the buck stops here, period. We we need to have the final say so in that. I'll make a motion we approve that. Thank you, Mr. Bond. Thank you, Mr. Sharp. Yes, Mr. Tidwell. Uh the only question I have about it is the the last line, the contractor and lessor will be responsible for the liability insurance. So who's the check going to? Is it going to It would go to the whoever the contract's name. >> Whoever's got the [clears throat] route. Right. Okay. Right. And they are covering their driver even if it's in a lease type situation. Yes. Yeah. Yes,
045Mr. Sharp. If are we do we need to finish that up? Do we vote on it? Yeah, we can vote if you're Okay. I've got something else I want to add to this, but I want to make sure we stay on the busing. Okay. Yeah, let me make one suggestion on language on this for a couple of things. On that first sentence where it says contractors who lease rent buses for less than a period of 30 days for repairs it doesn't read quite I think correctly there, but I think what we should are meaning to say there is in that first paragraph, contractors who lease rent buses for less than a period of 30 days for repairs must provide a written lease agreement to the transportation department, period. Do we need to put in there
046Can we take that for repairs out? It needs to be less than 30 days. It's a good thing for something else. So it says contractors who lease rent buses for less than a period of 30 days for repairs must provide a written lease agreement to the transportation department. Is that right? Are we saying we're we're not requiring that? No, I I well, the basis of that is they need to be notified. Transportation needs to know what bus number. See, they'll swap routes out there and and here's here's what goes on. If y'all really want to know what the problem is. Here's what goes on behind the scene. Is is okay, [laughter] somebody breaks down or somebody's covering somebody else's route, but you know, little Johnny's got a dentist appointment and they call the school to
047get little Johnny off the bus and they call bus 235, well little Johnny ain't on that bus cuz that bus is sitting still. Well, where is little Johnny? Well, he's on 339 and Miss Suzy's picked him up and he's halfway across the county. What? That bus is supposed to be in La Vergne. What's it doing out Rockvale? And and I don't know what I'm going to get a little deeper here. I don't know why Tammy and them hadn't lost their minds. When you start listening to the chatter that goes on, they're filling in and they do a great job, but there's so much liability out there and then it creates that anxiousness with the parents. And I know the principals then it ends up across y'all's desk defending y'all just a little bit while you're
048trying to track that young'un down and nobody knows where he is. And and so it's just a simple format I think what I'm after here is that they know the record's there. Principal can contact there. There's where he is or she is. Yeah, maybe I worded it wrong. I I don't know. That's what I'm after here is to limit our liability and to give the parents a sense of knowing that I'm trying to anticipate all problems and not I don't know all problems. But just trying to anticipate where the problems could arise. So again, I would accept any type of amendment or motion or whatever. But the 30 days, I think it does I'm okay under 30 days at transportation knows cuz that way they can adjust their records as to what the bus number
049is that's carrying that route or doing that route. More than 30 days, I think we need to be notified and we need to approve it as because that gets into a long-term operation of that route, which ultimately is our responsibility. Miss Darby. Yes, thank you. Mr. Reed. Bus 305 breaks down and they I Mr. Black and say, hey, can I get your backup bus 211 for the day? I guess my question to you would be liability-wise, what does that does that change anything for us? Well, as far as liability goes, the it affects insurance. So, these leased buses are complicated for insurance purposes because yeah, if you're leasing a bus for operation, then you're operating someone else's bus to run one of your routes, and you don't own that bus. You got to have a
050certificate of insurance that allows you to have coverage on that bus that you're leasing. And if you have a driver that's not yourself, then you have to make sure that driver that you're going to be using to run that route on someone else's bus is approved as an approved driver on an insurance certificate. So, it becomes very complicated with respect to people who are leasing buses and making sure your coverage is in place. Um the transportation department and myself have spent lots of time going through these insurance certificates for leased buses. And they're they're getting better than what they were and people are learning what they have to do on it, but you have to have the named driver as an approved driver with the insurance company, otherwise you may not have coverage. Well, so
051my guess what I'm getting at cuz this has kind of opened up a little bit of a a bigger thing is it may be just for the day. Somebody got a flat tire and they really just need the bus for the day. So, there may not be necessarily a written agreement, but my concern would be for our transportation department at that point, do we have proof that bus 211, that's the backup bus, has insurance? Or do we have proof from the driver of bus 305 that his insurance will cover bus 211 while he drives it to cover his route? The contracts require that they have to provide proof that coverage. And those certificates of insurance are to be provided to the transportation department to be approved by the transportation department. So, but do is that
052is it written in the contract that in in a case like that where it's just a coverage situation, not even necessarily a lease, but just when somebody is covering for someone else that they're required to provide transportation with that? And my next question would be is are you guys getting that? that on their insurance they list multiple people, and so we can go and check and say yes, we've already got the proof that that person's been approved to drive for that bus. >> Carrier has to be notified. >> When they're using like a backup bus though, are you also getting proof that that bus itself is covered as well? >> Yes, we already have the backup bus coverage. >> You do for those buses. Okay. >> And then we can go and confirm that they're
053telling that's going to drive is approved. But on a last minute note, you know, at the very end of the day like when they call at the last minute, that's where we need to look at. And and and generally speaking, not generally speaking, what I have observed is most of them will will call somebody, hey, you go run my route this afternoon. And they and so that bus is covered, that driver is cuz they they've already got their stuff on file. It may be a backup bus, it may be a bus that's on a route that that has time to to catch that that run or whatever it is. And then they swap out the money their self. But we I don't sometimes we get involved, sometimes budget office gets involved, but the last the
054last minute stuff is I think it will work itself out, but again, this is kind of a place to start and I anticipate us tweaking it over the next year or two. Cuz again, you have to realize this all got laid in our lap last year when the insurance got taken away. And and so this is you know, we're having to grow with it or change with it and um Well, as I said, I thought I think this is a place to start. I we'll have to revisit this, think about it. If we see it's causing problems, obviously we can come back and tweak it. I think. Anybody else? I think you did you had a motion and I think uh So, so we're amending it with where with the the new language. So, it
055would be contractors who lease rent buses for less than a period of 30 days for repairs must provide a written lease agreement to the transportation department. It says an extension of 30 additional days may be granted by the transportation department. And that's the first paragraph. Right. There there's additional change we need to make in the second paragraph. So, if we're going if everyone's okay with that, we need to act on that first paragraph first separately, then we're going to the second one. I I Thank you, Ms. Rozell. Second. Thank you, Mr. Darby. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Okay. The second item, I think I can't to get an attempt to the intent of what we're talking about here. Um The current language says contractors who lease rent buses for a
056period of more than 30 days, a written agreement between the lessee and the lessor must be provided to the transportation department immediately and approved by the board. I think if we're going to read have that read correctly, I think it needs to be no contractor may lease rent a bus to run a bus route for a period of more than 30 days without first obtaining the approval of the Board of Education and a written lease being in place, period. Thank you. I would so move change that language. >> Thank you, Mr. Vaught. Thank you, Mr. Tidwell. Any other discussion? Okay. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Move on to the last one. >> good? Last one, I think it's fine. Yes, is it Yep. So, we're ready to approve. Yep. Okay,
057thank you. Thank you, Mr. Darby. Thank you, Mr. Sharp. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Ready to pass the whole policy as is? Probably. >> [laughter] >> Just change it. I'm a goober. Thank you. I never get to do that. Thank you, Dr. Sullivan. Second. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. So, while we're still on buses, um I'm trying to make my way through the the handbook from Wilson County that we all got and um everybody's busy and everything, but one of the low-hanging fruits that was in there was they are offering a stipend for referrals for bus drivers. Is that something that we should seriously consider? Look at. I mean, we've done it for our teachers. It's part of like a recruitment bonus. >> Mhm. I think I'd rather add it
058to part of our HR recruitment bonus instead of a policy, but I love that idea. Okay. 100% love that. >> Yeah. Yeah. I don't I don't know. >> Do you know what they how much they do? >> 500. Yeah. I love that idea. I'll put it on the next board meeting. I like it on bus drivers. Yeah. I love that. Okay. [laughter] Thank you, Madam Chair. Okay. So, Dr. Sullivan, you put the motion out to accept. >> [laughter] >> Only other time I get to do it is on the health department board. But we don't have a second. Would someone like to second? Thank you, Mr. Tidwell. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Moving on. All right. Next policy is 4.602 grade point average. This would add Well, there's two little
059changes. One is just um typographical on the first page um that national industry certification should have been in the fourth column, so we're going to fix that. Then [clears throat] it's going to add the equivalent SAT scores um for students if there's a tie for valedictorian or salutatorian. Right now, we only have ACT composite, but more and more students are also taking the SAT. Move to approve. Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Darby. Thank you, Mr. Sharp. Any other comments? Comments? Okay. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Okay. And then we have one new policy which would be policy 4.2002 annual instruction Excuse me. Annual instructional observance of Independence Day. This would add a policy to require annual instructional observance of the 4th of July holiday within the academic school year. Ms.
060Maxwell. Yes. Ms. Rozell. [clears throat] >> So, this policy is the companion to the resolution that we all did a few weeks like a while back. Um so, basically the thought is that since the Independence Day happens to fall during the summer break where there's no school, this will give a chance to kind of celebrate that and observe it within the school during one day during the school year. And it'll be age-appropriate based on what grade level it is. Um the director of schools will be the one to select the day that it will be observed for the entire for the for the entire school system. And really, this is not to add um um find like costs to this because they're to use whatever it's already there. So, whatever is available, that's what we
061can use given that we've got YouTube and things of that nature. So, it just lists the different um things into what can be done for each uh grade band. So, and it's supposed to really more educational, nothing to do with the politics of anything like that. Should be nonpartisan um and just stick to the historical facts and founding documents. That's it. And if I can say, the Captain William Liddle chapter of the DAR loves this. So, >> Oh, good. Move to approve. Second. Thank you, Ms. Rozales. Do we have any more comments? All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. All right, that concludes our business. Nothing else to We are adjourned.