001Oh, it's not. I'm so sorry. Go ahead. Who has the pledge this week? 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. First, we have the approval of the agenda. Any comments or questions? I'll entertain a motion. Thank you, M. Sharp. Thank you, Mr. All in favor say I. I. Any oppose? Motion passes. I don't believe we have anybody signed up for public comment. Nope, we do not. Okay. Thank you. Okay. So, we will get right into it. Um, you'll see on the agenda we are a little bit out of order and that's because Dr. Martin and Dr. Sullivan, do you have to go to um is it budget and ed? Health and
002I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry. Health and Ed. Um, which starts at 5:30. So, we wanted to put this one up first so we can have a chance to discuss it and then we can move right on along um and get them out of here so they can go to the other meeting. Okay. So, first one is policy 6.312 use of personal communication devices and electronic devices. And we have marked this one as for discussion. And you'll see I've attached our current policy and then to it public chapter 103 which just passed the legislature this uh this session. Uh Dr. Sullivan. So a couple things I've talked to a couple board members um about this. I believe Mr. Tidwell you put this on the agenda I believe. Um so we had a principal meeting last week
003to where we discussed this and also discussed it in our old group but also in our breakout groups as well. Couple things in looking at it. One u my recommendation after we get done discussing it is to move it to our summer policy meeting. But what we also realize this is a state law. So we realize we need to follow the state law. But we also in our policy want TSBA's overall model policy. But the caveats that not having laptop computers, I'm looking at the public chapter portion of it. That's a huge aspect of how we run, especially at the high school level. And so having that portion, we're still allowing teachers in the law allowing it for instructional purposes is the big thing. I think what we're looking at is making sure that they
004are not they still can have them at school, but they're not out during hallway, during class change. Uh, one of the big things we discussed that is going to be a a change is during cafeteria arrival hallway. Um, and then the other caveat that I would probably ask the board to consider is times as a approved by the principal such as like pep rallies or they're doing senior days when they're wanting to take pictures with their friends or videos with their friends. And the other part of that is falling in line with discipline. What we don't want to get into is to where we're taking up the cell phones and the cell phone drops and then we're responsible for it. Instead, we would get into the we tell you to put it up probably first,
005second time it's a warning, then you move into in school suspension and we treat it as defiance instead of taking up phones. Um, kind of goes back about 15 years honestly a little bit in how we used to operate. What I'm most concerned about is that we become like the cell phone police instead of work focusing on instruction and I want instruction to always be the focus of what we're doing. Um I do anticipate there being some parent push back on this. And so I think we need to to be aware that some parents are going to say I don't want my kid to have their phone off and silent. I want them to have it on them at all times, accessible to them at all times. I want to be able to text them
006at all times. Um but it is a state law so we have that to to fall back on. Um, some of our schools already follow this. I know Sewart Street High School already follows it. Some of our schools, this is just the culture of um, one of the big things we talked about. It is a concern is that some students, and I hate to say it, but it's the reality. They don't know the right way to have conversations with their peers. And so, as they don't have the device in front of them anymore, you have the potential to have more confrontation. And so, That is something that we have to to be aware of. You could potentially have more confrontations when kids are now forced to talk to each other again. You also have the
007potential for a confrontation with teachers telling kids, "Put your phone up and no, I'm not going to put my phone up. My mom told me to have it out all the time." And now you're asking staff to be in the way of telling them versus I told you versus a parent. So there's just some state law going to follow it, implement policy, but there's going to be some headaches in implementing this that we're going to have to be unified in. We are planning off letting all the parents know cell phone policy. Yeah. And it'll be a state law. And I'm hoping by having this in July as well, if we don't adopt something in April and then in May at our board meeting, other districts can do this as well. And we're all doing at
008the same time in July. in the news picks up on all of us doing it together instead of us being first. Yeah. So, Miss Maxwell. Yes. Uh thank you, Dr. Sullivan, for uh explaining that. Couldn't have said it better myself. I I agree with all those statements. I think the the reason I put it on here is obviously I' had some parents, teachers, uh and then I'd witness myself that, you know, during instruction time there is a lot of cell phones out. Um so that that was already breaking policy and I think Dr. Sullivan already addressed this in the principal's meeting as well, but uh we know I don't need to go into the repercussions of so much screen time. I think we're all well well aware of those uh effects. So, I appreciate everything
009you said. I'm more than happy to postpone this up to the next policy meeting. If I need to make a motion to do so, if there's no further discussion, that's fine. Mr. Ces, is there anything I hate to put you on the spot? Anything you want to add from a high school perspective? Because I know that I mean it's something high. Yeah, that's what I want. Yeah, I mean it's Hey, y'all come. It's I mean I love the idea be like issues just like you said most of our problems today as good as what's taking place on the cell phones outside school that gets brought in school. I'm at a school where I feel like you do have a pretty good culture around this right now and I will say that, you know, you have
010your repeat offenders, but the majority of students are really following this pretty well. Um, and I think there's something kind of beautiful about our students learning how to communicate with each other without this and and there's we need to cultivate that opportunity for them like in the morning whenever they come in and they have to sit together in the auditorium and wait you know they're having to talk to each other not just speak on their phones you know there might be some confrontation but I think we should put some way in society where we are moving to hey I can't talk to you face to face. My oldest graduated in 2011. And this just sounds like the whole way it was when he was in high school. And the change from then until just recently.
011A really has gotten swung too far the other way. I remember he got in trouble one time for having being on the phone in the bathroom and Dr. York him in the bathroom and it was handed over immediately. So I it's going to take some growing pains, but I think that they they'll adapt eventually. Yeah. Dr. something to consider. My glasses, they're off right now. You're right. I can take a call. I can listen to music. I can take a picture, video record everybody in this room right now. Oh wow. And that's not actually on here. So that's something to consider. Yeah, you're right. Watch is all those different types of things. So that's Yeah. Wow. Yep. Yes, Mr. So I have a question. Um I'm surprised that we have I think I think the
012way to really resolve this issue instead of having phones. Why we don't allow smartphones? I mean smartwatches. You can do everything on the on the on the smartphone. I mean on a smartwatch that you can do on the phone. Yeah. Y I mean that would definitely resolve a lot of that issue. Y it's already in our policy. Could that be a mandate to say instead of cell phones, we only smartwatches? Not recommended right now, isn't it? Because I've gotten complaints from teachers saying that they've given up when it comes to the trying to take the phone and getting the students to you. You've already got it under um eyeglasses, rings, or watches is actually in line seven and eight. It's where it's not permitted. I think she's saying to permit watches and not cell phones
013at all. Is that what you're saying, Mr. Rosal? Yeah. Use smartwatch instead of I don't know how we start policing that. No, you don't. You don't have to have the Well, you could. I have a phone. I have I have both. I have a smartwatch and I have a uh a cell phone. And my phone can run I mean my smartwatch can run independent on my smartphone. I don't have to have my phone with me. But I do have a line on that. Running to it. No, I have a line. I have a line connected to that. Yeah. So instead of Well, instead of getting the line to the phone, you get the line to the to the watch. I don't know how to start. It's the same thing. Dr. Yes. Yes. Mr. Darby. Uh
014my understanding in what you just said that when you had like your principal meetings and stuff, you have discussed this with all the administration. Yeah. So are we looking at really pushing this like districtwide? Does it matter what school it is? Because I think part of the problem now is you have kids at different schools who are allowed to do different things continuity. Y I think it's going to take a big to your point unified front because if every school is doing it and every administrator is on board then it's just a this is how it is and I think the problem's going to come in when we fill up our alternative school seats with because we will with defiance for cell phones and then we're sending kids back in two and three weeks. That's
015the part I don't know how to fix yet. Where do you middle school? both. High school probably more, but really, yeah, yes, middle school just being on middle school right now. Middle school eventually, I mean, your younger kids especially because they still, the sixth graders are still going to want to please. Um, your eighth graders, you have things you can hold over your seventh graders are going to be the bane of your existence like they always are. Right. Right. No offense to seventh graders. That's the reason I was. Yes. But your and your high schoolers are they're more connected to it. They have jobs. They have sports. They're checking to see if things have changed for practice for the day. Those are the ones I'm Okay. So then we're promoting the use. Yes. Really a
016little bit. So you can't be it's Yeah. Well, we wouldn't be doing it anymore. It have to be. So then what? Have to be through email on their school device, which is a culture shift. Yeah. What unintended consequences will happen? Yeah. That's You don't want me writing policy. I'd say I'd do it like the old west. Check them at the door, boys. Yeah, you're not bringing Well, I'm But that's that's not realistic. That's why I'd like to see what TSBA comes up with because this is hasn't been updated since 2022 and so things have changed obviously since then. Yes, Miss Sharp Darby. I would just I just want to say speaking of middle schoolers, as a a parent of some middle schoolers who don't have phones, I like the idea of us using the school
017devices to communicate with teams because my daughter has one that's very restricted. I have to approve her contacts and all that. So, she can't receive text messages like in the group chats and a lot of those apps. So, I feel like the best way for us to reach all of our students without having to point out who has a device and who doesn't would be through the school email anyhow. Yep. Agree. I like it better at school. I don't think I don't think um outside entities can email our students school emails can't. Yep. It has to be an RCS email address to get through to our students. Right. But all of our clubs and stuff have to have a sponsor anyway. Correct. Sure. But parents wouldn't be able to. I need to make a motion.
018I'd like to make a motion that we postpone this to the next policy committee and res. I'll second. All in favor say I. I. Motion passes. Okay. Next up is policy 1.703, school attendance zones and exemptions. We postponed this from our last meeting. Um the request by several board members um was to list the names of magnet schools and then other um board approved programs and then to add where the procedures are posted on the district's website. So that's the language that you see I have added and highlighted in there um from what was requested last time and you'll see we have just Oakland High School IB and Leverne Early College right now and then we somewhat discussed this year adding some of the other ones but because of high school resoning we didn't add
019like Blackman Collegiate Academy and those others and so this would be where and like seagulls humanities this would be where we changed it from like nationally recognized to other board approved programs because technically Lever Early College is not a nationally recognized program, but we allow it. So any ones the board approves in this policy would then be added. Any other comments? Move to approve. Thank you, Miss Rosales. Thank you, Miss Title. All in favor say I. I. Any oppose? Motion passes. Thank you. Next is policy 1.901 charter school applications. This would add a requirement that our charter schools use the same student information system. So CIS as RCS. Um you'll see that language is added in there. Um and then that would be without any cost to the district if you know the charter schools
020have to use the same CIS. Any comments? Yes. Question real quick. Since Rutherford Collegiate Rutherford Collegiate Prow was approved by the state commission, would this apply? This doesn't apply to them. No. They're not We're not their authorizers. So, okay, that was a good question. Thank you, sir. Correct. Yes, Mr. Ven. The uh I'd like to also put in here that any charter school that applies that doesn't meet the uh criteria to Mr. a can. Uh I don't know what you I don't know what utensil they use, but if if they don't meet the uh criteria for that to be approved, I mean, I think it I think it automatically should deny them instead of having to come to the board to do it. If they don't meet us, we have to have to come to
021us. We can't put it. Good. Well, I'll just vote if they don't ever do it then. Well, I mean, if we can't control who's going to apply or not apply, but we have to follow the state law. But if they don't, you know, if they don't meet that criteria, then then you make, they don't need to be approved. Yes. Then you to exactly at the time of the meeting of the vote. Move to approve. Thank you, Darby. Second. Miss Sharp. Second. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Thank you. Next is policy 3.206, community use of school facilities. This would add language that um users will observe facility closures in the event of inclement weather. We had a few issues this year since we had some snow days. Um and then those
022the exception would be unless authorized by the director of schools or his designate. Seems like a no-brainer to me, but okay. Any other questions, comments? I'll entertain a motion. So moved. Thank you, Miss Darby. Thank you, Miss Sharp. All in favor say I. I. Motion passes. Thank you. Next up is Oh, I don't have a policy for that. But next up is um library materials 4.43. Uh that's for discussion. I believe Mr. Reid had some Yeah, we as many I think most of them know we have a lawsuit federal court pending board's action with regard to the several books on on this. So with the lawsuit pending we really can't take any action material right now. We'll have to wait to see what the court directs us to litigation and we'll respond. So no action
023we can take other materials today. Miss Maxwell. Yes. I understand what Mr. Ree had been saying, but uh had um well, just to give some context and background information, I did put in the agenda to talk about the library materials policy and included a a U modified draft. Um, Williamson County voted a month ago to include in their policy a rubric to use as part of their decision-m and also um a restrict restricted uh parents list, I believe it's called. Um, and so you have to have a parent consent to have access to the books that are on the um on that list. But it gives a lot of more but their policy gives a lot of um um direction towards the librarians of how to follow this policy and then use the rubric and
024then what determines to put on a print restriction list. And so I had done the same thing similar to that and so included some of that language and including a an example of a rubric. Um, we've there's been a rubric that's been um worked on about from someone that's a constituent that's that wanted to present to us what a possible rubric could be and so I had just laid that out. So, I just want to share all that to the board that I had tried to present something but I understand that we're having this lawsuit and so therefore we can't make modifications. We can take a look at that at a later date. All right. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Next we have graduation requirements. Yes. Next is policy 4.605 graduation requirements. We also postponed
025this from our last meeting. Um and that was to give our internal team time to talk to principles and and kind of work out um some issues internally. So we are still working on that. Dr. Sullivan. Yeah, I would recommend we postpone this as well to the summer. This is not timesensitive right now. Um, as long as we have something in place before August, this is really for our Early graduates will be in December. Move to postpone. Thank you, Mr. Thank you, Mr. U B. Thank you, Miss uh Sharp. All in favor say I. I. It has been postponed. Next is policy 5.302 sick leave. This would add language to clarify the bereavement leave um that it applies to both certified and classified personnel. The way that it was previously listed, you can see it's
026under professional personnel. So, we just want to clarify that that applies um for both classified and certified. Motion to approve. Thank you, Mr. Vaughn. Thank you, Miss Sharp. I have a question though, Mr. Zealous. So, including certified and classified, that means that um classified is going to get paid for those three days off. Is that what that means? They're going to get paid. Yes. Okay. It's budgeted. All right. Okay. Great. Thank you. Wonderful. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Okay. Next is policy 6.204, attendance of non-resident students. And this would remove the Rutherford County virtual school as an exception to the residency requirements. Um there is one small change that the principal has requested. Dr. Svin, yeah, Dr. Suvakon would like to request and totally appropriate that we can allow we
027have just a couple kids who are um currently out of county and so allowing those students to finish where we are. Um our focus there that school is our numbers are still where they need to be. Um but we want to make sure we are slowly moving our high school students to more of a Rutherford County model. Um you if you look at our test scores, our elementary and middle are very strong. Our math is strong. Um the high school portion where we use a vendor is not as strong. And so we're trying to focus the high school portion with Rutherford County teachers. So, we control the curriculum and wanting to make sure we're focusing on our Rutherford County people for those seats because we are paying extra per out of county for those seats.
028Um, we right now do not have an a model to be able to charge a tuition. That's something that's always open to the board, but when you allow out of county tuition for one group, you have to allow it for anything else. it would, but not the local funding. So, that's that's the caveat. And I know that it's virtual, so they're not technically here, but when you allow it for one group, then you have to allow it for other groups to apply. And I don't want to get into where we're opening McFadden, and I know that's a touchy subject right now. We're we're trying to close some of those loopholes, and I don't want to open up inadvertently another loophole that probably never should have been there at the same point. M garby, you and
029I had talked about some of that with charging tuition. So, I don't want to close one loophole while looking at another one. So, we're saying that if you're a non-resident, you're not going to be able to Yes. apply for the virtual school. Correct. We have a couple that are still finishing to when we first started the virtual school. We wrote this and started it right as CO was starting. Um and then COVID hit and kind of changed our focus and so we're going to focus it just for Rutherford County residents. Okay. So the language I would propose would just be to add um students currently enrolled in the Rutherford County Virtual School will be able to complete their program. Motion to approve. Do Thank you Monica. Monica. Yes. Do we need to add in there
030that there's students from outside of the county? Yep, we that would work. Students because otherwise it sounds like we're ending the virtual school. So, and I don't want to give that impression. So, students from out of district. Any current students from out of district can complete their schooling through RCBS. Yeah, that would send people in another social great catch. Don't want to do that. Okay, we had we had a motion, but I don't think we had a second. Who motioned? Butch. Okay, thank you, Mr. Cesy. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Thank you. Next up is policy 6.431. This is pediculosis. I think I'm saying that correctly. Um, which to the rest of us is known as headlice. So there are several changes that you can see. Um this is in
031line with what state law has been and our administrative procedure has been. Miss Groom is here if the committee has any questions about um the changes. So I have questions. What was it before they were not allowed to come to school? I can say this changed back gosh I don't know a decade or so ago. Um, is that correct? Right. We we used to exclude students that had knits or live lice. So, we don't we don't exclude students anymore. And the wording in this still has the word following exclusion for head lice. So, we were we're just updating the wording to match the current ADM. Yeah. This is one TSBA has not caught in our policy updates because you can see it hasn't been updated since 2013. I know it seems pretty crazy because it's
032I know Mr. Crezy, myself, Dr. Martin, Mr. Go when this first came out in 2013, we like you mean to tell me kids with life stay in class sitting next to kids. I know it just seems nuts, but it's been that way for Can I ask what wasing medical reasoning? I'm sorry. May I ask what is a medical reasoning for the change for allowing them to stay in school? M it's just based on recommendations from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics. It's not it's not considered a health threat anymore. And it's also you just had students who chronically were being sent home and so they were being denied access to that free access to public education because they were always being excluded from school. Yeah. So it was contributing to the chronic absenteeism
033and um not really a a threat. So that's why everybody changed it. the CDC, Tennessee Department of Health, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. So, Madam Chair, yes, Mr. Arbe Monica, does this mean that we need to change line six and remove lines 8 through 16 then if we're not sending them home? Because this talks about readmission requirements. [Music] So, we do contact the parents and give them instructions on what to do. And the when the student comes back to school the following day, so they're not sent home, but the following day, there are some expectations that the parents did follow those directions and that's included in line um 10 and 11 and 12. So that would just be um proof of treatment or determination. The school nurse looks at them and there's improvement. I
034guess my question would be if there isn't, are you then sending them home? Usually we just re we re-educate Oh, very rarely are we excluding. Okay. So, we we're going to have to reword this because it doesn't the wording isn't matching what we're doing because this says a letter shall be sent home by the child to explain the condition requirements for readmission and deadlines for satisfactory completion of the treatment where I'm guessing it should say more of to explain the condition treatment [Music] procedures. Um, and then we're saying prior to readmission, but there you go. More something you want to say. I'm aware of a situation that has been going on since about February, and I know that the parents have been counseledled and and everything else, but this situation is still ongoing. and these
035students ride the school bus and there are other people that are on the school bus that are afraid uh you know there there's all kinds of um care that our staff has been doing to try to mitigate um the situation, but they're they're not they're not doing anything. And I don't think that we should leave it open-ended like this. It's horrible for the students themselves, much less any of the other students that might catch the lice, too. Um, so I I don't know what y'all think, but I understand and and it usually goes hand in it usually goes hand in hand with the absenteeism and, you know, something like that. But at some point, we have to protect the other people too. In that situation, I think social work and DCS is involved. So they
036they are but they've done nothing. They've done nothing. Miss Maxwell. Yes, Miss So we then need to be removing lines 23 and 24. It says failure to meet these requirements shall result in the students exclusion until criteria are met for readmission. So do we need to strike that as well if we are not excluding them? No. We eventually we we like having that in there in case we eventually do get to that protectionary but not necessarily. Do we want to postpone this and let them kind of rewrite it because it sounds like it needs a lot of adjusting. Move to postpone. Yeah. Second by who second it? Mr. Tidville. Second by Mr. Tidville. All in favor say I. I. I. I was going to is there possible to add like if if if they're going
037to return like what is the timeline for that when it gets to that point? Is that something that can be part of the policy? Yeah, we can look at it. Okay. Thank you. Next we have student wellness. Okay. Next up is policy 6.411 student wellness. Um this would change the required meetings of the health school team from four a year to two a year. Um there's no requirement under the law of how many times they have to meet and two is sufficient um one in the fall and one in the spring and so that is our proposed change. Any comments or questions? I'll entertain a motion to approve. Thank you Miss Rosales and thank you Mr. Vaughn. All in favor say I. I. Any oppose? Motion passes. Okay, last but not least is policy 6.502
038for an exchange students and this would add language to comply with choice seat requirement. And I'll just follow up on this. This is something that used to be district then it moved to principles. What we were starting to run into is we were starting to approve foreign exchange students for seats before our own county seats. And so it didn't seem I don't know if even fair is the right word to allow seats for foreign exchange students when we weren't allowing them for people who lived here. This is going to be controversial. It is. Yeah. But we've already denied No. What I'm gonna say it's gonna be Oh, we've denied so many. I think it's out there at this point. I have a hard time giving a foreign exchange student who is theory is coming here
039to get a taste of America. What is America and taking a seat at any of our magnet schools? I don't believe foreign exchange students should go to our magnet schools. This is any school. I know, but I just I don't I think that we should exclude the magnet schools from the foreign exchange because they're coming to get an American experience, not not just an educational experience. And those seats should be reserved for our our citizens. I'm sorry. I just had a bad thought. Randy, um maybe we need a cooperative agreement with Canon County. Something like that. That sounds I don't mean like that, but I'm saying if somebody applied, you know, they want to come to Brother County, we don't have room. Hey, we've got this sister county up here. Experience America right here, Tennessee.
040I just You think bad? I I just I just have this idea of someone going to Central Magnet from Italy and I'm like really? I don't think so. Okay. Well, I mean we are working to close the loopholes for people from just outside the county, right? So, let alone wouldn't be. Yeah. So, do you need to do we need to add in there? No, because it already the principal has the discretion whether they have room or not to approve. Um the problem is you know if one of our schools do have does have room and they approve a foreign exchange student but then that takes up the choice. Yeah. End of January deadline for all of our brother county students. So if you did not meet that deadline there's been no exception. And so we
041felt like it was extremely unfair to allow for an exchange student to come in and take a seat after that deadline that they needed to follow all of the same procedures and guidelines of all our students in our district. We couldn't open it up to current students. We didn't need that. I agree. I totally agree. We have lots of wonderful high schools they can get that American experience at. I have a question. I'm sorry. This is specifically speaking to them applying to a school outside of the host family's zoned school though, which in a lot of cases would be a magnet school, would it not? Not necessarily. Not necessarily. Could be. You know, a lot of times we have schools that have been very um that have partnerships like Smyrna usually has a very robust
042partnership um with Japan because of Nissan. And so that's where the largest majority seagull and Blackman as well. Those are the three that usually come up the most. And so those are the schools we see most of our foreign exchange students because it's not necessarily where their zone school is. It just happens to be where the family has a connection to. I know that seems strange, but that's usually where they end up. I mean, but we could include zone school, too. Any other comments or questions? Do you So you said that's already in there, right? So there's nothing we really need to No, we need to vote on this part. Yeah, I understand. No, I'm saying but what I was saying Yeah, that's already Yeah, that's already in there. Okay, that's good to know. Okay.
043Thank you, Mr. Vaugh. Thank you, Mr. Vaughn. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Thank you everyone. That is a record. Yeah, probably not. Are we adjourned, Miss Maxwell? I'm sorry. We are adjourned. Thank you.