001here from Jacksonville High School and he is going to uh say a prayer for us tonight and lead us in the pledge. So Ben, thank you for being here today. Such an honor to have you. >> Thank you'all for having me. If everybody bow their heads, Dearly Father, Lord God, Lord, I just just want to thank you for just bringing us all together, Lord. And God, I just thank you for just getting here, getting us here safely. And God, I pray that you speak through the board members and Dr. Barber, Lord, and just influence their decisions, Lord. And God, I pray, I just once again just thank you for bringing us here, Lord. And I just pray that you just be with us during this meeting, Lord. God, I love you. Your name I pray.
002Amen. >> Amen. >> Attention salute. >> I aliance 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. >> And thank you, sir. >> Thank you so much for that. We appreciate you. >> All right, we call this meeting to order. Um, Miss Curl, roll call, please. >> Here. Mr. Kennedy, >> here. Mr. H. here. >> Do we um have to approve the agenda? >> So move. >> Second. >> All right. Is there any discussion on this? Right. We'll vote. All in favor say I. >> I. Any nays? Agenda is approved. The next category is recognitions >> minutes. Oh, >> okay. Thank you. >> Oh, sorry. I got cheat sheet. Sorry, it's not working. >> Okay, it's
003fine. All right, let's um so now we need to approve the minutes of the March 10th, 2026 Jacksonville City School Board meeting. >> Move. >> Second. >> There any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. I. >> Any disapproved? Item six, public comments on agenda items. No one signed in. Thank you. Item seven, finance report. >> Thank you, Miss Blunt. In your package this month, you have the February financial statements. This is for February 2026. You have financial statements exhibit F1A through F3C. You also have the combined bank reconciliation at February 28, 2026 with a combined reconciled balance of 8,51376935. And this is the reconciled balance for all operating accounts which includes the two local schools and the child nutrition program. You also have the accounts payable check register accountability report for February
0042020. From that report, you can see the total expenditures for accounts payable from all sources. State fund sources $152,32924 from federal fund sources $102,52857. And from local fund sources, $21,000 um 55081. You can see the um category, the um check number and the vendor name. Three reports are provided as per the state department of education. >> I recommend the board approve Jacksonville City Schools accounts payable and payroll for February 2026 and accept the February 2026 financial statements. >> All right. Dr. Robert has recommended to approve the account payable and payroll. >> And second, >> any discussion? >> Um, I just have one quick question, Miss Blunt. I know you may have answered this before, but I've forgotten through the years. I'm sorry, but you know on the helping school tags when we pay extra to
005buy those those special tags and the money is allocated either to the high school or Kittystone, you know, we tell them how much do we actually get from each of those like we're paying extra but I don't think the school gets as much as the individual pays. Do do we do you know how much or approximately how much we receive from I noticed on the financial report is it's pit I mean it's not much at all per month that we get and and I'm thinking you know there's more people buying those tags and paying the extra money total for the the year fiscal year 25 the grand total um for Kitty Stone was $12450 and for the high school was $1353. $3. Um, the county gets a fee for collecting that >> and then we
006get the balance. I think we get $16 per tag. I think I'm right. >> That $16 is all the schools get per tag that we're paying the extra amount and the schools get 16. Okay. So, I know, you know, we've talked about this before and so you've got documentation specifically on what the high school gets and what the elementary gets and is that collected um like and distributed to them annually? I mean, because each month is hardly anything. >> It comes monthly. >> It comes to us monthly, but then does do we go ahead and turn that over to them um a monthly? >> No, it is in the general fund. It's in the local revenue portion of the general fund. So, it does not necessarily go to the specific. >> It's not go. We
007do not pass that out directly to the school. >> I was I was under the impression, I guess, that it went to the school. So, it's not >> No, it does not. It comes to us. >> Okay. >> Well, it's basically 2,600 bucks, >> but it doesn't go, >> you know, 16 bucks piece. It's actually, if it were more, it would be nice little chunk. But, >> folks, that's a lot. You know, there's a lot of tags out there. >> Yeah, there's a lot of tags and and you we're only getting $16 per tag >> and we actually get uh occasionally we'll get like $16 from St. Clair County or $16 from Cleveland County or, you know, from different other counties where >> because they have given it to Jacksonville. >> Yep. They give it
008to us someone who more than likely went to school here but now lives in those counties, right? and but they still have the helping schools tags and >> but I would assume a a school system the size of Pedmont and I don't mean anything when I say is probably getting less than what we're getting >> I would think so but again it just depends upon how many people by those >> thing I mean you got people sometimes that don't that don't even have anything to do with the school system you know oh yeah but they still >> yeah well I guess I'm surprised that it doesn't go specifically to the schools though there's >> it's a portion of the general fund and of course we use the general fund to fund all kinds of things
009for the local schools. >> Yeah. >> Well, >> transportation. >> Well, right. I know that we had allocated funds for um field trips. Yep. >> You know, we have that that field trip um allocation that we provide for each of the schools. >> We currently pay all of their basically all of their costs. We pay all of their utilities. We pay all of their telephone. We pay all of their cell phones. We pay all of their repairs and maintenance, allitorial supplies. We pay all of their copier cost and that's a huge cost. Um all of that through this general fund which in the past we didn't do. Um in the past it came from >> the schools had to have fundraisers that >> the school paid for their own office copier and and teacher money
010paid for the teacher copers. But all of that now comes from the general fund. So even though this is only small amount, >> right, >> that it goes to support the schools. >> Okay. So you would continue to encourage people to do that even though it's a piddling amount. >> Yeah, it's a small amount, >> but I guess, >> you know, every penny counts. >> Every dollar helps. >> Okay. Yeah. >> All right. Thank you, Miss Blunt. Thank you for answering that question. It's been motioned and second uh to approve the JCS accounts payable and payroll for February 2026 and accept the February 2026 financial statements. All those in favor say >> I. >> Any nays? Been approved. >> Superintendence report. >> Before I get into any action items, I want to just share a
011few things that are going on. And let me just say this. I have invited um folks to recognize them and they they have told me we're busy. Um it is still soccer. It is still, you know, so a lot of the girls basketball that I've been trying to recognize after winning the county tournament first time in 17 years, they're playing soccer. So, um soccer who won the county tournament, boys and girls, which very proud of them. Um they said maybe next month. So, uh, again, I've tried to get the young ladies that went to Chicago to sing and, um, they could not come tonight because they're busy. So, we want to recognize you and we are recognizing you and there are other wonderful things going on as well. But, um, I want to share a
012couple things and so, um, I have a treat for you as long as this works. So, we'll try and we'll go and if not, uh, we'll hit the reset and and go from there. And again, the guys told me they were going to give me a remote that worked. So, here we go. Here we go. I'm filming. >> I have volume control. So, we're having So, the ukuleles are new. This is the fifth grade, the fourth grade. Now, they're playing some Bruno Mars music, and they really are, which is kind of amazing. But they learning so much. They're learning to sing along with an instrument, change, and and you'll notice the rhythm continues to they don't stop rhythm. So, being a a string player, those are huge things. And they have great rhythm. Their timing
013is perfect. And so, I was just so proud of them. The volume was higher whenever, so I don't know. um other than giving hand signals to turn it up. And so uh I am so proud of the ukulele group and we're going to do more with them, but they are learning songs. They're singing, they're playing and it's great. >> Who's the teacher? >> So Miss Gayton and uh so Miss Gton uh who is also learning how to play the ukulele. um she is left-handed and so I told her, you know, we will work on so we're going to add because we do have some left-handed players and you don't want to force a lefty to play the other way. So, uh we're adding to that, but I love this. They're so excited about this. So,
014um again, I wanted to to just show uh some of the things that we're doing there. >> Thank you. >> And uh so, and Coral's working with uh with Miss Giten on this as well. So, you hear they have great tone. Right. And I'm sorry it was a little bit louder than that. So, let me tell you about uh Thank you. Uh there's fashion show that uh will be going on on the 26th. That's on Sunday, of course, uh at 4 p.m. But I went to the preview show today and I want to share some of the fashions and we'll leave that up there for just a second. Um so, you'll notice uh Miss Garrett on the bottom lefthand corner. Miss Garrett is just doing a phenomenal job with this class and she's owning it.
015Um, so they had a a bake sale. Uh, they were selling their baked goods. They are just showing off uh and all of these uh all these clothing items uh they were created by the students. And so when you look at this and then there was one young man who had a designer line and he had had the models come in and uh he was going over that and the kids, you know, they paid four bucks to go to this today and they were cheering and clapping and so excited and uh of course the students were able to model their own wares as well and so and the I mean these are beautiful fashions. So, I'm just really um proud of what they were doing and again, great day. But, uh they will have the
016fashion show uh Sunday. I'm just not allowing me to use my There we go. And I just wanted to put this up. We did uh have an induction for the Rick Bragg chapter again, uh National English Honor Society. Wonderful event and uh great group of kids. Uh you met great things. >> Yeah. So, a wonderful group and then uh we had our strategic planning meeting. We have students uh on that group, but also uh folks from the community. We've had our first uh second meeting. We're doing the surveys and getting some really good information about the strategic plan and we will bring that to you in July for your approval. So is kind of leading the charge on that, doing a wonderful job and that will also play into our accreditation visit which is the
017first semester of next year. So >> it's time for that again. >> It is. I know. I know it. That's that's the quickest five years you'll ever live through because by the time you get it done um it'll be here again before you know it's >> so it's 26 27 cogn will be So they will be here the first semester. So >> we just finished that. >> I know. So anyway, I just want to share those few things with you. Um and then I'll get on into um the recommendations that I have. So I'm at uh 8A recommended the board approve revisions to the board policy 5.27 optin for mental health services by parent or legal guardian. Um and that really is changing the age the law changed um from 14 to 16. And that's
018>> move second. >> It has been motioned and second um to approve revisions to board policy 5.27 optin for mental health services by parent or legal guardian. All those in uh is there any discussion? >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Motion carries. >> Next item is to recommend the approval of surplusing various science and history textbooks at Jacksonville High School and removing them from inventory. >> Move. >> Second. >> It has been motioned and second to approve the surplus of various science and history textbooks at JHS and remove them from inventory. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? >> Last item I have uh recommend board approve personnel items A through J. >> Move. >> Second. >> Has been formally motioned and second that we
019um vote on personnel. Um all those in favor say I. I >> any opposed? >> Motion carried. >> That's the last item I that I have. I want to share a couple dates with the board very quickly. April 22nd, uh we have our etiquette lunchon. I'm looking forward to that. Um that's also the Pinnacle Project Expo and uh that starts at 9:00 a.m. And then uh the etiquette lunchon I think is one of the best things that we do as a school system. So, I appreciate uh the Methodist church, JSU, the high school uh working as partnership on that. April 28th, we have the Special Olympics and uh that is going to be just a a wonderful time for our school system. And uh we also have a spring band concert that night u at
020the high school at 6 PM. Then April 29th, and these are just April dates, we have the retired teacher lunchon. So, um great time to reconnect. and uh just the folks who worked here and helped make this a wonderful system. Uh >> project expo. Is that going to be at 9:00 or 10? >> Um it is at 9. Um and it uh is at the high school lunchroom >> email. We got is 10 to 11. >> Okay. I need to check that on the on the calendar on online uh or the Google calendar. It says nine. So, I'll double check on that. >> And that retired U teacher lunchon, is that at Kitty Stone? >> It normally is at Kitty Stone, but I'll I'll double check because we've had it at the high school as
021well. >> Invitations. >> Two separate ones. >> Okay. >> Oh, okay. >> Spring, >> right? >> We've already >> Yes. Okay. >> Yours run together rather quickly. I have to stop and think, but we we already have had the high school. So, >> all right. Thank you. Um, we need to confirm the date of our next board meeting. We are saying May 11th at 6:00 p.m. issues with that >> board member comments. I would just like to thank so many of our educators who are retiring this year and many of those I taught with and Mr. Gosset did as well and Mr. Canv involved with them. We just appreciate all who put forth their time, their lives, their effort in our children in Jacksonville and the city of Jacksonville and we appreciate those so much.
022Thankful for that. Um, I also want to say welcome to our new people coming. >> Yes, >> it's exciting. >> It is. It is. Uh last week, was it last week you took me on a tour around? It was last week. I was on spring break last week. So, or a week before last sometime before. Anyway, um so we went around saw the baseball field, softball field, things like that. Couple other things we looked at. Um I've got some things in mind. Let me all know I'm going to I'm going to formulate some ideas about producing those areas up. We need really some nice stance for people to sit comfortably in. I want to look into that sometime in the future. Um, have we addressed the sound at the high school cafeteria? You know, we
023I we talked about getting microphones or some so when they do performances up on that stage that they will have some kind of mic or something so audience can hear. >> The level of ear or the mics that they were using um today seem to be much better. Um, and so, uh, we have not replaced the sound system there, but, uh, again, I think it was dialed in a little bit better today because there was >> Well, I think the issue was when you have several people up on stage and if they're having a dialogue or if they're >> when there when there's a performance, an acting. >> Yes. A performance. Yes. When you want to hear all the performers, >> that's a challenge. >> Okay. Megaphone. No, I don't want to hear I know
024what you're going to say. It's going to cost about $14 million. >> We need an auditorium. >> Auditorium. >> We can use the stolen center. The rock's going to be open soon. >> There is a date set uh on the opening for it in May. So, >> I will not stop saying that. >> I want to thank Miss Curl always uh for getting the board uh meeting together. Of course, Miss Blunt. Uh, this lady's just a job for us. >> Appreciate you. >> So good to remind us of our duties, too. We appreciate it so much. I make a motion we adjourn. >> I move. Second. >> All those in favor say I. I.