January 19, 2021 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale:  In attendance:  Chair Butch Campbell, Vice Chair David Settles, Wes Ballard, Roseann Barton, Becky Goff, Amanda Moore, and Jimmy Richardson

Staff:  Ralph Ringstaff, Joe Marlin, Greg Lyles, Lisa Trail, Michael Smith, Sheri Arnette, Angela Fairchild, Caitlin Bullard, Quinena Bell, Kimberly Osborne, Trey Duke, Tammy Garrett, Beth Prater, Sandy Scheele,

Assistant City Attorney Elizabeth Taylor and City Liaison Bill Shacklett

 

Rationale:  The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Board Member Roseann Barton.

Rationale:  During the moment of silence, please remember the families of two students and an MCS social worker that recently passed away.  Tristan Duncan who was a first grader at Mitchell Neilson Primary, Stephanie Pottmeyer who was a second grader at Salem Elementary, and Mrs. Keiana Reed.
 

Rationale:  Tennessee School Board Appreciation Week- January 24-January 30.

Teacher of the Year Announcements
Overall - Melissa Horn, Lauren Moore
Cason - Rachel Matthews, Jacqueline Keller
Scales - Kimberly Christopher, Tony Hartman
Mitchell-Neilson - Lara Clementi, Brice Reed
Black Fox - Becky Smith, Dionne McCullough
John Pittard - Craig Nelius, Carla Calvin
Hobgood- Kelsey Rone, Abbey Thomas
Bradley - Alli Nivison, Taylor Witsaman
Discovery - Tiara Vance, Meredith Gilliland
Salem - Emily Cone, Natalie Adcock
Reeves-Rogers - Shae Miga, Sandra Daniel
Northfield - Nell Simpson, Sarah Easterly
Erma-Siegel - Rachel Pepper, Mark Hale

Murfreesboro City Schools (Community Outreach) would like to thank Middle Tennessee Association of Realtors for their $2,000 donation to the Indigent Care Fund.

We would also like to thank the following community partners for assisting families across the district for the holidays during our Season of Sharing:
Murfreesboro Police Dept., North Boulevard Church of Christ Youth Group & Band of Brothers, Parks Realty, General Mills & Yoplait Plants. A special thanks to the MCS Maintenance Dept., school counselors, social workers, and outreach team for assisting with the coordination of these holiday events.

Murfreesboro City Schools would also like to thank Pastor David Settles and The Worship Center Church for their donation of backpacks complete with school supplies for students across the district.

MCS Outreach will be partnering with Greenhouse Ministries in a new Family Resource Center (FRC). The FRC will be located at the Spring Valley Apartment complex which houses many of our Hobgood students. The FRC will consist of two indoor spaces: a computer room where students can work on homework and get tutoring help from a certified teacher; and there will also be a multipurpose event room where MCS & Greenhouse can hold cooking, music & budgeting classes among other community events.  There will also be an outdoor space which includes a playground and meeting place for larger events & cookouts. This will be a great opportunity for MCS and Greenhouse to connect with these families on a deeper level. The FRC will be staffed every day with people who are there to get to know these students and families, to know if they need help academically, if they need a coat, if they need extra food, or if the family needs community resources.
MCS Outreach is very excited about this new opportunity with Greenhouse Ministries. The FRC opens March 1, 2021.

Murfreesboro City Schools and Rutherford County rank 8th best among the Tennessee counties in child well-being. Our strengths include high percentages of 3rd to 8th grade students demonstrating proficiency on TNReady reading and math tests and a low rate of substantiated cases of abuse or neglect.

The TN School Climate Survey will be distributed to parents and teachers and the survey window will be open from January 12-March 12. This is the survey we use to collect parent and teacher responses to help guide Title I plans and requirement, and was used last year to replace the Advanced Ed survey. This School Climate Survey also gathers information that replaces the need for the Olweus (anti-bullying) survey used in the past.
 

Rationale:  David Settles asked that Mr. Marlin email information to the board showing a comparison of truancy from this time last year as compared to this time this year. He wanted sub groups included in that information.

Rationale:  Assistant City Attorney Elizabeth Taylor explained the voting process to the Board. 
Board Policy 5.801, Director of Schools Recruitment and Selection states that the Board shall attempt to select a Director of Schools by unanimous vote, but a simple majority of the membership of the Board shall be required for the appointment of a Director.  Considering the policy and the number of applicants for the vacancy, I recommend that the method of voting be as follows:
Each Board member shall select their top two candidates by circling two names on their ballots and signing their ballot.
Mrs. VanCleave will tally the votes, and the two candidates with the most votes shall be put before the Board for a motion to select one of the candidates and any discussion.
In the event that there is a tie for one of the two positions, it would be broken by the Board casting another ballot as necessary to break the tie with the lower vote receiving candidates eliminated.
If necessary, this would continue until there are two candidates remaining.  

Mr. Richardson made the motion to accept the procedures that Ms. Taylor suggested. Becky Goff seconded.  The motion passed. (7-0)

Board members were given a ballot to circle their top two choices for Director of Schools out of the top five candidates:  Trey Duke, Tammy Garrett, Christina Harris, Kimberly Osborne, and Christopher Treadway.

Ms. VanCleave gathered the ballots and announced the top two for each board member. From that count, Ms. Taylor announced the top two candidates, Mr. Trey Duke and Dr. Christopher Treadway.

At that time, the Board was given another ballot to choose their top candidate from those two.  Ms.VanCleave once again announced the top candidate from each Board member.

Mr. Duke received four votes:
Mr. Wes Ballard
Mr. Jimmy Richardson
Ms. Becky Goff
Mr. David Settles

Dr. Treadway received three votes:
Chair Butch Campbell
Mrs. Amanda Moore
Ms. Roseann Barton

Mr. Trey Duke was chosen as Director of Schools with four out of seven votes. 

Jimmy Richardson made the motion for Chair Campbell to enter into negotiations with Mr. Trey Duke.  Wes Ballard seconded the motion. Mr. Settles stated that the motion was incomplete without including the attorney, Ms. Taylor, in the negotiations.

Mr. Richardson amended his motion that Mr. Campbell and Ms. Taylor enter into negotiations with Mr. Duke. Mr. Settles seconded the motion.  The motion passes. (7-0)

Mr. Campbell congratulated all of the candidates.

The Board will begin negotiations with Mr. Duke and present his contract to be voted on at the February 9th Board meeting.  He shall begin his position as Director of Schools no later than April 5, 2021.
 

Rationale:  The meeting adjourned at 7:08 p.m.