October 25, 2022 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale:  In attendance:  Chair Butch Campbell, Vice Chair Jimmy Richardson, David Settles, Wes Ballard, Amanda Moore, Barbara Long, and Karen Dodd.

Staff:  Dr. Trey Duke, Sheri Arnette, Joe Marlin, Lisa Trail, Ralph Ringstaff, Kim Williams, Angela Fairchild, Charlotte Young, Amanda Adams, Sia Phillips, Kristina Boone, Martin Ridgley, Nicole Dyke, Megan Mayton, Kayla Stevens, Justin Lattimore, Kathy Daugherty, and Jessica Snell

Assistant City Attorney Elizabeth Taylor and City Liaison Bill Shacklett

 

Rationale:  The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Haidyn Richardson, a 3rd grade student at Salem Elementary, and Adam Bahloul, a 6th grade student at Discovery School.

Rationale:  Mitchell Neilson Primary would like to thank alumni and former MCS employee, Diana Primm, for her very generous donation to our uniform closet!  We are so blessed by our amazing alumni and community partners.

TSIN has chosen Hobgood Elementary as their Community Partnership Spotlight presenter at the Innovative Leaders Institute cohort on October 27th.  Congratulations to Hobgood on being highlighted at this conference.

Congratulations to Black Fox Elementary for receiving a $10,000.00 Hometown Grant from the Titans today.

Rationale:  Kristina Boone and Sia Phillips brought teachers from their schools to celebrate their Reward School status. The two principals complimented the hard work of all of their staff to receive that recognition.

Rationale:  Dr. Duke thanked City Council for the contribution of this grant. 

Amanda Moore asked if the entire amount of $500,000 (for two school years) was all being budgeted this year.  Dr. Duke explained that with federal grants, they are budgeted for one year and then any carryover money is re-budgeted so that it only has to be taken to city council one time.

Wes Ballard questioned the fact that since it's a one-time grant and would only last until 2024, what would be replacing it to keep the positions that we hire.  Dr. Duke explained that this will catch students up from the learning loss that was seen during and after COVID, and hopefully once TISA is in place, we will continue these positions.

 

Rationale:  Dr. Duke said that he wanted to publicly thank the Jennings and Rebecca Jones Foundation for this donation. Dr. Duke told the board that this is the 7th year that we have had a gifted program because of their generosity. He stated that to date we have graduated 187 participants in the Gifted Academy and out of those, 140 are still employed in our district.

Rationale:  Dr. Duke updated the board on several things going on in the district.

October 31 is an in-service day for teachers and students would not be in school.

He invited the board to join the 3rd grade parent zoom that is scheduled for October 27, one at 10:00 and one at 5:00. This will help clarify the 3rd grade retention law and answer questions that parents may have.  He told the board to reach out to Lisa Trail for the link to the zoom.

He told the board that November 8 is Parent Teacher Conference and election day.

He also informed the board that he will be working with the Teacher Advisory Council in November on a 2023-2024 school calendar and hopes to present it to the board in December or January.

Rationale:  Chair Campbell again praised the hard work of MCS staff and administration for all of the grants that the board has approved at this meeting.  He said that makes MCS a top notch school system.

He also asked that everyone keep the Hardison family in their prayers.  Ms. Evelyn Hardison, former board member and chair of the MCS school board, passed away recently.