August 13, 2024 at 6:00 PM - Kingsport City Schools Board of Education Regular Meeting

Description:  Mrs. Melissa Woods, Board President, will call the meeting to order.

Description:  Carter Slaughter, a Sevier Middle School 6th grader, will lead the Board of Education and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Description:  Mrs. Woods will ask for a motion to accept the agenda, which includes the consent agenda. Once the agenda is accepted, the Board mutually agrees not to discuss any item of business or take any action that has not been accepted for the agenda.

Description:  Mrs. Byers will recognize DB EXCEL for receiving a re-designated for the Tennessee STEM School Designation for 2024. This prestigious achievement demonstrates a school's dedication to rigorous STEM/STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) learning where students explore 21st century skills, acquire workforce development at all levels, and embrace problem-solving methods that can apply throughout life's challenges. This designation was initially earned by D-B EXCEL in 2018, the year the designation program began.  D-B EXCEL is one of 15 schools in Tennessee to receive the re-designation this year. Schools receiving this honor also serve as models from which others may visit and learn. All K-12 schools serving students in Tennessee are eligible.

Each school awarded the Tennessee STEM School Designation was evaluated through a rigorous application process including a self-assessment, interviews, and hosting site visits with the designation review team. The designation rubric included five focus areas: infrastructure, curriculum and instruction, professional development, achievement, and community and postsecondary partnerships.

As a program of Dobyns-Bennett High School, D-B EXCEL (Excellence in a Creative Environment for Learning) students have a personalized, smaller academic environment which encourages and empowers students to focus on individualized goals. Blended learning provides a more practical, hands-on education experience and an opportunity to build meaningful connections with teachers, other students, the community, and the region. Students may participate in student clubs, extracurricular activities (including band and athletics), and participate in the Dobyns-Bennett graduation ceremony, receiving a Dobyns-Bennett diploma. The student body is currently made up of more than 250 students.
 

Description: 

This is the time when members of the audience are invited to comment on agenda items. It is not the time to speak about personnel issues, as there are more appropriate ways in which these can be addressed. If you are not sure how to do this, please ask one of us after the meeting.

In your remarks, you may not refer to students by name without permission from the parent or guardian.

If you would like to speak on a topic not included on the agenda, you are asked to submit your request in writing to the Superintendent of Schools at least three (3) business days prior to the scheduled date of the meeting.

If you would like to speak about an item included on this agenda, you will be asked to please raise your hand. It is requested that you state your name and limit your remarks to a maximum of three (3) minutes.

Thank you. 

Description:  Approval of an Interdepartmental Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Kingsport Police Department and Kingsport City Schools for School Resource Officers (SROs) for the 2024-2025 school year is recommended. Police officers will be assigned by the Police Department to work as SROs at schools in the district through an SRO grant funded program authorized by Public Chapter 418 of the 113th Tennessee General Assembly. This program shall be executed between a local law enforcement entity and the Local Education Agency (LEA) or public charter school and presented to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security as part of the application process for grant funding. The grant funded program requires an annual application for funding and an annual execution of an MOU.

Description:  Mr. David Frye, Chief Finance Officer, will present a recommendation to purchase 170 Teacher Laptops and Pens from Dell Marketing L.P. (Contract C000000381302) utilizing the Wilson County Schools Cooperative Purchasing Agreement. The Dell Latitude 5350 laptops are $1,264.64 each and the Dell Premier Rechargeable Active Pens are $60.74 each, for a total cost of $225,314.60. The laptops and pens are for teachers in grades Pre-K - 2nd grade, as well as elementary related arts teachers. Funding for this purchase will be from School General Purpose Funds and ESSER. 

Description:  Mrs. Woods will preside over the paper ballot election of Board President and Vice President for the term September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025. The election ballot is attached in order to have an opportunity to review the ballot prior to voting during the meeting.