May 12, 2026 at 6:00 PM - Kingsport City Schools Board of Education Regular Meeting

Description:  Chase Howard, a senior at DB-EXCEL, will lead the Board of Education and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Description:  Dr. Brandon Fletcher, Board President, 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: 

Board Member Jamie Jackson will recognize 12 seniors from Dobyns-Bennett High School/D-B EXCEL. Through a partnership with Northeast State Community College, students in our Career and Technical programs have the unique opportunity to earn post-secondary technical certificates alongside their high school diploma. We have had over 60 students complete these certificates with Northeast State. These credentials empower students to launch careers in high-demand technical fields and enter the workforce with a head start. Additionally, through grants from a variety of sources, these opportunities are offered at no cost to students.

This year, we are proud to recognize these students who have completed certificates in Combination Welding, HVAC, Entrepreneurship, and Emergency Medical Technician. These individuals will be honored during the Northeast State Community College commencement ceremony prior to graduating from Dobyns-Bennett. This milestone is a testament to their dedication, technical skill, and commitment to their future careers. We are very proud of all of these students, and it is our honor to celebrate them tonight.

Career & Technical (CTE) Certificate Graduates 

Combination Welding Certificate Graduates:
Joey Dodson - D-B EXCEL
Daniel Cenite - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Evan Reyes - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Nathan Fields - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Dusty Dean, Jr. - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Jordan Slemp - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Jordan Weatherly - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Logan Broadwater - Dobyns-Bennett High School

HVAC Certification Graduate:
Zaine Austin - Dobyns-Bennett High School

Entrepreneurship Certificate Graduate:
Nevaeh Hartsock - Dobyns-Bennett High School

Emergency Medical Technician Certificate Graduates:
Kora Houlihan - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Augustine Merritt - Dobyns-Bennett High School

Mrs. Jackson will also recognize 17 Dobyns-Bennett seniors that are recent Middle College Academy graduates with Associate Degrees from Northeast State Community College.  

Overview of the admission process for the Northeast State Middle College Academy: 

• Students must have one of the following to participate:

  •  3.60 cumulative, unweighted high school GPA or

  • 3.25 - 3.59 cumulative, unweighted high school GPA + recommendation from school counselor or administrator or

  • College-level Accu placer test scores

• Students must have at least a 3.00 cumulative, unweighted high school GPA for financial aid purposes.

• The structure of the program/opportunity.

  • Through a mix of dual enrollment classes taught at Dobyns-Bennett High School and the Kingsport Center for Higher Education as well as online coursework, these students have had the opportunity to pursue and earn the Associate of Science General TBR Transfer degree from Northeast State Community College. This degree essentially allows students to complete general education core requirements at the college-level, while also using dual enrollment coursework to complete many of their final high school graduation requirements.

Middle College Graduates 

Associate of Science: General TBR Transfer - Middle College:
Abraham Athey - D-B EXCEL
Alayna Bailiff - D-B EXCEL
Lustre Barnette - D-B EXCEL
Riley Compton - D-B EXCEL
Maggie Dunworth - D-B EXCEL
Elijah Hayes - D-B EXCEL
Chase Howard - D-B EXCEL
Colt Lark - D-B EXCEL
Alexander McCarthy - D-B EXCEL
Zeva Nichols - D-B EXCEL
Lucas Bowman - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Stone Collier - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Tyler Gay - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Alyssa Mahon - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Emma Martin -Dobyns-Bennett High School
Rylan Moore - Doybns-Bennett High School

Associate of Science: General TBR Transfer Graduate:
Jazmund Coleman - Dobyns-Bennett High School

Description:  High school students from across the state gathered in Nashville on March 3, 2026, to express their views on public education in Tennessee at the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) Student Congress on Policies in Public Education (SCOPE) Conference. The event took place on the campus of Belmont University. Dobyns-Bennett High School seniors Emery Corpstein, Jackson Haren, Andraia Gordon, and Piper Osterhus participated in the event, along with SCOPE chaperon and Dobyns-Bennett Social Studies teacher, Mr. Joshua French.

Now in its 43rd year, SCOPE is designed to give students a voice where public education issues are concerned and to involve young people in finding solutions to the topics that are discussed. Attendees participated in mock school board sessions, where they assumed the roles of school board members, school officials, parents, students and concerned citizens. During the afternoon, students had a policy debate session, led by school board members and superintendents from across the state. SCOPE delegates also elected officers for SCOPE 2027.

Description:  Dr. Phillip Marshall will recognize Antonia Adinolfi, Chermistry and STEM teacher at D-B EXCEL, for being awarded nearly $10,000 from the Julia C. West Foundation for STEM equipment. The Julia C. West Foundation supports initiatives that provide opportunities for further education, particularly for those who may face financial barriers to continuing beyond secondary school. Chris Rose, Board President, will present a check on behalf of the foundation to Ms. Adinolfi.

Description: 

For Public Comment during Kingsport Board of Education Regular and Called Meetings:

SIGN-UP REQUIRED

Any person wishing to address the Kingsport Board of Education during the Public Comment portion of a Board regular meeting will have an opportunity to sign up immediately prior to the 6:00 p.m. meeting.  Prior notification of intent to speak is not necessary, but recommended.

HOW LONG MAY I SPEAK?

Per KCS Board Policy 1.404 - Public Communications at Board Meetings, those who have signed up may speak for up to three (3) minutes. Before addressing the Board, the speaker shall state his or her full name and address, including zip code. The public comment period will last no more than thirty (30) minutes in total, unless the Board waives the limit(s) upon considering a request for extension made prior to the President's announcement for public input.  

WHEN WILL IT BE MY TURN?

Speakers will be called in the order in which they signed up or announced their intent to address the Board. When the Board President calls your name, please make your way to the podium.

POINTS TO REMEMBER

• Please address the Board as a whole. Note that the Board will not respond to public comment. 
• Limit comments to the allotted time as determined by the Board President.
• Profane language, making threats, or revealing confidential student or staff information will not be allowed.
• Comments regarding personnel or personnel matters are not germane during public input.
• Speakers may not refer to students by name without permission from the parent or guardian.
• Groups representing a common viewpoint are encouraged to select one spokesperson.
• All comments become a matter of public record.

In order to communicate with individual members of the Board, the public may obtain members’ contact information from the Office of the Superintendent or from the Kingsport City Schools website, www.k12k.com.

Description:  It is recommended the Board approve a quarterly list of multiple donations from various sources received by Kingsport City Schools from January through March 2026. The individual school receipts total $42,252.78. 

Description:  Playlab, in partnership with the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) and supported by Google.org is providing Tennessee school districts an opportunity for continued learning and innovation in the artificial intelligence (AI) space. Kingsport City Schools has submitted an application to join the Tennessee AI Innovation cohort, which is a statewide learning network helping to build AI capacity and define how to strategically leverage AI to enhance teaching and learning to improve student outcomes.

Selected district teams will receive training, coaching, and implementation support aligned to their organization's unique goals. Kingsport City Schools identified a focus on building capacity in a group of teachers and school/district leaders to leverage AI to impact student learning. In collaboration with Playlab and SCORE, KCS will develop a plan that is tailored to our context and goals. 

KCS has been accepted to participate in the grant. As a participant in the grant, Google.org has agreed to cover 80% of the partnership costs, with our contribution totaling $1,500 for professional learning. All participating districts will attend 3 scheduled convenings and present their work at the Tennessee AI Innovation Showcase in Summer of 2027.  Our focus would be to develop AI literacy with teachers in KCS using a designated and representative team of teachers.

Description:  Dr. Rhonda Stringham, Director of Federal Programs and ESL, recommends Board approval of the Kingsport City Schools Preschool Development Grant, for a total amount of $15,000. This competitive state subgrant, offered by the Tennessee Department of Education, will be used in the PreK program to purchase iPads and cases for Pre-K-4 classrooms. No matching funds are required and there is no impact to current KCS Policies or Procedures.

Description:  Kingsport City Schools Random Drug Testing Program and proposed revision to the Random Drug Testing Regulations and Procedures for the 2026-2027 school year were reviewed during the Board Work Session on April 28, 2026. This information pertains to the random drug testing of high school students participating in extracurricular school activities.

Description:  David Frye, Chief Finance Officer, will present a recommendation to accept a donation from the Kingsport City Schools Education Foundation, Inc. of $500,000. This monetary donation has been given by Bharti and Natu Patel and is earmarked for Kingsport City Schools. The funds will be used over five years to build teacher capacity, enhance classroom resources, and improve student learning across the district. It will strengthen teaching capacity, update and improve educator resources, and ultimately improve student learning and enrichment across the district.

Description:  David Frye will present a recommendation to approve the purchase of a three-year Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Into Reading Literacy Program subscription for elementary schools from Tennessee Book Company. The total purchase price is $277,200 for the three-year subscription. It is also recommended a blanket order for FY 2027 be issued to Tennessee Book Company in the amount of $275,000 to cover the remaining literacy program cost, other textbook freight costs and consumables.

Funding for this purchase will be from the current year's General Purpose School Fund ($87,000) and from FY 2027 General Purpose School Fund ($189,400).

Description:  David Frye will present a recommendation to enter into a three-year agreement with Pepsico for the Non-Alcoholic Beverage Pouring Rights and Advertising Partnership with Kingsport City Schools. Pepsico is the current vendor for the district. All funds paid and received regarding the agreement will be from the high school's and middle school's internal school funds.

Description:  David Frye will present FY 2026 Budget Amendment #6 for Board consideration.

Description:  David Frye will present information regarding the bid award for the upcoming renovation project at Dobyns-Bennett High School for Board consideration.

Description:  David Frye will present the proposed FY 2026-2027 Kingsport City Schools Budget for Board consideration.