July 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM - Smith County Board of Education Agenda
| Regular Board | |
| Attendance Taken on 7/20/2026 at 4:54 PM | |
| Jay Hesson | Present |
| Scotty Enoch | Present |
| Marty McCaleb | Present |
| Joe Taylor | Present |
| Tommy Manning | Present |
| Ricky Shoulders | Present |
| David McDonald | Present |
| Scotty Lewis | Present |
| Present: 8, Absent: 0 | |
| Agenda | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I. Call to Order
Agenda Item Type:
Procedural Item
Discussion:
The Smith County Board of Education met at 5:00 pm on Monday, July 13, 2026, at the Smith County Board of Education. Mr. Hesson provided the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag. Chairman Tommy Manning welcomed all visitors and called the meeting to order.
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II. Approval of Agenda
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Request to approve the Agenda for the July 20, 2026, meeting of the board
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III. Consent Items
Agenda Item Type:
Consent Agenda
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
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III.A. Board Minutes: Minutes of the Board - June 8, 2026 (Regular Meeting)
Agenda Item Type:
Consent Item
Discussion:
Request to approve the regular meeting minutes of the Board - Monday, June 8, 2026.
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III.B. Board Minutes: Minutes of the Board - July 13, 2026 (special called meeting)
Agenda Item Type:
Consent Item
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III.C. Smith County High School Requests
Agenda Item Type:
Consent Item
Discussion:
Smith County High School requests permission for the following:
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III.D. School Support Organization - SCHS
Agenda Item Type:
Consent Item
Discussion:
Request to approve Smith County High School Volleyball as a Board-Approved School Support Organization (SSO). They have submitted all the required paperwork to become a Board-Approved School Support Organization and to fundraise in our district.
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IV. Superintendent Actions
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Discussion:
The Superintendent took the following actions:
1. Staff Placement
2. Transfers
3. Resignations
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V. New Business
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
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V.A. TSBA Policy Recommendations
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Request to adopt the following TSBA model policies to ensure compliance with state and federal laws, rules, and regulations due to changes made by the Tennessee General Assembly and the State Board of Education utilizing Policy 1.600 adopting changes on first reading to allow the revised policies to be implemented prior to the start of the school year.
As part of your policy subscription, the TSBA Policy Department monitors statutory and regulatory changes to ensure that our model policies comply with state and federal laws, rules, and regulations. Due to changes made by the Tennessee General Assembly and the State Board of Education, TSBA has updated the model policies outlined in this memo. Below are the recommended revisions. Updated Model Policies Policy 1.400 - School Board Meetings Public Chapter 852 creates flexibility for Boards during a natural disaster or inclement weather event. It allows board members to join a meeting electronically when less than a quorum is physically present. This exception may be used three times per year. Policy 1.403 - Agendas Agendas for regular board meetings must now be provided to the public at least 48 hours in advance. We have received questions about whether these may be draft agendas (i.e., whether changes can still be made at board meetings). Our interpretation is that minor changes can be made at board meetings, prior to the adoption of the agenda as long as board policy is followed. Policy 1.905 - Charter School Renewal This change to state law requires charter authorizers to provide annual notice of whether a charter school is "on-track" or "off-track". It further requires automatic renewal of high-performing charters. Policy 2.100 - Fiscal Management Goals Recent guidance from the Comptroller's office recommends that Boards require annual internal control reviews. We have added that requirement to our model policy. Policy 4.213 - Family Life Education A recent change to state law updates the terminology for child trafficking instruction and requires that it be included as a component of health education. It also requires each district to develop a plan to implement this instruction by August 1, 2026. Policy 4.215 - Instructional Use of Digital Devices We created this new policy in response to a requirement in Public Chapter 808. This new state law requires Boards to adopt a policy prioritizing teacher-led instruction and the use of non-electronic instructional materials in grades K-5. There are several exceptions to the law including, but not limited to, assessments, remediation, students with IEPs/504 plans, and virtual schools. Policy 4.301 - Interscholastic Athletics Students attending small private schools will now be permitted to participate in interscholastic athletics in accordance with TSSAA or TMSAA guidelines. If a school is a member with these organizations, private school students zoned for the particular school shall be able to participate in interscholastic athletics to the same extent as other students, but only in athletic programs that are not offered by the private school. If a school is not a member with these organizations, private school students zoned for the particular school shall be able to participate in interscholastic athletics to the same extent as other students. We have added a provision to the model policy on this aspect. Policy 4.600 - Grading System This new law clarifies that the high school grading system will apply to coursework completed by students in middle school. We have added clarifying information to this policy. Please note that Public Chapter 901 also includes a requirement that will go into effect for the 2027-2028 school year. Beginning in that school year, districts are required to automatically enroll students who achieve a performance level of "exceeds expectations" on the math portion of the 7th grade TCAP exam in Algebra I instead of an 8th grade math course, unless a parent/guardian opts them out. Policy 4.603 - Promotion & Retention We have updated policy 4.603 to include another pathway for students to be promoted to fourth grade. This is based on Public Chapter 1030 that permits this promotion if the student was administered a state-mandated assessment in third grade and demonstrated proficiency in ELA based on scoring in the fiftieth percentile on the most recently administered universal reading screener. Policy 4.605 - Graduation Requirements Recent changes to state law alter the Move on When Ready early graduation requirements. Public Chapter 912 adds the Classic Learning Test as an option for students seeking to graduate early through this pathway. Additionally, Public Chapter 1040 requires the Director of Schools to annually report the total number of Move on When Ready requests to the Department of Education. We have also updated this policy to clarify that students who successfully complete high school credit prior to grade nine, shall receive graduation credit for that coursework. Policy 5.106 - Application and Employment State law now requires all school districts to use the E-Verify program to ensure that an employee is eligible to work in the U.S. Previously, this was an optional program. Policy 5.200 - Separation Practices for Tenured Teachers & Policy 5.201- Separation Practices for Non-Tenured Teachers Previously, a teacher who resigned and breached their contract mid-year could have their license suspended by the State Board of Education if the local Board submitted a complaint. Public Chapter 898 removes the option for Boards to file these types of complaints. Based on this, we have removed that option from policies 5.200 and 5.201. Policy 5.302 - Sick Leave & Policy 5.303 Personal and Professional Leave Public Chapter 1022 is intended to shift flexibility from sick leave to the personal and professional leave category. Professional employees will now earn: 8 sick days a year for 10-month contracts; 9 sick days a year for 11-month contracts; and 10 sick days a year for 12-month contracts. Additionally, professional employees will now earn four days of personal and professional leave per year instead of two. Policy 5.600 - Staff Rights & Responsibilities An update to the Teacher Code of Conduct requires teachers to refrain from any sexually related behaviors with students, including students who have graduated or withdrawn in the immediately preceding twelve months. We have updated this policy to highlight that requirement. Policy 6.200 - Attendance Public Chapter 844 requires districts to determine whether a mid-year transfer student was previously enrolled in a public school in the same school year and request the student's attendance records. The receiving district must then include the unexcused absences from the previous school district in the student's current total to implement the appropriate truancy intervention tier, if applicable. Policy 6.202 - Home Schools Previously, state law required certain actions if a home school student fell below grade level. Public Chapter 912 has removed this portion of the statute. Additionally, this new law changes the types of tests that may be administered to home school students and permits the parent to select a standardized test. Policy 6.205 - Student Assignments State law now requires that principals create a safety plan for a student with an order of protection against another student. We have added language on this to the corresponding model policy. Policy 6.303 - Questioning Students and Searches Public Chapter 1040 expands on last year's legislation regarding who may conduct searches of students. This new law adds school employees who have completed the required orientation and training to the list of individuals who may conduct searches authorized by the principal. Policy 6.306 - Interference/Disruption of School Activities A recent change to state law requires Boards to have a policy on alerting parents when a classroom evacuation occurs in response to another student's behavior. We have added information on this topic to an existing model policy. Policy 6.318 - Admission of Suspended or Expelled Students Public Chapter 760 permits school districts to continue an investigation of a student disciplinary incident even if the student withdraws. Further, it clarifies that the investigation and/or disciplinary consequences may resume if the student re-enrolls. We have added information on this process to clarify those options in our corresponding model policy. Policy 6.4053 - Outside Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy Boards are required to adopt a policy on outside applied behavior analysis therapy per Public Chapter 1112. This new state law requires Boards to adopt a policy allowing these private pay providers access to school property if they are under contract with parents/guardians and have signed a memorandum of understanding with the district. We have created a new model policy to align with these requirements. The Department of Education will be issuing guidance on this topic. We will send out an update to the model policy, if needed. Policy 6.412a - Emergency Allergy Response Plan We maintain two model policies regarding emergency allergy response plans. One of them contains a provision on schools storing epinephrine in case of emergency. If your Board maintains that version, we recommend updating it with the new version below. Public Chapter 947 updates state law to clarify that epinephrine may be purchased in a variety of forms, not solely as an auto-injector. We have updated the relevant model policy to align with that language. Policy 6.506 - Students from Military Families Public Chapter 834 updates requirements for school districts regarding students from military families. Previously, state law allowed Boards to choose how much time these students had to provide documentation of relocation to the district. Per this recent change, students must now provide this information within one calendar year of the date of enrollment. The new law further clarifies that districts must take appropriate steps to assist any of these students with IEPs, 504 plans, or individualized family service plans. Additionally, Public Chapter 834 states that if a military family relocates outside of the district, any students enrolled in grades 11 or 12 must be allowed to remain enrolled in the same high school until they either graduate or withdraw. |
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V.B. Approval of School Fees
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Request to approve the following student school fees for the 2026-2027 school year.
See attached school fees
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V.C. Bid Approval for Janitorial Bids
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Request to accept the following low bids for janitorial supplies for the 2026-2027 school year.
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V.D. Bid Approval for Diesel Fuel
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Request to approve the low bid of $3.2999 per gallon for 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel from Mixon Nollner for delivery on June 17, 2026.
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V.E. Bid Approval for Gasoline
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Request to approve the low bid of $3.189 per gallon for 1,500 gallons of regular 87 unleaded gasoline without ethanol from Mixon-Nollner for delivery on June 17, 2026.
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V.F. Catch My Breath Program Approval
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Request to approve the Catch My Breath Program from the Nicotine Free Futures Grant sponsored by Youth and Family Resource Network (The Spot)
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V.G. Smith County High School Request to Remove Trailer
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Smith County High School requests the approval to acquire bids/quotes to remove the "coaches’ trailer" located at the facility on Owl Street.
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V.H. Smith County Student Disciplinary Hearing Authority (SDHA)
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Request to approve the following Smith County Student Disciplinary Hearing Authority (SDHA) members to serve for the 2026-2027 school year:
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V.I. Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding Between Smith County Sheriff's Office and Smith County Board of Education for School Resource Officers for the 2026-2027 School Year
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Request to approve a Memorandum of Understanding Between Smith County Sheriff's Department and Smith County Board of Education for School Resource Officers for the 2026-2027 School Year
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V.J. FY27 General Purpose 141 Budget
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
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VI. Discussion
Agenda Item Type:
Information Item
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VI.A. Tobacco Free Schools Policy Discussion - Barbara Kannapel
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Discussion:
Barbara Kannapel representing Youth and Family Resource Network (The Spot) is requesting that the Board review the Tobacco-Free Schools Policy 1.803.
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VII. Annual Policy Review
Agenda Item Type:
Information Item
Discussion:
Annual Policy Review (July)
Please review the following policies for the Smith County Board of Education to remain compliant in policy review. If you find any inconsistencies or if something needs to be discussed regarding a policy listed below, please bring it to the attention of Mr. Tommy Manning, Chairman of the Board, during the meeting. Policy 1.101, Role of the Board of Education Policy 1.202, Duties of Board Members Policy 1.2021, Boardsmanship Code of Conduct Policy 1.407, School District Records |
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VIII. Executive Session
Agenda Item Type:
Information Item
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IX. Adjourn
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
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Reminders:
August Board Meeting - Monday, August 17, 2026 @ SCBOE
September Board Meeting - Monday, September 14, 2026 @ SCBOE