October 26, 2023 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Meeting

Discussion:  (See above)

Discussion:  - Boston led the board members in a Moment of Silence. After a Moment of Silence, Brinley and Brystol Davis from Martin Elementary led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Discussion:   - Boston advised, we'd like to welcome all of our visitors. Thank you for being here. We appreciate your interest in our children's education and how we approach the upcoming future. Also at this time, and I know it's probably not the appropriate time, but Mrs. Colleen Mall is one of our county commissioners and Mr. Joe Cheryl is one of our county commissioners and we appreciate so much you being here. Thank you and welcome. 

Discussion:   - Boston advised, next is our special recognition. Our Student Board Representatives. I'm going to put you on the spot tonight. I'm going to let you introduce yourselves. I'm from SMHS. I'm Nicole. I'm a senior there. Phoenix High school. I'm a senior too. My name is Brayden Whitehead. Boston replied, thank you for being here. 

Discussion:   (See Above) Boston advised, let the record show that Ms. Nichols is not present tonight, due to a death in her family.

Discussion:  - Declarations of Conflict - Per TCA 49-2-202 Board of Education Members who have relatives (per the statue: relative means: Spouse, parent, parent-in-law, child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, or any person who resides in the same household as you) employed by the system are asked to raise your hands to identify yourself. "Do you certify that the votes that you make tonight will be in the best interest of the school system, regardless of the effect that your vote may have upon the employment of your relative or relatives? " Boston and King certified by saying individually, "I do."

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #1) Boston advised, next on the agenda is the Approval of the Minutes. I'll entertain a motion to approve September 27th and September 28th Minutes. Safdie advised, so moved. Stout advised, second. Boston replied, so I have a first and second. Any discussion. No one responded. A Voice Vote was taken. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #2) Boston advised, next is the approval of the agenda. Hamby advised, motion we approve the agenda. Safdie advised, I would like to amend the agenda, if it's okay with you. Hamby replied, I will remove my motion. Safdie continued, I would like to approve the agenda with 15.H.2 and 15.H.3 combined. Boston asked, is that a motion? Safdie replied, that is a motion. Hamby replied, I will second that. Boston advised, so we have a 1st and 2nd to approve the agenda. Any discussion? Davis replied, I'd like to make a motion to remove an item. Boston replied, OK. Well, we've got to deal with this motion first. Hale asked, what was your motion? Davis replied, we'll go after he goes. Boston replied, let him go. So we're approving the agenda. Any discussion? No one responded. Boston replied, so the agenda has been approved. Davis replied, well no, my motion was to remove an item from the agenda. Not to approve the agenda. Boston replied, no, your motion was to combine. Safdie replied, no, my motion was combined. His motion is to remove, so parliamentarian. Hamby replied, we need to back up and remove the motions that have been set forth and start over. Boston replied, okay. Hamby continued, because his motion and Mr. Safdie's are something to do with the agenda before we approve it. Boston replied, OK, so you made a motion that we combine 15H. Hamby replied, so we can vote on that first. Boston replied, I thought that's what we were voting on. Hamby replied, no, we were voting on the agenda. Boston replied, OK. So we combined. OK, so now, Mr. Davis, your motion. Davis replied, I would like to make a motion to remove or table the committee appointments this evening. Boston asked,  number 16? Davis replied, yes. Boston asked, you want to remove it? Davis replied, yes. King advised, I will second that. Boston replied, so we've got a first and second. Hamby replied, Roll Call. King replied, discussion. Hamby replied, he asked for discussion. King asked Davis, any discussion, you made the motion. Davis replied, sure, yeah. I would like to ask that we take a different look at how we are approaching this appointment based on four different policies. Policy 1.3, Policy 1.1, Policy 1.101, Policy 1.201, and Policy 1.4. Boston replied, OK. What do those policies say? Davis replied, the cliff notes version of those policies is that we are currently operating outside of the intent of those policies from the appointment process of how we are to determine is whether or not we have committees and the operation of those committees. Hamby asked, can you repeat this so I can look them up? Because I'm not aware of what you're saying. Boston replied,1.3, 1.1, 1.01. Davis replied, 1.101. Boston continued, 1.101, 1.201, and 1.4. Davis replied, yep. I just feel it being our best interest to continue discussing how we operate per our policy before we decide how or who or what method we continue in the future and I can elaborate if you'd like. King asked, can we put 1.300 up there? Hamby replied, that's the 1.3 that he's got on there. King replied, can we put it up on the wall? Safdie asked, could have a separate vote with approval of the committees? Boston replied, yes. Hamby replied, I'm a little confused as to. Boston asked, Chris, are you trying to get ready to say something? King replied, no. I just; if you read it, I will say something. If you read that first sentence, what does it say? Safdie read, however, special committees composed the board may be appointed by the chairman at the direction of the board. So what I think is confusing about this is #16. They're #16 should have two motions. Boston replied, two components. Safdie continued, two components. One is the approval of the committees, in which the board can either not approve or approve, and then the membership of the committees. OK, so that may not be clear in item 16, but that is the intent. Stout replied, yes, two parts. Davis replied, so currently 16 is asking us to approve the appointment of the committees as they've been determined currently, right? Boston replied, yes. Davis continued, so what we're asked to do tonight is vote on. Boston replied, as they're proposed. Davis replied, as they're proposed and my ask is that we continue to talk about this in a different setting to identify as to whether or not we are operating correctly, because I don't know if we're going to get it sorted today. Safdie replied, I see his point, but respectfully I think that the policy is very clear. It says that a special committees can be determined or appointed by the chairman with approval of the board. Stout replied, at the direction. Safdie continued, at the right direction of the chairman and the direction of the board. Davis replied, the direction of the board. So the board hasn't directed the chairman to establish committees. Hamby replied, that's what we're voting on tonight. Davis replied, no. we're voted on the committees that were already appointed. Boston replied, if you approve the committees, then you go back and approve the appointments and then the committees can proceed forward and conduct business. Davis replied, exactly so. I guess we'll get into it. Boston replied, we will. Davis replied, the point being made is we've got two different states. We've got a current state and an as policy state. Our current state is that currently as up to this point, the chair had solicited interest via e-mail for those that would like to join these committees. The second ones volunteers were replaced. Those that volunteered were placed on the committee that was nominated for. This is the way that we're currently operating. Committees voted on without established, defined need or board approved issues that the board discussed. Boston asked, where are you reading from? I'm reading from how we're operating. Boston replied, OK. Those are just your words. Safdie replied, those are his notes. Davis replied, yep. So committees  set meeting dates whenever they see fit. They discuss whenever they see fit. Committees vote to bring issues to the full board for board approval. So in order of operations, that's how we establish the committees and take them in and out of committees. So we're looking to appoint people in these committees without a need or an issue. So if we reference one of our policies here, we referenced 1.3. It says that Policy Committee, however, special committees composed of board members may be appointed by the chairman at the direction of the board. So how do we determine the direction of the board? Hamby replied, we take a vote. Boston replied, by your vote tonight. Davis replied, OK, so at the vote and as the needs of the board shall require, so how do we determine what the needs of the board shall require? Stout asked, how do we determine what the needs are for the committees? Safdie replied, right, I mean, I think the day before yesterday's meeting, you made it clear that you would like to see the needs of the board presented at a quarterly basis with one meeting at a time. That's the issue that you want. You want to change the composition of how we conduct meetings, which is fair, I mean, but whether or not I think there are several issues that we're looking at. I mean all of us are looking at. One, we have a new director. OK, the director and I fully support our director. I want to let you know that. OK, however, the director only has a year of experience as a director and the issue then becomes do we want to established quarterly meetings that go over all of the material that have transpired. That's related to the board after three months? Well, I mean, that's what we are talking about. Davis replied, I appreciate you summarize that, but that's not what I'm proposing. I'm just proposing that we follow what we say we are going to do. Stout replied, I think we need to be concerned about making sure we're following what our policy states. Safdie replied, we take a vote and the Chairman has the discretion at the board, at the advice of the board to bring forth the committees. OK, so now we can at this point, now I may be wrong. Davis replied, it says the committees, composed of board members, may be appointed, not shall be by the chairman at the direction. Means the direction of the board. The board says to the chairman, chairman we would like committees because we have these issues and we have these concerns. Stout replied, and these are the committees that we want to have handle it. Safdie replied, well that what's going to take place today? Boston replied, that's what's going to take place tonight. Davis continued, but we've not gotten to the point we've identified that we have a need in deed to have a committee. We're just saying we're gonna have committees, because we're going to look for them. Instead of saying we've got something, we're going to work on and then we're going to vote for it, right? So we're just saying we're going to have meetings forever. Without having a specific need to actually conduct the business at hand. We don't have business, then why meet? Boston replied, well, if the majority of the board approves these committees, then the majority of the board has established a need for the committees proposed. You can take any committee you want and disengage it. It's whatever the majority of the board proposes and needs in order to further carry on the business of this district and the board. If these committees are approved or if they're not. Then business can carry on and you don't have to wait for another; well, the next meeting we have is December. So you've let the business that needed to be conducted. Davis asked, but what is that? If we know we got business to conduct, that's what my ask is. What is it? We don't know what it is now. We just know we need a committee to deal with it in the future. Boston replied, well you know. Davis asked, is that what were saying. Boston continued, we've got policies. Davis replied, well our policy says the issues need to be discussed by the committee. The issues to be discussed by the committee must be approved in advance by the entire board, so the entire board should determine what the issue is and then shove it to the committee, not the vice versa. What we're doing currently is the committees are going; have the autonomy to go, operate and determine what it is that those issues are. They vote on it and then they send it back to the board. Boston replied, Mr. Davis, let's go ahead and vote. Davis replied, okay. Boston continued, on whether it stays on the agenda, so we can move on. Davis replied, okay. Boston continued, and then if it stays on the agenda, then you further discuss it. If it doesn't, you're beating the dead horse. Davis replied, okay. Davis replied, that's why I was asking to move it today so we could actually. Boston replied, but let's go ahead and vote whether it stays. Davis continued, whether or not we shot ourselves in the foot. Safdie replied, I don't think we'll shoot ourselves in the foot with any decision. Boston replied, okay. Any further discussion? Safdie replied, call for question. Boston replied, the motion is to remove #16 from the agenda. A Roll Call Vote was taken. Motion Failed. Boston replied, so it will stay on the agenda. Now can I get a motion to approve the agenda? Hamby replied, I make a motion we approve the agenda with Mr. Safdie's changes combining 15.H.2 and 15.H.3. I do believe that's what it is. Boston asked, is that correct, Mr. Safdie? Safdie replied, yes. Hale replied, second. Boston replied, okay, so we have a first and second. We're combining 15.H.2 and 15.H.3. We have a first and second to approve the agenda. Any discussion? No one responded. A Voice Vote was taken. 

 

Discussion:   - See Agenda item #3

Discussion:   - Boston advised, next is our Community Comments.

Name: David Stout 47 Bluff View Terrace, Fairfield Glade, TN
Subject: How the board operates. The board should operate as a business, and it's time for a change. 

Name: Craig Clark 2266 Hwy 68, Crossville, TN 
Subject: Cumberland County Budget, board functioning as a team, committee process, and improvement in operations. 

 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #3) Boston advised, next on the agenda is our Brown property and could you pull up the letter. We have a new offer from the Cantrell family or from the Brown family? Earl the previous offer was $650,000. Patton replied, correct. Boston continued, and our new offer is $450,000. $50,000 down. $50,000 to be paid this year and $200,000 for the next two years. We wanted to put this before. I think we touched on it just a few minutes in the work session the other day, but I will entertain a motion. King replied, Madam Chair, I would move to take no action. Hamby advised, and I will second that. Boston replied, okay. Is there any discussion? King replied, I think we discussed it last time. Boston replied, I think we did. I'm going to do a Roll Call just in case. The motion is to take no action. A Roll Call Vote was taken. Boston asked, one of the two, Mr. Patton or Mr. Stepp, could we respond to the Cantrell family? Patton replied, certainly. Boston replied, thank you.

Discussion:   - Boston continued, School board reports next is our TLN report. 

Discussion:   Stout replied, just so you all know, there's a new title for my position. It was Legislative Representative. We are now called Legislative Liaisons. So a little bit of a change there going into the new year. Our new Federal Education Funding Work Group is going to be meeting 11/6 through 11/15, and they're going to be looking into the Tennessee Education Funding Numbers from the last five years, which total $10.4 billion. Federal documentation requirements and the costs associated along with those requirements. That we have to follow and stipulations for the federal funds that we take and they've been tasked with formulating a plan for funding by the state before the legislature returns in January. So they're going to be working on that process and then next month, we have a new system for assigning letter grades to our schools. So that's going to begin. In 2017, a state law was passed requiring this new system, but the development rollout was postponed due to COVID. So they're just getting it up and going again. In September, I attended a Board of Education, State Department Regional Town Hall in Putnam County, and Mr. Stepp was  there as well. The department and the new Education Commissioner, Reynolds, were collecting feedback and suggestions regarding the other indicators, which is the only optional criteria and it's the third of the criteria for assigning these school grades. So by law, by this law in 2017 there are now two required criteria academic and student growth. The first criteria, academics is defined by the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade level expectations on their state tests. The 2nd criteria is growth defined by progress students are making on state test performance compared to the average progress of all students statewide, and then the third criteria is the optional one. That, they're working on pulling together the other indicators criteria. So they've got a school letter grade working group and they've pulled individuals together from across the state in several different roles throughout the education system and the legislature. I even saw when I went through the list there was a parent on there. So they've got some parent involvement. They met five times during this month, and they were tasked with helping to create letter grade calculations for schools. That is transparent, meaningful and easy to understand and that was per the task given by Commissioner Reynolds. The goals to have A through F letter grades published for each school on the state report card in November. So that is forthcoming here, this next month. If y'all want more details or if you want to view the working group meetings, you can go to the Education Department website and you just search school letter grades and all that information is out there. That wraps my requirement. Thank you. Stepp advised, and I can send a link to that to the board through e-mail, so you can just click and go. Stout replied, thank you, Mr. Stepp. 

Discussion:   - Boston advised, next on the agenda is the any other board members that can report from any training? King replied, I'm just going to say they have webinars periodically. I've attended those. They're good. Stout replied, yeah, that's why I jumped in on October lunch and learned, The Board Minutes and Voting. It was good. 

Discussion:   - Boston advised, next on the agenda is the Legal Report, Mr. Patton. Patton replied, there is no new litigation and there is no significant change in existing litigation for this month. So we'll have some more news for you next month. 

Discussion:   - Boston advised, next on the agenda is our Director's report. Stepp asked, Madam Chair, can I request that we do the Strategic Plan first? I know Mr. Cox isn't from around here and he travels. Would that be okay? Boston replied, absolutely. Stepp continued, so Mr. Bobby Cox, with NIET is going to look at the five-year Strategic Plan. (See Agenda #15.E.)

Discussion:   Stepp advised, just some school updates real quick before we move on. I'm going to read fast. 

School Nutrition

• Health Inspection Scores. All of them are 97% or higher. Four of them were perfect. 
• Self-locking door handles have been installed on all kitchen exterior doors. Thank you Maintenance Department for helping us get these installed. 
• We have been one of the first countries in the Upper Cumberland to implement the New TDOE Medicaid matching program for Direct Certified Student (J Code) certification. We are looking at increasing our J Coded/Free Direct Cert Student certification by over 1,200 additional students, which means increased funding through TISA and for School Nutrition.
• Joint Farm to School project with Coordinated School Health (CSH) called Tennessee Harvest of the month (July fresh blueberries, August tomatoes, September soybeans). 

P-8 Curriculum

• Additional professional development was provided to all 3rd grade teachers, RTI Coordinators, and All Corp Tutors by Bob Alexander, President & CEO of the current curriculum, "Max-The-Test" on test-taking strategies. 
• PreK teachers received Connect4Learning curriculum training for their newly re-adopted curriculum on September 22nd. Updated materials will be arriving soon. 
• We will be sending a team to the state Middle Grades Math training November 7-9. Our district team will train all Middle Grade math teachers on this material. 
• PreK classrooms are nearly full! 234-240 slots have been filled. Every classroom that has been observed by the state has passed their yearly inspection with flying colors. 
• All 4th graders in the district toured downtown.
• All 3rd graders participated in Farm Day.
• 5th grade classes are participating in BizTown curriculum and will visit BizTown prior to winter break. 
• 8th graders went to TECH for the Career Fair. 
• On November 6-9th all 8th graders will tour their high school and TCAT.

9-12 Curriculum
Accountability Phase I-III Appeals Complete

• Federal Graduation Rate
• 10th Grade Cohort Success rate per USED requirement
• 22-23 Assessment Data Files
• 22-23 English Language Proficiency Assessment data
• Chronically Out of School Data

5 year Strategic Plan College $ Career Readiness & CCHS Athletics Sub-Committees completed their Goals, Strategies, and Action Steps.
Additional professional development was provided to all ACT Prep teachers by Bob Alexander, President & CEO of the current curriculum, "Max-The-Test".
Professional development provided to high school administration for 6-12 math curriculum. 
All athletic directors (4) attended the TSSAA/TMSAA administrator's meeting held at Cookeville High School. 
Celebrated the induction of Mr. John Saylors to the CCHS Hall of Fame.
Meeting held with Study Island representatives to explore the feasibility of using the software in support of benchmark testing, ACT prep and RTI. 

CCTE

• Work-Based Learning placements for our high schools have grown from 139 students in the Fall of 2022 to 331 students this Fall of 2023.
• Dual Enrollment in CTE alone has grown from 79 students last Fall 2022 to 355 students this Fall 2023.
• 8th Grade Career Fair at Hyder Burks Pavilion sponsored by the Highland Economic Partnership for seven counties. All CC 8th graders county-wide participated in this awesome seventy for the first time with more than 50 businesses represented. Many also ate lunch on TTU's campus lawn in the main quad. 
• All CCTE teachers gathered for Professional development on 9-22-23 to incorporate math in the CTE classroom delivered by TTU and learn about resources in our CTE middle school courses. 
• All 3rd graders participated in Farm Day hosted by Farm Bureau .
• CCHS & SMHS FFA held their annual event of Fall Farm Day; despite the rain, they still had a great turnout. 
• The Upper Cumberland Advisory Council washed in Putnam County. Over 80 participants gathered to discuss how secondary and post secondary partners can prepare students for the workforce. CC has several stakeholders represented. 
• Lots of great Career Exploration happening in our middle school grades with our additional ISM teachers. Check out our CTE Facebook page. 
• Flat Rock hosted a back-to-school bash, racing a car in front of the school for all students to see and having a Q&A session as well as other festivities with students and staff. 

Technology Department

• Inventoried and installed 1200 Chromebooks for all schools.
• Inventoried and installed 100 teacher laptops at CCHS and Stone Elementary
• Completed 1427 work orders to date.
• Installed a new District Wireless Network
• New Look District Website (Thanks to Tabitha)

ESL

• Required Title III-WIDA Standards training has been completed at all schools in the district.
• ESL teachers participated in professional development on the instructional needs of English Learner by developing appropriate ILPs on September 22nd.
• 36 new students have been screened to receive ESL services from ESL teachers in the district.
• Attended Title III Day at the Federal Programs Conference, August 25th

Emergency Management & Secrity/Attendance/SIS

• Public School Security Grant Submitted
• Granted multiple accountability and graduation rate appeals
• Tennessee Data & Attendance Supervisors Conference
• Successfully enrolled all returning and new students through online registration 
• Safe Schools Counselors working head with students

Special Education

• State Special Education PreSchool Grant submitted
• Consolidated carry over funds budgeted submitted 
• Federal Conference August 22-24
• Arivett Law Conference September 11-12
• Special Education staff is working diligently to ensure all students are provided needed services. 
• School Faculty Meetings that have been completed regarding FAFE/LRE?Accomodations and Modifications/SEBSA, TCA 49-10-1301-1307 for Crab Orchard, Martin, Pleasant Hill, South, Stone, PHS, SMHS
• 65 new students with disabilities have transferred to CCS. 
• Current number with disabilities is 873.

Transportation

• TN State Inspection completed. All buses passed with no issues.
• PreK and Kindergarten safety packets delivered to all elementary schools.
• PMSCA Audit Completed. All documentation was approved. 

Boston replied, we received an e-mail for the poverty level in each school. Stepp replied, yes, that was Mrs. Hamby and that's what I just talked about. Boston asked, does that affect our TISA money? Stepp replied, yeah, that's the J code. For people that receive free, reduce or receive direct services. So she went in and individually looked at her, and Patricia and Faith individually to every child. To make sure we had them right and there's a new formula. So that new formula got 1,200 more students on Jayco. So that goes into our student information system and it's pulled by the state. So they know how much money we get. Hale advised, I'd like to make a comment about the walk around town, because when I taught 4th grade, that was one of the projects that I enjoy doing with my students. We always learned so much about Cumberland County and I know the schools didn't instigate that. I think Francis Carson started that program a long time ago and she wanted the children of Cumberland County to get to know their community, and I always learned something and we would talk about it and discuss it and I know the 3rd grade going to the farm has been, you know, very successful through the years and that was instigated by the Farm Bureau and of course the experiment station. Because we're out there doing that and the one time that I got to teach 3rd grade, I got to go on the farm trip and so I was excited about that. Boston replied, the kids love it. Hale replied, yeah they do and the teachers. Hamby replied, as a volunteer for several years, I got to enjoy those also and Biz Town was a really great thing also. Hale continued, a lot of good things going on in our school system. Stepp replied, absolutely. Those are all exponential kinds of learning experiences matched up with careers, so it's pretty cool. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #4) Stepp advised, so going back to 15.B. This is just the State Compliance Report that Mrs. Boston and I have to sign. That we're following all federal and state laws, so we have to do that each year. Hamby asked, does that have to have a vote? I don't think so. Stepp replied, yeah, you need to Hamby replied, I make a motion to approve. Safdie replied, second. Boston continued,  we have a first and second to approve the State Compliance Report that we have to send in each year. Any discussion? No one responded. A Voice Vote was taken. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #5) Stepp advised, okay, next is the request for Collaborative Conferencing by the Cumberland County Education Association, Mrs. Timpson. She did turn in all the signatures that were required. This doesn't have to be voted on. This initiates the law. This initiates the process. So, by law, once they turn this in we're required by law to start that process, so you don't have to vote on it, but we've already talked, Mrs. Bray and I and Dr. Farley, and we've gone through the law and we're ready to start that process. Boston replied, If it does not require and we're required by law, I think that pretty well covers it. So it does not require a vote. Stepp replied, and I can send out like a Q&A on Collaborative Conferencing to tell the board. So you kind of see what we're doing with that? Boston asked, where's Mrs. Bray? Were you here when we did the very first Collaborative Conferencing? Bray replied, it was my very first day, your last meeting. Boston replied, your first day was our last meeting. Hamby replied, that was five years. Boston asked, did Kacee leave you her notebook? Or did Rebecca Wood leave you her notebook? Bray replied, yes. I have vast amount of information. Boston replied, got it. Okay, because we all had huge notebooks. Thank you. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #6) Stepp advised, 15.D. I'm going to defer to Mr. Patton. Patton replied, sure. So several months ago I sent to all of you some information on this lawsuit. It initiated at least the first school district in Tennessee that was involved in this was Clarksville, Montgomery County. This is a lawsuit that has been proposed by the France Law Group in California. It's multi-district litigation similar to the litigation that you've been involved in with JUUL. The same firm that is pursuing this case in several social media companies. This is a little bit different, because you've got a law firm proposing that you join in a suit. They have identified some issues that they believe are affecting students across the country and they are actively recruiting school districts to join in this litigation. Lewis Thomason Firm, Chris McCarty, some of you are familiar with. He is working with the France Group in this litigation. One thing that we might be able to do is to get Chris to come here or maybe participate in a conference call during the meeting to kind of give you some more information about this lawsuit, if you're interested. The documentation that they provided essentially, what they're getting at. Just to give you a snippet and to let the folks here know kind of what's going on. They say that the France Law Group has commenced litigation on behalf of public entities such as school districts against Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube. As well as other social media companies. The lawsuit alleges that these companies have caused a mental health crisis among children and teenagers that is marked by higher proportions of anxiety, depression and thoughts of self harm. All of which severely affect their ability to succeed in school. Many children and teenagers spend an inordinate amount of time scrolling through Meta, Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms. Where they are subjected to often harmful and exploitative content that encourages disordered eating, unhealthy social comparison and cyber bullying. As a result of this harmful content, students are experiencing anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Students performing worse in school are less likely to attend school, are more likely to engage in substance use and to act out somewhat violently. All of which affects a public entities ability to fulfill its educational mission. So I think the main question that you've got to ask yourselves, as board is are these issues affecting us and our kids? I think that should be what drives your decision and how you approach this and to informing as to whether or not this board as a whole is interested in pursuing this litigation. Ignoring the fact who's proposing that you joined in this litigation. I think the primary question this board has to decide is do we have a problem that needs addressing by this type of lawsuit. Safdie asked, Mr. Stepp, what are your counselors say in relationship to this? These problems with the use of social media with our children. Stepp replied, I think a large part of our discussions and this is the direction we're working on Strategic Plan right now is like the trauma informed school system and I think and correct me if I'm wrong, but the principals will agree. The access to information that the students have now is unprecedented and I think it is affecting how they do things. We deal with more mental illness now than we've ever had and I think the community is also recognizing that with the Trauma Informed Community Alliance that we've partnered with. So I think that's the overarching discussion that we're having right now and we feel that social media could play a part in that. Did I hit that about right principals? The principals nodded yes. Boston replied, especially the high school principals. Mr. Callahan, Mrs. Smith do you see? Smith replied, I think it's all grade levels. Hamby advised, I started to say it's all grade levels. Smith replied, parents allow access at a much younger age. Boston replied. they don't get phones until they get to high school, right? Hamby replied, let's try Pre-K. Boston replied, our student representatives, sitting down there, shaking his head. I was hoping that was the case. Whitehair advised, I received my phone in elementary. Safdie asked, do we need a motion to approve? Boston replied, we will need a motion. Hamby replied, I'm gonna make a motion that we approve and allow this to move forward. King replied, second. Boston replied, and joining this lawsuit. Hamby replied, yes and joining this lawsuit and you do have a second. Boston replied, we have a first and a second, with the motion being that this school district join this meta litigation. Any discussion? Stout asked, yeah, Mr. Patton, I looked a little bit about the responsibility for payment to confirm. Can you just clarify for the board how that's going to look for us and if there would be any fees outside of the award that we'd be responsible for? Patton replied, very similar to the JUUL Litigation. I've reviewed the agreement. It is very similar. It's a contingency fee agreement where this board is not going to be responsible for cost unless they recover funds for us. Stout replied, okay and I believe that was 25%, it said of the monetary settlement. Patton replied, it's a pretty standard contingency fee agreed for a case like this in my experience. Safdie asked, is there, let me deviate from this subject, because I'm curious about it. I heard a report that and we're talking about the mental health of our students. I heard that six students, six children a day now die from gunshot wounds. Do you see any vision or have any vision of any lawsuit that will be taking place in the future that will address the trauma the students are in as a result of their knowledge of this? King replied, point of order. That's not what we're talking about here. Safdie replied, oh, thank you. You don't have to answer that question. A point of order was called. Thank you. Boston asked, any further discussion? No one responded. A Voice Vote was taken and then a Roll Call Vote was taken. Boston replied, so the motion carries. The board will join in with the META Litigation and I'm assuming Earl that you will let us know what we need? Patton replied, I will work with Mr. Stepp to execute the documents on the authority that the board's given tonight. Boston replied, and just to proceed and just let us know. Patton replied, yes, ma'am. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #7) Mr. Cox discussed and presented the Strategic Plan attached. See Exhibit #7 for detailed information. 

Boston replied, we thank you for leading us through such a detailed report and it's excellent. Cox replied, I appreciate that and I appreciate the opportunity to work with Cumberland County Schools and it is an honor to work with Director Stepp. I've sat in his shoes and I think he has laid out a great path moving forward not only for the district, but getting good feedback from the community and ensuring that Cumberland County is on a firm foundation moving forward. Thank you again for the opportunity to be here. Boston advised, since we're at that spot, it is on the agenda to be voted on. Stepp replied, if you feel you've had enough time to see the bigger overview of it, you know you could vote to approve. Boston replied, I don't. Stepp replied, once we get to December then I can have an open presentation of the Strategic Plan and we can talk through each part if you'd like. Hamby advised, Madam Chair, I'd like to make a motion that we table this, because it's on here for a vote. To table this until we can have further review. So that we have a little longer to look at it. Boston replied, and have some discussions. Stepp replied, yeah, I can set up a presentation if y'all want. Boston replied, I'll second that motion. Any discussion? No one responded. A Voice Vote was taken. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #8) Stepp advised, next is the TISA District Plan. This is required by law. This is new this year, so we sat down with TDOE representative, Dr. Fox and went through creating our goals for student achievement for the next up to 2028, I believe and we have to give explanations and then we report it to the state each year and the the TISA Accountability Report is required annually and the Progress Review board of TISA will determine whether the school district is taking the proper steps to achieve their stated goals. This was created last month. It's been on our website. I presented at the Education Committee. All of this is public announcement and in public review is required. And then it is due November 1st. Boston replied, I'll entertain a motion to approve. Safdie replied, so moved. Boston replied, I'll second that. So we have a first and second to approve the TISA District Plan for 2023. Any discussion? No one responded. A Voice Vote was taken. Stout replied, thank you to the director and supervisors for pulling this together. Pretty big comprehensive plan that was done in a short time. So thank you. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #9) Stepp advised, and next is the Annual Planning Calendar for your review and the Warm Body Count for your review. Boston asked, pull up the Planning Calendar again. I wanted to point something out. There was one thing in October. Did we get that finished? The numbers weren't going to be in until November. Stepp asked, we're talking about accountability. Boston replied, yes. Stepp replied, yeah it's like the letter grade. Everything's been embargoed until they can release their letter grades. I'm not sure how they're doing those formulas. They haven't really clued us in on exactly how they're creating both letter grades and who's going to get A's B's, C's, D's, F's. We've sat in meetings with directors and they're still don't have a good answer, TDOE to how they're doing that. We just know the sports are embargoed until November. So we can't publicly release them, but we have reviewed with the principals there. It's called a heat map that shows their annual measurable objectives and where they are and that kind of stuff. So we've already started talking. I know they're working up plans as we speak, I'm sure. Safdie asked, Mr. Stepp, I know we discussed this on the day before yesterday at our work session. Is there any indication why our school system has specifically this year lost enrollment? Stepp replied, this has happened in other counties around us too. So I'm not sure where they're going. They're going online or what. I don't know where they're going. Then we talked as directors. Several counties populations decreased, which is that our biggest concern is that funding piece, TISA. So it's $6,860 per child. I don't know if it's home school or online schools, I just know once COVID hit alot of the students like working at home just doing it online. Safdie asked, do we have any statistics on the number which Nick just mentioned? The number of students that are being home schooled and the number of students that are going into private schools in Cumberland County has increased? Do we have any numbers on that? Stepp replied, I can get those numbers for home school. To go to home school they fill out paperwork with us so they can go. Safdie asked, and private schools, church related schools? Stepp replied, we can look at it because they have to request the records from us, so I can try to go through there and look at that. Safdie replied, well, I don't want you to do that unless it's the board's wishes as a whole to have that documentation available. Is there any sentiment of our board members on whether or not he should pursue that data? Davis replied, I like numbers. Stull replied, I don't have a problem with it. Hamby replied, I don't have a problem with it. Stout asked, how complicated would it be? Are we talking about a lot of extra time dedicated? Stepp replied, we'll look through our student information system. Boston asked, is that fairly ready in our hands? Stepp replied, well, Patricia and Faith will have to dig in it. They run our SIS. So I don't know how difficult it'd be because I haven't ever run an SIS before. There's a lot of data, you can collect. Safdie replied, if it becomes too difficult, then at the next board meeting let us know, but it appears that there is no difficulty. Boston replied, I'd like to say this. Safdie continued, our board feels. Stout replied, there's some way to understand where they're heading to? Safdie replied, thank you. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #10)

Discussion: 

 Stepp replied, and then next on the item, I think one of the board members requested these two to be on. Boston replied, yes, the Financial Controller, Mr. Safdie. Safdie replied, well I am. I am thrilled with Kim Bray's performance. She's basically doing 3 jobs at one time, so I would like to make a motion that we remove the Human Resource Officer job description and the Financial Controller job description from our reservoir of employees and just do away with those positions. That's my motion. Hamby replied, I will second that. Boston replied, okay. Davis asked, could you repeat that? Safdie replied, to remove to the Resource Officer job description and the Financial Control job description from our inventory of jobs in the Cumberland County School system. King replied, I have a question. Boston asked, can we? We'll get to discussion in just a minute. Let me repeat the motion. The motion on the floor, we have a first and second is that we remove the HR job description and the Financial Controller job description from our job inventory and so now it's open for discussion. King asked, if by chance, Mrs. Bray were to leave, how will we get that done? Safdie replied, I don't know. King continued, so I think we should leave those positions. Boston replied, if Mrs. Bray leaves we will shut down. Davis asked, why would we remove the positions? Hamby replied, because they've been left unfilled for how long now? Boston replied, well, Mrs. Bray was HR and you took over COO what January? Bray replied, kind of when Kacee left after a month at that. Boston asked, you started doing the job? Bray replied, yes. Boston continued, and then you were HR before, so we had an HR. No we had a finance lady that came in October. She was in office for one month and so these positions have not been filled since that and so they're left sitting there. King replied, so let me speak to that. Having worked here and worn several hats myself. It doesn't work well. It's not efficient and if that person leaves, who does the work? Boston replied, I mean I think it's a very good point. My question would be, is there anything we can do to assist? Whether it be look at the salary, look at the description. Stout asked, what's been the hold up? What's been the hold up and filling the positions, Mr. Stepp? Stepp replied, well first of all just to let you know, we had several people step up to help out Mrs. Bray, just to get through this. We thought it would be super temporary situation we're in. We posted the HR March 1 of 2023, Finance, September 22, again September of 23. Now we got a new Finance Director coming. So I was going to post this finance position once we had that new Finance Director, because we try to be great partners with that team. Because we have to work directly with them. There was only three that met the minimum requirements for HR. We tried to interview all three, only one showed up. We offered the job and they turned it down. Finance, we had five that met the minimum requirements and we changed it to the controller so we could widen the net to get somebody in there with finance experience. We interviewed all five, offered it to two, and they turned it down. Some of the things that they talked about were concerns about the extra duties and the meetings, lack of hybrid work schedule, which is huge in the finance field now, and HR field. They can't work from home. Those hybrid programs you get to work from home, we don't do that here. Also that Finance and HR position are very important positions and we've gotten admin assistants working with Mrs. Bray right now to get through this rough patch, but at no time have I ever talked about removing those positions. They're too important. I mean, if we just look at our budget. How much was our budget this year? How many millions? 64 or 70 when you add all the federal. That person is the pivot person for all of that. So that person also has to work with all the federal program stuff and they help get it ready. That person approves it, then I approve it, and then it goes to the state. So that's a hinge pin position. We got to find somebody. My suggestion would be, you know, let's look at salary. Let's look at what we can do that direction. I know the finance we allowed up to 75, but in the private sector, that's a drop in the bucket in the private sector and same with HR Directors. Boston asked, I think 65 is our HR, is that correct? Mrs. Bray replied, yes ma'am. Hamby replied, can I ask a question? Could we, if we don't do away with these positions, could we take another look at the job descriptions and see if maybe there's a little bit of changes that we could make in as far as education and experience? Stepp replied, that's what we did. So when we changed the CFO job description, we tried to throw a wider net out by doing that Finance Control. So it wasn't a true CFO position. We wanted to widen the nets to try to find it and they're just making more in the private sector. We've offered that both jobs and they turned them down, because I assume, because of money and some of it is just the the amount of work in those positions. You know, they serve what was it 51 evenings they have to be here in a school year? So that's on top of there come in at 7:30, work till whatever. That's a lot. So Hamby replied, and I'm not saying you don't have education background, whatever, but sometimes you get somebody that's got 25 years experience. Sometimes that experience counts a lot towards the education. Stepp replied, we work solely the ones that interviewed and tell me if I'm wrong, Mrs. Bray, but the ones that we interviewed and offered jobs to their specialty was HR or their specialty was finance. They weren't educators or teachers. Hamby replied, no, no, no, that's not what I mean. I mean like if you get someone that has worked in HR for 25 years and they've got an associates degree but not a bachelor's degree. Davis replied, they'd be considered for that job based on the description they accepted. Hamby replied, the way it's changed now, yes, but before it was not. Stepp replied, it was accounting. Hamby continued, yes and so but, I don't know. We've got to look at these positions. They have got to be filled. If we're going to keep them, they've got to be filled. If we're not going to keep them, then we don't have to worry about it. Safdie replied, we'll given the basis of this discussion and the the comments made. I think it would be in the best interest of the Cumberland County School System, if I withdraw my motion. Hamby replied, and I will withdraw my second. Safdie replied, so I apologize. Stepp replied, no apology. Discussion had to be made. Boston asked, well, is there anything that this board can do, needs to do, or can do? How about that? Can do to assist you in getting these positions filled? Stepp replied, you've given me the flexibility of going up to 75 for the accountant. I don't know if we need to raise that another five. I mean, I'll have to look, let me look at what the average private sector type stuff is and send you the numbers and then you guys look at the numbers and see if we can adjust or want to adjust or however? Safdie asked, you mentioned this hybrid job. Is there any future in that for an accountant in Cumberland County to have a? Stepp replied, Mrs. Bray says no. Bray replied, you have no access outside of this building to the accounting system. Stepp continued, so to get on that server, it has to come from the computer that we have the license for. Bray replied, my office. Stout replied, you have to be here to do the job. Stepp replied, correct. Davis asked, so we don't have a VPN? Bray replied, no. Stepp replied, we go through the Finance Department at Cumberland County. Hamby replied, they don't have hybrid either, the Finance Department. Davis replied, but I mean, we could look into a VPN, right? Stepp replied, we have to do what the Finance Director of the county tells us to do. Davis replied, I know, but, like can we not ask him if we can have a VPN? Hamby replied, we don't have a Finance Director right now. Davis continued, well I mean, they've haven't just quit spending money. Hamby asked, is he still working? Stepp replied, yeah, he's still there. Davis replied, we're trying to make solutions. If we have a quick problem, if we solve every problem with we can't do it, then we're never going to fix anything. I know personally, I do a lot of business through virtual private network. That allows me to do virtually anything from home, and that's what people that want these jobs are at, at home. With more money in their pocket. So for us to say, oh, we can't do it well, did we ask the right person the right question to determine if we can overcome this? Stepp replied, so if we look at the hybrid. Boston asked, what is VPN? Davis replied, virtual private network. Stepp continued, then we'd have to look at policy and procedures and does it just count for certain people here? I mean, we got teachers, we got, we got so many different. Stout replied, it would have to be a specific to the position, if we were going to look at that. Davis continued, those people are all working; when the door opened for everybody to go home and work. That's where they're at. Like, if you want to compete, you have to compete in the realm that people are in and that's where they are. So money, opportunity, flexibility. That's what they're after not being I guess potentially thought that their limit positions would be eliminated and we'll just triple up on someone. That concept is pretty scary from a person looking to go to work a place. So I would definitely not recommend eliminating job positions just because we can't fill them in the future, but VPN bridges gaps. Boston replied, well, and two, I appreciate Mr. Safdie asking that this be addressed, because then our questions are what can we do to help because these are such important positions. Stepp replied, and we're doing this with a bunch of people. We got 4 1/2 counselors we're short. We're short teachers, you know, bus drivers. We were trying to figure out as many different ways to get people motivated to work for the school system. Hamby replied, and I understand that their positions are empty too, but the CFO and HR is we really need those positions. Boston asked, could we get some numbers as to what we might? I mean, I've thought 65-75 would be sufficient for a Human Resource Officer, then Finance Officer up to we've given him the authority to go up to 75. Could we look at maybe some of the other school districts and see? On that Green Frog we weren't low. We weren't low at all. When they did a comparison with other districts for those positions. Hamby replied, we were pretty much on target. Stout replied, we were pretty close, plus we had the benefits on top of that. Boston continued, but we have a tremendous benefit package. Stout replied, but currently it may have changed a little bit and it might be nice to get an idea of what other districts are doing as far as any kind of blended or virtual environment. Safdie replied, if we had to call up the Comp Controllers Office to find out if it's legally possible to do that, we could. Let me ask a question. Raise your hand if you work for the school system? Everybody who works for the school system. You know, thank you, because all of you are here constantly during our meetings and I just want to let you know that I'm probably not speaking for the board, but I'm going to pretend I am. The Board of Education appreciates that. Multiple board members replied, absolutely and you're speaking for the board. Safdie replied, thank you for clarifying. 

Discussion:   See 15.H.2 for detailed conversation. 

Discussion: 

 Stepp replied, to the next our Personnel Reports that we do every month and our Substitute List also. Our school news articles, it's school calendars of events, and I encourage each of you, if there's schools in your districts that you're responsible for. Please reach out to the principal and ask to get added to the calendar list, to the e-mail list and stuff and that way you can. Stout replied, they are good about sending them. Stepp continued, that way if there's an event you want to go to, you got access to it and as always, I'm available for anyone to come in and talk or phone call anytime. So that's all my report. 

Discussion:   Boston advised, okay next on the agenda are the School Board Committees.

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #11) Boston replied, can you pull this document? These are committees that are being proposed. We are proposing to disengage the Safety and Contract and combine Building and Grounds and Safety and the first order of business would be to, I'll entertain a motion to approve. Hamby advised, I'll make a motion to approve. Hale replied, second. Davis replied, I'd like to move to postpone. Hamby replied, we have a motion and second, you can't do that at this time. Can you? Stout replied, yeah, he can do that after the second. Boston replied, just a second, we've got a motion and a second on the floor. For the proposed committees, Let's deal with that first. Hamby replied, and according to Parliamentary Procedures, he said move to postpone. If he has a specific date in mind. Therefore, we have to do that even though we have a first and a second. We have to discuss that. We don't have to approve the postponement, but we have to discuss it. Boston replied, okay. Do you have a date in mind? Davis replied, our next regularly scheduled board meeting. Boston replied, it's December the 7th. We do a Roll Call. Hamby replied, refresh me. We do a roll call vote now, right? Several board members replied, yes. Hamby continued, and we're doing a roll call vote on whether or not to postpone. Boston replied, on the move to postpone. Hamby replied, yes. Davis replied, right. We can discuss prior to voting to postpone, correct? King replied, you can discuss. Hamby replied, you can discuss. I do have a question. You did discuss earlier. Is it the same discussion or? Boston replied, you have made, you have moved to postpone. Davis replied, correct. Boston continued, you have proposed a date. Davis replied, yes. Boston asked, do we discuss? Hamby replied, I don't think we discussed on a move. Boston replied, I think we just vote on a move. Hamby replied, we vote on a move. You don't discuss on a move. Stout replied, right? Hamby replied, yes. So there's no reason for discussion if the postponement is approved, right? Stout replied, we would discuss at the later date. Hamby and Boston replied, yes. Boston continued, if it's approved. Hamby replied, okay, so now we vote on the move. Okay, so what is on the floor is that Mr. Davis has proposed, has moved that we move the discussion on the school board committees to next board meeting, which is 12/7/23. A Roll Call Vote was taken. Boston replied, so now let's go back to the original motion, which is to. Hamby replied, approve this as is. Boston replied, approve the approved committees, disengaging the safety and the contract. King replied, Madam Chair I move to object, because the Policy 1.3 prohibits us from doing it. Boston asked, 1.3 prohibits them from doing what? King replied, having standing committees. Boston replied, no it doesn't. King replied, it's on board if you read it. Stout replied, it does. Boston replied, these are special committees then. We're going to consider these special committees. Safdie replied, the policy is a standing committee and so is the. King replied, so if these aren't standing committees, what are they? Safdie replied, they are special. Boston replied, we are appointing them as special. King replied, that doesn't change anything. Hamby replied, Mr. Patton. Patton asked, what was the last statement made? I didn't hear. Hamby replied, he is saying that she said that we would appoint them as special committees and he is saying that in policy 1.300 that we do not have standing committees. Patton replied, well, that is what the first sentence says, but again, it's the full text of the policy the board shall operate without standing committees except the Executive Committee and Policy Committee, however. Special Committees composed of board members may be appointed by the Chairman at the direction of the board and as the needs of the board shall require. Now you know, the board by majority vote can suspend policy if it needs; if that's the desire of a majority of the board. Can suspend the policy or can suspend a part of the policy. Davis replied, or we could just correct it instead of. Stout replied, and follow it. Davis continued, and do it as it's supposed to be done. Patton replied, you could. Davis continued, or stop long enough to write it correctly and then follow it. Patton replied, right. Davis continued, or we could just dismiss the fact that it says that it's going to be operated at the direction of the board as the needs of the board should require. So if we don't have direction, we don't have need, then the special committee doesn't have the opportunity to do anything. Boston replied, well, I think we have a need for the committees that we think are appropriate and it's going to be, I mean, you're going to have a budget need, you're going to have building grounds need, you're going to have safety needs and you're going to have athletic need. Hamby replied, and policy. Davis replied, specific needs. Boston replied, it doesn't have to be a specific need. Davis replied, we can just say, there's a need. Stout replied, the way that the policy reads, it does say that they are special committees are appointed by the Chairman and the direction of the board and as the needs of the board shall require. So I think what we're missing is discussing what is the need and do we need to set up a standing committee for that or do we need to set up a special committee for that? If it's a standing committee then we need to come back to our policy and make the adjustments there. If it's a special committee, then it just stands. It's like an ad hoc. It's the special committee that stands to accomplish a task that the board asked us to accomplish and then it's discharged. It's done, so  that's the way it reads in our policy. That's the way it reads in the TSBA sample policy. So for us to say we're going to make these special, special committees, that doesn't work because they can't just sit out there and stand out there until something comes up. It has to be for a task and then it's discharged when the work is finished or earlier by the majority of the vote for the board. So if we say we're done with what you need to look into for us, we're disbanding it or discharging you. That may even be before the work has been completely finished. So we can't have standing special committees. It's a standing or it's a special? Does that make sense? Hamby asked, may I say something. Boston replied, yes, ma'am. Hamby replied, talking about as needed, for one policy is absolutely needed and it is a standing committee according to 1st and 2nd. Davis replied, that is an opinion. That is your opinion. Hamby continued, that is according to policy that the Executive Committee and the Policy Committee are standing committees. Stout replied, but we can take a look what we're doing for others. Hamby continued, but also we have a lot of building projects going on. We also have maintenance issues and maintenance projects going on. So therefore that that constitutes building and grounds and safety is always, always needed and that is an all the time thing. Budget, we need a budget committee to discuss our finances everything that's going on. I mean, I don't understand why there has to be so much controversy and so many issues. This is, you know, I don't know. I don't understand it at all. Stout replied, I think the question is, do we need committees for that though? I mean, is there a specific task that we're assigning to those committees that we have to develop a special committee for to accomplish or is this something as we've discussed in our work sessions, that the entire board should be involved in at budget time, with the building and are we muddying the waters for the Director of Schools and for the administration by getting involved in a lot of the school business, that is not the board purview by having involvement as committees. King replied, I think that's why the policy says what it says. Davis replied, and that's why this policy, right board committees is a template that the TSBA has developed and we've adopted, and we've not modified. Now whether or not we pervert it or not, is or we elect to suspend it or we choose to read it in a manner that it's not intended to be read in, right because there's words and language in here that we use the word shall 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 times. Shall's definition is an imperative command, usually indicating that certain actions are mandatory and not permissive. That's what shall means. Cornell Law says the same thing. It says that when it's used, its intent is to express the command or an exhortation. You shall go. It's used in regulations, directives express what's mandatory it shall be unlawful to carry firearms. It doesn't say may or might or could be, it says, shall. So if we're going to use the word shall right, all reports by special committees shall be made directly to the board. The Board shall operate without standing committees. All reports by special committee shall be made directly to the board. All a special committee serving in advisory capacity shall consist of less then a quorum of the board. So if we decide to have a committee with less than a quorum of the board, can we just say we're just going to change shall with may. We might have a committee we might not. We may have a quorum, we might not. Are we going to follow our language or are we not going to follow our language? Right, our other language says that we were going to follow policy. Policy 1.1 all powers of the board line its action as a group. Therefore individual board members exercise their authority over school system affairs only as they vote to take action at an official board meeting of the board. Board actions, decisions, policies are official only when approved by the majority of the membership of the board at a legally constituted meeting of the board and recorded an official minutes of the board. Board actions and decisions. That document is not board actions or decisions. That document was made independently. That document was not transpired, not given to us in a board meeting. It was given to us in an e-mail. Boston replied, it was attached to the agenda. Davis replied, but it was in an e-mail prior soliciting everybody to be on that list. Boston replied, no, you don't have to be on the list. Davis replied, right. But it's an action of the board and it's not how we operate. We don't operate via e-mail, soliciting people to be on the committee. Boston replied, then let's let the board vote. Safdie replied, call for the question. The question at this point is to move the. Boston and Hamby replied, that's already been done. Hamby continued, the motion in second right now is whether or not to approve the committees. Boston replied, we have a motion and a second on the floor to accept the proposed committees as presented, disengaging the Safety and the Contract. Stout replied, and just the committees, not the committee members. Boston replied, that is correct. We'll get to that next. A Roll Call Vote was taken. During the Roll Call Vote Hale asked, say the motion again. Boston replied, the motion is to accept to approve the proposed committees. Hamby replied, not the members, but the committees. The Roll Call Vote continued. King replied, I will not violate policy. Safdie replied, you may turn that question over to the attorney and have him respond to the question. Did we violate policy? Hamby asked Patton, did we violate policy by voting on that? Safdie replied, he doesn't have to answer it now. Boston replied, may please. I'd like to make a motion that we suspend Policy 1.30 until it can be revisited. Hamby replied, I'll second. Boston continued, so we'll suspend that. Patton asked, the entire policy? King replied, point of order. That's not on the agenda. Patton replied, look at 1.6. It's there. Stout asked, for what reason though? Why would we? Patton continued.1.6 Policy Development and Adoption. Suspension of Policies, it's page one, line 25. Any board policy or part thereof may be suspended by an affirmative vote by a majority of the members and folks I mean, look state law requires that this board meet four times a year. That's what state law requires. There's an argument, and I understand, and it's a good-faith argument that deals with how you're going to conduct the business in addition to the four meetings a year that the state requires. To put it in perspective, that's really what this is about? How much time is involved? With committees versus special meetings or work sessions, or however you put it. But, I think there's a majority of the board can, however, whatever that majority looks like. Can conduct the business of the board and suspend a policy, can suspend a portion of a policy. I don't think this board is, I suppose it would be appropriate to suspend the part of the policy if that's what your intention is. Boston replied, until it can go before the policy committee, because I certainly have no intentions or it's not my intention to violate policy, but if that's the case, then this policy has been violated. Hamby replied, for years. Boston continued, for years until this particular year, for some odd reason. Safdie replied, at least 2000. Boston continued, no one's ever questioned it. It is being questioned. Now it's being challenged. And so, Mrs. Parliamentarian, we have approved this. We have approved the prospective committees that have been proposed and that's already been approved.  I don't know if this is a parliamentarian question or a legal question Earl? But the policy itself is not on the agenda, but it says. Hamby replied, we cannot suspend since it's not on the agenda. Boston replied, I don't think we can. Hamby replied, right. We cannot suspend or partially suspend this policy since it was not on the agenda or can we. Patton replied, no, I think. Boston replied, because it applies, Patton replied, I think you can. I don't think there would be anything illegal about you suspending a policy. Davis asked, so every time somebody wants to just bypass the fact that we're not supposed to change the agenda, we just vote to suspend whatever policies? Boston replied, until we can get it fixed. Davis continued, and we can just get a vote. We can go straight to vote. We're just going to suspend it, we're just going to straight to vote. Hamby replied, and if you have the majority of the vote, yes you can. Davis asked, also how do you know you have the majority of the vote till you vote. Hamby and Safdie replied, you don't. Stout replied, I think that we also need to speak with TSBA regarding this as well, since this is their model policy. Hamby replied, I have spoken with Mrs. White. Stout replied, I have as well. Can we have council on that? Safdie asked, is there a motion? Stull replied, question Earl.  Boston replied, there is no motion, because I. Stull asked, in the voting was there a violation or not? Because the way that I read this is that if the majority of the board votes, it's not a violation. Patton asked, the way you're reading which? Stull replied, the Policy. Hamby replied,1.300. Stout replied, Special Committees by majority of the vote. Patton replied, I do not think that the board has acted illegally. Hamby replied, thank you Mr. Patton. Stull continued, so there's no need to go ahead and suspend the policy. Boston replied, no I will withdraw my motion. Okay, so moving forward, so we can get hopefully get past this tonight. The policy states that the chairman. I sent out an e-mail which has been done. You know, if you have a special interest in a particular committee that you would like to serve. If you do, let me know. I try to, you know, every chairman. I won't say it just me, tries to accommodate. Mrs. Stout, Mr. King, Mr. Davis and Mrs. Nichols did not respond. The remainder of the board members did respond. So I have tried to accommodate as much as possible and so these are the proposals and I'll entertain a motion to accept the proposed members of each committee. Hamby replied, I'll make a motion to approve the proposed. Hale replied, second. Boston replied, okay, I have a first and send to accept the proposed. I'll open the floor for discussion. Stout replied, just from my perspective, I did not submit my name for any of the committees this year, because of the question regarding the standing versus special committees, and I wanted to have the opportunity for the board to be able to discuss the need for that. Before I submitted my names for anything, because we didn't know what type of committees without discussion, we were going to want or need, you know, with the need of the boards or the district was going to be. So there are some committees that I would like to be on. If the board has determined that we are going to establish these committees. Boston replied, well, we can have no more than a quorum. We have less than a quorum and if you put four members, which we have done so in the past, but if you put 4 members. You and you have a two to two vote. You get nothing covered. So we like to keep it at three and three has been normal. If this board approves additional members on committees. That's not up to me. Davis replied, I'd like to say something. Boston replied, sure. Davis continued, I don't want me challenging the current state to appear to be opposition to be combative. I'm asking for y'all to understand that there is, we're trying to do what we say and say what we do and my intent is to work with. Boston asked, is it we? Can you say that again? I'm sorry, I don't know that I understood that. Davis replied, my intention is to work with each of you all in more of this capacity. In a less separated capacity, right? So what I'm asking you guys to do is read this committee policy to a different set of lenses that puts it in order of operation. I can provide that at a later date and I won't get in the weeds on it. I know you want to keep moving and everybody does, but I find it important to understand that if we do continue on and there's five votes and that's all well and good, that's not going to keep me from wanting to work with anybody or doing it. So long as we understand that there are a couple of things that we are going to have to adjust, because it does tell us in here, issues to be discussed by the committee must be approved in advance by the entire board. There's no way we can misinterpret that, right? Boston replied, I think we can clear this up. I know that I have already asked that this policy would be put on the Policy Committee. Whether it needs to be modified, whether it needs to be updated, whatever the case may be and going to repeat. I've been here for seven years. It's never been challenged before, but it's being challenged now. As long as it's being challenged now, I think we do need to go back and look at it and maybe modify it and I'm going to say clean it up. But I have already asked that this be put on the Policy Committee if the board approved the Policy Committee. Davis asked, when did you ask them? When did you ask for it to be put on the Policy Committee. Boston replied, I asked Mrs. Hamby and I talked and I said this is something because I agree with you on it. Hamby replied, I get emails and messages a lot from different people of, I would like this policy put on the Policy Committee. Boston continued, because we're already getting policies in through TSAA to be addressed. Davis replied, awesome. Again, I'm just intentional about the idea that we work more closely together. Who's on these policies we identified. It doesn't matter the order of the names of the chairperson or how long they've been here. So long as we can identify that the board is going to direct the committee instead of the committees directing the board it's irrelevant and that's why I intended on trying to move this to another date and time. So we could really talk through all these things and identify the things that are overlapping their contradictory within four or five different policies. That was the intent. Boston replied, I think he will find that periodically language in our policies does need to be, because a situation will arise and that, you know, maybe we need to go back and change the policy. Safdie replied, one of the County Commissioners I talked to recently looked at me and said, you know, you can make anything you want out of these policies and interpret them any way you want and I'm going well should we ignore that, then ignore policy or what do we do? Davis replied, I think it depends on what we intend on them to do, which is guide us as a group, right? If we're going to pose a question, what do we do about it? Well, we clean it up. We make it plain language. If we want it to do something. If we want our intentions to be visible, let's mean what we say and say what we mean. Instead of making them vague and well able to be misinterpreted. Safdie replied, but TSBA let me just address that and there's a sort of a procedure that you do with policies. You make them general at first and then if the policy doesn't quite fit then you narrow down the scope of terminology in that policy, but all policies, and this is from TSBA. They start out very broad and as you see that the language that you take might be too broad and conflicting, but actually that's the way of policy at its first level should be written. At the broadest level. Davis replied, yeah, order of operations, I think is we're messing up, but no worries. Boston replied, we have got a motion to accept the committees as proposed, committee members as proposed, and we have a second, is there any more discussion? Stout asked, any other discussion about who wants to be on what committees? Hamby replied, the motion second is for this and if you in my opinion if there's someone that doesn't want to be on one of these committees, can they not let you know that they do not want to be on that particular committee and just. Safdie replied, I'll swap out with anybody you know. I mean somebody wants to be on the Safety and Building the Grounds Committee and. Stout replied, I would like to do that, Robbie. I would take you up on that. Safdie replied, okay. Well I'll swap out and where are you? You're on the athletic? Stout replied, I'm on the Athletic Committee. Safdie replied, I'll go to the Athletic Committee. Stout replied, perfect. Thank you. Boston replied, so Shannon is going on Building and Grounds. Will you make a note of that Diane? Diane replied, yes. Boston continued, and Robbie, you're going to? Safdie replied, swap out with Shannon and be in the Athletics. Davis replied, I'd like to be on Policy Committee. Hale asked, don't we have to vote on what's standing right now before you make these changes? Hamby replied, well, that is kind of the vote and during discussion I guess we can discuss it. Who wants to be on what committee. Stout replied, and then vote on it. Hamby continued, and then finish the vote. Boston asked. whose own policy? If you put a fourth one on policy, you're going to be stuck with two and two vote. Davis replied, to your point Anita. Number 4 in our policy says, the committee shall serve no longer than the annual organization meeting, which is today. Unless reappointed to finish the designated task. So if we've got a designated task to finish. Then let's keep it going. If not, we're going to say it's done and then we're going to appoint the committees, right. Hamby replied, we are appointing the committees now. Boston replied, we are trying to. Davis asked, are we effectively saying that there's no more business to be by those committees. Boston replied, no, we have reappointed. Davis replied, the new people. Boston continued, the committees. We are now trying. Davis replied, to vote to disengage the safety and contract committee. Boston replied, Yes, we have disengaged the safety and the contract and we have combined building and grounds and safety. It has been a little bit. We can stay hard core and say, you know these are the ones that were proposed. I as every year the chairman always sends out the e-mail and says do you have a special interest? Do you have a special area missed. Mrs. Stout, Mr. King, Mr. Davis and Miss Nichols chose not to respond and I can't read your minds. So that's where that's what we did. So I took the ones that we had that responded that where the interest was and put them as best I could. So I I don't know how else you would challenge that when you don't respond. Stout asked, is there really a concern though, with having four on a committee? Since it's just either a recommendation or not a right recommendation. So we're not really voting to say we're going to do this or not do this. Boston replied, we could be voting to send something to the full board. Stout replied, right. So if it's a split vote, we could say we're still going to send it to the full board and with the notification that the vote was split on it. It was a split vote. Safdie replied, that's reasonable. Stout continued, so if there's some folks who truly want to be involved and it puts a fourth person on the committee, we could just proceed that way. Boston replied, so Nick you want to be on policy? Hamby replied, and policy meets monthly. Boston continued, yes and Shannon's going on building and grounds in place of Robbie. Robbie's going on athletic in place of Shannon. Is that correct? Safdie replied, yes. Boston asked, is that the only changes that we have made? Stout replied, if we're adding a fourth, does anybody else want to be a fourth on one of the other committees? Boston replied, if not, I'm going to move forward. Diane, do you have those changes? McCartney replied, yes ma'am. Stout replied, actually, Theresa, would you mind? I'd like to go ahead and go on budget if we're going to do a fourth. I'd like to be involved on the budget. Boston replied, okay, so we've got Shannon on; this would been so much easier had you just responded. Hamby replied, Building and Grounds and Safety and Budget for Shannon. Boston asked, Diane, tell me the the the changes you've got. McCartney replied, okay, I wrote down Shannon on Building and Grounds. Robbie on Athletics. Nick on Policy. Shannon on Budget. Hamby asked, Nick, are you staying on Athletic? Davis replied, yes, ma'am. Boston replied, you can take my place on Budget, please, please, please. I apologize, this would have been so much easier. Diane, tell me who you've got on budget. McCartney replied, okay per the document Teresa Boston, Chris King, Anita Hale adding Shannon Stout. Boston asked, okay, who have you have on Building and Grounds. McCartney replied, that would be Shannon Stout taking off Robbie Safdie and keeping Rebecca Hamby and Elizabeth Stull. Boston asked, okay and then on the Athletic you're removing Shannon and putting Robbie and on Policy, you've got? Who do you have on Policy? McCartney replied, Becky Hamby, Sherry Nichols, Elizabeth Stull and Nick Davis. Boston replied, those are your proposed members of each committee. Any further discussion? A Roll Call Vote was taken. So those are your approved; that motion approved. Stout asked, and may I make a suggestion for consideration of the board as we move forward with the committees. I had a a county brought to my attention who operated, they don't any longer, but who operated on committees, and they actually chose one day a month to meet. All committees met on the same day and so they would start at, like, 4:00 and it would be from 4:00 through all the committee. They would show up that was on the committees. Boom, boom, boom, boom. If there was something that a committee didn't have that needed to be addressed that month, then that committee passed and it went to the next committee and so there was a standing day and time that they had every month for the committee meetings, and that made it real clear and concise for board members, staff, director, public, media. Everybody could show up. Hamby replied, that would be great if everybody schedule work together. Stout continued, well, we just picked just like the board meeting. We pick one meeting. That would be a lot easier for one day at a certain time than it is every month trying to find different days. Boston replied, I think that's something that could possibly work except for when budget meets in the April, May time. Stout replied, we could always add more. Boston replied, I think that needs to be in my opinion that needs to be left up to the individual board members who sit on those committees. It's going to be up to them to determine what is the most convenient and how often they need to meet. Building and grounds may not need to meet every month. Stout replied, well, that's what I'm saying. We just set that day and time to start and if Building and Grounds doesn't need to meet, then they don't need meet, but we know that we've got that time set and they just say pass. Pass and know nothing on the agenda for this month, and then the next committee goes. Stepp replied, that would really help my people. I can tell you that. Stout continued, yeah, and it. would allow us to all know we've got this night, this time to work around whatever other obligations that we have and for everybody else and it's all combined in one night. Hamby replied, I think that's something that we will have to discuss at a different time. It is almost 8:00 and I know that I have a family obligation and I would really like to go. Stout replied, that was put out for consideration since we're moving forward. 

Discussion:   - Boston replied, next on the agenda is the approval of the First Reading of Policies. 

Discussion:   - Hamby advised, we did not have any first reading. We did not have a meeting in October. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #12) Hamby continued, and we have one for second reading and that was the Policy 4.700 Testing Programs that came out of the Policy Committee for the consideration of the board. Boston advised, I'll make a motion that we approve Policy for 4.700 for Second Reading. Hale replied, second. Boston continued, okay. So we have a first and second to approve, but it doesn't need a second coming out of a committee. I'm so confused.  Any discussion? No one responded. A Voice Vote was taken.  

Discussion:   - Boston advised, Mr. Davis, I don't think there was anything coming out of the Athletic Committee. Davis replied, negative. 

Discussion:   - Boston advised, Budget Committee. There was nothing that came out of the Budget Committee meeting.

Discussion:   - Boston advised, Building and Grounds Mr. Safdie. Safdie replied, the only thing we made some important headway in our discussion. It was one of those meetings where there wasn't anything that we talked about that had to be approved by the board, but I've given everybody notes on the meeting and thank you Diane, for printing these out. These notes are not official minutes to the meeting. They have not been approved by the board, but if you want to know what took place at the meeting, then the verbatim it's in the the notes, and that's all I'm going to say about it. Boston replied, thank you, Mr. Safdie.

Discussion:   - Boston advised, Mrs. Hamby, Safety. Hamby replied, we did not have a meeting, but Mr. Stepp, I had asked before, are all the door locks completed? Stepp asked, Mrs. Bray? Bray replied, they've not all been installed, but they've all been purchased and are on site. We're very close. Stepp asked, so we had a supply chain issue. Is that correct? Bray replied, yes, but they're all here. Hamby replied, that's been going on for a couple of months. Have they updated at all? And I know I work  where I have to order supplies. So I do know that happens. Bray replied, they are all on site. Hamby replied, so they are all now on site. So we can complete this. Thank you. 

Discussion:   - Boston advised, Contract Committee. There's nothing to report.

Discussion:   - Boston advised, next on the agenda is the Chief Financial Officer's report. Mrs. Bray, would you please? 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #13) Bray advised, well, as you can see, we finally some revenues have actually started coming in and it's pretty much caught up with our expenses where they're a little bit different there, but hopefully in the next couple of months that'll square away. So I don't really have any concerns at this time. The only thing that concerns me is you have the Sales Tax Report and you notice that we're already over 100,000 dollars behind there. Hopefully in the next few months that will catch up. Just keep in mind, anytime you look at this that that's a two-month lag. What you see in October is cash register receipts from August. So I'm trying not to panic just yet. Davis asked, Mrs. Bray, when you say behind you mean like month over month? Bray replied, correct, month over month. Yeah, budget to budget, but like I said, you got to keep in mind this is a 2 month lag. So this is what was collected in August. It's just now showing up in October. Everything else, we're pretty much on projections. I don't see anything right now that I'm overly concerned with. Do you have any questions? No one responded. 

Discussion:   - See 17.A for discussion. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #14) Bray continued, if not, we can move on to the budget amendments. The first one is a grant that Mrs. Hobby applied for from the Governors Book Bus Funds. This is a private fund. This is not taxpayer money, but we were awarded $16,500 to have a book bus. So we're going to donate a bus and they're going to equip it so that it can go around and visit and children will have better access to books. Stout replied, yeah, that's great. Thank you for your work on that, Mrs. Hobby. Bray continued, the next one is the Public Schools Security Grant. Now, this is not the Safe Schools Grant, because that went away. We've been told right now that this is a one time grant. So this is the only year that we'll be receiving this money. There's no matching funds required, but it's $282,000 for this one year. Boston asked, what are we doing with this? Bray replied, well, right now we have written into the grant. We have $100,000 towards fencing. We're buying knox boxes. Mr. Magnussen is wanting to expand his program where we put the six inch numbers and letters on all the doors so that our EMS people, if either would come in an emergency, they could identify what room they're going to, and then I have put another 100,000 in for some additional lock sets and some cylinders. So that we can standardize some locks at some of our other schools. Safdie asked, do we need to approve that? Boston replied, I need a motion. Safdie replied, move to approve. Davis replied, second. Boston asked, is that both budget amendment? Safdie replied, both budget amendments, please. Boston continued, so there's a motion on the floor to approve both budget amendments. Is there any discussion? No one responded. A Roll Call Vote was taken. Boston replied, so your motion carries and both have been approved. Thank you. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #15) Bray continued, the next one is on the CTE Perkins Basic Grant. This is just to increase the equipment and remove some of the funds that were allotted for industry certifications. Boston asked, do you want to go ahead and do all three of them? Bray replied, sure. The next one is just a cleanup for our Tennessee All Core Budget. Basically, this just aligns with the actual people that we have in place for these positions and it just matches eplan. But we basically had to wait till we got everyone hired until we could determine where we needed certain funds. Safdie replied, move to approve all three. Well, actually 142. Boston asked, all three of? Bray advised, and then the final one is the the Federal ESSER 3.0 and this basically is just reallocating some funds so that we can pay someone a stipend for overseeing the All Core Tutors this year. This would just be a one year. This is the final year, Tennessee All Core. Stout asked, and these are funds that weren't needed in the Social Security category. Bray replied, right. Boston asked, is this the position that Mrs. Bernabei held? Bray replied, right, but this is just a stipend, because someone else has absorbed all the rest of her duties. Boston asked, who absorbed her? Bray replied, Mrs. Hobby. Boston asked, so Mrs. Hobby absorbed? I mean what are you talking about. Stepp replied, all of the Tennessee ALL Core. Bray replied, Tennessee ALL Core tutors? Boston replied, so she absorbed that position is what you're saying. Bray replied, that is correct. Boston replied, I thought you meant she absorbed her salary. Bray made she. no, no, no, no, no I'm sorry. Stepp replied, that's the same number as Dr. Whittenbarger. Boston replied, so we're paying her a stipend to absorb that position. Stepp replied, instead of a supervisors salary. Bray replied, there's a lot of documentation that goes along with Tennessee All Core. There was a grant that had to be written. There's a lot of i's that have to be dotted and t's that have to be crossed. Stepp advised, summer school. Bray continued, summer school, which is an undertaking all into itself. Hamby asked, and this is the last year of that? Boston asked, why did Mrs. Bernabei no longer have that position, and that may be a personal question. None of my business. But if there's a lot of work that goes into it, did we not need that position? Stepp replied, yeah, that's what I assessed it. Boston asked, you assessed that we didn't need that position. Bray replied, and it would have gone away after this year. Boston replied, everything goes away after September the 24th, right at 2024. Stepp replied, whatever that date is. Safdie asked, where did the ballots go? Bray replied, it's just being utilized in other lines. I mean they've absorbed it and it's all learning loss. We have to use a certain amount of those funds for learning loss and we we spending on software and that part of the money we spent this. Stepp replied, Interventionist, all of the above. Safdie replied, so you have these ESSER Funds and you have many internal accounts within the ESSER Funds and it's like a line item and you can just transfer. Gotcha.Bray replied, it's all got to be attributed to learning loss, to improve learning loss. King replied, Madam Chair. I will second Mr. Safdie's motion to approve 17 D. Safdie replied, thank you Mr, King. Boston asked, is there any discussion? No one responded. A Roll Call Vote was taken. Boston replied, so the motion carries. 

Discussion:   (See Exhibit #16) Boston advised, next on the agenda is the Consent Agenda. King advised, move to approve. Boston replied, okay, so do you have first, do we have a second? Davis replied, second. Boston continued, Mr. Davis seconded. So we have a motion to approve the consent agenda. Any discussion? No one responded. A Voice Vote was taken. 

Discussion:   - Boston asked, do we have any old business? No one responded. 

Discussion:   - Boston asked if there were any questions from the media. No questions were asked.

Discussion: 

 - Boston replied, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. Hamby replied, I make a motion to adjourn. King replied, second. A Voice Vote was taken. Stout advised, and just a reminder, right, no meeting in November, but December 7th is our next meeting.