August 13, 2020 at 5:30 PM - Bradley County Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  The Invocation was given by Wayne Finnell, Westwood Baptist Church.

Discussion:  The Pledge was led by Rodney Dillard, Vice Chair.  

Discussion:  No one signed up to address the Board.

Discussion:  We are thrilled to be back in school.  We know there is still some uneasyness around coming back but it is a joy to see students back in schools, Dr. Cash told the Board.  Schools are following all the protacols and doing a great job.  We are back with caution and will continue with caution.  Students should be in school, learning, having access to counselors, hot meals, and friends.  She thanked the Board for supporting us going back to school.  

Discussion:  Bradley County Schools is now a Common Sense District.  There are only two in the state and we are one of them.  You must have 75% of your schools certified as Common Sense Schools to become a Common Sense District.  It is a big deal, Donna Mitchell, Bradley County Tech Coach, told the Board.  The curriculum has been established, trusted, and in use since 2010.  It is an award winning curriculm for grades K-12 that is research based and was developed in partnership with Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  And, it is free to schools.  The curriculum empowers K-12 students to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibility in our digital world.  

Discussion:  Scott Bennett, Attorney for Bradley County Schools, spoke to the Board about Policy5.400.  He told them that one of the critical issues that school systems are dealing with is how will they stay open in the mist of having to quarantine people which is dictated by the TN Health Department.  The CDC allows us to designate certain employees as essencial and part of the critial infrastructure.   To have them come into work even if they have been exposed  provided they are A-symtomatic and wear mask. The TN Health Department is more conservative than that.  We have been under the assumption that the TN Department of Health does not want us to follow the CDC guidelines.  We have gotten some indications this week  from the State Deptment of Education that we will have some latitude moving forward if the local board of education adopts a policy that gives the director the descretion to designate certain people as essential.  They may come into work, when other wise they would be quarantined, provided they wear PPE, is an essential worker and the risk of exposure is low.  Mr. Bennett told the Board that he spoke with Christy Ballard, General Counsel, for the Tennessee Department of Education today and he understands the guidance is coming out from them tomorrow.  The policy before you is what she thinks the Department will issue tomorrow.  Mr. Bennett told the Board that he wanted them to understand that Dr. Cash is a leader in the state on this issue.  Statewide everyone is complimenting her for her work on this and for taking on such a hugh task.   

Discussion:  Dr. Cash gave the update on the North Lee and Black Fox Additions.

North Lee is complete and the final punch list will be completed at the same time as the Black Fox punch list.  

Black Fox:

• Site work is underway and scheduled to be completed by 8/28
• Exterior Soffit 7 caulking scheduled for 8/17 -  8/28
• MEP rough-in scheduled to be complete by 8/17
• Secondary Power Feed & Permanent Power 8/17 - 8/21
• AC Startup scheduled for 8/21
• Casework, interior doors, ceiling tile, toliet partitions and toilet accessories scheduled for week of 8/24
• Final Paint, Rubber Base, Commissioning and Inspections scheduled for the week of 8/31

The total contingency that has been uses thus far is $91,426.32 which leaves $58,573.68 remaining.  


 

Discussion:  Dr. Cash gave an update to the Board for Angie Lyons, MBI..  

1) Design items that have been completed:

• Initial visit to the existing GOAL Academy building to review classrooms, adjacencies, and current procedures in place.
• Meeting at the existing GOAL Academy building with the principal for initial program discussions, with continued discussions through in person meetings, emails, and phone calls.
• Site visit to American Uniform building for overview of existing conditions and initial intended location within the building for GOAL in 2017.
• Multiple subsequent site visits, on-site meetings, and discussions of overall PIE Center concepts, progress, and evolution of GOAL Academy’s location within the project master plan.
• Development of GOAL Academy program, which establishes scope and spatial needs.
• Development of two optional Schematic floor plan layouts for GOAL Academy within the allocated space in the PIE Center and emailed to Bradley County Schools on 8/6/2020.

2) Next steps:

•  Revise Schematic floor plan design for approval, based on input from Bradley County Schools.
•  Once the floor plan is approved, MBI will begin Design Development, which will further detail and establish the design.
•  The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers from MBI will begin coordination of those disciplines within the approved design.
•  MBI can provide opinion of probable cost based on the approved design.

Discussion:  The PIE Ground Breaking was a success and now you ask "When is the real ground breaking", Corbett Drew told the Board.  To get to groundbreaking we still need permits and contracts.  We will finalize the guaranteed maximum price contract with TU Parks.  The contract is ready but TU Parks is working to get the number of local subs where we want them.  Dr. Cash ask the Board for permission to call them back in for a meeting when the contract is ready.  We need to get the contract approved before the September meeting so we can get started.