September 14, 2023 at 5:30 PM - Bradley County Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  Chairman Lee called the meeting to order and welcomed dignitaries in attendance. 

Discussion:  The pledge to the flag was was led by Nancy Casson.

Discussion:  No public comment was given.

Discussion:  Dr. Cash showed the State of the Schools video and handed out the State of the Schools magazine.

Discussion:  Dr. Belt, Walker Valley High School Principal - Dr. Cash Madam Chair, I'm excited to come before you this evening, members of the board, to discuss a new exciting opportunity for our Walker Valley students. Two years ago, we applied for a Navy JROTC program and they sent back and said you need to apply for a Navy National Defense Cadet Corps program, which is the startup program prior to a Navy JROTC program. So last year we applied for that, and this summer we received approval to start that program. We would love to get that started in January of this year. I have students waiting and hear seniors saying, "Dr. Belt, are we going to get that this year before I graduate from Walker Valley High School?" So, we sought out the Navy. We believe their focus aligns with our STEM and STEAM focus. It is also a complement to the other JROTC programs that are offered in our area. We believe that this program will instill citizenship, service, personal responsibility, accountability, accomplishment and leadership in our students. The courses can count as electives and three levels of ROTC would provide an elective focus for our students, which is a graduation requirement. These courses can also count as equivalencies for PE, wellness, and personal finance, which are all graduation requirements. I'm very excited to start discussing with you your thoughts about bringing that program to our students at Walker Valley.

Ted Bryson - What do you want from us?

Dr. Belt - Money. What we generally want when we come to the board. Because this program was not approved in the traditional budget cycle, we would be adding a salary for an instructor starting in January, so that would be half-year salary. Then, we would look at that going into the traditional budget moving forward.

Dr. Cash - Madam Chair. This is what I really wanted Dr. Belt to do tonight, is to give you the overall positive impacts of that. We do have an ROTC program at Bradley Central. This adds for another opportunity for our students. We are still working through some of the details. So, if this board is in agreement, just to have me move forward with that, in those conversations, I would ask that we actually have it as a voting agenda in October, to be able to move forward in January. And at that time, I would have you the details of the actual cost and the programmatic things. We have reviewed that with the business office, they are comfortable, but I don't yet have a hard number to bring to you. But, I'm asking if you are in good faith, allowing us to move forward with the conversations and then having it on the October board for review and a possible vote to move forward in January. So that's what I'm asking.

Dr. Lovingood - I think after hearing recently of our shortage in enrollment, or about people volunteering for the armed forces, for us to have an opportunity to do something of holistic education, like you said, in the classroom and the arts and athletics, wherever, that we're providing opportunities of learning, we would be, it would behoove us, I think, to offer an ROTC program at Walker Valley.

Dr. Cash - Madam Chair, if there are no more discussions, for me for my peace of mind, could we vote tonight just to have me move forward with the discussions to bring back in October with a solid motion?

Mr. Bryson made a motion to approve discussion and to bring back to the Board in October.

Chairman Lee -  Dr. Cash, will you just explain, I think this is how I thought it worked at Bradley. Is it a split salary?

Dr. Cash - Yes, Madam Chair. It is a split salary. They, the Navy would actually pay a portion of the salary. These are generally retired individuals. And so, the Navy sustains the majority of it, and then we pick up a portion. It is a split, and that's what we have to work out is what the actual numbers are for the split. As the program grows, then we bring on a second and we split that as well. So, in the end, we're basically paying him for one salary, our portion of his salary for two. That does not include benefits, because they have benefits through the service. That is the way that works.

Discussion:  Dr. Cash - This actually does not take a vote. It's just a notification for the board. I am requesting to move the date of the May board meeting to Tuesday, May 7, 2024. The current date we have is scheduled for the day of the Walker Valley High School graduation. By moving this, we ensure that everyone can make it to the graduation on time and focus on graduation and not business on that day. So if there are no objections, we would like for you to change your calendar for that board meeting to Tuesday, May 7. 

Discussion:  Todd Shoemaker - Chair, Dr. Cash, members of the board, I'm here to get your approval, and I know that our principals are anticipating and ready to get these for the extended contracts. Last year, we allocated 25 extended contracts. This year, I'm asking to do the same 25 extended contracts. And then, our principals are just incredible about how they divide them in all kinds of ways. They use these extended contracts for things for after school activities, for tutoring, for enrichment, for drama. And so, I'm just asking that we get the 25 extended contracts again this year, so that I can get those out to our principals and they can start using them.

Chairman Lee - Anyone have any questions for Mr. Shoemaker?

Vicki Beaty - Mr. Shoemaker, you said that the contracts evidently are based on the needs of a particular school that is determined by the principal and the faculty.

Todd Shoemaker -  They make the decision on how to use their contracts. What I try to do is divide them based on enrollment. And so, even from the from the paper that I gave you, at the bottom, it said "other - .75", I have moved that .25 to three schools. So that that if they have over 350 students, then as an elementary, they get 1.25, and then middle schools get 2.25, and the high schools get 3.25. And so again, they use them in just a number of ways, and it's very beneficial to our students.
 

Discussion:  Chuck McKay - Good evening, Board. For the Walker Valley paving job, we probably had eight people show up from six different companies, and only one bid. And, I got a few emails and there was a conversation at the bid opening. It's hard to compete against a company that has a paving plant right in town. That's why you only see one bid for you. So, we're recommending you accept the paving job at Walker Valley.
 

Discussion:  Terry McElhaney - Good evening, we had put a bid out to look at the costs for three special ed buses to make sure that we replenish our numbers. There were two bids that came in. One was from Central States and the other was from Mid South. Mid South was quite cheaper than the other one. So tonight, I'm asking you that we go ahead and purchase the three special education buses from Mid South.

Nancy Casson - If there's that much difference in the bid, the quality that we're getting is the same, right?

Terry McElhaney - We have several Mid South buses in our fleet.

Discussion:  Kirk Campbell - I just want to come to you tonight for approval to begin the construction of a retaining wall. During a pre-bid meeting for the retaining wall, we had six contractors to come. We had three to actually submit bids. And what we'd like to do is recommend CNC total impressions to do the construction. Their $7,511.87 below what we had asked for of $47,000.

Rachel Goins - I'm just curious about the difference. 

Chuck McKay - If you don't own your own equipment, you got to rent it. This is a long reach that from that road down that hill. Okay, so you have to use extended home excavators. Right, and then can you want to do a lot of fancy things, cut back the stem further?

Discussion:  Adam Ferguson - We are here to recommend that we approve Tim's Fencing for both our North End and South End fencing. That's the only areas in which we're not fully enclosed. So right now as our students go from one location to the other on our campus, we don't have full coverage for keeping outsiders out and our insiders in. I do believe that it is a significant safety issue. This was approved and last year's capital outlay andTim's Fencing, just over 17,000, comes in well under budget.

Ted Bryson - Looking at the school, because I was there, are you talking about up by the gym?

Adam Ferguson - Yes. So, the north fence would extend from the corner of the library, up to the level of the gym, across the front of the gym, and then connecting to the gym parking lot. There'll be two gates on the front side of that gym. Also, at the back of the gym, there's an air conditioning unit that's enfenced.

Josh Taylor -  I just had one question and this may be more for Chuck. There's quite a bit of discrepancy in the bid, but this is the same quality of fencing as far as the gauge and material.

Chuck McKay -  Yes. I only got nine gauge in the school. It's bulletproof and last 40 years. 

Josh Taylor - And, the same company bid the same?

Chuck McKay - Yes. 

Discussion:  Corbett Drew - Good evening. Two items on the change order tonight, and both of them are additional build outs, new build outs. The first is a property management office, it's on the lower level near the elevator, kind of tucked behind a fire riser room. This will be an area where Chuck's team and Kyle would be able to store all the attic stock, parts of the golf cart, charge it, they would have a washdown station, all sorts of other stuff. It's nothing fancy, but it's a place to store all of that, and support all of the tenant operations and facility operations there. That build out with cost $231,336. We're working to lower that continuously. But, that's where the bid came in. Then, the other portion of this is, is the build out of an SRO office in CORE. We reviewed the property with with Ryan and Tim, the two officers. There was a second one added this year. This gives him an office for his safe, a desk, a place to securely store things. And, it would be in the kind of at the back of the corridor in CORE, and that build out would cost $22,528.

Ted Bryson - This is ESSER money?

Corbett Drew - No, sir. That is a fair question. This amount, the total amount, is within what's already been approved for the past. This is not an additional ask.

Josh Taylor - So the money that we had approved last year, this is kind of pulling from that?

Corbett Drew - Susan and Ellen can confirm, but a portion of this was in capital outlay and a portion in 177. And I think what was in capital outlay, moved to 177 last month. This is within the amount already approved.

Chairman Lee - If I'm looking correctly on the change order, it says the total fund allowance we have is $34,276,444, and adding this will bring the new contract to $32,000,101. We're still about $2 million under.

Corbett Drew - I think there's some of that 2 million has already been spent on furniture and some other initiatives. This this 32 million is just for the construction contract. This plus the FF and E is still within the budget.

Rachel Goins - When are we going to be completed, like fully?

Corbett Drew - So with these two buildouts, it leaves about 12,500 square feet. That is planned for Biztown, and then there are a number of tenant spaces that remain on the on the south end. Some of which are leases are already under negotiation. So, we're running out of spaces to build out at this point.

Rachel Goins - Because we're about to run out of money.

Corbett Drew - Fair. And the balance of it will be built out on other people's money.

Discussion:  Chairman Lee - If no one has any objections, I'll let Miss Beaty go through all of these, and then we'll vote them all at the same time.

Vicki Beaty - When you look at the agenda, it looks like half of them are policies. So, basically, the following policies that are listed on the agenda, they have been updated to either align with state law and local standards, or it's been minor wording modifications. So, the ones being changed and updated are library materials, application and employment, employment of retirees, sick leave, family medical leave, physical assault leave, staff rights and responsibilities, attendance, homeschools, Code of Conduct, zero tolerance offenses, corporal punishment, and alternative education. And, not only have I looked at them, but Patty Phillips, as well as Dr. Cash, and many on her staff have looked at these and have gotten back to me. My motion is to approve the listed policies as reviewed and updated.

Ted Bryson - Are these what TSBA has?

Vicki Beaty - Yes, we have model policies from TSBA.

Dr. Lovingood - TSBA does not write policies, they come from the state, right?

Dr. Cash - These are legislative initiatives.

Discussion:  Dr. Cash - The first thing that I would like to do for the board is to review how nominations work. So, I will go through this, and then I will open nominations. First, we will open nominations. Each nomination can have a second, but it is not mandatory. If there is only one candidate nominated, nominations are ceased and a motion can be requested that the nominee be appointed by acclamation. This motion must have a second and a roll call vote. Nominations will be closed, once no more names are presented. Vote for each nomination in the order they were nominated. Nominations have to get a majority from the board to win the seat. In the event there is not a clear majority, the nominee with the lowest vote is eliminated. Voting will continue with the remaining candidates in the order they were nominated. The majority vote of four will win the seat. A roll call vote will be used to cast a vote. Are there any questions about the process? Okay. At this time, I open nominations for the Chairman of the Board. Do I have any nominations?

Ted Bryson - I nominate Ms. Vicki Beaty for Chairman.

Dr. Cash - I have a nomination for Ms.Vicky Beaty. Are there any more nominations for the chair? Okay, hearing none, I would like to move and ask for a motion for approval by acclamation for Ms. Vicki Beaty as Chairman of the Board, and I need a second. I need a motion and a second.

Amanda Lee - I make a motion to elect Ms. Vicki Beaty by acclamation.

Dr. Cash - I have a motion from Mrs. Lee that we have an acclamation for Ms. Beaty for chair. I need a second.

Nancy Casson - Second.

Dr. Cash - At this time, I'm going to turn the rest of the nominations over to your new Chair beginning in our October meeting, Ms. Vicki Beaty.

Chairman Beaty - Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Cash. And thank you, Bradley County Board of Education. Nominations are now in order for the office of Vice Chairman.

Nancy Casson - Madam Chairman, I'd like to nominate Teddy Bryson.

Chairman Beaty - Nancy Casson nominates Teddy Bryson for Vice Chair. Are there any other nominations?

Nancy Casson - I'd like to move we accept Mr. Bryson by acclamation.

Chairman Beaty - Do I have a second?

Dr. Lovingood - Second.

Chairman Beaty - I have a motion by Ms. Casson and a second by Dr. Lovingood. Would you call the roll please?

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Amanda Lee -  Madam Chairman, I would like to nominate Ms. Nancy Casson for the TLN Representative.

Josh Taylor - I'll make a motion to accept the nomination by acclamation.

Ted Bryson - Second.

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Discussion:  Dr. Cash - Madam Chair, one more announcement to the board. We will have this Reffner look at dates for us to choose a time in October to have an afternoon meeting to discuss projects that are out there, so that we can set some priorities and start moving forward with some of our capital outlay projects for the board and for the system.

Discussion:  With no other items to discuss, Chairman Beaty adjourned the meeting.




                                                                      
Vicki Beaty, Chairman



                                                                      
Dr. Linda Cash, Director of Schools