March 31, 2025 at 2:00 PM - Bradley County Board of Education Special Called Meeting

The Board reviewed and approved a contract with Finalsite for a new website platform. Highlights of the discussion included:

• Contract Overview:
  A four-year agreement with an optional fifth year, which locks in pricing for budget stability. Termination terms were revised through negotiation with legal counsel, reducing the termination fee for convenience from 100% to 50%.

• Setup and Fees:
  The district is paying for a custom website ($23,000) but will initially use a template-based design due to time constraints. The custom version will be implemented within the contract term at no additional cost.
  Travel expenses are only applicable if on-site training is requested, which is not currently planned.

• Platform Ownership and Licensing:
  The website will be hosted on Finalsite’s platform under a licensing agreement. The district retains domain ownership.

• Translation and Communication Features:
  The platform includes translation tools for up to five languages and integrates with the messaging service to automatically translate communication based on home language data from Synergy.

• Principal and Stakeholder Input:
  Following feedback, district leadership met with all elementary and secondary principals to answer questions and ensure support. Feedback since has been positive.

Board members were asked again if they had any additional agenda items for the next meeting. One item was identified:

• Teacher Bonus Funding Request:
  It was agreed that the agenda should include a request to the Governor for the proposed $2,000 bonus for teachers. Discussion included reviewing documents from TSBA and a previously developed version by Scott Bennett, which the Board had not yet voted on. Members noted the importance of addressing this soon, as the funding must be used by May 31, though it will not be released until after July 1, pending the Governor's budget approval.