January 9, 2020 at 5:30 PM - Bradley County Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  Mr. Frazier led the group in the pledge.

Discussion:  Chairman Weather made changes to the agenda.  #6a will be moved to next month's agenda.  #11 will move to item #10 and then #10 will follow #11.

Discussion:  No one signed up to address the Board.  

Discussion:  This is the first week back with our administrators, teachers and students.  After two days of professional development, we are off to a good start for the rest of the year, Dr. Cash told the Board.  

Discussion:  This item will be moved to the next meeting agenda.  

Discussion:  Vanessa Hammond, President of the Bradley Cleveland Public Education Foundation, gave the mid-year update for the Foundation.  At the annual meeting in December of the BOE representatives and the executive committee representatives to discuss on going financial support, there were questions.  She told the Board that with these presentations, they hope to help answer the questions.   BCPEF worked on a strategic plan and their goal is Organizational Sustainability.     2019 Program/Project Support of GAPP, Telemedicine, Fitzgerald Innovation Award, LFF Excellence in Teaching Award, Leadership Fellowships, and Fund for Teachers.  Bradley County Schools received $92,583.00 in grant money that went to Waterville STEM, Charleston STEM, Math Teacher Leaders Professional Development, and BCHS STEM.    

Discussion:  Nat Akiona, Principal at Walker Valley High School, told the Board about the good news coming soon from Walker Valley.   They are reveling their new logo soon.  They are not changing mascots or colors, they are just adopting their own instead of borrowing others, he told the Board.   Several times over the past 20 years other organizations have contacted them and ask them to stop using their logo because it was copyrighted by that group, he explained.  A committee has been working really hard to give Walker Valley it's own identity and trademark the logo and horse.  They will begin the roll out of the re-branding soon on social media, so be watching.  

Discussion:  This is just an update on the disposal of the two portables at North Lee.  In November, we came before the Board and ask permission to dispose of the two portables at North Lee to get ready for the new addition.  We offered them to Etowah City Schools and their Board refused, Mrs. Willcutt told the Board.  Then they were put in the banner and on gov deals to see if anyone would be interested in buying them and there was. The single wide is being sold for $425.00 and the triple wide for $100.00.  She told them that it is not about the amount of money we are getting, it is that we are not having to pay someone to get rid of them.  Dr. Cash ask for the timeline for removing them.  January 31st is the deadline but they are just about finished removing them according to Mr. McKay, Mrs. Willcutt told them.  

Discussion:  Mrs. Willcutt told the Board that she was ask to review where we are financially, specifically in regards to our fund balance to see if she feels comfortable with the funding for this project.  Currently, we are at 8.9% fund balance on the budget. This does not take into account what we are doing this current year.  So, she reviewed big ticket line items and feels that we are not going over on anything that she feels would cause her to have to dig into the fund balance.  She is recommending to move 1 million dollars to Fund 177 - Capital Projects to take care of the remainder of the LFMS Project and the additional money that is needed for the Black Fox and North Lee additions.  That will leave the fund balance at 7.6% and she would recommend not going below that amount.  Mr. Weathers ask Mrs. Willcutt to give a complete breakdown of what the million dollars would be used for.  $10,000 to finish the gym at LFMS,  $300.000 to resurface the cafeteria, and that would leave $650,000 to $700.000 to finish Black Fox and North Lee additions, she told the Board.  Fund 177 rolls money year to year, it does not zero out, so if we have money left we could come back to the Board and ask what you would like us to do with the money.  We could ermark it to another project or maybe move it back to the general fund, she told the Board.  Dr. Cash told the Board that the paperwork and vote would be on the February agenda.  

Dr. Cash ask the Board to go back to item 10 after finishing with item 14.  Mrs. Willcutt talked about the budget amendment that will come in next month's meeting and the vote for the budget amendment - 21st Century Community Learning Centers - was missed.  

Discussion:  Chairman Weathers swapped this agenda item and agenda item 10.  Mr. Stevenson showed the Board photos of the completed gym and how well it blends in with the new school building.  He told them that in their packet there are two proposals for completing the cafeteria.  The first proposal has brick and stone wrap.  The second proposal has new paint and would wrap all the wood.  All the money that was left from this project we knew would go to the completion of the cafeteria and that it would take more to finish it, Dr. Cash told the Board.  Mrs. Willcutt will present a budget amendment  after this item that will cover the funding.  Mr Weathers ask Mr. Stevenson when the Open House would be.  Mr. Stevenson told him probably sometime in May.  He said they want to get everything complete, have dedication and have the community out.  

Discussion:  Dr. Cash gave the update to the Board for the Black Fox and North Lee additions.  The mandatory pre-bid meeting was January 6th and there were 5 general contractors at the meeting.  Tri Con, Cherokee Construction, Integrated Properties, Wilder, and Wilson Construction.  The bids will be opened on January 16th at the central office.  

Discussion:  Corbett Drew, Cornerstone Project Management Group, gave the update for the PIE project.   He told the Board that engineers and architects are going over every aspect of the building, looking at ditches to understand drainage, measuring every beam and joist to understand the structure, looking at sprinkler systems to see what can be reused, and on down the line.  This is an excrusiation step, but necessary, so we don't have issues down the road.  He also told the Board that there has been a great coordination of efforts with stakeholders, tennants, central staff, local and state agencies.  There has been a great deal of work that has been happening off site that will precide our active construction.  We are working with Cleveland Utilities, the City, and Lee University on the track project so our needs will be anticipated and work will not have to be undone when we get started. We are working with Counsel Scott Bennett on lease documents, construction documents, contracts, and professional service agreements.  We are working to not only give you protection during construction but also when you become a landlord.  

You last saw the design in December and there have been a lot of changes based on the feedback from here, prospective tennants and agencies.  Our Goal is to finalize schematic design, make some big boy decisions about mechinal and electrical systems, launch design development, and by the end of February into early March be completed with design development.  We would then go to market for preliminary pricing and make sure all is coming together.  

Discussion:  Mrs. Casson ask if food from outside sources can't be brought in, what about students bringing their lunch.  Dr. Cash explained that students can bring their lunch and if there are allergy situations, the schools will designate a place for the student to eat.