June 24, 2025 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting
| Regular Board | |
| Attendance Taken on 6/24/2025 at 5:57 PM | |
| Mr. Butch Campbell | Present |
| Ms. Karen Dodd | Present |
| Ms. Barbara Long | Present |
| Ms. Amanda Moore | Present |
| Mrs. Jeanette Price | Present |
| Mr. Jimmy Richardson III | Present |
| Mr. David Settles | Absent |
| Present: 6, Absent: 1 | |
| Minutes | ||
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I. CALL TO ORDER
Speaker(s):
Chair Butch Campbell
Agenda Item Type:
Procedural Item
Discussion:
In attendance: Dr. Trey Duke, Ken Rocha, April Zavisa, Sheri Arnette, Maria Johnson, Don Bartch, Lisa Trail, Angela Fairchild, Daniel Owens, Janet Paschal, Caitlin Bullard, Debbie Pulido, Beverly Johnson
Assistant City Attorney Lauren Bush. City Liaison Bill Shacklett was absent |
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I.A. Pledge of Allegiance
Agenda Item Type:
Procedural Item
Rationale:
The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Angela Fairchild, Director of Special Education
Discussion:
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Angela Fairchild, Director of Special Education
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I.B. Moment of Silence
Agenda Item Type:
Procedural Item
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II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Speaker(s):
Chair Butch Campbell
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
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III. COMMUNICATIONS
Speaker(s):
Mrs. Lisa Trail
Agenda Item Type:
Information Item
Rationale:
MERV-our Mobile Education Resource Van- had a successful start serving students in our district. On Wednesdays, MERV partners with the CHOW bus and provides students with books to read and activity packets/crayons to encourage reading.? We have also been able to provide parents with cleaning supplies thanks to our recent donation partnership with Amazon. Every other Tuesday, MERV is serving our McKinney-Vento (MKV) students in 5 hotel locations. Last week we served approximately 30 families with diapers, socks, undergarments, household essentials, food, and of course, books! A special thanks to the Blackman High School Varsity Coed Cheer team for volunteering 6 hours of their time to help organize our new Family Resource Center at 910 Ridgely. They unboxed books that were moved from the Central Office, organized the food pantry, and packed food pantry bags for families. Next month, Murfreesboro City Schools will host a Supply Drive and Farmer’s Market at the Mitchell-Neilson Primary Gymnasium. Community partners for this event will include:
Additionally, we are working with several nonprofits and faith-based organizations to schedule back-to-school drives including serving as host for Stuff the Bus with United Way on August 4 and 5.
Discussion:
MERV-our Mobile Education Resource Van- had a successful start serving students in our district. On Wednesdays, MERV partners with the CHOW bus and provides students with books to read and activity packets/crayons to encourage reading.? We have also been able to provide parents with cleaning supplies thanks to our recent donation partnership with Amazon. Every other Tuesday, MERV is serving our McKinney-Vento (MKV) students in 5 hotel locations. Last week we served approximately 30 families with diapers, socks, undergarments, household essentials, food, and of course, books! A special thanks to the Blackman High School Varsity Coed Cheer team for volunteering 6 hours of their time to help organize our new Family Resource Center at 910 Ridgely. They unboxed books that were moved from the Central Office, organized the food pantry, and packed food pantry bags for families. Next month, Murfreesboro City Schools will host a Supply Drive and Farmer’s Market at the Mitchell-Neilson Primary Gymnasium. Community partners for this event will include:
Additionally, we are working with several nonprofits and faith-based organizations to schedule back-to-school drives including serving as host for Stuff the Bus with United Way on August 4 and 5. |
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III.A. Spotlight on Education-Legacy Retirements
Beverly Johnson Kristin Jackson Messick Amy Harrison Deborah Kimmel Kim Creager Sandy Scheele Barbara Smith Debbie Pulido Janet Paschal Robyn Jernigan Melissa Shelley Kathy Latondress Billie Jo Thompson Eric Bonner
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Procedural Item
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III.B. Public Comment
Speaker(s):
Chair Butch Campbell
Agenda Item Type:
Procedural Item
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IV. CONSENT ITEMS
Speaker(s):
Chair Butch Campbell
Agenda Item Type:
Consent Agenda
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
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IV.A. Approval of 6-10-25 Board Minutes
Agenda Item Type:
Consent Item
Attachments:
()
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IV.B. Approval of Surplus Property Disposal
Agenda Item Type:
Consent Item
Attachments:
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V. ACTION ITEMS
Speaker(s):
Chair Butch Campbell
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
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V.A. Approval of the Revised 2025-2026 School Calendar
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.B. Approval of Discrimination Policies, Revisions on First Reading:
Policy 4.100 Policy 5.500 Policy 6.304
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.C. Approval of Board Policy 1.407 School District Records, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.D. Approval of Board Policy 2.403, Surplus Property, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.E. Approval of Board Policy 3.202, Emergency Preparedness Plan, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.F. Approval of Board Policy 3.204, Threat Assessment Teams, on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Jimmy Richardson said that this policy refers to two things that can be ambiguous, disruptive behavior and the threat of disruptive behavior and asked if this is defined in the code.
Lauren Bush stated that it is not defined in code, and she talked to TSBA about this policy. She added that if we report that behavior to the local law enforcement, then we will report it to the families. Dr. Duke added that the intent of the law is so that if we have to get law enforcement involved, we would notify parents. Jimmy Richardson asked that we look into defining disruptive behavior, or see if any other districts have defined it for the second reading. He would like to see additional language added to further define disruptive behavior. Ms. Bush will check with other districts before the second reading of the policy.
Attachments:
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V.G. Approval of Board Policy 4.403, Library Materials, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.H. Approval of Board Policy 4.406, Use of Internet, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.I. Approval of Board Policy 4.600, Grading System and Reporting Progress, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Dr. Duke explained that we already send this information home. The law requires us to do it all at one time, and now they will see it twice as it will also go home with the report card.
Attachments:
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V.J. Approval of Board Policy 5.1061, Employment of Retirees, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Karen Dodd asked if this is reversing what we have done in the past when we had a teacher shortage.
Dr. Duke said that it doesn't change that, but adds stipulations. The original law was scheduled to phase out that a retired teacher could return with full pay and 70%. The law clarified that this has to be for a hard-to-staff position. The other clarification is that you cannot have a pre-determination agreement. You have to have a 60-day bona fide separation. He added that we will still be able to hire teachers who have retired, and they can work up to 120 days and still get full retirement and the pay cannot exceed 60% of the salary that they received the year before. He also explained that if they come out of retirement to teach for a full year, they will get 70% of their retirement while still getting full pay for the position. There is a salary cap. Maria Johnson came forward and told the Board that in the past year, we had one teacher that worked full-time and seven that came back as interims. This applies to hard-to-staff positions.
Attachments:
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V.K. Approval of Board Policy 5.110, Compensation Guides and Contracts, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Lauren Bush explained the changes to the policy. Dr. Duke said that because this statute is permissive the board is not required to do it, but his recommendation is that we honor this and make sure that we are taking care of the employee's estate. He said that we capped the reimbursement to the estate at ten sick days because that is what they would have earned during that year, otherwise, it could be a significant amount of money to pay and would be budget-prohibitive for us.
Amanda Moore asked what we were doing before. Ms. Bush said that since this is a permissive state statute, this is the first time that this is in effect. Ms. Bush said that in the past, there is a form that is completed where the estate would be paid any vacation days, but this refers to sick leave. Dr. Duke said that this is just an added benefit. Chair Campbell asked if this pertains to certified staff members' estates only. Ms. Bush clarified that it is specifically for teachers' estates. He asked about classified staff, but Ms. Bush said that there is no state statute for classified staff. Dr. Duke added that if the Board has the right to extend it to classified, we can look into this. Ms. Bush said that she would research this. She said that the statute is very specific, but she will gladly look into whether the Board can add classified staff to this policy. She will bring back any information on second reading. Ms. Barbara Long agreed that she would like to see classified staff be added as well. Jimmy Richardson requested a fiscal note on this as well.
Attachments:
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V.L. Approval of Board Policy 5.305, Family and Medical Leave, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.M. Approval of Board Policy 5.701, Substitute Teachers, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.N. Approval of Board Policy 6.303, Questioning Students and Searches, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Amanda Moore said that the important thing is that the school administrator goes through training before conducting searches or questioning of students. She said that in the language of our policy in paragraphs two and three, the administrator must be on site during the search and must oversee the search. She asked if we need to specify if that school administrator is the one who receives the training, just to be sure that the search is not being delegated to someone else?
Lauren Bush said that she will add that information to the second reading. To clarify, Dr. Duke said that principals and APs will be trained, but if ever there is a time that they are both out, there could be a designee so this language will help to clarify. Ms. Bush added that the SROs will also go through state-mandated training.
Attachments:
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V.O. Approval of Board Policy 6.312, Use of Personal Communications Devices in School, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Amanda Moore had a concern with this draft policy.
She said that in the draft policy it talks about specific action that a student may take with their device that might be disruptive or unauthorized. One such event would be recording, photographing or live streaming student activities without the consent of the principal or the principal's designee. She understands that we wouldn't want students live streaming fights and things of that nature, but she said that there have been instances in other districts where students were recording things that were not right and that was a good thing that they had recorded it. She was wondering if there needs to be an exception in the policy that the disciplinarian would not take disciplinary action against a student if they had photographed or recorded something that was wrong and they were trying to capture that as evidence. Jimmy Richardson agreed. Lauren Bush directed Ms. Moore to lines 29 and 30 of the policy that says that a student can utilize their personal device in case of an emergency, Ms. Bush said that she can clearly define those instances if the Board chooses to do so, but she does want to be careful with that. Dr. Duke added that he appreciated the question and the clarification, but he feels that because of the age we serve, it's possibly less of a concern of this happening. He also feels that principals would make that decision regarding disciplining a child who had recorded something. He added that he would be willing to add this additional language to the policy if the Board wants to do that. Ms. Bush said that she would review the policy again and bring it back on second reading for discussion under action items at the 7/22 board meeting.
Attachments:
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V.P. Approval of Board Policy 6.411, Promoting Student Wellness, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Amanda Moore said that recess is great, but these elementary students are scheduled to the minute. She asked where the cut would be and what is being given up in exchange for the 40 minutes per day.
Sheri Arnette came forward and explained that the last principals' meeting was used to discuss the change in this policy. She explained how the principals decided to make this change. She said that students have a seven-hour day, 30 minutes were pulled out for lunch, 45 minutes for special area, 40 minutes for recess and 60 minutes for BOOST or intervention. That leaves four hours for instruction. The State gives recommended instructional times with minimum amounts of time also allowed. In some grade levels, they were able to keep the time at the recommended amount and in some grade levels, the minimum amount of time is what will be used. She said that principals will have some autonomy to choose how they will incorporate the 40 minutes into the day, and we are still meeting the guidelines. She added that it will definitely be tighter. Dr. Duke reiterated that the minutes did come from instructional time. He said that Mrs. Arnette and her team were very intentional not to change things like morning meetings, but it will be a very tight schedule. He invited Dr. Bullard to come up and share her thoughts with the Board. Dr. Bullard also came forward to share her thoughts as a principal. She said that Mrs. Arnette did a great job adjusting the times. She said that she does appreciate having the autonomy as a principal to move those times around. She said that everyone worked really hard with their leadership team to make sure that they are maximizing every instructional minute. Barbara Long said that all districts are having trouble with this new law. Jimmy Richardson asked Mrs. Arnette if the change in time would have a negative impact instructional quality, and Mrs. Arnette said no.
Attachments:
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V.Q. Approval of Board Policy 6.600, Student Records, Revisions on First Reading
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
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V.R. Approval of Budget Amendment-Title I and IDEA Federal Projects Fund FY24-25
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
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V.S. Approval of Budget Amendment-AALN Federal Projects Fund FY2024-2025
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.T. Approval of Budget Amendment- FY25 General Purpose
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.U. Approval of Budget Amendment-FY25 Central Cafeteria Fund
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.V. Approval of Budget Amendment-ESSER 3.0 FY25 Federal Projects
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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V.W. Approval of Contract Extension-ABM Custodial Services for FY26
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Don Bartch came forward to update the Board on ABM staffing rates as well as their report card for the year.
He said that principals receive a monthly survey on ABM's performance, and the overall satisfaction rate has averaged about 85%. Dr. Duke said that he and Mr. Bartch met with ABM in January to review some issues, and some different things were put in place. Since the new practices were put in place, the number of calls and emails to Dr. Duke as well as Mr. Bartch has drastically decreased. Dr. Duke added that ABM is very responsive when we reach out to them.
Attachments:
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V.X. Approval of Contract Extension-Douglas Lawn Care Professional Services for FY26
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Discussion:
Karen Dodd asked if this contract is only for mowing, or does it include flowers and landscaping? She mentioned that the Mitchell Neilson sign needs some attention.
Dr. Duke said that the yard crew will attend to that before students return. He said that the yard crew is busy moving furniture right now. He also invited to Board to let him know anytime they see things that need attention such as that.
Attachments:
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V.Y. Approval of Contract-Josh Houston & Associates for Yearbook and Photography Services for FY26
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
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V.Z. Approval of Contract-Pure Storage Renewal
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
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V.AA. Approval of Contract-Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration for CyberSafeTN State and Local Cybersecurity Grant
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Attachments:
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V.AB. Approval of Revenue and Expenditure Report
Speaker(s):
Mr. Daniel Owens
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Daniel Owens presented the April Revenue and Expenditure Report.
Chair Campbell asked about the county taking pennies from MCS again. Dr. Duke said that he would send the final report on that when he receives it.
Attachments:
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VI. REPORTS AND INFORMATION
Speaker(s):
Chair Butch Campbell
Agenda Item Type:
Information Item
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VI.A. Enrollment (PTR) Report
Speaker(s):
Mr. Ken Rocha
Agenda Item Type:
Information Item
Attachments:
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VI.B. Director's Evaluation Results
Speaker(s):
Ms. Lauren Bush
Agenda Item Type:
Information Item
Discussion:
Lauren Bush shared Dr. Duke's evaluation results with the Board. She said that Dr. Duke received a total mean score of 4.79 from the Board and a total mean score of 4.95 from Administrators. She said that the final portion of the evaluation will be calculated once we receive achievement data from the Tennessee Department of Education. A packet with this information was at each board member's station. Ms. Bush said that she was happy to answer any questions from the Board. There was no recommended action. This was for informational purposes only.
Jimmy Richardon said that the proudest vote he ever made was to put Trey Duke as the head of Murfreesboro City Schools. He said that what Dr. Duke has done for these schools is outstanding, and he hears about it all the time. Chair Campbell, along with the other members of the Board, feel very honored to work with such a great Director, and they echo what Mr. Richardson stated.
Attachments:
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VI.C. Director's Update
Speaker(s):
Dr. Trey Duke
Agenda Item Type:
Information Item
Discussion:
Dr. Duke thanked the Board for their kind words. He said that it's a privilege to serve this district.
Dr. Duke told the Board that the Senior Leadership team met in a retreat at the airport all day to plan for the upcoming school year. It was a very good meeting. He added that we are coming up on the end of June and summer is halfway over. We have two days left of summer school with post assessments beginning today. He said that testing information will be communicated to parents in the upcoming days. He told the Board that we only have one meeting in at city hall on July 22. Dr. Duke reminded the Board that the Summer Law Conference is coming up on July 18-19 in Gatlinburg. He added that the policy revisions that were reviewed tonight will be a jump start of what they will learn at the conference. |
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VII. OTHER BUSINESS
Speaker(s):
Chair Butch Campbell
Agenda Item Type:
Information Item
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VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Speaker(s):
Chair Butch Campbell
Agenda Item Type:
Action Item
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
The meeting adjourned at 7:21 p.m.
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