October 14, 2025 at 6:00 PM - Kingsport City Schools Board of Education Regular Meeting

Description:  Adams Elementary students Betsy and Cragon Randolph will lead the Board of Education and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Betsy is in Kindergarten and Cragon is a 2nd Grader. 

Description:  Dr. Brandon Fletcher, Board President, will ask for a motion to accept the agenda, which includes the consent agenda. Once the agenda is accepted, the Board mutually agrees not to discuss any item of business or take any action that has not been accepted for the agenda.

Description:  Dr. Richard Church, Vice President of Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) - Elizabethton, and other TCAT representatives will recognize Kingsport City Schools and the Dobyns-Bennett High School Career & Technical Education (CTE) Department for being TCAT-Elizabethton's Gold Level Dual Enrollment partner for Fall 2025. Dobyns-Bennett currently has 515 students dual enrolled in a TCAT CTE program.

Description:  Mrs. Jamie Jackson will recognize six Dobyns-Bennett High School students recently named as National Merit Commended Students in the 71st Annual 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. This program is designated to identify and honor the top high school students in the United States. 

Those named as National Merit Commended Students from Dobyns-Bennett are:
Jaxon Buckley
Benjamin Culp
Emily Doyle
Christopher Egan
Breanna Hill
Grant Smith

Approximately 34,000 Commended Students out of over 1 million PSAT test takers throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended Students placed among the top 3–5% of students who entered the 2026 competition by taking the 2024 PSAT, which serves as an initial screening of program entrants. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

Description:  Dr. Fletcher will recognize four Dobyns-Bennett High School seniors that have been named as Semifinalists in the 71st Annual 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, a program designed to identify and honor the top high school students in the United States.

The students named as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists are:
Eesha Kothari
Arrush Negre
Aparajita Vashisth
Laila Venson

These four students will compete with the top high school students in the nation for approximately 6,000 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $26 million that will be offered in spring 2026.

The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest scoring PSAT entrants in each state. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. 

To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and his/her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which information is provided regarding the Semifinalist's academic record, participation in school/community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors/awards received.

Over 16,000 students out of over a million test takers qualified as Semifinalists. Approximately 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to advance to the Finalist standing in February, and more than half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title. National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced beginning in April and concluding in July 2026.

Description:  Mr. Todd Golden will recognize Sevier Middle School staff for recently being selected as a recipient of the 2025 Resilient School Distinction Award, a prestigious recognition presented by East Tennessee State University honoring schools that exemplify a strong commitment to excellence, innovation, and integrity in advancing resilient practices. This distinction highlights Sevier Middle School's dedication to implementing schoolwide effective practices rooted in vision and core values that foster student engagement.

Recognizing schools that inspire through action and lead with purpose, the Resilient School Distinction Award celebrates how the Sevier Middle school community cultivates environments of hope, courage, and student success by transforming challenges into opportunities, fostering meaningful learning experiences, and serving as a model of resilience in action.

The Resilient Schools Award Ceremony was held on September 23, 2025, in the ETSU Culp Ballroom, where Sevier Middle School was formally recognized alongside other schools in the state. 

Description: 

Public Comment Guidelines:

This is the time when members of the audience are invited to comment on agenda items. If pre-approved by the Board Executive Committee, members of the community may also address the Board regarding non-agenda items. In order to speak on a topic not included on the agenda, per Board Policy 1.404, you must submit a written request to the Superintendent of Schools at least three (3) business days before the regular meeting.  

This is not the time to speak about personnel issues, as there are more appropriate ways in which these can be addressed. If you are not sure how to do this, please ask a Board member after the meeting. In your remarks, you may not refer to students by name without permission from a parent or guardian.

Speakers are requested to first state your name and limit your remarks to a maximum of three (3) minutes.

Thank you. 

Description:  An agreement was awarded to AccuForce HR Solutions LLC in 2023 for a three-year period for temporary employment services, particularly for the Maintenance Department and School Nutrition Services. The agreement had a option to renew on an annual basis in one-year increments providing all terms, conditions, and costs are acceptable to both parties.

It is recommended the agreement be renewed for the term of January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, with no increase in cost during that period. Funding will be from the School General Purpose Fund and School Nutrition Services Fund.

Description:  Mr. Michael Hubbard, Director of Performance Excellence, has provided the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Accountability Report for 2025-2026. The TISA Act, which transitioned Tennessee's K-12 public schools to a student-based funding approach, was implemented across the state starting with the 2023-2024 school year.  

Description:  Dr. True, and Mr. Jim Nash, Chief Student Services Officer, will present a report, as per Policy 3.204 - Threat Assessment Team, which is required to be provided to the Board of Education at least once per quarter. The report provides parent(s)/guardian(s) with information on credible threats of violence or significantly disruptive behavior directed toward or occurring on the grounds of the school their student attends.

Description:  Dr. Andy True, Assistant Superintendent - Administration, will present the 2026-2027 Kingsport City Schools Calendar and the Designated Holiday Schedule for 12-month employees for Board consideration. Both items were reviewed at the September Work Session.

Description:  Dr. Chris Hampton, Superintendent, will preview a new Kingsport City Schools video.