May 21, 2024 at 5:00 PM - Smith County Board of Education Agenda

Discussion:  The Smith County Board of Education met at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, (rescheduled from the regular meeting date of May 21, 2024) at the Smith County Board of Education. Mr. Tommy Manning provided the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag. 

Discussion:  Mr. Ricky Shoulders, Chairman of the Board, welcomed all visitors and called the May 28, 2024, meeting of the board to order.

Discussion:  Request to approve the regular meeting minutes of the Board - Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

Discussion:  New Middleton Elementary School would like to loan the framed quilt that is in the foyer to the Smith County Heritage Museum. They have shown interest in displaying the quilt, and we feel like this will give more people an opportunity to see the quilt and read the history behind it. The quilt would be on loan for as long as the museum wanted to display it or until the school requested it back.

Discussion:  Gordonsville High School requests permission for the following:

1. Gordonsville High School requests permission for two students and one teacher to attend a Summer Arts Intensive Program at the Appalachian Center for Crafts, a satellite campus of TTU, on June 23-28, 2024. This will be an overnight trip.
2. Gordonsville High School volleyball team requests permission to travel to Ooltewah for volleyball camp July 23-25, 2024. This will be an overnight trip.
3. Gordonsville High School FFA requests permission to attend the State Forestry Contest in Doyle, TN, on June 7-8, 2024. This will be an overnight trip.
4. Gordonsville High School FFA requests permission to attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN, on October 23-26, 2024. This will be an overnight trip.

Discussion:  Smith County High School requests permission for the following:

1. Smith County High School Boys’ Basketball requests permission to attend summer basketball camp in Memphis, TN, on June 20-22, 2024. This will be an overnight trip.
2. Smith County High School Cheer Team requests permission to attend Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) Cheer Camp in Gatlinburg, TN, on June 14-16, 2024. This will be an overnight trip.

Discussion:  Request permission to seek bids for janitorial supplies for the 2024-2025 school year

Discussion:  Request permission to seek bids for copy paper for the 2024-2025 school year.

Discussion:  Mrs. Diana Gochcoff, Transportation Supervisor, requests permission to seek bids on two new 78 passenger type D buses. If we start the process now, we should have the buses for the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

Discussion:  The Smith County Schools Technology Department asks permission to bid
Chromebooks and desktop computers for students and employees for the 2024-2025 school year.

Discussion:  Tenured teacher placement for the 2024-2025 school year.  Teacher contracts begin July 1, 2024 and end June 30, 2025.  Placement is tentative and subject to enrollment changes and/or transfers.

Discussion:  Staff Placement

• Maggie Apple, kindergarten teacher, Carthage Elementary School
• Milos Babic, math teacher and boys’ basketball coach, Gordonsville High School
• Layne Bussell, English teacher and boys’ basketball coach, Smith County High School
• Morgan Honeycutt, third grade teacher, Carthage Elementary School
• Jack Crowley, substitute teacher
• Noah Martin, substitute teacher

2. Resignations

• Jennifer Gravley, cafeteria manager, Smith County Middle School
• Sharifa Abou-Rahma, paraprofessional, Union Heights Elementary School
• Barbie Apple, paraprofessional, Carthage Elementary School
• Janice Bailey, bus monitor, Transportation Department
• Billy Barnhart, teacher, Smith County High School
• Gale Burns, bookkeeper, Union Heights Elementary School
• Wendy Cond, teacher, New Middleton Elementary School
• Katie Denney, teacher, Gordonsville High School
• Robert Dillard, teacher, Gordonsville High School
• Brittany Gohlke, teacher, Union Heights Elementary School
• Jonathan Holland, teacher, Smith County Middle School
• Emily Slayton, teacher, Carthage Elementary School
• Rachel Wheeley, teacher, Smith County Middle School
• David Agee, assistant principal, Gordonsville High School, retiring
• Nancy Brooks, paraprofessional, Carthage Elementary School, retiring
• Thomas Gibbs, teacher, Gordonsville High School, retiring
• Linda Hale, receptionist, Gordonsville Elementary School, retiring
• Pam McClanahan, teacher, Forks River Elementary School, retiring
• Barbara Ray, custodian, Gordonsville High School, retiring
• Tammy Smith, paraprofessional, Carthage Elementary School, retiring
• Keitha Webb, paraprofessional, Carthage Elementary School, retiring

3. Transfers

• Russti Nixon, transferred from fifth grade to first grade, Forks River Elementary School
• Kimberly Bush, transferred from special education teacher at Carthage Elementary School to special education teacher at Smith County Middle School
• Amanda Thompson, transferred from seventh and eighth grade teacher at Forks River Elementary School to literacy leader at Forks River Elementary School
• Nancy Mimms, transferred from first grade at Forks River Elementary School to special education teacher at Forks River Elementary School
• Ryan Raham, transferred from full time substitute position at Smith County Middle School to special education paraprofessional at Smith County Middle School

       4. Volunteers

• Kim Gregory, cheer chaperone, Smith County High School
• Stephanie Washer, cheer chaperone, Smith County High School
• Noah Martin, volunteer football coach, Gordonsville High School

Discussion:  Summary— Approval of the Board of Education to Pay the Board Member Appointed to the County Finance Committee for Each Meeting.
            Smith County Board of Education - board member pay per meeting - $200.00
            County Commission Special Committee - pay per special committee meeting - $50.00

Discussion:  Request to change the following date of the regular scheduled October Board Meeting:

• Due to Fall break, change October Board Meeting from Tuesday, October 15, 2024, to the recommended date of Tuesday, October 8, 2024, which is one week prior to the regular scheduled meeting. 

Discussion:  Request to approve the lowest bid of $3.179 per gallon from Mixon-Nollner for 1,500 gallons of regular 87 unleaded gasoline fuel without ethanol for delivery on April 16, 2024.

Discussion:  Request to approve the bid of $2.579 per gallon for 7,500 gallons of diesel fuel from Mixon-Nollner

Discussion:  Diana Gochcoff, Transportation Supervisor, requests permission to sell a 2003 Chevy Impala with 195,797 miles and a 2016 Dodge Caravan with 164,830 miles on GovDeals.com

Discussion:  Diana Gochcoff, Transportation Supervisor, requests permission to purchase a new 2024 Equinox vehicle on the state contract for use in transporting students to the Tennessee School for the Blind for $25,892.80.

Discussion:  Request to approve the Differentiated Pay Plan for the 2024-2054 school year. 

Discussion:  This letter is asking the Smith County Board of Education permission make line-item amendments to the 141 FY24 General Purpose Budget in order to be in compliance with audit. All of these amendments with the exception of one (141-72130-399) are salary amendments as the 12% raise was not passed last year until after the 141 FY24 budget
was approved by the Board.

71100 Regular Instruction Program                       $303,000
71200 Special Education Program                         $47,300
71300 Career and Technical Ed Program                  $9,000
72110 Attendance                                                      $4,000
72120 Health Services                                             $95,000
72130 Other Student Support                                 $209,500
72210 Regular Instruction Program Support            $40,000
72220 Special Education Program                           $26,500
72230 Career and Technical Ed Program                   $2,000
72250 Technology                                                     $27,450
72320 Director of Schools                                        $12,700
72410 Office of the Principal                                   $152,500
72510 Fiscal Services                                                 $5,500
72610 Operation of Plant                                           $20,200
72620 Maintenance of Plant                                      $23,500
72710 Transportation                                                 $23,000
73300 Community Services                                         $4,200
73400 Early Childhood Education                              $30,000

Total                                                                       $1,035,350

Discussion:  This letter is asking the Board to approve the attached revenue amendments for both the 141 FY24 budget and 143 FY24 budget.

141 General Purpose received $120,937 for a Public School Safety Grant, $237,862 for the COPS grant, and $229,268 more in TISA funding than estimated. The total in revenue amendments for 141 is $588,067.

143 Central Cafeteria received a total of $59,658 from USDA to be applied to food expenses.

Discussion:  Review and approve the FY24 Budget for School Year 2024-2025.

Discussion:  Request to approve the following contracts for Special Education services for the 2023-2024 school year:

• Speech Language Pathologist - $48.00 per hour for services and mileage in the amount subject to the board policy for standard travel
• Therapy Service Agreement between Smith County Board of Education and Empowering Therapy Services Inc. to provide occupational therapy and physical therapy services beginning August 1, 2024, and ending July 31, 2025, unless terminated sooner pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph 6 or under applicable law.
• Request to approve Michelle Woodard for an eighty (80) day contract as a psychological testing and evaluation personnel for the 2024-2025 school year.
• Certified Surrogate Parent - $50.00 per meeting as needed/meetings that succeed 1 hour, then payment will be paid proportionally up to $25.00 per hour
• Spanish Interpreter - $50.00 per meeting as needed for language translation services
• Parent transportation - The Smith County Board of Education shall pay the costs for transportation of 3 children to Smith County Schools at .46 cents per mile per day for home transportation.
• Request to approve the Partnership Agreement between L.B.J. & C. Head Start and Smith County Board of Education for the 2024-2025 school year.
• TennCare Administrative & Billing Service Agreement between Smith County Board of Education and Stellar Therapy Services, LLC to provide administrative/billing services for TennCare reimbursements beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025.

Discussion:  Request to approve the Athletic Training Agreement between STAR Therapy Institute, LLC and the Smith County Board of Education and shall be effective July 2024.
The term of this Agreement shall be for the entire school year (as defined by regular class schedule) and shall automatically renew at the beginning of every successive school year unless terminated:

i)          Termination by Agreement.  In the event SCS and STAR shall mutually agree in writing with 30-day notice, this Agreement may be terminated on the terms and date stipulated therein, during the 2024-2025 school year. 
ii)         Termination for Cause.  This Agreement may be terminated by STAR or SCS if either party shall fail by omission or commission in any substantial manner to provide the services and/or fulfill its obligation as specified in this Agreement.
2.3.      Effects of Termination.  The effect of termination of this Agreement as hereinabove provided shall be that neither party shall have any further obligation hereunder except for obligations accruing prior to the date of termination and obligations by their nature extending beyond the date of termination
 

Discussion: 

There have been multiple inquiries from non-resident students who have expressed a desire to attend Smith County Schools for the 2024-2025 school year.  According to school board policy 6.204, Attendance of Non-Resident Students, the tuition for non-resident students must be established by the Board.  

For residents of Tennessee, tuition must not exceed the local funding amount per student during the previous school year.  According to the TISA- FY24 Final Allocations, local funding totaled $6,372,665.00.  That figure divided by 2,291.48 students comes to $2,181.31.  Therefore, tuition for Tennessee residents who live outside of Smith County shall not exceed that amount.  

Tuition for out of state residents shall be charged at the same rate as the average cost per student that includes both state and local funds.   The total amount of state and local funds for the TISA FY24 Final Allocations is $27,293,114.21.  That amount divided by 2,921.48 students equals $9,342.22.  Tuition for out of state students shall not exceed that amount.  

I am requesting that you consider these guidelines based on state law and local board policy in order to establish a tuition for non-resident students so that we may advise interested parties going forward. 

Discussion:  After review of the architecture firm qualifications submitted for the Save-A-Lot renovations, Tim Towns, 9-12 Instructional Supervisor/CTE Director, requests the board approve Anderson Architects, PLLC.

Discussion:  The evaluation is in your packet. Please complete the evaluation and mail or email to the Chairman of the Board by June 1, 2024.  Results will be presented at the June board meeting.

Presented by: Chairman Ricky Shoulders

Discussion: 

Please review the following policies for the Smith County Board of Education to remain compliant in policy review.  If you find any inconsistencies or if something needs to be discussed regarding a policy listed below, please bring it to the attention of Mr. Ricky Shoulders, Chairman of the Board, during the meeting.

 

Policy 6.400, Guidance Program

Policy 6.4001, Student Surveys, Analyses, and Evaluations

Policy 6.401, Student Health Services

Policy 6.403, Communicable Diseases

Policy 6.4031, Pediculosis (Head Lice)

Policy 6.404, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

Policy 6.406, Student Psychological Services

Policy 6.407, Student Social Services

Policy 6.408, Supervision of Students

Policy 6.4081, Safe Relocation of Students

Policy 6.410, Accidents and Illnesses

Policy 6.411, Student Wellness

Policy 6.412, Emergency Allergy Response Plan 

Policy 6.413, Prevention and Treatment of Sports Related Concussions

Policy 6.414, Prevention and Treatment of Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Policy 6.501, Married and/or Pregnant Students

Policy 6.502, Foreign Exchange Students

Policy 6.504, Migrant Students

Policy 6.601, Annual Notification of Rights

Policy 6.602, Inspection and Correction Procedures

Policy 6.604, Media Access to Students

Policy 6.700, Student Activities

Policy 6.701, Student Solicitations/Fund-Raising

Policy 6.702, Student Clubs and Organizations

Policy 6.703, Student Government

Policy 6.704, Student Publications

Policy 6.705, Student Social Events

Policy 6.707, Contests for Students

Policy 6.708, Awards and Scholarships

Policy 6.709, Student Fees and Fines

Policy 6.711, Student Volunteers