LCBOE met

The Lewis County Board of Education met in regular session on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at the Lewis County Board of Education board meeting room located at 206 South Court Street, Hohenwald, Tn. With the exception of Phyllis Townsend, all board members present were Chair Lindsey Himes, Glenda Atkinson, Derek Cotham, Cassie Couch, Vice-Chair Paula Dyer, Jackie Holt, Cody Mitchell, and Sallie Pollock.

The invocation was given by Mr. Cody Mitchell. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mr. Jack Holt.

Consent Agenda

Upon motion by Mrs. Atkinson and seconded by Ms. Couch, the add-on items to new business were unanimously approved.

Upon motion by Mrs. Atkinson and seconded by Mrs. Dyer, the consent agenda was unanimously approved.

• Previous minutes from the February 21, 2023, special called board meeting.

• Adopted agenda.

• Add-on to new business-

• Amend sick leave policy/5.302

• Discussion /action auditorium options for the new high school.

REGULAR AGENDA

Directors Report

•Director of Schools Dr. Tracy McAbee welcome the members of the Leadership Lewis Class to the meeting. He also welcomed the board’s attorney, Scott Bennett, to the meeting.

• Accepted the resignation of LCHS Head football coach, Derek Rang, effective February 28, 2023.

• Ronnie Yeiser was hired as LCHS Head football coach on February 28, 2023.

• Dr. McAbee explained to the board members that there was a folder in each of their board meeting packets that he had placed in there. He stated that the page that was labeled, Lewis County notes, was from the construction consultant of the new high school ,Mr. Clardy, who came and met twice with staff members. Dr. McAbee stated that there were some specialized area that needed to be discussed. After the first meeting, the staff members came back and brought their recommendations and what they thought that they needed in the new high school. He stated that Mr. Clardy has met with Brad Martin, the architect, and that Mr. Martin did not think these changes would be that big of a deal. Director McAbee explained that the auditorium, which will be discussed under new business, would probably be a bigger expense.

• Dr. McAbee stated that he had also included his evaluation and that he would appreciate if the board members would have that back to him by next month. He stated that he would like to have the feedback to see what areas he needs to work on. He stated that there was a drawing of the auditorium which may be added to the new high school plans.

• Director McAbee stated that he had received some bad news regarding TISA funding. He stated that it was reported, last year, that we would be receiving more money in TISA funds. Then the governor came out and said that we were going to give out 125 million dollars to teachers in raises. Dr. McAbee stated that now he is being told that the 125 million dollars that is in raises, was already calculated in to TISA. So the amount that we reported that was more than BEP, that includes the teacher raise. He stated that teachers were definitely going to get raises but all of the ideas that we were going to get all of the money that was reported will not be there. He further stated that the coordinated school health and some other grants that we were receiving separately is now lump in with the TISA funding. Director McAbee stated that the long story short is that we will not have the funding that we thought we were going to have. Mr. Mitchell asked if there would be an opportunity for money to be pulled out of the base model . Mr. Mitchell stated that the governor has stated that we would need to have the starting pay for teachers up to $50,000 within four years and he was concerned about this. Dr. McAbee stated that all of the Directors of Schools in the south central region met last Friday and they had two people there from the department with them in attendance. He stated that it was discussed that the only way to get to that rate within four years would be to increase the base of $6860.

• Mrs. Atkinson asked that since the budget was mentioned she wanted to know what would be a good time for the board to start working on the budget. Dr. McAbee stated they got the first estimates in February and Mr. Trull, Ms. McKissack and Trina worked hard getting the numbers as close as they could get them. These numbers were turned in on February 15, 2023. There should be another estimate at the end of this month. He stated that after he receives these estimates then the board needs to have a meeting to discuss the budget. Dr. McAbee stated that there would need to be a special called meeting in April to start on the budget.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS-There was no new business to discuss.

NEW BUSINESS

Chair Himes asked for a motion to group items a) and b) under new business for vote. Mr. Mitchell made a motion and was seconded by Ms. Couch to group items a) and b).

Upon motion by Mrs. Atkinson and seconded by Mrs. Dyer, items a) and b) were unanimously approved.

a) Approve Lewis County High School FFA officers to travel to the Tennessee FFA State Convention, March 19-22, 2023 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

b) Approve Lewis County High School FBLA members to travel to the FBLA State Leadership Conference, April 2-5, 2023, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Chair Himes explained to board members that the amendment to board policy 5.302, sick leave, was some verbiage that needed to be deleted as recommended by TSBA. Dr. McAbee asked Scott Bennett, board lawyer, to explain this a little further. Mr. Bennett explained that it created a question that did not need to be in the policy. The use of sick leave is already governed by state board rule and that there is no reason to put line 23 in there. The way it was worded was suggesting that you could not use anything other sick leave than what you accumulated that year. Mrs. Dyer made a motion and was seconded by Mrs. Pollock to amend item c) under new business and was unanimously approved. Chair Himes asked for a roll call vote:

Cassie Couch- Yes Jack Holt- Yes

Glenda Atkinson- Yes Sallie Pollock-Yes

Derek Cotham- Yes Cody Mitchell-Yes

Paula Dyer-Yes

Lindsey Himes-Yes

• c) Amend sick leave policy 5.302

The time allowed for sick leave for professional personnel shall be one (1) day for each month employed during the school year, and these days shall accumulate for an unlimited number of days.1 New teachers are “loaned” five (5) days upon initial employment. Upon termination, excess sick leave days used will be deducted from teacher’s final paycheck.

Sick leave shall be defined as: illness of a teacher from natural causes or accident, quarantine, or illness or death of a member of the immediate family of a teacher, including the teacher’s wife or husband, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law.2

A signed statement listing the cause of absence shall be provided by the employee on forms furnished by the Director of Schools and shall promptly be given to the immediate supervisor in support of all claims for sick leave pay. A falsified statement shall be grounds for dismissal.

A certificate from the physician on forms furnished by the Board may be required with each absence of four (4) or more consecutive days in support of any claim for sick leave pay.1

The principal shall notify the Director of Schools’ office at once if an employee is sick beyond the limit of his/her sick leave accumulation. The substitute teacher, beyond this point, must have a certificate or permit and must be paid according to the state salary scale.

Permanent, cumulative sick leave records for each active professional employee shall be kept in the Director of Schools’ office.

A teacher, upon employment, may transfer his/her accumulated sick leave from another Tennessee school district, provided that the Director of Schools of the district in which the accumulated leave was held provides notarized verification.1

Teachers shall be allowed to use sick leave in the amount they accumulate in the same school year.

Sick leave for maternity purposes may be taken during the period of physical disability only. A teacher may use up to thirty (30) days of accumulated sick leaved for the adoption of a child. If both adoptive parents are teachers only one parent may request leave. Written verification from the adoption agency or other entity handling the adoption shall be required before the leave is granted.1

SUPPORT PERSONNEL

Sick leave shall be the same for support personnel as for certificated employees.

The time allowed (days earned) for sick leave shall be one (1) day for each month an employee is employed.

The immediate supervisor may require a physician’s certificate stating the reason for absence in excess of four (4) consecutive days.

Unused accumulated sick leave at the date of retirement will be converted to creditable service in the retirement systems.

This policy will be retroactive to August 1, 2022.

Dr. McAbee wanted to remind the board members how appreciative all the school’s staff have been for the board providing them additional benefits.

• d) Auditorium options for the new high school

Prior to the vote for item d), Dr. McAbee explained to the board members that Mr. Clardy had sent him the drawing of the proposed auditorium which was included in their packet. He explained that Brad Martin already had plans drawn for the auxiliary gym where there would be bleachers in the back and enough seating area for about 300 chairs. He said that the chairs would have to be brought out each time there was an event. The benefit of that would be once you take the chairs up and push the bleachers back you would have a half court auxiliary gym there. Dr. McAbee further explained that with the purposed new gym, which will be large enough to host tournaments, you could put a curtain and goes straight across half court. Once the curtain is pulled across, the boys could practice on one side and the girls could practice on the other. He stated that the model that was included in their packet is similar to the one the we have at the high school now which is like a cafetorium and we know how that’s working out. He said that with the other option, you would have in front of the stage a set of arched seating which would hold about 450 people. The seats would all be facing the stage with permanent seats and with a slanted floor. Therefore, every row would be higher than the row in front of it. Dr. McAbee stated that he needs to know what the majority of the board wants his to tell Mr. Clardy to tell Mr. Martin. Director McAbee stated that they were going to have a meeting with Mr. Martin next week. He stated that the board needs to decide now on which route to stay so that we can stay on target with the purposed date in June of digging in dirt. Ms. Couch stated that she was ok with eliminating the purposed auxiliary gym, but she would like to have a price for both options. Dr. McAbee stated that Mr. Clardy needs to know what is the priority so he can bid this out and then the other would be an alternate. Mr. Mitchell stated that if we were going to build an auditorium to build it right. Mrs. Pollock stated that she was concerned about who would be responsible to put the chairs on and off of the court each time there was an event and where would you store the chairs. Mrs. Dyer stated that with the current seating in the middle school auditorium it is difficult to see the stage.

Upon motion by Mrs. Atkinson and seconded by Mr. Mitchell, item d) under new business to include the slanted floor option with 450 seats was approved unanimously. Chair Himes asked for a roll call vote. Results were:

Cassie Couch- Yes Jack Holt- Yes

Glenda Atkinson- Yes Sallie Pollock-Yes

Derek Cotham- Yes Cody Mitchell-Yes

Paula Dyer-Yes

Lindsey Himes-Yes

Dr. McAbee wanted to remind board members that this math adoption year. He explained that the majority of K-8th grade wanted I-Ready. The high school majority was with SAVVAS. He further explained that the reason that this was important to the board because the teachers had a voice and had a caravan to come by and let them see the different options that were available. He stated that this was going to be a very expensive adoption as in approximately $200 per student for an approximate total of $300,000. This would be for a six year term. State board regulations have been changed. In the past you could adopt and not purchase, but now if you adopt you must purchase.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ms. Dyer read a thank you card from Ashley Duncan for the gift she received from the board for the recent loss of her brother. She stated that Dr. McAbee had shared a copy of the card that he had received from Kathy Willis for the gift due to the loss of her father.

Mr. Mitchell wanted to remind everyone that there was a meeting this afternoon regarding the 3rd grade retention law. He stated that if it passed it looked like it would be left up to the parent to file an appeal. Dr. McAbee assured everyone that we would do whatever it takes to assist the parents to appeal if they need assistance. Dr. McAbee stated that we would have ESSER money for tutoring and summer school for this year. Ms. Couch asked about the turn around for TCAP scores. Mr. Trull stated that the state is assuring that the results would be back by May 26th this year. The students will be allowed to do their make up test between May 28 and June 5th. Ms. McKissack explained that summer school could not start until the 3rd grade students are allowed to do their makeup test and the makeup test will be online. Dr. McAbee stated that the school will have parent nights to help them through the appeal process.

Chair Himes announced that the next board meeting will be on April 11, 2023. There will be a workshop prior to the meeting and will begin at 5:30 p.m. Chair Himes reminded the board members that they would be meeting with the Leadership Lewis class at the Middle School Cafeteria immediately following the adjournment. Dr. McAbee thanked Angie Leigh, Vicki Tiller, and Mylie McKissack for preparing and setting up the meal that will be served tonight.

ADJOURNMENT

Upon motion by Mrs. Atkinson and seconded by Ms. Pollock , meeting was adjourned at 6:34 p.m.