Board of Education swears in new board members

The Lewis County Board of Education met in regular session on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 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 Cassie Couch, all board members present were Board Chair Lindsey Himes, Vice Chair Paula Dyer, Matthew Adkins, Glenda Atkinson, Jackie Holt, Cody Mitchell, Sallie Pollock, and Morgan Spicer. Prior to the regular session meeting, the recently elected board members were sworn in by Judge Mike Hinson.

The recently elected board members included Glenda Atkinson, Morgan Spicer, Matthew Adkins, Jackie Holt, and Paula Dyer. There was a workshop at 5:30 p.m. and Gary and Jesse Clardy of Clardy Construction Advisors gave an update on the cost of the renovations at the Intermediate School and the current High School. Mrs. Dyer also went over the new members that will be added to the Student Advisory Committee. She stated that the new members will be Emily Lomax, Cale Halbrooks, Addie Morgan, and Jaxon Fite.

The invocation was given by Mr. Cody Mitchell. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mrs. Sallie Pollock. Chair Himes welcomed newly elected board member, Morgan Spicer, to the board.

Ryder Ward from the student advisory committee gave a shout out to the new high school band director , Mr. Medford, and stated that the band competition will be next Saturday. He stated that he also wanted to give a shout out to the TAP program and explained the TAP Panther Paws program which is s a reward program for school students.

Consent agenda:

• Approval of Consent Agenda

• Approved previous minutes from the August 6, 2024, regular scheduled board meeting and minutes from the August 19, 2024, special called meeting.

• Adopted agenda.

• Approved payroll and miscellaneous warrants

• Add-on: amend 24-25 School calendar with the following changes:

• October 4, 2024, will be an administrative day (no students)

• May 16, 2024, will be high school graduation date @7:00 p.m.

• Remove May 29, 2024, as an administrative day.

• Add-on:

• Discussion/action substitute nurse pay.

• Approve out of state travel for the LCMS Volleyball team.

Upon motion by Mr. Mitchell and seconded by Mrs. Pollock to approve the add-on to the consent agenda was unanimously approved.

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

Regular agenda:

Director’s Report

• Accepted the resignation of Nasha Chapin, LCES Paraprofessional, effective July 31, 2024.

• Accepted the resignation of Kimberly Herring, LCIS Paraprofessional effective July 29, 2024.

• Accepted the resignation of Dolly McKnight, LCIS Paraprofessional, effective July 29, 2024.

• Accepted the resignation of Karley Seiber, LCES nurse, effective September 13, 2024.

• Accepted the resignation of Sarah Evans, LCMS Paraprofessional, effective July 31, 2024.

• Transferred Reagan Totton, LCMS Paraprofessional to LCMS Science teacher, effective August 1, 2024.

• Transferred Amanda Spears, Substitute teacher, to LCMS Paraprofessional effective August 1, 2024.

• Transferred Lauranne Bates, Substitute teacher, to LCIS paraprofessional effective August 1, 2024.

• Transferred Britney Sealey, Substitute teacher, to LCMS CDC Paraprofessional effective August 1, 2024.

• Transferred Kelly Gay, Substitute teacher, to Cafeteria Worker effective August 1, 2024.

• Transferred Kaylyn Gay, Substitute teacher to LCHS Paraprofessional effective August 1, 2024.

• Transferred Kelly Clendenen, Substitute teacher, to LCIS Paraprofessional effective August 1, 2024.

• Transferred Michelle Reasons, LCMS Special Education teacher, to LCHS Special Education teacher effective August 1, 2024.

• Approved the following volunteer coaches for the 2024-2025 school year:

• Dresden Barnes-LCMS Assistant Football

• Cole Farr- LCMS Assistant Football

• Stephen Tanner- LCHS Assistant Volleyball

• Kyle Tenison-LCHS Assistant Boys Basketball

• Greg Amacher-LCHS Assistant Boys Basketball

• Matt Carroll- LCHS Assistant Girls Basketball

•Delicia Hull-LCHS Assistant Girls Basketball

• Dr. McAbee stated that Jonathan Owen has been doing an amazing job keeping up the school’s data. One of these statistics is for the ACT. He stated that he has run a report for 2021-2025. He further stated that it was obvious that we do not have the 2025 and how that works is that we can have the cohort of 2025 which is this year’s Juniors. The overall composition was an average of 16.4. He stated that in 2023 it went up to 17.9 and 2024 for this years Seniors went up to 18.7 and this year’s Juniors are at 18.6. Director McAbee stated that we are making good strides toward the increase in these scores.

• Director McAbee stated that Dr. Burney printed a report for him on what was going on with dual enrollment. He stated that now that we have double the number of courses now with TCAT, that can be paid for, and it can also be paid for with the scholarship from the State Department at Community Colleges. He stated that we have gone from 6 to 9 total dual enrollment courses offered. He stated that the high school students were getting college credit in these dual enrollment courses.

• Chair Himes asked if the AP classes were still being offered at the high school. Dr. Burney stated that the AP classes were still being offered.

• Mr. Mitchell stated that he would like to suggest that maybe more information be available to the public about some of the safety plans that the school has implemented. Dr. McAbee stated that he would get something typed up and present this to Sasha Powers so that she could put something on the Facebook page. Director McAbee stated that he could also run this by the SRO’s and submit something in the Lewis County Herald for publication. Dr. McAbee invited the board members to the safety training that is being offered to all the schools’ personnel on October 4, 2024.

• Mr. Adkins asked if all the summer youth received their paychecks for the work that was done during the summer. Dr. McAbee stated that all the students had been paid.

• Mrs. Pollock asked about the status of the 3rd and 4th grade students in tutoring. Dr. McAbee stated that Mylie McKissack has sent in the reports to the state, and we are doing great. Mrs. McKissack stated that there was about (32) 4th grade students that are enrolled in the tutoring. Mrs. McKissack stated that the tutoring has already started for these students.

Unfinished Business: There was no unfinished business to address.

New Business:

• Approve LCHS students to travel to University of North Alabama for a college trip on October 17, 2024. Students and chaperones will leave at approximately 7:50 a.m. and return at 2:30 p.m. at the latest.

Upon motion by Mr. Mitchell and seconded by Mrs. Pollock, item 1) under new business was unanimously approved.

• Board Policies.

Upon motion by Mrs. Dyer and seconded by Mr. Adkins, item 2) under new business was unanimously approved.

• Discussion/action Director of Schools contract.

Prior to the vote on the Director of schools’ contract, Chair Himes stated it was her understanding that when his contract was approved last year it was to extend the contract for another year from July to July. She asked would the board be extending this contract through 2028. Dr. McAbee stated that the law states that no school board can elect to give the director of schools more than a (4) year contract. He stated that the board could approve his contract one of two ways. He further stated that a motion could be made to extend the contract by a year which would mean that it would go through September 2028, or you could motion to extend it through July 2028 Chair Himes suggested that we keep the July-to-July contract. Dr. McAbee stated that if the board approved the contact that it would give him a 3-year and 8-month contract. Dr. McAbee stated that the board could not have voted on his contract in July because of the state law regarding contracts being renewed during election time, 45 days prior or 30 days after an election. Mrs. Pollock made the motion to extend Dr. McAbee’s contract through June 30, 2028, and the motion was seconded by Mrs. Dyer and was unanimously approved. Dr. McAbee thanked the board for their confidence in him being the Director of Schools.

• Election of two board members to represent Lewis County at the annual TSBA Conference and Convention in November.

Prior to the vote on item 4), Mr. Mitchell stated that he would like to table this item until the next election. His reasoning was that with the increase in our student enrollment that includes the VSVA students we should have at least three delegates. He stated that he had talked with Angela Leigh, and she was going to contact TSBA about getting this verified. Mr. Mitchell made a motion and was seconded by Mrs. Dyer to table item 4) under new business until next month’s meeting was unanimously approved.

• Election of Board Chair and Vice-Chair

Chair Himes turned the meeting over to Vice-Chair Dyer to accept nominations for board chair. Mrs. Dyer opened the floor for nominations for board chair. Mrs. Atkinson stated that she would like to leave the Chair as is and that she thought Mrs. Himes is doing a great job and she nominated Mrs. Himes for board chair. Mrs. Pollock seconded the nomination of Mrs. Himes as board chair. Nominations ceased. Mrs. Himes stated that she would gladly accept the nomination for board chair. Mrs. Dyer asked to approve the nomination. All board members agreed unanimously to approve Mrs. Himes as board chair.

Chair Himes opened the floor for nominations for Vice-Chair. Mrs. Pollock made a motion to keep Mrs. Dyer as Vice-Chair. Mr. Adkins seconded the nomination. Mrs. Dyer accepted the nomination and the board members unanimously approved Mrs. Dyer as the Vice-Chair to the board.

• Add-on: amend 24-25 School calendar with the following changes:

• October 4, 2024, will be an administrative day (no students)

• May 16, 2024, will be high school graduation date @7:00 p.m.

• Remove May 29, 2024, as an administrative day.

Upon motion by Mr. Mitchell and seconded by Mr. Adkins, item 6) under new business was unanimously approved.

• Add-on:

• Discussion/action substitute nurse pay.

Sasha Powers informed the board that she currently has only one substitute nurse and that she is recruiting to get more and would like to see the substitute nurse’s pay to increase. She stated that the substitute nurses are currently receiving $112.00 per day, and she would like to increase this to $150.00 per day. Chair Himes stated that she had concerns about the difference in pay for a RN versus an LPN substitute nurse. Mr. Mitchell stated that he thought that there was a differential pay scale for the nurses and was wondering if there could be a differential pay scale for RN and LPN substitute nurses. Mrs. Powers stated that since the substitute teachers’ pay increased about 25%, she thought that would be reasonable for the substitute nurses’ pay to increase. After much discussion, Mr. Mitchell stated that for now he would like to see the increase to $150 per day for substitute nurses be approved and Chair Himes stated that the board could discuss the differential pay scale at their next board retreat. Upon motion by Mr. Mittchell and seconded by Mrs. Pollock, the increase in substitute nurses pay was unanimously approved.

• Add-on:

• Approve out of state travel to the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi to attend SEC volleyball game between University of Tennessee and University of Mississippi. Players will leave Lewis County at 2 p.m. Friday, October 4th and will return to Lewis County on Saturday afternoon, October 5, 2024.

Upon motion by Mr. Mitchell and seconded by Mr. Adkins, item 8) under new business was unanimously approved

Announcements

Mrs. Dyer stated that she has received a thank you from Kayla Harris for the loss of her mother Wanda Holloway and Jan Ammons for the loss of her brother Johnny Garrett for the condolences gifts that they have received from the board for the recent loss of their loved ones.

Mrs. Atkinson wanted to make mention of and to congratulate Dr. McAbee on being appointed to the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation.

Chair Himes stated that the next regular scheduled meeting will fall on October 8, 2024, which is during Fall Break and asked board members if this meeting date needs to be changed. After a brief discussion, board members agreed to change the next meeting date to October 1, 2024, and there will be a workshop at 5:30 pm.

Stacy Smith, Principal of the Volunteer State Virtual Academy, stated that she is expecting to have approximately 2000 students by next week.

Adjourn

Upon motion by Mr. Mitchell and seconded by Mrs. Spicer, the meeting was adjourned at 6:47 p.m.