The Kingsport City Schools Board of Education held a called meeting and work session on Thursday, September 17, 2015. Several key items were discussed, including:
- Approval of a contract agreement for a required actuarial service.
- Discussion of a possible recommendation to the Tennessee School Boards Association on the timing of tenure approvals.
- An update on the KCS 1:1 technology deployment.
Mr. David Frye, Chief Finance Officer, reviewed an agreement with the Howard E. Nyhart Company, Inc. for actuarial services for fiscal years 2015, 2016, and 2017.
- This service is required by law due to Kingsport City Schools now having a self-funded health insurance plan.
- The services provided are related to future post-employment benefits, including health and life insurance offered to retirees.
- The City of Kingsport also utilizes the same company to provide this service.
- Cost for a three-year term will be a total of $14,000 ($5,750 for the first and third years and $2,500 for the second year).
- Years one and three will include a full evaluation, while year two will be an interim evaluation.
- The Board approved the agreement by a vote of 5-0.
Mrs. Susan Lodal, Board Vice-President, introduced a suggestion for submission to the Tennessee School Boards Association regarding the timing and logistics of the tenure process.
- The TSBA annually requests that local school boards suggest items and issues of concern related to educational legislation. These items may be presented for future legislative review.
- The discussed suggestion would request consideration of a change to when tenure recommendations are brought before local school boards for review and approval.
- Changes to tenure law requirements, including components of the evaluation process and when state test results are returned, can make it difficult for districts to appropriately hire teachers and for school boards to have the time to adequately consider tenure decisions.
- A proposed draft recommendation to the TSBA is under development and may be considered at the October Board meeting.
Mr. John Payne, Director of Technology, provided an update on the current technology initiative, including the 1:1 student device deployment.
- Device deployment began in January 2015 as a pilot with all KCS 6th grade students, and resumed for this year's 6th graders during the summer of 2015.
- Deployment to D-B and D-B EXCEL students started this week and will continue through the start of next week.
- Deployment to current 8th graders is expected to start the last week of September/first week of October.
- Assistant Superintendent Dory Creech also provided a review of the instructional changes occurring across the district, including the supports, resources utilized, and adjustments underway that utilize the new student devices.
The Board of Education will hold a joint work session with the Sullivan County Board of Education on Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 6 p.m. The work session will take place at Northeast State Community College.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be on Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place in the Tennessee Room of the Administrative Support Center (400 Clinchfield Street).
Read and follow our blog, "
We Are KCS" to learn more about the great people and programs of Kingsport City Schools. Check it out at
WeAreKCS.com.
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