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2020-21 Board of Education Meeting/Work Session Notes » BOE Meeting Notes - January 12, 2021

BOE Meeting Notes - January 12, 2021

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The Kingsport City Schools Board of Education held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, January 12, 2021.  Several key items were discussed, including:
  • The determination that meeting electronically was necessary due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
  • A welcome to new Board member Mr. Tim Dean;
  • Approval of several grants being awarded by the Kingsport City Schools Education Foundation;
  • Approval of professional services agreements for the design of playground improvements at Johnson and Lincoln Elementary Schools;
  • Approval of professional services agreements for the design of cooling tower and electrical switchgear replacements at Dobyns-Bennett High School;
  • Approval of an extension to emergency leave for COVID-19 through March 31, 2021;
  • Approval of a resolution suspending portions of Board Policies 4.600 and 4.700; and
  • An update regarding the KCS operating status related to COVID-19. 
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Meeting Audio
Detailed Meeting Notes

CALL TO ORDER

At the beginning of this evening's meeting, the Board welcomed Mr. Tim Dean as a new member of the Board.  Mr. Dean has been sworn-in by the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen to complete the term of long-time Board member Mrs. Carrie Upshaw, who recently passed away after a lengthy illness. 
  • Mr. Dean has previously served on the KCS Board of Education from 2001-2005.  His current service on the Board fills the position that will be on the ballot in the May 2021 Kingsport municipal election.
 
The Pledge of Allegiance was led this evening by Andy True, Assistant Superintendent - Administration.
 
Following the Pledge, the Board made a determination that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary to hold tonight's meeting electronically to protect the health, safety, and welfare of participants and observers. By a roll-call response, the Board voted 4-1 that an electronic meeting was necessary.   

business items

Mr. Fred Wallin, a member of the Kingsport City Schools Education Foundation Board of Directors, was present to submit four focus grants for approval. 
  • Upon approval, the grants would be awarded from the Foundation to KCS educators.  Each project was submitted to the Foundation as a part of a competitive grant process:
    • Project Title: Sensory Room Equipment
      Project Designee: Theodore Roosevelt Elementary/Kelly Hernandez
      Funding Agency: Kingsport City Schools Education Foundation, Inc.
      Grant Description: Funds will be used to purchase a Steamroller for students with autism and sensory processing disorders. The equipment allows children to work on motor planning skills, body awareness, and shoulder stability. It is made to accommodate children in grades K-5.
      Amount Requested: $404.70
    • Project Title: Connecting with Circuits
      Project Designee: Andrew Jackson Elementary/Wendy Jones Harrison
      Funding Agency: Kingsport City Schools Education Foundation, Inc.
      Grant Description: Funds will be used to purchase materials to make circuit projects in class that will then be taken home to share with families to extend learning beyond the classroom. Students will design, create, and test their own electrical circuit project. Project examples include light-up greeting cards, origami with light-up features, or structures such as cardboard buildings with working lights.
      Amount Requested: $239.41
    • Project Title: Fire Ecology Research Project
      Project Designee: Dobyns Bennett High School/Bryan Kerns
      Funding Agency: Kingsport City Schools Education Foundation, Inc.
      Grant Description: Funds will be used to purchase tools for a fire ecology research project for the Pulaski Club at DBHS. Tools needed are the Kestrel 3000 Weather Meter and the Indian Smokechaser Collapsible Backpack Firefighting Pump. For this project, the Pulaski Club will partner with AP Biology and Earth Science classes.
      Amount Requested: $320
    • Project Title: PocketTalk Translators
      Project Designee: Sarah Good, ESL Teacher
      Funding Agency: Kingsport City Schools Education Foundation, Inc.
      Grant Description: Funds will be used to purchase one Pocket Talk translator device each for John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt Elementary Schools. Translation is needed for new enrollments, behavior issues, parent phone calls, conferences, and emergency situations. Resolutions are often delayed due to language barriers. Since parents will be able to fully participate in dialogue, parent involvement will increase in school activities. Teachers and administrators will be able to clearly communicate expectations to students and families. The cost is $250 per school to include Pocket Talk devices, screen protectors, and carrying cases.
      Amount Requested: $500.00
  • Following a review of each proposal and additional details provided by the proposing teachers, the Board voted 5-0 to accept the awarding of the grants.
Mr. David Frye, Chief Finance Officer, presented a proposed professional services agreement with Barge Design Solutions to design improvements for the Johnson Elementary School playground.
  • The agreement outlines the scope of work to design a Pre-K play area on the school property, including:
    • The project description; the scope of services; the project understanding, assumptions, and exclusions; the time of performance; client’s responsibilities; deliverables, and compensation.
    • The design consultant compensation would be for an amount not to exceed $23,360, which is inclusive of all labor, expenses and subcontracts to complete all elements of the Services for the Scope of Work.  
  • After review and discussion, the Board approved the contract by a vote of 3-2.
Mr. Frye presented an additional proposed professional services agreement with Barge Design Solutions to design improvements for the Lincoln Elementary School playground.
  • The agreement outlines the scope of work to design a play structure to replace a significant portion of the Lincoln play area, including:
    • The project description; the scope of services; the project understanding, assumptions, and exclusions; the time of performance; client’s responsibilities; deliverables, and compensation.
    • The design consultant compensation would be for an amount not to exceed $27,630, which is inclusive of all labor, expenses and subcontracts to complete all elements of the Services for the Scope of Work.  
  • After review and discussion, the Board approved the contract by a vote of 3-2.
Mr. Frye presented a proposed professional services agreement with Holston Engineering for the Dobyns-Bennett High School cooling tower replacement project.
  • The agreement outlines the scope of work to provide design services to replace the two existing cooling towers at D-B and combine them into one cooling tower.  This work is needed due to the age and deterioration of the current equipment.
    • The work would include mechanical, piping and electrical drawings and specifications, pump specifications, piping diagrams, preparing bid documents, a pre-bid meeting and issuing any addenda during bidding, assisting in the receipt of bids, investigating the low bidder and recommending award of contract, providing contract administration services, shop drawing review, weekly job site visits, monthly progress meetings, review of pay requests, issuing any supplemental drawings, coordinating final construction closeout, observations, electrical connection drawings, and piping connections drawings as needed.
    • The design consultant compensation would be for an amount not to exceed $30,000, which is inclusive of all labor, expenses and subcontracts to complete all elements of the Services for the Scope of Work.  
  • After review and discussion, the Board approved the contract by a vote of 5-0.
Mr. Frye presented an additional proposed professional services agreement with Holston Engineering for the Dobyns-Bennett High School dome and electrical switchgear replacement.
  • The agreement outlines the scope of work to provide design services to replace two existing electrical switchboards, which are original to the D-B construction and are approaching the end of their life cycle.  
  • The work would include electrical drawings and specifications for the new switchgear equipment, preparing the bid documents, a pre-bid meeting and issuing any addenda during bidding, assisting in the receipt of bids, investigating the low bidder(s) and recommending award of contract, providing contract administration services, shop drawing review, weekly job site visits, monthly progress meetings, review of pay requests, issuing any supplemental drawings, coordinating final construction closeout, and observations
    • The design consultant compensation would be for an amount not to exceed $22,500, which is inclusive of all labor, expenses and subcontracts to complete all elements of the Services for the Scope of Work.  It is estimated that the switchgear replacement would take place during the summer of 2021.
  • After review and discussion, the Board approved the contract by a vote of 5-0.
Mrs. Jennifer Guthrie, Chief Human Resources Officer, presented a request to extend optional COVID-19 leave starting January 1, 2021 through March 31, 2021.
  • This optional leave would follow the timeline of the optional extension of the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) through March 31, 2021 by Congress and would follow the same provisions of the FFCRA as originally implemented.  This provides days of leave for various COVID-19 related situations.
  • Following a review, the Board voted 5-0 to approve the proposed extension.
Dr. Andy True, Assistant Superintendent - Administration, and Dr. Brian Cinnamon, Chief Academic Officer - Secondary, presented a resolution for the emergency suspension of portions of Board policy 4.600 - Grading System and 4.700 - Assessment Programs.
  • Regarding 4.600, the measure seeks to have academic progress accurately measured and for students to be held harmless from potentially negative impacts of final exams on student grades due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  As such, the weighting of semester exams would be excluded from students’ final semester grades for the 2020-21 academic school year. Scores on semester examinations administered in the 2020-21 academic school year would be included in students’ final semester grades with a weight of fifteen (15) percent of the student’s final average if inclusion of the semester exam score results in a higher final grade for the student.
  • Regarding 4.700, the measure seeks to have academic progress accurately measured and for students to be held harmless from potentially negative impacts of End of Course Exams on student grades due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  As such, the weighting of EOC Scores would be excluded from students’ final grades for the 2020-21 academic school year if assessment scores are not received by the district at least five (5) days prior to the end of the course.  Scores on end-of-course examinations administered in the 2020-21 academic school year would be included in students’ final grades with a weight of fifteen (15) percent of the student’s final average if inclusion of the End of Course exam score results in a higher final grade for the student.
  • After review, the Board approved the measure by a vote of 5-0.
 

REPORTS

 
Dr. Moorhouse presented a review to the board regarding school system operations and an update on operations for the coming weeks.
  • KCS will continue with virtual instruction for all students through Friday, January 15, 2021.
  • KCS will return to in-person learning on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.
    • All Pre-K - 5th grade students will return to in-person learning at school.
    • 6th - 12th grade students will return to in-person learning utilizing a hybrid schedule (by first letter of last name). Based on feedback gathered throughout the fall semester, the schedule to be utilized is slightly different than the one used during first semester. Students will attend using an “A/B/A/B” schedule, alternating days of attendance. This is being utilized to address concerns regarding the gap of days students were away from in-person learning with the previous model.
    • All RCL students will continue with virtual learning.
  • KCS will continue to take a surgical approach to operations where active cases and quarantining are present in schools.  Using the decision-making protocol found in the KCS Framework for Opening the 2020-21 School Year (Appendix A), changes to school operations may occur at the classroom, grade, or school-level.
  • KCS will continue to coordinate with the Sullivan County Regional Health Department to review information and implement operational structures that provide for the safest and maximum amount of face-to-face learning as possible.
  • It is anticipated that in the coming weeks, two virtual days will need to be utilized to allow for KCS staff to receive doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.  That information will be publicized as soon as it is determined.
1-12 Operating Status
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The next meeting of the Board of Education will be a work session on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 6 p.m.  The meeting is scheduled to take place in the Tennessee Room of the Administrative Support Center (400 Clinchfield Street).
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For more information on KCS, visit www.k12k.com, listen live on WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, download our mobile app for Apple/Android devices or call (423) 378.2100. We’re social too; follow us on Facebook (Kingsport City Schools), Twitter (@KCS_District), Instagram (@kcs_district), LinkedIn (Kingsport City Schools), and check out our YouTube Channel (KPTSchools).