The Kingsport City Schools Board of Education held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Several key items were discussed, including:
- Approval of tenure for the KCS educators that have met the requirements during the 2020-21 school year;
- Suspension of the KCS Health and Safety Protocols previously approved by the Board; and
- Approval of 2021-22 Budget Amendment #4.
CALL TO ORDER
The Pledge of Allegiance was led this evening by Roosevelt Elementary School students Lofton Harrison and Hadley Vanover. Lofton and Hadley are in the same 2nd grade class at Roosevelt.
Jennifer Guthrie, Chief Human Resource Officer, presented the list of KCS educators eligible to receive tenure.
- The teachers have met the qualifications for tenure during the 2021-22 school year.
- Information has been provided to Board members regarding the educators' evaluation scores, educator licensure, and attendance.
- The educators recommended for tenure are:
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Elizabeth Ward, Adams
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Makenzie Reeves, Adams
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Emily Cook, Adams
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Leigh Tuell, Dobyns-Bennett
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Evie Lafollette, Dobyns-Bennett
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Callie Tate, Dobyns-Bennett
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Angie Vogt, Dobyns-Bennett
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Zach Fleming, Dobyns-Bennett
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Ben Robertson, Dobyns-Bennett
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Leanne Potente, Dobyns-Bennett
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Hillary Powell, Dobyns-Bennett
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Allison Dowda, Dobyns-Bennett
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Rachel Zollinger, Jackson
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Lexie Brown, Jackson
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Jacklyn Heller, Jackson
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Ian Newbry, Jackson
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Robin Downes, Jackson
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Shelby Burleson, Jefferson
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Vicki Meade, Jefferson
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Meredith Montgomery, Jefferson
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Courtney Bess, Johnson
- Brandi Conkin, Johnson
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Julie Hall, Kennedy
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Callie Jeter, Kennedy
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Taylor Smith, Kennedy
- Emmaline Hilton, Kennedy
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Jaclyn Feldman, Lincoln
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Karen Bear, Washington
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Hensley Hefner, Washington
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Katie Kimbro, DBE
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James Hilton, Sevier
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Jessee McCormick, Sevier
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Daniel Way, Sevier
- Following a brief review, the Board voted 5-0 to grant tenure to the presented educators.
Dr. Andy True, Assistant Superintendent - Administration, and Jim Nash, Chief Student Services Officer, presented the current KCS Health and Safety Protocols for Board discussion.
- The Health and Safety Protocols were approved by the Board at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. An update was last made to the protocols on January 7, 2022 due to a change in state guidance regarding face coverings.
- Mr. Nash and Dr. True reviewed current data regarding attendance and COVID-19 positivity across the district.
- The current 7-day rolling average of new COVID-19 daily cases has dropped significantly, now averaging just 0.4 new cases per day.
- Following the discussion, the Board made a motion to suspend the published health and safety protocols, with any future reinstatement of such protocols only via a majority vote of the Board.
- The Board voted 5-0 to suspend the health and safety protocols effective immediately, March 8, 2022.
David Frye, Chief Finance Officer, presented 2021-22 Budget Amendment #4 for review and approval. Several items were included in the Budget Amendment, including:
General Purpose School Funds:
- High Cost Special Education Funds
- Tennessee Arts Commission Grants
- Washington PTA Donation
- Summer Learning Programs
- Salaries and Benefits Funded by Epidemiology Grant
- Classified Staff Pay Increase
- Fund Balance Appropriation
- Sullivan North/Sevier Middle School Renovation
- Robinson Middle School Cooling Tower
General Project Fund:
- Future School Capital Projects
- School Facilities Upgrades
- Sullivan North to Sevier Middle School Renovations
- Robinson Cooling Tower
Two items of note from Budget Amendment #4:
- During the 2022-23 Budget presentations, it was clear that the main budget priority was to address the pay of the classified employees of Kingsport City Schools. As a result, it is recommended that an initial step be taken during the current year by providing for a 5 percent adjustment to the classified pay scale. It is proposed that this increase in pay would take effect March 7, 2022. This date is the beginning of a pay period. If approved, this increase will be reflected in paychecks beginning on April 1, 2022.
- The opening of sealed bids for the renovation of John Sevier Middle School (the previous Sullivan North HS) is scheduled for March 31, 2022. Once those bids are received, approvals for the project by the KCS Board of Education and the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen will be requested in April. In order for such approvals to be granted, funding for the project will need to be in place. It is recommended that based on projected cost estimates provided by the project architect, a budget funding for the project be established in the amount of $24,200,000 through funding from ESSER funds and the General Project Fund account.
Following discussion and review, the Board voted to approve Budget Amendment #4 by a vote of 5-0.
The next meeting of the Board of Education will be a joint work session with the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. The regular Board work session will follow at 6 p.m. The work sessions will take place in the Tennessee Room of the Administrative Support Center (400 Clinchfield Street).
For more information on KCS, visit
www.k12k.com, listen live on WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, read our blog, We Are 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), Instagram (
@kcs_district), Twitter (
@KCS_District), LinkedIn (
Kingsport City Schools), and check out our YouTube Channel (
KPTSchools).
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