Kingsport City Schools

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BOE Meeting Notes - July 11, 2023

The Kingsport City Schools Board of Education held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.  Several key items were discussed, including:
 
  • The swearing in of new Board member Tim Dean, who has been appointed to fill the unexpired term of Jim Welch;
  • The annual reading of the Boardsmanship Standards/Code of Ethics;
  • Recognition of retiring Board member Jim Welch, in appreciation for his service to the KCS community;
  • Approval of a renewal agreement to provide substitute staffing services for KCS;
  • Disbursement of insurance payments related to winter water damage remediation at the Tribe Athletic Complex;
  • Acceptance of a grant from Ballad Health; 
  • Designation of Dome Technology as a sole source sub-contractor for work within the Buck Van Huss Dome renovation project; 
  • Approval of an agreement for a new content filtering solution for KCS technology;
  • Approval of 2023-24 KCS Budget Amendment #1; and
  • Approval of two Board Policies on first reading.
Meeting Audio
Detailed Meeting Notes

CALL TO ORDER

The Pledge of Allegiance was led this evening by Pablo Rutledge, a rising 8th grader at Robinson Middle School.  Pablo is the son of Curtis and Elvira Rutledge.
 
At the start of this evening's meeting, newly appointed Board member Tim Dean was sworn in by Kingsport Deputy City Recorder Angie Marshall.  Mr. Dean was appointed by the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen to fill the unexpired term of  Jim Welch that expires on August 31, 2024.  
 
Also this evening, as is done annually by the Board, members read aloud the Boardsmanship Standards/Code of Ethics, as recommended by the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA).  Policy 1.2021 - Boardsmanship Code of Conduct incorporates the code into the Kingsport City Schools policy and specifies that this policy will be read aloud annually at the July Board meeting.  School Boards across the state adopt these standards as a guide to its members as they provide educational leadership in Tennessee.

Recognitions

Retiring Board member Jim Welch received two recognitions this evening, in appreciation for his service to the KCS community.
  • Kingsport Mayor Pat Shull provided a special recognition to Mr. Welch for his service. 
    • Mayor Shull presented Mr. Welch a commendation and a copy of the Mayor's Coin, a symbol of special recognition from the City of Kingsport.  
  • KCS Superintendent Dr. Chris Hampton presented Mr. Welch with the Champion of Education award, the top honor bestowed on a community member by the district in recognition for outstanding service to and support for Kingsport City Schools.
    • Mr. Welch served on the Kingsport Board of Education from July 2019 to June 2023, serving as the Board President from July 2020 - June 2022.  He was a teacher at Ross N. Robinson Middle School for over 30 years and inducted into the Kingsport City Schools Hall of Fame in 2020.
Board Vice President Dr. Brandon Fletcher recognized Dobyns-Bennett High School relay team members Caleb Hagood, Luke Mussard, Dane Sullins, and Gavin Thomas for winning the Class AAA Boys 4x800 meter relay at the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Unified Track & Field State Championships at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on May 25, 2023.  
  • The relay team also broke the 4x800 D-B school record that had stood for 52 years.  Their time of 7:50.76 was an all-time top-five time in the State of Tennessee.
 
D-B Relay Team

business items

David Frye, Chief Finance Officer, presented a recommendation of an addendum to the agreement with ESS South Central, LLC (f/k/a ESS Southeast, LLC), for substitute staffing services for Kingsport City Schools.  
  • ESS specializes in providing qualified staff for positions such as substitute teachers and other school support staff for daily, long-term, and permanent assignments.  
  • After review and discussion, the Board approved the agreement by a vote of 4-0 (Byers absent). 
Dr. Hampton provided information to the Board regarding the disbursement of insurance funds related to water damage remediation that occurred at the Tribe Athletic Complex.
  • Due to water leaks caused by frozen/burst sprinkler lines on Christmas 2022, restoration work was done by C&C Restoration Inc.
  • KCS has received funds from Traveler’s Insurance in the sum of $1,195,063.09 to pay for such work.  An insurance payment of $400,000 was previously submitted to C&C Restoration Inc.
  • The insurance sum this evening of $745,063.09, along with $25,000 from the School Risk Account (the deductible) and $50,000 from a previous insurance payment, will yield a total disbursement of $820,063.09 recommended for approval tonight, which requires Board of Education and Board of Mayor and Aldermen approval.  This would bring the total paid to C&C Restoration Inc. to approximately $1,220,063.09.
  • After review, the Board voted 4-0 to release $820,063.09 to C&C Restoration, Inc.
    • $745,063.09 of insurance funds from Traveler's Insurance.
    • $25,000 from the School Risk Account.
    • $50,000 from a previous insurance payment.
Mr. Frye presented information regarding a one-time donation of $4,300 by Ballad Health to establish a reset/calming room at John Sevier Middle School.  
  • Ballad also intends to support ongoing needs related to the room throughout the school year.
  • After review, the Board voted 4-0 to accept the grant from Ballad Health.  
Mr. Frye presented information recommending approval of Dome Technology as a Sole Source Sub-Contractor for the Buck Van Huss Dome renovation project at Dobyns-Bennett High School.  
  • City of Kingsport Code of Ordinance Sec 2-599 states that a contract may be awarded for a supply, equipment, service, or construction item without competition when the city manager, or designee, determines in writing that there is only one source for the required supply, equipment, service or construction item.   
  • Mr. Frye and the Board reviewed the several reasons for the need to have Dome Technology as the Sole Source Sub-Contractor for the dome portion of the project.  
  • The full project will be competitively bid to a General Contractor with an award anticipated in August 2023.
  • After review, the Board voted 4-0 to designate Dome Technology as a sole source sub-contractor for the dome portion of the Buck Van Huss Dome renovation project. 
Mr. Frye presented a recommendation to purchase ContentKeeper from Central Technologies.
  • The recommendation from the KCS Technology Department is to implement this new content filtering solution due to numerous network issues with the current vendor. 
  • ContentKeeper offers a more robust and efficient approach to content filtering than the current vendor and is capable of handling a significantly higher amount of network traffic.
  • The purchase would be paid for using the TIPS-USA Contract for a one-year total price of $85,997.45. 
  • After review, the Board voted 3-1 to approve the contract with Central Technologies.
Mr. Frye presented 2023-24 KCS Budget Amendment #1 for review and approval.
  • The Budget amendment covers items related to several donations and disbursement of insurance proceeds.
  • Click below to view the full amendment memo.
  • After review, the Board approved Budget Amendment #1 by a vote of 4-0.
Dr. Andy True, Assistant Superintendent - Administration, presented two revised Board policies for review and approval.
  • 6.317 - Student Disciplinary Hearing Authority
    • At the request of KCS administrative staff, a revision is requested clarifying the role of the Student
      Disciplinary Hearing Authority’s purpose, as it relates to holding disciplinary appeal hearings.
  • 6.319 - Alternative School Programs
    • At the request of KCS administrative staff, a revision is requested regarding placement procedures in
      alternative school programs and transportation to alternative school programs.
  • After review, the Board approved the revisions by a vote of 4-0.
The next session of the Board of Education will be a work session on Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at 6 p.m.  The work session will take place in the Tennessee Room of the Administrative Support Center (400 Clinchfield Street).
KCS has been ranked the "#1 Best Place to Teach in Tennessee" by the 2023 NICHE Best Schools Ranking and the City of Kingsport has been voted as the "Nicest Places in America" in the October 2022 Reader's Digest.
 
For more information visit www.k12k.com, listen live on WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, or call the KCS Administrative Support Center at (423) 378.2100. We’re social too; follow us on Facebook (kcsdistrict), Instagram (kcs__district), Twitter (@kcs__district), LinkedIn (kcsdistrict), and check out our YouTube Channel (@kcs__district).