The Kingsport City Schools Board of Education held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Several key items were discussed, including:
- Recognition of Dobyns-Bennett High School students who have been named All-State in band, orchestra, and chorus this year;
- Recognition of John Sevier Middle School Assistant Principal Melissa Seaver for being named the 2024 Tennessee National Outstanding Assistant Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP);
- Approval of an adjustment to the contract of Superintendent Dr. Chris Hampton;
- Approval of a contract to purchase student benchmark assessments;
- Approval of the purchase of a 3D virtual dissection table to be used by students at Dobyns-Bennett; and
- Approval of an adjustment to tuition rates for non-Kingsport residents starting with the 2024-25 school year.
Meeting Livestream and Audio
Click here to view the archived livestream of tonight's meeting.
CALL TO ORDER
The Pledge of Allegiance was led this evening by Abel and Boone Marsh. Able and Boone are kindergarteners at John F. Kennedy Elementary School and are the children of Aaron and Brittney Marsh.
Recognitions
Board Member Julie Byers recognized Dobyns-Bennett High School students who have named All-State in band, choir, and orchestra.
- Recognized students included:
- Band
- Ryder Fitzgerald (Clarinet)
- Claire Li (Clarinet)
- Zoe Young (Clarinet)
- Tori Wright (Bassoon)
- Caroline Caveness (Alto Sax)
- Luke Nash (Tenor Sax)
- Alex Batts (Baritone Sax)
- Sam Perdue (Baritone)
- Addie Helms (Baritone)
- Grant Smith (Baritone)
- Mason McCoy (Tuba)
- Joseph-Michael Bellino (Percussion)
- Jackson Haren (Percussion)
- Choir
- Casey Roberts (SATB Choir)
- Orchestra
- Brandon Ng (Double Bass)
- Emily Doyle (Violin)
John Sevier Middle School Assistant Principal Melissa Seaver was recognized for being named the 2024 Tennessee National Outstanding Assistant Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).
- Public school elementary and middle-school assistant principals are nominated by peers in their state and final selections are made by committees appointed by each of the NAESP's state affiliate offices.
- The criteria established by NAESP in awarding the Outstanding Assistant Principal requires the individual:
- Must be a member of NAESP at the time of nomination;
- Is a practicing assistant principal with at least two years of experience in the role;
- Demonstrates exceptional leadership in a particular school program; and
- Is respected by and sets high standards for students, colleagues, parents, and the community.
business items
Melissa Woods, Board President, and Bart Rowlett, Kingsport City Attorney, presented a potential adjustment to the Employment Contract of Superintendent Dr. Chris Hampton.
- The new contract would replace the existing contract beginning June 1, 2024 and run through May 31, 2028.
- After review and discussion, the Board voted 5-0 to approve the new Employment Contract.
David Frye, Chief Finance Officer, and Michael Hubbard, Director of Performance Excellence, presented a recommendation to award a contract purchase student benchmark assessments.
- The proposed agreement would award a contract for a customized benchmark assessment program with Instructure, Inc.
- The benchmark assessments would be used to provide critical student progress information for educators to assist in instructional planning.
- The agreement would be for a not-to-exceed amount of $94,971.
- After review, the Board approved the agreement with Instructure, Inc. by a vote of 5-0.
Mr. Frye and Dr. Bo Shadden, Director of Career & Technical Education and Post-Secondary Education, presented a proposal to purchase an interactive 3D virtual dissection table for Dobyns-Bennett High School.
- The virtual dissection table would provide a high-tech interactive learning opportunity for D-B CTE students in the areas of anatomy and physiology.
- The purchase of the virtual dissection table, produced by Anatomage, would be for $83,550 and would be purchased using the TIPS-USA Contract 230105 and funding would be via the Carl Perkins Grant account.
- After review, the Board approved the purchase by a vote of 5-0.
Jim Nash, Chief Student Services Officer, presented a proposal to adjust the tuition rate for non-Kingsport residents starting with the 2024-25 school year.
- The current tuition fees (unchanged since 2018) are:
- $1,400 per year for Sullivan County residents.
- $2,400 per year for Hawkins County residents.
- $3,400 per year for all other Tennessee counties.
- Kingsport City Schools and City of Kingsport employees currently receive a discount of $700 per year if they reside in Sullivan County and $1,400 per year if they reside in any other Tennessee county.
- To help encourage additional participation, the new proposed rate for non-Kingsport residents that live in Tennessee would be $1,000 per year per student, with KCS and City of Kingsport employees being charged $500 per student.
- Tuition is approved only where room is available by school and grade level.
- Rates would decrease by $50 per year for each additional child in a family ($25 for KCS and City of Kingsport Employees).
- Out of state tuition would remain unchanged at $9,700 per year.
- After review, the Board voted 4-1 to approve the new tuition rate starting with the 2024-25 school year.
- The Board also expressed a desire to continue to review tuition rates for district employees at a future meeting.
The next session of the Board of Education will be a work session on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 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.
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