Kingsport City Schools

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BOE Meeting Notes - September 10, 2024

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The Kingsport City Schools Board of Education held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.  Several key items were discussed, including:
  • The swearing in of new Board members Jamie Jackson and Dr. Phillip Marshall, as well as reelected Board member Todd Golden;
  • Recognition of two Dobyns-Bennett students for achieving a perfect score on the ACT;
  • Recognition of D-B teacher Bryan Kerns for being named the 2024-25 State of Tennessee Teacher of the Year;
  • Approval of an agreement to participate in the Project On-Track tutoring program;
  • Denial of a student enrollment request;
  • Board action to affirm a decision made by the Student Disciplinary Hearing Authority; and
  • Approval of several Board Policies on first reading.
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Meeting Livestream and Audio
 
Click here to view the archived livestream of tonight's meeting.
Detailed Meeting Notes

CALL TO ORDER

The Pledge of Allegiance was led this evening by Colton Little and Lane Smith.  Colton and Lane are Kindergarten students at John Adams Elementary School.
 
Following the Pledge of Allegiance, Deputy City Recorder Angie Marshall was present to swear-in newly elected Board members Jamie Jackson and Dr. Phillip Marshall, as well as reelected Board member Todd Golden.  
 
As required by Policy, members of the Board then read aloud Policy 1.2021 - Boardsmanship Code of Conduct.  The Code, as recommended by the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA), shall be the guide for the Board of Education of Kingsport City Schools.

Recognitions

Board Member Todd Golden recognized Dobyns-Bennett High School seniors Rishab Dey and Claire Li for achieving a perfect composite score of 36 on the March 2024 ACT assessment.
  • Nationally, approximately one-quarter of one percent of students who take the ACT earn a perfect score. The ACT national average composite score was 19.5 in 2023.
  • The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading, and science, each scored on a scale of 1-36. A student's composite score is the average of the four test scores. 
 
Board President Melissa Woods recognized D-B Mathematics and Fire Management Services teacher Bryan Kerns for being named the 2024-25 State of Tennessee Teacher of the Year.
  • Mr. Kerns received the award during the Tennessee Department of Education's annual Excellence in Education celebration in Nashville on August 23, 2024.
  • Mr. Kerns has spent 17 years of his 20-year teaching career as an Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 teacher at D-B. He also created the D-B Fire Management Services program, which includes the D-B Prescribed Fire team and full progression of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Fire Management Services courses.
  • As the 2024-2025 Tennessee Teacher of the Year, Mr. Kerns will represent Tennessee in the National Teacher of the Year competition and serve as an ambassador for education in the state throughout the 2024-2025 school year.

business items

David Frye, Chief Finance Officer, presented for consideration an agreement with the Niswonger Foundation for Project On-Track, a tutoring program for students in grades 1-8.
  • Project On-Track provides literacy and math tutoring for students in grades 1-8 who are struggling with mastery of grade-level academic skills and standards.
  • A budget of $149,476.00 will provide tutoring to students at Adams, Kennedy, Lincoln, and Roosevelt Elementary Schools, as well as Sevier Middle School.  
  • After review, the Board voted 5-0 to approve the Project On-Track agreement with the Niswonger Foundation.
    • Dr. Brian Cinnamon, Chief Academic Officer - Secondary, and Dr. Holly Flora, Chief Academic Officer - Elementary, will serve as the overall project coordinators for Project On-Track activities. The approved partnership is expected to run from September 1, 2024 through July 31, 2025.  
Jim Nash, Chief Student Services Officer, shared information with the Board regarding an enrollment request by a student who had been expelled from a neighboring state.
  • Per Tennessee state law, the Board may consider whether or not to approve such a request.
  • Following review, the Board voted 5-0 to deny the presented enrollment request.
Mr. Nash presented information to the Board regarding a recent Student Disciplinary Hearing Authority (SDHA) placement decision and requested appeal. 
  • Following the hearing and in alignment with KCS Policy 6.317 - Student Disciplinary Hearing Authority, a parent request was made to the Board appealing the SDHA decision.
  • Per policy 6.317, the Board has the option to review the record and:
    • affirm the decision of the hearing authority; or
    • modify the decision to a lesser penalty; or
    • grant a hearing before the Board.
  • The Board voted 5-0 to affirm the decision of the SDHA. 
Dr. Andy True, Assistant Superintendent - Administration, presented several Board policies for consideration on first reading.
  • The potential Policy revisions discussed this evening were from Board Policy Manual Section 3 (Support Services) and Section 5 (Personnel).  
    The proposed Policy revisions are necessary due to changes in state law during the 2024 Tennessee legislative session.
  • 3.202 - Emergency Preparedness Plan
  • 3.400 - Student Transportation Management
  • 5.307 - Physical Assault Leave
  • 5.701 - Classified Substitutes
  • After review, the Board voted 5-0 to approve the policy revisions.
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The next session of the Board of Education will be a work session on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 6 p.m.  The work session will take place in the Tennessee Room of the Administrative Support Center (400 Clinchfield Street).
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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), and check out our YouTube Channel (@kcs__district).