• A report on the Transition School-to-Work Program at Dobyns-Bennett High School;
• Recognition of the Johnson Elementary School first grade student whose artwork was chosen for the KCS 2016 holiday card;
• Recognition of the John Sevier Middle School Boys and Girls Cross Country teams for winning 2016 State Championships;
• Recognition of Dobyns-Bennett football coach Graham Clark for his induction into the 2016 Tennessee Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame;
• Recognition of the Dobyns-Bennett Marching Band for their outstanding performance in 2016, including a finals appearance in the Bands of America Grand National Championship;
• Consideration and approval of thirty-three KCS teachers for tenure;
• Approval of Honors and Advanced Placement courses for 2017-2018;
• Approval of E-Rate processing and consulting services agreement for 2017-2018;
• Approval of an amendment to the 2016-17 KCS Budget;
• Consideration and approval of a professional services agreement regarding a facility assessment and plans related to renovations to the current Sullivan North High School;
• Consideration and approval of revisions to KCS Board of Education policies;
• Approval of a request to exclude fall semester 2016 End of Course exam scores from calculation of final grades.

CALL TO ORDER

STUDENT FOCUS REPORT

• The grant funded program is a partnership between Kingsport City Schools, local businesses, and the Tennessee Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services/Vocational Rehabilitation. 
• The two-fold goal of TSW is to provide students with opportunities to develop work skills and connections with employers that they might not otherwise develop on their own or within traditional classroom experiences, and to create a smooth and seamless transition from high school to post-secondary employment.
• Current TSW business partners include Food City, Walgreens, Golden Corral, and Shoney's.
• Eighteen students at D-B participate in off-site, work-based learning.
• Day-to-day experiences include work-readiness workshops, spending time on the job, and learning to navigate using KATS transportation. 
• Students who complete two years of work experience in the TSW program can be eligible for a Tennessee Occupational Diploma, a certificate reflecting the student's acquired work skills and success rates while on the job.

RECOGNITIONS

• The card was sent to elected officials (state and local), select community members, members of local Boards, and other administrative personnel.
• Dr. Ailshie presented Brylee with a framed copy of her artwork, which served as the cover of the 2016 KCS holiday card. She was also given printed copies of the holiday card as a keepsake.

• The Boys team earned their first-ever State crown with a score of 48, topping 2nd place Mount Juliet Middle School by 16 points.  Team members were Joe Neglia, Jackson Farr, Justyn Knittel, Will Everett, Dana Sullins, Eric McReynolds, and Jermone Jarjoura.  
• The Lady Warriors won their third straight State championship, posting a team score of 58 to 2nd place Oakland Middle School's 97 points.  Team members were Morgan Cordell, Jaden Potts, Macee Pickup, Autumn Headrick, Sarah Smith, Olivia Doran, and Emma True. 

• Coach Clark is in his 40th year of coaching, including 35 years at D-B, his alma mater.
• He has been the Indians head coach for 24 years.
• During his tenure, D-B has accumulated a record of 222-60 and reached the playoffs in his 23 previous seasons.
• During the playoffs, Clark's teams have made seven trips to the quarterfinals and three trips to the semifinals.

• On October 15, 2016, D-B was named Grand Champion at the Bands of America competition in Winston-Salem, NC.  This  took place at the BB&T Stadium on the campus of Wake Forest University.
• During the next round of competition, the Super Regional Championships at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on October 29, the band was named Class AAA champion and received a "caption sweep."  
  • The caption sweep was achieved by D-B being awarded Most Outstanding Music, Most Outstanding Visual Effect, and Most Outstanding General Effect in its class at this prestigious and highly competitive event.  This accomplishment was a first for Dobyns-Bennett and a first among all bands in Tennessee in the Super Regionals.
  • In the Super Regional finals competition among the 12 highest-placing bands, D-B received the award for Most Outstanding Music among all classes and finished third overall, the school's highest placement ever at this event.  At the 2015 Super Regionals, D-B captured fourth place among all finalists, its second highest placement at the finals in school history.
• At the Bands of America Grand National Championships on November 12, 2016 in Indianapolis, IN (Lucas Oil Stadium), the DBHS marching Indians reached the finals for the first time in the history of the school.  
  • The 13th place finish also marked the first time a Tennessee band performed at the finals since 1997.

BUSINESS ITEMS

• A teacher is eligible for tenure only after attaining both of the following statutory requirements:
  • Serve five school years or not less than 45 months within a seven-year period as a probationary teacher in KCS; and
  • Receive evaluations demonstrating an overall performance effectiveness level of "above" or "significantly above" expectations provided by the evaluation guidelines adopted by the State Board of Education during the last two years of the teacher's probationary period.
• Following review and consideration, the Board voted 4-0 to approve tenure for the current slate of eligible educators.
• Prior to tonight's Board meeting, a reception was held in honor of those teachers eligible for tenure during this vote.

• The agreement specifies the work included in this phase and expected costs associated with each facet.
  • Facility assessment ($5,000), middle school programming ($2,500), and conceptual plans/budget ($12,500) are all included in this phase of work.
• Funding for this phase was covered in the approved Budget Amendment #4.
• After review and consideration, the Board approved the agreement for Perkins+Will by a vote of 4-0.