BOE Meeting Notes - November 7, 2017

The Kingsport City Schools Board of Education held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. Several key items were discussed, including:
  • A report on "Girl Power," a student empowerment club at Jackson Elementary;
  • Recognition of a Dobyns-Bennett senior for receiving a statewide student achievement award from the Tennessee School Boards Association;
  • Acceptance of the 2017-18 KCS Strategic Plan;
  • Consideration and approval of one new Board policy and two policy revisions;
  • Consideration and approval of a waiver regarding first-right-of-refusal on available space at the Kingsport Press Building; and
  • Review of the KCS 1st Quarter Financial Report for FY 2017-18.
 
Tonight's reports and recognitions were broadcast live on the KCS Facebook Page! Click here to view the video from tonight's meeting.
Meeting Audio
Detailed Meeting Notes

CALL TO ORDER

The Pledge of Allegiance was led this evening by John Sevier Middle School students Emmett, Florence, Michael, and George Wissert.  George is a 7th grader and Emmett, Florence, and Michael are 6th graders.  They are the children of Robert and Laura Wissert.

COMMUNITY INTEREST REPORT

Mrs. Carla Casey and Mrs. Whitney Gibson, 2nd grade teachers and sponsors of the Girl Power Club at Jackson Elementary, provided a report on the club and the opportunity it provides for girls to come together to celebrate their individuality. 

  • The Girl Power Club seeks to empower every young woman to be a powerful voice in her community, with an emphasis on developing self-esteem and setting personal goals in order to develop tomorrow's leaders.
  • This club is open to girls in 2nd grade and 5th grade at Jackson.
    • Girls in 2nd grade celebrate individuality, learn the importance of having a voice in the school and community, and setting goals to grow as leaders.  The focus for 2nd grade girls is to "Be who you are!"
    • Girls in 5th grade meet after school and are mentored through relationships with female leaders in the community.  Discussions range from personal hygiene and appearance to topics such as handling peer pressure, maintaining a positive attitude, and persevering through hard work.  Each 5th grade girl is provided an outfit suitable for 5th grade graduation.

RECOGNITIONS

Mrs. Susan Lodal, Board President, recognized Dobyns-Bennett senior Karli Ailshie for being selected as the 2017 winner of the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) Student Recognition Award for the State of Tennessee.
  • This award is given annually by the TSBA to a student who has achieved distinction in the areas of academics, community leadership, and engagement.  Prior to be selected as the statewide winner, Miss Ailshie had been selected as the winner for the Northeast Region. 
  • Karli, the daughter of Lyle and Vanessa Ailshie, is currently ranked #1 in her graduating class at D-B.
  • Miss Ailshie serves on the Women's Symphony Committee (affiliated with Symphony of the Mountains), is co-president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and serves as president of the Health Occupations Students of America school chapter.
  • Karli volunteers with First Baptist Church, Indian Path Medical Center, and the Children's Advocacy Center of Moshiem.  
  • She plans to attend Duke University and major in Biochemistry.
  • Karli was announced as the statewide award winner at the TSBA Annual Convention in Nashville on November 4, 2017. 

BUSINESS ITEMS

Mr. Michael Hubbard, Director of Performance Excellence, reviewed the proposed 2017-18 KCS Strategic Plan with the Board for consideration and acceptance.  
  • The Strategic Plan is a compilation of work conducted throughout the 2016-17 year in an effort to systematize the plan's structure and better align initiatives throughout the district with the KCS Guiding Tenets.
  • The Strategic Plan has four measurable long-term outcomes: 3rd grade reading, high school readiness, college readiness, and career readiness.
  • Each outcome is related to one or more of the KCS district goals, as found in the Guiding Tenets.  Each has multiple objectives set forth to ensure the outcomes are met in a timely manner.
  • Each objective then has one or more strategic initiatives which include action steps to be achieved by the action team, objective owner, and objective sponsor.
 
Following a review, the Board accepted the 2017-18 KCS Strategic Plan by a vote of 5-0.
Board member Mr. Todd Golden and Assistant Superintendent - Administration Mr. Andy True reviewed one new and two existing policies for Board consideration.
  • Policy 2.703 - Audits is a new policy to specify corrective action steps and requirements for LEAs with findings in their annual audits.
  • Policy 3.202 - Emergency Preparedness Plans is an existing policy revised to comply with state law regarding safety and required annual drills.
  • Policy 3.400 - Student Transportation Management is an existing policy revised to comply with state law regarding the basic duties of a transportation supervisor and processes for receiving and resolving to safety complaints.
 
After review and consideration, the Board voted 5-0 to approve all three policies on First Reading. The new policy (2.703) will now be considered on Second and Final Reading at the December Board meeting.  All other policies in Section 2 - Fiscal Management of the KCS Policy Manual were affirmed with no changes on tonight's meeting's Consent Agenda as part of the Board's Policy review.
Mr. David Frye, Chief Financial Officer, reviewed information regarding an offer received by Cayenne Rental Properties to purchase approximately 4,260 square feet of space located on the 3rd floor of the Kingsport Press Building.  The City of Kingsport/KCS, per the current lease agreement for D-B EXCEL, has first right of refusal for all unoccupied space on the 3rd floor of the building.
  • The cost for purchasing this space would be $50 per square foot for a total of $213,000. 
  • After discussions with key stakeholders throughout KCS, administration is recommending to not exercise the option to purchase this particular space.
  • The City of Kingsport/KCS maintains the first right of refusal for all other remaining space on the 3rd floor.
 
After review and consideration, the Board agreed to waive the right of first refusal for this 4,260 square feet of 3rd floor space at the Press Building by a vote of 5-0.  In addition, by virtue of the vote, the Board authorized Dr. Dwain Arnold, Interim Superintendent of Schools, to sign the waiver on behalf of the district.

REPORTS

Mr. David Frye reviewed the 1st quarter financial report for FY 2017-18.  At this point in the fiscal year, expenditures are roughly 21% of the budget, which is in line with estimates.
  • It is anticipated that KCS will receive State BEP growth funds again this year since the 1st 20-day attendance report shows a 2.5% increase over last year.
  • The KCS portion of current year property taxes from Sullivan and Hawkins counties is expected to be more than $2 million less than the original estimate, with BEP growth funds and a positive ADA adjustment to offset some of this shortfall.  Movement from the Unreserved Funds Balance to KCS will likely also be required to offset the remainder of the shortfall.
  • Receipts from sales taxes are 5.2% higher than during the 1st quarter of FY 2016-17.
  • Fees collected from Early Childhood programs are more than $12,000 above last year, while fees collected from After-School programs have yielded a surplus of more than $13,000 after incurred expenses.
  • The shortfall in Sullivan County property tax revenue, approved by the Sullivan County Commission earlier in the year, continues to be watched closely with future budget amendments expected to deal with the outcome. As a result of this shortfall, phone system upgrades and purchase of new teacher laptops remains "on hold."
The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at 6 p.m.  The meeting will take place in the Tennessee Room of the Administrative Support Center (400 Clinchfield Street).
Read and follow our blog, "We Are KCS" to learn more about the great people and programs of Kingsport City Schools. Check it out at www.WeAreKCS.com.