January 14, 2025 at 6:00 PM - Kingsport City Schools Board of Education Regular Meeting

Description:  Johnson Elementary School students Jack and Stella Marshall will lead the Board of Education and the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Jack is in 1st Grade and Stella is a 4th grader.

Description:  Mrs. Woods will ask for a motion to accept the agenda, which includes the consent agenda. Once the agenda is accepted, the Board mutually agrees not to discuss any item of business or take any action that has not been accepted for the agenda.

Description:  Dr. Brandon Fletcher will recognize eight Dobyns-Bennett High School students who graduated from a certificate program at Northeast State Community College in December 2024. The students are as follows:

- Nathan Amburey, Auto Body Certificate
- Alyson Burke, Industrial Operations Certificate
- Parker DeFord, Industrial Operations Certificate
- Ethan Dinsmore, Combination Welding Certificate
- Jacob Lane, Combination Welding Certificate
- Grant Liverman, Combination Welding Certificate
- Preston McMullins Combination Welding Certificate
- Noah Parks, Industrial Operations Certificate

Northeast State Certificate Programs - Career Academies allow high school students to complete a full program of study, ultimately leading to graduation concurrently from Northeast State Community College and high school. Career Academies are located at the high school, the Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing (RCAM), the Regional Center for Automotive Programs (RCAP), and on the Blountville campus of Northeast State. Students typically begin a Career Academy during their junior year and complete the program by the end of their senior year.

Description:  Mrs. Jamie Jackson will recognize Aliezah Robinson, an 11th grader at Dobyns-Bennett High School, for finishing 6th as an individual in the Girls' Golf State Tournament and being named All-State. The 2024 Class AA Girls' Golf Championship was held at the Sevierville Golf Club, Highland Course, in Sevierville, TN on October 10-11, 2024. The top ten players were named All-State.

Description:  Mrs. Melissa Woods will recognize the Dobyns-Bennett High School Marching Band for recently placing 10th in the 2024 Bands of America Grand National Finals, which took place in Indianapolis, IN on November 16, 2024. The band is a 5-time Bands of America Grand National Finalist and the 2018, 2021, and 2022 Class AAA National Champion.

The band has an annual enrollment of more than 350 students and has performed at all major performance venues and events available to high school bands, including five Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades, four Tournament of Roses Parades, one Presidential Inaugural Parade and appearances by the concert bands in Carnegie Hall, at the Midwest International Band, and Orchestra Clinic. Mr. Lafe Cook, Director of Bands, is in his 24th year directing the Dobyns-Bennett Bands.

Description:  Board member Dr. Phillip Marshall will recognize Dr. Kelley Harrell, principal of Adams Elementary School, for being named the 2024-25 State of Tennessee Principal of the Year. The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) made the announcement during the TDOE's annual Excellence in Education celebration in Nashville on December 6, 2024. The Tennessee Principal of the Year award is awarded annually to a school leader for outstanding service in education and exceptional leadership that drives overall improvements in his or her school. 

Dr. Harrell is in her 21st year as an educator, with five years in Kingsport City Schools. She previously served in Washington County Schools as principal at Ridgeview Elementary School and Boones Creek Elementary School; as an assistant principal at Boones Creek Elementary School and Boones Creek Middle School; and as a District RTI2 coordinator. Dr. Harrell was named Principal of the Year in Washington County in 2017-2018. 

In addition, Dr. Harrell has also served as a mentor principal in the Governor's Academy for School Leadership and the Tennessee Principal Pipeline Partnership. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Education from East Tennessee State University (ETSU), a Master's degree in Education Leadership and Administration from Tusculum College, an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University, and a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from ETSU.

Description: 

This is the time when members of the audience are invited to comment on agenda items.  It is not the time to speak about personnel issues, as there are more appropriate ways in which these can be addressed.  If you are not sure how to do this, please ask a Board member after the meeting.

In your remarks, you may not refer to students by name without permission from the parent or guardian.

If you would like to speak on a topic not included on the agenda, you are asked to submit your request in writing to the Superintendent of Schools at least three (3) business days prior to the scheduled date of the meeting.

If you would like to speak about an item included on the agenda for this meeting, it is requested that you first state your name and limit your remarks to a maximum of three (3) minutes.

Thank you. 

Description:  A new banking resolution has been completed for the Activities Account at Roosevelt Elementary School due to a staffing change in the Secretary/Bookkeeper role.

Description:  Mr. David Frye, Chief Finance Officer, has submitted a list of multiple donations from various sources received by Kingsport City Schools. The total of all the individual school donation receipts is $143,772.02. 

Description: 

Mrs. Jennifer Guthrie, Chief Human Resources Officer, reports that 18 KCS educators meet the requirements for tenure at the end of the 2023-24 school year due to their length of service and LOE scores.  Board approval is recommended.  Folders with evaluation scores, educator licensure and attendance information on these employees are available for viewing prior to the BOE meeting.  

Tenure Criteria:

49-5-503. Tenure.

Any teacher who meets all the following requirements is eligible for "tenure":
(1) Has a degree from an approved four-year college or any career and technical teacher who has the equivalent amount of training established and licensed by the state board of education;
(2) Holds a valid teacher license, issued by the state board of education, based on training covering the subjects or grades taught;
(3) Has completed a probationary period of five (5) school years or not less than forty-five (45) months within the last seven-year period, the last two (2) years being employed in a regular teaching position rather than an interim teaching position;
(4) Has received evaluations demonstrating a level of overall effectiveness of "above expectations" or "significantly above expectations" as provided in the evaluation guidelines and rules adopted by the state board of education pursuant to § 49-1-302, during the last two (2) years of the probationary period; provided, however, that a teacher who has met all other requirements for tenure eligibility but has not acquired an official evaluation score during the last one (1) or two (2) years of the probationary period due to an approved extended leave; transfer to another school or position within the school district; unavailable data due to the cancellation of Tennessee comprehensive assessment program (TCAP) tests as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; or invalidated data due to a successful local level evaluation grievance pursuant to § 49-1-302(d)(2)(A) may utilize the most recent two (2) years of available evaluation scores achieved during the probationary period to meet the provisions of this subdivision (4); and
(5) Is reemployed by the director of schools for service after the probationary period.

The educators recommended for tenure are as follows:


 

Description:  Mrs. Woods will review a resolution opposing the Education Freedom Act Scholarship/School Vouchers bill for Board consideration.