October 17, 2019 at 5:30 PM - Bradley County Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  Mr. Weathers welcomed Mr. Tom Cloud from Cleveland City Schools Board and Chairman Mike Bevins from Athens City Schools Board to the Board meeting.  The Board works to keep the Board of Distinction honor every two years.  One of the items to meet is to have the Board evaluated by other Board members in the area.    Mr. Cloud and Chairman Bevins came to evaluate the Board meeting as part of this honor.    

Discussion:  Paster Cockerham was not able to attend the Board meeting.  Colby Goins, Pastor at Waterville Baptist Church, gave the invocation for the meeting.  

Discussion:  Vice-Chairman Rodney Dillard led the group in the pledge.  

Discussion:  No one signed up to address the Board.

Discussion:  We will be going to local restruants for JamboRead on Tuesday.  We will have school and central office staff at the restruants to read with students and let parents know the importance of reading with their child at least 20 minutes each day.  Next week we will celebrate Red Ribbon Week.  November 1st will be Make a Change Day.  We will raise money to help relieve the hunger with most of the money going to the sak pak program, Dr. Cash told the Board.

Discussion:  Mrs. Willcutt told the Board that there are two budget amendments.  The first amendment is the Hopewell land that they thought would be closed by the end of June and was not.  They are getting ready to close and will need the money ammended back.    The second amendment is for Safe Schools Grant money.  They are asking for the new money to be amended in.  

Discussion:  Mark Wynnemer, Project Manager for David Hudson, from ArTech, told the Board that they are in the Design Development phase on the PIE Center project.  The group meet with potential tenants at the Lunch and Learn to find out more about their needs.  This is a critical factor in a mixed use building like this.  For about three months we will be in the Design Development phase working on the details, he told the Board.  This phase will include conversations about things like, How do we divide the building? How do we provide safety that fits into the codes? How do we provide all the services? How do we work out the parking?.  This is a complex project.  We are covering every building type except institutional in this building.  It is a very interesting code study.  We will meet with the State Fire Marshall soon to see what his concerns are.  Mr. Dillard ask when the layout of the exterior of the building would be available.   Six weeks or less was the answer from Mr. Wynnemer.  We are on track with the information and timelines of early spring and early summer to begin moving dirt, Mr. Page told them.  He also explained that there will be another meeting on October 24th to reach out to businesses in surrounding counties.  Mr. Bryson ask when this building will be operational.   January 21st for the shell, Summer of 21 it will be open for business with tenants on site, and August of 21 GOAL will start school there, Mr. Page told the Board.  

Discussion:  The brick on the LFMS gym is done and the metal is being attached to the drains.  They expect to be done with the project in November.  

Discussion:  Peter Ludman, Cope Architecture, was not able to attend the meeting but sent a timeline that Dr. Cash read to the Board.  The propose project schedule is as follows:  Schematic Desigtn Complete on October 30, 2019.  Design Development Submittal Complete:  November 20, 2019 (Cope will present design at the November Board Meeting).  Advertise for Bids on December 18, 2019.  Bidding and State Fire Marshal Review from December 18, 2019 to January 16, 2020 about 4 weeks.  Bids Received on January 16, 2020.  Contract Execution and Contractor Mobilization from January 16 to January 30, 2020 about 2 weeks.  Construction will begin on January 31, 2020, and end July 17, 2020 about 6 months.  Move In / Owner Occupancy on July 20 to August 3, 2020 for about 2 weeks.  

Discussion:  This agenda item will be moved to the November 14th meeting.  

Discussion:  The Board moved to the small conference room at 6:00 for a Safety Update that is closed to the public.  Mr. Weathers read a statement from TCA.  At 6:39, the Board reconvened the meeting in the Board room.  Dr. Cash told the meeting that Bradley County is in very good shape with their safety plans.  

Discussion:  The Board will be attending the TSBA Leadership Conference beginning November 14th in Nashville.  This is the date of the November Board meeting.  After a little bit of discussion, the next Board meeting will be moved to Thursday, November 21st.  

Senator Gardenhire brought a plaque with a copy of the signed Anti-Vaping bill to Dr. Cash.  She presented it to the Board.  It is the bill that she and the Board worked with Senator Gardenhire and Representative Howell to create.  She and Chairman Weathers were able to attend the signing of the bill.  This bill will allow schools to treat vaping as tobacco when dealing with students.  

Amanda Lee reminded the Board that Vision 100 is Thursday the 24th at 6:00 at the home of Mr. and Mrs Summerfield Johnston.  

Discussion:  The Board will attend the TSBA Conference on Thursday, November 14th, so the Board meeting will be changed to Thursday, November 21st.