March 24, 2026 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  In attendance:  Dr. Trey Duke, Sheri Arnette, Angela Fairchild, Andrea Oakley, Caitlin Bullard, Jaci Saunders, April Zavisa, Cynthia Hopkins, Don Bartch, Ken Rocha, Adam Bryson, Maria Johnson, Daniel Owens

Assistant City Attorney Lauren Bush. City Liaison BIll Shacklett was absent. 

Discussion:  The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Andrea Oakley, principal at Scales Elementary, and Adam Bryson, principal at Mitchell Neilson Elementary. 

Discussion:  Dr. Duke commented on the excellent work Dr. Caitlin Bullard has done in keeping students on track and knowing where they need to be. He noted that they do not anticipate any push back from parents regarding this change, as families typically transition their children after fifth grade. He also added that, on a positive note, the district is increasing the number of magnet seats available in other grades.

Discussion: 
 

Discussion: 

Mr. Rocha presented the enrollment report to the Board. He reported that zone waiver applications will close on Friday, March 27, at 3:00 p.m., with a current total of 653 applications compared to 888 at the same time last year. He stated that the lottery process will take place after spring break, and any appeals will be heard on May 8.

Board Member Jimmy Richardson inquired about the tier level of truant students. Mr. Rocha responded that all truant students are classified as Tier 3. Mr. Richardson requested that tier levels be noted on future reports for identified gaps, and Mr. Rocha agreed to include that information.

Mr. Rocha outlined the attendance tiers as follows: Tier 1 includes four or fewer absences; Tier 2 includes five to nine absences; and Tier 3 includes ten or more absences. He explained that each tier includes specific interventions and noted that he will provide additional data related to Tier 1 and Tier 2 at future meetings.

Dr. Duke informed the Board that the district anticipates conducting a lottery for Erma Siegel Elementary and John Pittard Elementary. Board Member Barbara Long asked if the impact was primarily at the kindergarten level, and Mr. Rocha confirmed that it was.

Dr. Duke also noted that a significant increase in zone waiver applications is expected by the Friday deadline.

Discussion: 

Cynthia Hopkins provided an overview of the ESP program. She informed the Board that ESP is preparing to launch its summer program menu, with registration opening on April 7. The summer program will operate daily from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., beginning June 1 and concluding July 31. Ms. Hopkins shared that a comprehensive and engaging program has been planned for students.

Ms. Hopkins also discussed challenges related to meeting required training demands for ESP site directors and assistant site directors. Historically, trainings have been conducted after 6:00 p.m. once students had left; however, this has proven to be impractical for central office staff who work standard daytime hours. To address this, she proposed incorporating designated professional development days into the calendar when ESP is not in session. She noted that the week of July 4 has traditionally had lower student attendance and already includes two scheduled closure days. Under the proposed plan, the remaining three days of that week would be used for staff training without students present. Ms. Hopkins stated that this approach would minimize disruption for families. Families would not be charged for that week and would be provided five flex days. She added that this schedule would allow staff to complete required CPI renewal, legal, and nursing trainings.

Board Chair Amanda Moore inquired about staff-to-student ratios. Ms. Hopkins explained that the program adheres to Department of Human Services (DHS) guidelines, which require a 1:20 staff-to-student ratio for grades K-6 and a 1:12 ratio for Pre-K, with lower ratios in the Little Sprouts program. She further noted that the State reviews ADA and staffing control charts three times annually.

Dr. Duke asked Ms. Hopkins to elaborate on the number of hours worked weekly by ESP site directors and the number of students served at each site.

Discussion: 

Dr. Duke thanked Ms. Hopkins for her presentation on the ESP program and expressed appreciation for her thoughtful approach to meeting training requirements while minimizing the impact on families and respecting the time of site directors. He commended Ms. Hopkins for her leadership, noting that in recent feedback sessions with parents, ESP was identified as the most valuable service provided by the district, followed by School Nutrition.

Dr. Duke reported that E-Rate funding has been approved with no current legislative efforts to eliminate the program. He stated that the district expects to receive approximately $1.6 million in funding, with a local cost share of 10% for Category 1 and 15% for Category 2, emphasizing the importance of this funding.

He also informed the Board of pending legislation related to student screen time. Dr. Duke noted that Ms. Arnette has already begun discussions with teachers and is reviewing guidelines, with a continued focus on evaluating and setting appropriate limits.

Dr. Duke shared that Lisa Trail will begin communicating with families this week regarding changes at Discovery School. One communication will be directed to the six affected fifth-grade families, and another will be sent to the entire Discovery School community. He noted that the changes will be presented as a positive impact for the school.

Dr. Duke reminded the Board that several budget amendments were approved during the meeting and indicated that additional amendments will be presented before the end of the fiscal year. He explained that these are typical year-end "clean-up" amendments.

He thanked Board members who have already participated in individual budget meetings and those scheduled to do so, explaining that these meetings are intended to provide background knowledge in preparation for upcoming budget workshops.

Dr. Duke noted that schools will be closed for spring break the following week; however, he and several central office staff members will be available Monday through Wednesday to address any questions.

He informed the Board that the first of two budget work sessions will be held on April 7 at 4:00 p.m. at the central office. The session will include discussions on ESP, School Nutrition, and the General Purpose budget to gather Board input and direction. A second session will be held on April 14, during which staff will present revised budget pages based on Board feedback. Dr. Duke added that the Board is scheduled to vote on the final budget on April 28 to allow sufficient time for submission to the City Council.

 

 

 

Discussion: 

Vice Chair Butch Campbell reported that he visited Cason Lane and attended a safety protocol meeting. He stated that Mr. Ron McDaries did an excellent job. Dr. Duke added that Mr. McDaries is a valuable addition to the team.

Board Chair Amanda Moore expressed appreciation to Lisa Trail and Barbara Long for their work on the Excellence in Education Celebration.

Board Chair Moore also reminded Board members who had not submitted their self-assessments to do so at the next meeting.

 

Discussion:  The meeting adjourned at 6:42 p.m.