KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Board members of Knox County Schools met to discuss a list of possible policy changes and resolutions ahead of their regular meeting on Jan. 12, where they were expected to vote on it.
They are expected to discuss several different kinds of contracts, such as one that would cost $150,000 to provide student telehealth services through the McNabb Center and the Harmony Family Center. Another item would approve the installation of two shade structures at Sequoyah Elementary School's playground for around $40,000.
A list of some of the biggest items is available below.
The Knox County Schools considered signing a $1.625 million contract with McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects, Inc. to build and design a new elementary school in the Farragut area.
The architect and design firm is located in Knoxville and designed the University of Tennessee's Student Union, as well as many parts of the Webb School of Knoxville.
During the same meeting, KCS was also expected to discuss an amendment to the purchase agreement of around 31.8 acres of land for the school. As part of the agreement to buy the land, KCS will also pay $15,000 per month until Sept. 20, 2024, at the latest. Then, monthly payments will increase to $30,000 per month, according to the item's fiscal note.
However, the purchase agreement amendment and the design contract items were withdrawn from the agenda ahead of Thursday's meeting.
As Knox County's other new elementary school in the northwest part of the area prepares to welcome students, the board will discuss spending around $414,000 on supplies for the school.
The supplies include headphones, office supplies, dry-erase boards, Chromebook charging stations, library shelving and an art kiln.
The motion passed.
Knox County Schools will discuss whether to approve the design of renovations and an addition to Sterchi Elementary School, in North Knoxville. According to plans for the, they plan to build a new gymnasium, media room, administration room as well as new classrooms.
The new construction is also expected to include special education classrooms. At the same time, the plans show that crews would heavily renovate the music and art rooms. The food service area would also undergo medium renovations, according to the plans.
They would also build a new parking area for the school and set the space for a future playground. Most of the addition would be built into the current drop-off space behind the main entrance.
The motion passed on Thursday.
The board discussed paying around $1 million for janitor services at 17 schools between Feb. 1 through June 30. The choice to hire an outside company to clean schools comes after KCS said they are having trouble finding custodians.
Board members previously said 16 schools were at less than 60% of the staffing they need to operate well. Jerry Anderson, a former custodian at Knox County Schools, said he remembered how challenging it was for workers when there weren't enough custodians.
"It's kind of a thankless job and you almost have to like what you do, if nothing else. For no other reason is the fact that I'm wanting to provide a safe, clean environment for the kids," he said. "It's been a little bit short for a good while now."
Sometimes, he said he would need to work on a day when he was supposed to be off, making sure the school was tidy and neat for the next weekday's students.
The contract would cost around $211,000 per month. It passed with seven "yes" votes, one "no" vote and one pass.
The board discussed whether to create a "Legislative Representative" role who would work with the Director of Schools and TSBA to develop and annual legislative program and make sure the board stays informed of bills at the state and federal levels.
The new role would replace the previous representative that the board appointed to the Tennessee Legislative Network. They would need to ensure that "advocacy is a year-round effort for the Board," and be the "point person between the board and TSBA regarding legislative affairs."
They would also need to attend TSBA meetings and communicate with legislators for the board.
The motion passed Thursday evening. It will need to pass on second reading before going into effect.
Knox County Schools considered changes to its policy on charter schools, in order to better align with state law. Sixty days before the application process starts, a charter school sponsor would need to submit a letter of intent to KCS, and the state Department of Education. They will not need to submit evidence of public outreach.
The charter school authorizer for Knox County would then need to review the letter of intent and decide if the applicant chose the right application category and notify them within five business days if there is an error on the application to open a charter school.
The policy also says that proposals need to be evaluated by a committee recommended by the Director of Schools and appointed by the Board of Education. The policy changes that committee to not require members from finance, operations, human resources, research, curriculum or law departments. It would also no longer require a parent representative or a community partner.
Before Thursday's meeting, the policy was changed to require the original members, according to Gary Dupler, KCS' legal counsel. He said those changes went beyond the requirements of state law.
Susan Horn said she would have preferred the original language of the policy that made those members of the committee optional.
The motion passed Thursday evening. It will need to pass on second reading before going into effect.