will be opening the meeting with a brief moment of silence or prayer and the pledge of allegiance to the United States flag. No one is required to participate or be present for any of these and being in this portion of the meeting is completely voluntary. Miss Darby, we have this pledge and
prayer. Dear heavenly father, Lord, we just come before you and ask that you would give us grace, give us wisdom, give us open eyes, open ears, open hearts, um, and make decisions based on what is best for
these students and this community and this district uh, as well as our staff and administration. I pray that you would watch over all of our campuses, um, including central office. Give us a great start to the school year as we begin tomorrow. safe travels for
everybody and a great start to our school year. It is in your name we pray. Amen. Amen. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. First you will see the uh agenda. So you can take a look at that. [Applause] And secondly, we have the consent agenda.
There are no public comments tonight and um we are going to be doing the director of schools evaluation report will be Thursday. Oh be Thursday. Thursday. And next up we have facilities. This is a request from um county
government. So 8:14 South Church Streets, the board knows we purchased I think two years ago at this point. It was 1.1 million. We've had a request from the county um to utilize that facility. I talked to Mayor Carr today. So they are out of space and what they would like to use it for is for EMA and
Rutherford County Fire and Rescue. They would like to consolidate all their first responders to one location. um it being a county building without students, they wouldn't have to get T dot rec uh changes, get all those things. The flood plane is not
necessarily an issue there because it wouldn't have students um in the school building. Technically, the county commission could vote to take this anyways. Um but this is a a formal request. It was requested to me during the budget negotiation and I talked to
them and said I think it would be an easy request for our board to to look at especially if maintenance of effort was increased and they did increase maintenance effort 2.9 million. So it is a $1.1 million tradeoff for $2.9 million every year. So I have no issue with that
of where we are right now. I think it's a great idea. Any other discussion? Okay, we'll go on to human resources. We have a coupleouus. So, we started this a couple years ago. Anytime we have a facility that wants to provide services the parents request inside the
schools, then we have anou comes before the board and we added language to this last year. So, this first one is anou between centerstone and Rutherford County schools. Okay. Number two, I'm sorry. Yes, Mr. Sorry. Um, and part of me because I
didn't look at the uh theou with this and also with the stars because I know last year we made some changes to the starou and so I just want to make sure that we carry I know we're going to talk about stars but I also have a question about center store. So but it goes together that those um changes that we
did carried over to theou they do. Okay, great. And then the centerstone one is that it explicitly says that is with parental consent. They all do. Okay. Any other questions? Okay. Go ahead. Number two.
Second one is um similar, but this one's with volunteer behavioral healthcare in Rutherford County Schools. Any other comments or discussion? I believe this is the one Representative Sparks works with quite a bit. Okay. Okay. Number three.
And three um is one we talked about a lot last year, Between Stars and Rutherford County Schools. Any questions, comments? Okay, next we go on to instruction. All right, moving to instruction. And this is just our yearlyou. I feel like we just did this a couple months ago,
but I think we're now at the front of it again. Um, optimal health for me, O4M. Optimal health for me is a sexual risk avoidance SR program promoting a holistic approach to sex and healthy relationships. This program aims to provide training train speakers in classrooms within RCS aligned to the
standards with the expectations of the family life instruction. This program complies with TCA 4961301 through TCA 4961308 requiring a program to be age appropriate, sexual risk avoidance, absence centered, evidence-based, and medically accurate. This program is
available for grades 6 through 12 and ranges from 3 to 5 less and requires parental permission. Any questions or comments? Yes, Mr. Roselis. Sorry. What is the difference between this one and the one that um the program that um
what is that that Yeah, Portico does the same. It's the same one. Okay. Okay. Perfect. Okay. I said I feel like we just did this, but it's the start of it's the start of the school year. So, here we are. We've done this. So, it's already been a year. No, but it's the start of the school year, so we'd rather go ahead and start it instead of it hitting in the middle of a year again.
Gotcha. Okay. Mr. What th this is I don't know if this is the time to ask this question or not but I'm going to uh when you we constantly see uh policy set or laws set and it says
age appropriate who decides that what is age appropriate a lot of this goes with is it outlined in TCA is it outlined policy yes in some parts it's outlined in TCA depends because that becomes a buzzword for lack of a better might have put it that just
curious there is a written document so it depends on which section of the law you're talking about thank you any other questions comments okay next we have legal this is a transfer student under discipline label is number one the
board's been requested to admit a transfer student from another school system under discipline the student was remanded for possession of illegal drugs according to policy 6.318 the board may deny admissions of any student except those in state custody when a student transfers from another school system under suspension or expulsion. Director of school's recommendation is to admit
in place to alternative school and I'll explain why. Um, every offense is for a full calendar year. This student's offense would be up in September. And so if we went ahead and denied, they would start regular back in our schools in a
traditional school in December or sorry in September with us going ahead and placing in an alternative school. Then they would have to finish our program. So my request is for them to go ahead and that way they have to finish our program. So it's basically going from their alternative school to our child. Yes.
Excellent. Okay. Any other questions or comments? Okay. Number two is a policy adoption. How do you all want me to handle? Yeah. Do you want him to read every one of these or do you want to just carve if you have any questions about any of
these? Mr. Tidwell. Yeah. Mr. Tidwell. I feel like we had a significant discussion about these policies at the policy committee. So I'm I'm okay with not going through each one and it's all public record as well. So there's full transparency here.
Okay. We thought Thursday we we go by each one of them but we would do it just a one vote. Yes or no? And I don't think we need to do a roll call or anything for these and just Okay. Thank you. Good. So you can see those are all the first and final. We will request to have
these on the first reading. So it will require suspension of the rules to adopt on first reading and then a vote. Second. [Applause] And we also have two motions down here. Yeah. And that that's what the first one will be to wave the requirement for two
readings and the second would be to approve. Okay. Last we have financial matters. Popular Hill Elementary cafeteria cash on hand with the opening of Popular Hill Elementary School in August 2025. cash on hand to make change needs to be authorized for the school cafeteria operations. School nutrition department
is requesting $50 be authorized the initial amount of cash on hand for the Popper Hill Elementary cafeteria. And I know this seems crazy, but this is what gets us away from auditing problems. You can't have cash on hand unless you have permission from the board. So, and they just need $50 to make change to start because they'll
get changed very quickly. They'll get changed very quickly. I was going to say they would need more than that, but Okay. Yep. Okay. Next 12 is director's update. Director's update. So, of course, school starts tomorrow. That is our 2-hour day. A lot of people ask, why do we do our 2-hour day, you are allowed three
abbreviated days, and if you do not do a 2-hour day, it has to be a full day. And so, state law allows us to have three abbreviated 2-hour days. We do one now, one at Christmas break, and then one the very end of the school year. That allows schools to kind of have a trial run. also get parents registration, bus
stops, all those different types of things that are a struggle anyways, but they're really a struggle when you you're looking at 53,000 kids. And so I appreciate our staff. I've been to, I believe, 38 or 39 schools so far, having our little 10-minute visits. I've got 13
left or so to do some tomorrow, some on Thursday after students leave tomorrow. Um, but just ask for patience as we address issues because we know that we'll have them from resoning to transportation. There's always issues. I was talking to Miss Jarby before the meeting. Even if we had 1% of our
student population have an issue, that's still 500. And so I don't know that we've ever had 500 issues, but still that's just that's our our scale and our size. So very large. Anything else? Okay. Next, we go to general discussion.
Does anybody have anything? Yes, I just got a short thing. Mr. Lee, I would like to thank you and your team. I've been around to a lot of the schools in the last two weeks and not one of them, probably very few of them had no work trucks there. So, I know the summer
is a fast fast project trying to get things done while the kids aren't in the school. Um, and that there's a lot of them that are that are looking great. So, please tell your team, everybody in construction and everything that thank you for getting stuff done. and and I'm I'm sure they're probably not going to
be quite finished for another probably couple weeks, but um everything's looking really really good out there. So, thank you. Yes, Mr. Rosales. Yes. Um so, I just want to say that um I see the middle school principles and I
just want to say that I truly do value the work that you guys do for our schools and the decisions that you have to make are not very easy. They're really hard and many many times and I know that one of your main duties is to protect every child and that's a huge
task and a huge burden and I just want to say thank you for coming and your presence is known and I'm just one board member but in one vote but I appreciate all that you do. Trey, I know you've got something you want to talk about, but I first of all
want to piggyback on what Tammy said about Riverdale High School. You've made at least two or three people cry this week. They It is beautiful and they are so happy. So anyway, I hope they're not happy tears and one was a former admin over there. So I just want to say thank
you and I'm sorry. Now what the weeks will be there for a ribbon cutting there. Yes, we will August 17th 2:00. Please be there. And I mentioned it the other night when we were all at Popler Hill, but everybody we were all in a good mood there because that's those are always
fun. I need for you all to establish a committee for the middle school to name, colors, and mascot so that we can get some colors and get started on the work that we need that information for.
Miss Maxwell. Yes, Mr. Z. I just got to really give kudos to you Trey Lee for one you were on time with the new construction of the new elementary elementary school and it was it's a stunning beautiful building and I can't
speak enough to say what a job what a good job you did with the whole getting everything together and the fact that we're on time is pretty remarkable and I just know that the kids are going to go in are in for a real treat when they see
the school tomorrow. And my daughter is so excited. I mean, she just cannot wait to go to school tomorrow and she already had a teacher. The families that were there just looked over the moon elated. So, yes, kudos. Yes, Mr. T. Uh, yes, I echo that. The school's
beautiful. Uh, Trey, could you give us an update on how many portables portable classrooms have been removed? We had we discussed that on uh yesterday. It was just leadership yesterday. Feels like a year ago. Say yesterday we had this discussion.
But for our meeting next week, um I will have an updated list um of how many we're recommending that we remove and recommendations on what we keep and what we disperse. But right now, we're probably in the 15 to 20 range.
I just wanted to point out that, you know, one of the largest challenges that we deal with here in Rutherford County is growth and we have worked with the director who's been great on this as well as the staff um has made that a priority moving forward. these additions
that have been approved with partnership with the county commission, the new elementary school, the middle school, all of these factors together, the rezoning, there are challenges, of course, but we've met these challenges and we're seeing the fruit of some of those changes. And so, I think that's
just something we should point out that's commendable that probably gets overlooked. We always hear about the bad news in the media, but we have actually made a stand here and done well in the outcomes and fruits of this labor. So, it's good to hear that instead of adding portable classrooms for the first time,
we are removing them off our district. So, I appreciate that. Absolutely. Yes. Sorry, I forgot. Listen, there was a prank at Leverne High School and I won't name who it was. Friendly competition. Um, they colored
the LHS on the hill, but they didn't use water soluble paint. So, there's been somebody who's been talking about it not being replaced. it is going to be replaced, but the people who pulled the prank are going to pay for it. So, now that they're back in school, that process will come forward and those
letters will be put back to their original white glory. So, thank you. Did not know. Thank you, Miss Clark. Anybody else have anything? Yes. Well, sorry. I've got one thing has to bus related.
had a couple of phone calls in the last two or three days from from some concerned bus drivers that they had not received a copy of the signed contract. But I thought as a matter of public record that I would reiterate to all of them publicly that the board chairman
has signed every contract that has been presented to her. And at some point in time in the next couple weeks, I guess the a email copy will go out to all the contractors where they have one for their record. But they assuredly have a
contract and I hope all of them show up in the morning and don't use that as an excuse. So there was a couple of them that had a little concern. I said, "No, you need to show up tomorrow." That for sure. So you will get paid. In fact, I think most of them got a $4,000 check uh
a month ago. So, if that's not good enough, I don't know what is. So, anyway, I don't know if either one of y'all want to highlight that, but just thought I'd bring that up tonight. Uh, and I'll take the responsibility for that. It was an oversight on the
transportation department to make those copies and get them out. We are in the throws of getting school open and with the resoning and everything that's gone on. Uh, I have agreed with Mr. read that on the 13th we will dedicate an employee
that will begin that process scanning and then as we get a a group together they will be emailed out. But if there's one or two or 12 or 20 that are that concerned they're driving tomorrow, give me a call, come by here, we'll be glad to make it for you tomorrow and we'll
just take your name off the email list. But they are all signed. Thank you. Okay, Dr. S. And we do have seven routes that do not have a contractor. Six of those seven have been covered. Um, five large buses, two small buses. Um, but
we're working to make sure the other one is covered tomorrow as well. So, considering what we looked like in May, great job to you and your team, Trey. I also want to point out that Popler Hill came in under budget and so it is always nice when our schools come in under budget. That's good.
Are there any other comments or questions? Okay, we are going to adjourn and end the public portion of our meeting and we will readjourn and come back in about five minutes to complete our hearing.