Coffee County School District

The work session involved discussions concerning the agenda, including shuffling items to accommodate Mr. Morris's presence to discuss bus-related matters. Significant discussion focused on student bus conduct, specifically regarding disciplinary actions such as write-ups, the consistency of enforcement across drivers and schools, and potential policy revisions to mandate counseling sessions after a certain number of offenses to address the root causes of student behavior, which may stem from home environment issues. The importance of bus drivers in teaching courtesy and safety was emphasized. A separate topic addressed bus driver compensation, detailing the pay scale, which starts around $22.00 per hour for new personnel and reaches approximately $29.01 per hour for senior drivers (based on a 4-hour day/20 hours per week structure, plus additional paid assignments). Concerns were raised about the limited availability of drivers for field trips, particularly out-of-town and night trips, due to overtime constraints and other assignments.

The meeting included a recognition segment for Coach Christy Klaus, highlighting her 35th year of cheer coaching, her leadership roles in state cheerleading associations, and a recent distinguished service award. Student ambassadors presented updates on various activities. A board member shared details of the cheerleading squad's recent successful camp performance, including second place in routine and first place in spirit routine, and receiving the traditions award. A TISA accountability report was presented, noting an overall improvement of one percentage point from the previous year, although significant progress is needed for the legislatively locked 2025-2026 goal. Goal Two (Ready Graduate metric) is being replaced by Goal Five (CCR metric); however, performance in both remains strong. Middle school goals (Goals Three and Four) remained static, with slight improvement in 8th grade math. Principal reports covered a fall festival fundraiser, Principal for a Day event, athletic season updates, and a professional development day focused on student work analysis. The high school principal reported on their Veterans Day assembly plans and a hygiene item collection fundraiser for the public defenders office.

The meeting focused primarily on grant applications submitted by teachers and staff members. The committee developed a workable rubric and scoring mechanism, resulting in eight finalists from over twenty submissions. Communication regarding grant decisions is scheduled via email by the end of the week. A significant discussion revolved around the LEAP grant, which is a potential alternate funding source for the after-school/excellence program, noted to require offering 15 hours per week, having 50% free/reduced eligibility, and requiring child care certification. The committee discussed the rigorous requirements of this federal grant, including annual state audits, and the importance of establishing a backup funding plan using the restricted fund balance to ensure continuity for the excellence and tutoring programs, even if the LEAP grant is not secured. Additionally, data from the current before and after-school tutoring program, which has been extended to K-2 and involves 15 staff serving approximately 92 students across the district, was presented, showing positive feedback and gap closing for students.

The meeting featured a recognition ceremony for the New Union boys basketball team, which achieved back-to-back undefeated seasons and two championships. A presentation on TISA accountability goals indicated that the TISA accountability report structure is being absorbed into 'Informed TN,' although the TISA outcome bonus structure is expected to remain for now, resulting in a $353,000 bonus for the district, an increase over the prior year, largely attributed to improvements in metrics for students with disabilities. Discussions also covered changes to accountability metrics, including the disappearance of the 'Ready Graduate' metric and adjustments to College and Career Readiness status requirements. Furthermore, a presentation was given on the 2024-2025 school letter grades and district designations, revealing the district earned an 'Advancing' designation with a score of 2.9 out of 4, close to the 'Exemplary' level. The criteria and weighting for school letter grades under the state accountability system were reviewed, noting that ELA and math achievement carry significant weight, and a discussion ensued regarding the potential merging of state and federal accountability systems.

The meeting commenced with a prayer and the pledge of allegiance. Key discussions included the recognition and announcement of eight Innovation Scholarship grant awardees across various schools (High School, Deerfield, North Coffee Elementary, Raider Academy, Hickerson Elementary). Student ambassadors were introduced. Principal reports highlighted upcoming events and activities such as SRO Appreciation Day, Rebel Ball, staff development, a Nickels and Dimes donation week, mock testing in preparation for TCAP, Read Across America week featuring a masked reader event and book fair, and a high school criminal justice/AFJROTC grant. Other site reports mentioned Hickerson's World Showcase event, Valentine's Day parties, an incubator project donated by TSC, and the ThinkFast program for seniors focused on safe driving. The board also discussed and voted on granting tenure to a list of teachers, clarifying the re-evaluation schedule for tenure retention. The agenda approval process included adding an item to restrict funds for an after-school program and pulling out two items regarding facility use for individual discussion.