Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR STAFF
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com 
In a meeting that went quicker than a trip for Santa on Christmas Eve, the Carter County Board of Education met in their regularly-scheduled December meeting Thursday evening as agenda business was at a minimum for the meeting leading into the Christmas break for county school students.

With there being no old business to discuss, the meeting proceeded to new business where Director of Schools Dr. Tracy McAbee asked the board to consider revising Policy 4.700 in regard to TCAP scores.

McAbee said that he would recommend that weighted TCAP scores be only counted for a student if it increased a student’s grade and not adversely affect their grade.

The motion was made to only use the scores to increase a student’s grade and passed unanimously when the vote was taken.

Also, Dr. McAbee requested that the FFCRA be extended through the remainder of the school year ending on May 31st of 2021.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act) requires certain employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19.

Board member Danny Ward stated that he felt it was important to make a motion and vote on FFCRA to show that the board stands behind the school employees.

The motion once again carried unanimously.

Pamela Eggler provided a small recap on behalf of the CCEA (Carter County Education Association). Eggler stated that the association recently added three new members and in total are up to 193 members in the county.

She also added that each school in the county has CCEA members present.

Due to the recent dealing with COVID-19, the Association hasn’t been able to meet but Eggler stated that meetings are hoped to be restarted in January via a platform such as Zoom.

Dr. LaDonna Stout-Boone requested time to address the board.

“I appreciate all the educators and I appreciate Roan Mountain for voting me in not once but twice,” Dr. Boone said as she began to address the board. “Right now it’s not feasible for me to continue and so I am resigning my position as the District 2 Board member.”

Dr. Boone added that she would be glad to help in any way possible as she loved Carter County greatly. She thanked all the board members for their support and friendship.

Tony Garland thanked Mrs. Boone and stated that although they didn’t always agree on things, they did work together to come to a solution.

The school system will observe their Christmas break beginning December 21st through January 1, 2021, and will return to school on January 4th, 2021.

The board set their next board workshop for Thursday, January 14, 2021, at 5:30 pm and will have their regularly-scheduled January 2021 board meeting on Thursday, January 21, 2021, at 5:30 pm.