Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR STAFF
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
For those looking to attend the Elizabethton City Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, they may have been surprised to find no one present when they arrived.

The reasoning is very simple — the BOE voted in their last meeting to change their meeting day to the third Thursday of the month and changed the time of the meeting as well to 5:30 p.m.

On Thursday, the board will be meeting in their regularly scheduled January meeting inside the Mack Pierce Board of Education meeting room.

As always, the board will hear any comments from citizens in regard to the school system. To be able to address the board, the public will need to contact the board in advance to be placed on the meeting agenda.

The board will look to approve the consent agenda which includes approving the General Purpose, Federal Projects, and School Nutrition Funds financial statements from December 30, 2020.

Also, the board will vote on the second reading of five items of Board Policy revisions that had to be updated to meet legal changes from the state’s education board.

An item to approve professional leave and travel for Director of Schools Richard VanHuss to attend the 2021 TOSS Legislative and Learning Conference in Nashville will be voted on for approval.

Five requests are on the consent agenda as well for the disposal of items that have become unusable at city schools.

Director VanHuss will also present an update on happenings throughout the school system while other reports to be heard are the Board, City Council Liaison, and Student Liaison reports.

The regular agenda has six items that the BOE will be acting on.

A first reading on the removal of Board Policy 4.401 Textbook selection, Distribution, and Care will be conducted.

The board will also act on approving the Elizabethton City Schools COVID-19 Emergency Paid Leave plan that if approved will be in effect from January 1, 2021, to June 30, 2021.

Also, the board members will hear and vote on the creation of a part-time Graduation Coach position at EHS to assist at-risk students for the 2020-2021 school year. The position will be paid for by using XQ funds.

An additional $11,434.50 is being sought as part of change order 2031-03 for the T.A. Dugger restroom renovation project. The money is being requested to complete the additional cafeteria flooring, lighting, and ceiling tile work.

Finally, the BOE will be approving signature card changes at Citizens Bank replacing the former Board Chairman, Rita Booher, with newly elected Board Chairman Eddie Pless.

The meeting can be attended in person with social distancing and the wearing of face masks required. It also can be viewed on the school’s website.