• Called meeting on Thursday 6/28/12 at 4:00 p.m.
• Regular meeting on Tuesday 7/2/12 at 6:30 p.m. 

School Board Work Session

Budget

In working on balancing the budget, the deficit has been reduced from $6.9 million to $3.8 million.  Part of this reduction includes approximately 22 positions that were not filled out of the over 40 retirements.  This is driven by the continued trend of declining enrollment.  The current budget revision includes providing a 2.5% pay increase for all staff, professional and support.   The school board has said several times that they would take care of people and in so doing the goal is to lose positions, not people.   

The board has conducted $20 million of renovations and improvements in the last five years without a tax increase, within existing budgets.  During this time, five buildings have been closed resulting in reduced costs.  The board is at a point that some help is needed.  The board will support the County Commission and encourage funding for education.  The next County Commission meeting will be held at 9:00a on Monday, June 18, 2012.  

Innovation Academy STEM Platform School

Innovation Academy will serve lunch to all students at the school.  The recommendation for county transportation locations will be Central, South, and North High schools.  The students will ride high school buses to the high schools and then be transported to Innovation Academy in the mornings.  In the afternoon students will be transported back to middle schools; including Blountville, Colonial Heights, and North Middle.  This will gain approximately one hour of instructional time during the school day.  During a parent meeting, Dr. Yennie asked parents if they would prefer for students to have related arts at Innovation Academy rather than going back to base schools.  The parents answered with a resounding yes.  This option would provide related arts at Innovation Academy and/or North Middle.  North Middle will have one of the best equipped STEM labs in the state and students will have the opportunity to use this lab during one of their nine week related arts rotations.  Related arts teachers in the county would be able to provide the instruction needed at no additional cost.  Students will participate at their home schools, not base schools, for athletics and other after-school extracuricular activities.