Thread by @WilliamsonStrg

Back from the break. The agenda is approved. The consent agenda is approved. No discussion.

Superintendent's Report - Golden thanks the speakers, especially the students. First up he wants to recognize the ACT perfect scores first out of respect for the students' time, and then he will continue the Superintendent's report.

Carol Birdsong recognizes students who received perfect ACT scores. Congrats to these students!

Jason Golden says we are about to celebrate 24 WCS reward schools...by far the largest of any district. Principals from each reward school are being recognized. Here is the list: wcs.edu/Page/8595

Now for Superintendent's Report: Golden wants to emphasize that we are all about instructions. So proud of our students and our parents. Continues to be a challenge but the business of school is happening.

72 of our students were recognized as National Merit Semifinalists. Total of 346 students state-wide. WCS is over 20 % of the state total. wcs.edu/domain/1400

Update on growth: we grew 1869 students over the same time last year to end the first month. Currently the largest we've ever been. 41,980 pre-k through 12th-grade students in WCS. And we've already had more students since that first-month benchmark.

Our communication department has added "WCS by the numbers" page to the website. wcs.edu/domain/1506

"It's a priority for WCS to make every student feel safe." Our principals are dedicated to making all our students feel safe. We give all students the same access to our education system, included student-led clubs. We don't make content choices on student-led clubs.

"We have work to do." Based upon discussion tonight, Golden says we have more work to do to make all students feel safe.

Board Chair Report: TSBA regional meeting is this Thursday, virtually. Secondly, the Tennessee School Board Association meeting is on November 19.

3rd- breaking news from TSBA - our Entrepreneur and Innovation Center won an Excellence in Education award.

Garrett says she will go ahead and start planning the fall school board retreat and send out tentative dates. We will have a new board member by that time (replacing Brad Fiscus who is moving).

Nancy reads the results of the board survey again.

On to COVID mitigation strategies. Golden is now recommending we continue the mask requirement. This includes the overlay of the governor's opt-out. Currently, about 32% of our families have opted out. I recommend you vote to continue the mask requirement through January 19th.

Welch makes a motion to approve the staff recommendation to continue the mask requirement through Jan 19. KC Haugh seconds.

Sheila Cleveland says we have a low amount of cases in WCS but it's sad how it looks in Tennessee. She gets overwhelmed by the numbers and looks at school numbers. Says she has only one school in her district with more than 5 cases.

She believes elementary should be masked but not the middle and high where they can be vaccinated.

Jay Galbreath wants to say that it's frustrating that every time we institute a temporary restriction, the restriction lasts and lasts and never goes away. Jay is not in favor of extending it. Says there is no rhyme or reason behind the mandate. It's just hard to enforce.

Jay says he thinks principals are looking at this mandate and deciding it's not something they want to spend any more time on. He says our absentees are not abnormal. We'd like to see the actual numbers on that.

Eliot Mitchel would like to make an amendment to the motion to remove the religious exemption and only allow the Governor Lee opt-out and medical exemptions.

Mitchel asks if we are required to offer religious exemptions. Dana Austabrooks says we have honored religious exemptions and she recommends we continue to allow that. There is federal and state law that deals with religious exemptions.

Says biggest issue is determining if you have a sincerely held religious belief. From a legal standpoint, Austabrooks recommends both religious and medical exemptions. Mitchell says if Governor's order applies to anyone, the religious exemption is unnecessary.

Dan Cash: "I believe over half the folks out here are against a mask mandate. I believe we have stepped on their liberties in certain ways already. And now we have the audacity to come out and talk about religious freedoms in the religious exemptions. Who is going to judge this?"

KC Haugh: Says people were just filling out a form and haven't been aware of one for a particular religious reason. Let's clean the slate and have an opt-out and address it that way. Would rather have opt-out than be disingenuous on a religious exemption.

Brad Fiscus: We need to clean this up. Have seen on social media that there was no particular reason for religious exemption. Other districts have chosen not to allow religious exemptions.

Galbreath: people using medical & religious exemptions because another opt-out was not given. If you choose to offer another opt-out outside the executive order then there would be no reason for those. To say people were disingenuous is not our place.

Candy Emerson: How much control are we going to take. Doesn't believe in mandating things for anyone. Believes in freedom and rights and her own ability to state her case. We are taking way too much from the individual. Don't want to mandate.

Emerson: She gets very angry that we are making decisions to affect others? "It's just not right folks."

Eric Welch: Gets the frustration. Learned the 10 commandments. Learned "Though shall not take the Lord's name in vain." The worst is adults using God to advance their own cause. That's the real violation of that commandment.

But he won't support the amendment based upon the attorney recommendation. But he appreciates the rationale.

Dan Cash Says something about 5 years to 12 years for vaccinations. If we remove the religious exemption it will come up again. (I'm confused. I think he's saying religious exemptions should be an option for vaccine mandates.)

Golden says we have allowed religious exemptions from the start. Concerned about the increase in numbers from the start. CDC recommends the swiss cheese approach. We are improving.

Amendment to remove religious exemption is not approved.

Back to the original recommendation to extend mask mandate.

Eric Welch: Says board isn't supposed to speak for all board, teachers, or staff. Says statement that principals don't want to enforce mask mandate is not correct. Welch says it's also not true that there is no rhyme reason for the January date. Pauses for Golden to explain.

Golden goes back to the swiss cheese approach and that our numbers are slowly improving. Also, our schools went through an extensive process when the change to masks was implemented. Golden's opinion is that it's not wise to quickly change back. Encourages stability.

For our mission to serve students, it's wise to leave it in place. With the balance of the opt-out, we have a structure that is stable. Vaccine availability and other things that will influence this, we cannot predict.

Welch: with regard to "stepping on freedoms", are we also going to take school uniforms policy away, how we handle over-the-counter medications, etc. We set guidelines all the time, and it's never been said we are stomping on individual rights. Not buying that argument.

Welch: And what is the mitigation strategy you want to replace it with? This is really the only strategy we are doing. We aren't really doing quarantine. We are fully in person. On a personal note, if you want masks off, go get vaccinated.

Welch: Not advocating for a mandate, but individually we should advocate a lot stronger. We've been tiptoeing around it for a year now. Go get vaccinated. This is about keeping kids safe.

Rick Wimberly: On Thursday night we had a nice discussion about KN95 masks (he's wearing one.) Where are we on that? Golden says we've been told there is a process in place to donate 30,000 to us.

We do have surgical masks available to students now, but we are looking at the KN95s with the donation. Gary Anderson says the cost is about $1 each and could become extensive. They are the best but would be restrictive if not donated. Believe there will be a donation.

Angela Durham: What are we going to do when Governor's executive order expires on 10/05. Golden: doesn't know what Governor is going to do. Past experience is that he may extend. If he does not then we do default to the exemption structure we had.

Durham wants to know if we could extend a non-specific opt-out regardless of whether or not the governor extends the order. Ausbrooks says she's not aware of a way to do that.

Golden says from a continuity perspective, we have opt-outs available from earlier this year.

Durham wants to know if we've looked at requiring masks only at certain covid levels or at certain schools. Golden says biggest reason for recommendation was originally the numbers and that elementary couldn't get vaccines. For secondary, governor had already provided opt-outs.

Durham asks about opt-outs versus actual number of kids wearing masks. Guesses 70-80% of people aren't wearing them. Golden says we hear those numbers from people not in the classroom. Reminds everyone they aren't required outdoors.

Golden: what we find is the numbers of opt-outs are more consistent with what we see practically. Can't say the number is exactly on point every day, but there is some value-based upon swiss cheese mitigation.

Dr. Webb says it is a challenge at the secondary level to keep student's masks on because we can't monitor every second but schools are doing it to the best of their ability and there are certainly more students wearing masks now than before the mandate.

Brad Fiscus: One thing he's heard is that when kids became part of the mandate in secondary level, was there are others they can be masked with and not feel like they are the only ones.

Jay Galbreath: Asks Ms. Ausbrooks what the process for reconsideration at the January 16th date if it goes through. Can it be struck out before the end date?

Ausbrooks says it can be brought up by a board member in the future through policy to be brought up again and need a motion and a second. Golden brings up how they didn't ask for mandate for summer because numbers were so low. Could happen again...we don't know the future.

Ms Glen rereads the motion to extend mask mandate through January 19, 2022 to include all grades, staff and visitors with the governor's overlay of opt-outs. Golden recommends approval.

Motion passes.

Next up is Covid Sick leave policy deferred from last meeting. Jennifer Aprea withdrawals based upon work session discussion and alternative processes discussed.

Next up is general purpose budget. No discussion. All board members vote to approve.

Next General Purpose School Funds Amendment 09.21 United Way - $36,000. No discussion. All board members vote to approve.

Education Capital Projects Fund Amendment 09.21 Intracategory Westwood Drainage - $408,615. No discussion. All board members vote to approve.

Education Capital Projects Fund Amendment 09.21 Intracategory Ravenwood Addition - $280,000. No discussion. All board members vote to approve, except Sheila Cleveland abstained.

Education Capital Projects Fund Amendment 10.21 Split Log Design ITF- $2,100,000. No discussion. All board members vote to approve.

Federal Projects Fund 10.21 GPS Transfer to Federal Projects - $550,000. No discussion. All board members vote to approve.

Homebound policy. No discussion. All board members vote to approve.

Virtual education policy. No discussion. All board members vote to approve.

4.604 Credit for Prior Courses. No discussion. All board members vote to approve. Garret explains these are all for the first and final reading.

Voting to approve School Board Goals. No discussion. All board members vote to approve.

Vote to approve no calendar parameters. Galbreath thanks Dr. Webb for the committee. If no parameters means to advocate for a full week of fall break then he's for it. All board members vote to approve.

Vote for approval of special education teacher's pay. Golden hopes this will help with retention. Golden: "We need this." There were a few questions, but I got distracted. Sorry. The goal is to improve employee retention and prevent losing employees to higher-paying jobs.

We've had a turnover rate of about 26%. As we hire some, we are losing more. Over 40% of our TA staff is in that 0 to 5-year category. Would like to fill at least half the vacancies without losing people. Need a net increase of about 35 by the end of the semester.

Finally approved. All board members voted yes.

The last item on agenda is the superintendent's goals, as discussed at the work session. Mitchell asked for clarification on the rules. Nancy says we learned superintendent goals were recommended to be weighted at 80%. Mitchell clarifies weighting should be a separate vote.

No further discussion. All board members vote to approve the superintendent's goals.

Garret says one final item is to recognize @bradfiscus at his last meeting and thank him for his service. @bradfiscus says he started teaching 24 years ago and began investing in this community. Proud of the work they've done. The meeting is adjourned.