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Mabry Connor, a sixth‑grade musical theater student at CCA Center for Creative Arts, told the board she supports allowing students to bring phones and wearable devices to school so they can communicate with family when transportation plans change and to manage medical needs. “For children with chronic illnesses, having a phone handy could be the difference between safety and danger,” Connor said, describing how her watch has sometimes provided critical information about pick‑up changes. Connor added she agreed devices should not be distractions during class but said they are important for safety and for students with health conditions such as type‑1 diabetes.

Tammy Barnes, a volunteer with Public School Strong, urged the board to reduce what she described as “excessive testing” that she said consumes instructional time and imposes financial and emotional costs on students and teachers. Barnes asked the board to consider consolidating benchmarks, for example to “possibly one midyear benchmark” in preparation for TCAP end‑of‑year testing. Barnes also said she opposed cuts to exceptional education staff and suggested the district examine central office reductions before reducing school‑level supports.

Why this matters: Student device rules intersect with student safety and health; assessment schedules shape classroom time and teacher workload. Both topics were raised in the context of an ongoing budget review and proposed staffing changes that commenters said could reduce supports for students with disabilities.

Board procedure and follow-up: Chair Karen Smith reminded public commenters of a board requirement to state name and address when addressing the board; the board noted it would revisit its public comment procedures. The board did not take immediate policy votes on device rules or assessment schedules during the session; members and district staff said they would continue budget discussions in committee and consider agenda additions.

Ending: The work session paused for a teacher recognition; speakers and board members said they would continue to follow up on device policy and testing concerns in committee and future meetings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HCS Agenda Session 3/13/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Public commenters urged the board to allow students to carry phones/watches for safety and health needs and called for fewer assessments and stronger teacher compensation during budget planning.","taxTitle","Hamilton County, School Districts, Tennessee","taxId",12943,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6280183,"Hamilton County Schools outlines shift to service-hours special education staffing; parents and board members raise concerns",2591,1518000,4109000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2616645-e753ecef572cc08061d2f0d1b98dea85&start=1518&end=4109","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2616645-e753ecef572cc08061d2f0d1b98dea85/thumbnail_1518000.jpg","/articles/6280183/Tennessee/Hamilton-County-Schools-outlines-shift-to-service-hours-special-education-staffing-parents-and-board-members-raise-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280183-c86e631c9160097999312bdf3d22d428/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156647&Signature=Fk0V55X-VwGbydkbTK4-voiSFrKdpu4mQ4ssJqssfPwbQ9d0dtZFWqO3O-NE-nywqxfy6MWF085ZzfEYRAt2oJ-o~m3aQkN4SbHxJF1V362CJ6SchFC0p49z9ZjM31qlSdKginBzWex9YEdZDW1GTonSGrD6U9BllPOEOpU~j03jLqvuqgIMQs-4xT7KyBd50r0DUiwbMWF7c43Ij0nJtN0y7A6y7FVmtbrHYJ4mAjiz5WaXmbWZoVRnpyK6~XbJVZrlTc2qO-mkVcsrd1cIA2AKPLdg-lbd4gLtY9Q52NN-~gHuA~hUyS05~Dzzy3QuKVd7kBaEiSLh7Q7QAhXVGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hamilton County Board of Education work session — Hamilton County Schools presented a proposed change to how special education positions are allocated, moving from a headcount-based model to one that staffs by students’ documented service hours, officials said during a board work session. The proposal and accompanying staffing metrics prompted sustained public comment and questions from board members about employee relocations, budget impacts and legal exposure.

District administrators said the proposed model is intended to match staffing to the number of service hours students require rather than simply counting enrolled students. Doctor Robertson, a district staff member, told the board the new model also includes 70 new program slots across the county and that individual IEP (individualized education program) teams would remain responsible for placement decisions. Robertson said the administration would not unilaterally force families to send students to different schools and that fewer than 3% of students would be affected directly by the change.

Why this matters: The plan affects the district’s special education workforce and how services are delivered to students with disabilities, and several parents and advocacy volunteers warned the board that changes could disrupt student support and staff stability. Parents, district staff and board members pressed administrators for specific numbers on teacher and assistant positions and the dollar impact of proposed changes.

Parents and advocates described personal consequences if services are reduced or relocated. Lindsey Lynn, a parent, told the board that budget cuts to exceptional education could require students to be bussed out of their neighborhoods and that outside service providers — which she said are covered by TennCare and other programs — should be allowed to serve students in district schools. Trista Eschenberg, a parent of two, said her son relies on one‑to‑one instruction and that paraprofessionals “provide essential services to him,” adding that removing those supports could cause “a deterioration in [his] ability to learn.” Tammy Barnes, a volunteer with Public School Strong, urged the board not to reduce frontline support staff and to consider central office reductions instead of classroom cuts.

Administrators emphasized staffing and hiring metrics the district says are improving. Robertson said the district opened the school year with 96% of posted positions filled and 99.4% of classroom teacher positions filled on the first day. Robertson also highlighted retention and recruitment programs, including a Grow Your Own program that currently supports 75 educators and an educator preparation program that helps CTE employees earn licensure.

Board members pressed for specific fiscal figures and legal analysis. A board member reported a figure of roughly $756,000 in annual salary for 28 assistants; another board member said the district provided a figure of $1.6 million tied to the assistant and teacher positions, but the source of the latter number in the record was not specified. Attorney Bennett said he could not quantify legal exposure without evaluating individual situations and cautioned that any estimate would be speculative because IDEA and IEP team decisions are child‑by‑child.

Several board members and the administration said they would work to place existing staff in open positions across the district and to prioritize veteran teachers where possible; administrators described transfer windows and staffing processes, with transfer deadlines for certified staff noted as occurring in April and for classified staff on May 31. Robertson said the district planned to make the staffing documentation public and to work with families and employees directly.

The board did not take a formal vote on the staffing model during the work session. Members asked to add exceptional education staffing to the regular meeting agenda and requested additional data on outcomes and costs. Multiple speakers urged the board to show community evidence that Hamilton County Schools is a leader in special education rather than reverting to lower service levels.

Ending: Board Chair Karen Smith adjourned the work session for a teacher recognition segment; board members and administrators said they would continue the discussion and provide supplemental documents and metrics at a later meeting.","Hamilton County Schools presented a proposal to change special education staffing from a headcount model to a service‑hours model, prompting parents, staff and board members to press for details about potential staff relocations, budget impacts and legal risk.","actionData","errors"]

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Students and parents call for cell‑phone access and fewer assessments during Hamilton County Schools work session

Hamilton County Schools outlines shift to service-hours special education staffing; parents and board members raise concerns