Board renews Communities In Schools memorandum; district to continue local support for CIS and JAG positions

Dr. Ayers, superintendent, asked the board to approve the annual memorandum of agreement with Communities In Schools (CIS) that funds a CIS site coordinator at Smoky Mountain Elementary and supports Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) classes at Jackson Community School and Blue Ridge Early College.

Dr. Ayers said CIS secures grants that cover part of the positions’ funding and the district provides the local match. For the Smoky Mountain Elementary CIS position, the superintendent said the district will contribute $25,000; CIS raises the remainder of the position’s funding. For the JAG classes, Dr. Ayers said CIS and the district each plan to cover roughly $30,000 per site; the district noted $20,000 in carryover funds will cover part of Blue Ridge’s share this year and local funds will cover the remainder if additional grants are not secured.

Dr. Ayers highlighted that the Smoky Mountain CIS site coordinator has received national recognition; the teacher named in the meeting, David, was singled out in a Washington, D.C., commendation for his work. The board approved the memorandum of agreement by voice vote.

Ending: District staff said grant applications are pending that could reduce the district’s future contributions; board members asked the administration to continue reporting funding outcomes in future updates.