The Alcoa City Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Monday, June 23, 2025, to grant tenure to Kelsi Laverdiere, listed in the minutes as a teacher at AES, after Incoming Director of Schools Jake Jones recommended approval.

The action matters because tenure changes a teacher’s employment status after meeting the district’s required service period. The board’s minutes state Laverdiere “completed 5 years of teaching in Alcoa City Schools,” the condition listed in the agenda item for tenure consideration.

Jake Jones, identified in the meeting roster as Incoming Director of Schools, shared information about the tenure recommendation during the called meeting at the Alcoa High School cafeteria. Board Member Brandy Bledsoe moved to approve tenure for Kelsi Laverdiere; Board Member Steve Marsh seconded the motion. The motion “passed by unanimous vote” in the minutes.

The record does not include an individual roll-call with each member’s vote; the five board members listed as present in the meeting roster are Jim Kirk (Board Chair), Mike Brown (Board Vice-Chair), Brandy Bledsoe, Steve Marsh and Julie Rochelle. The minutes include signature lines for Rebecca Stone, identified on the document as Secretary to the Board, and Jim Kirk, Chair of the Board.

The minutes also display an apparent inconsistency: the document header lists the meeting date as June 23, 2025, but two lines at the bottom read “Approved June 17, 2025.” The minutes do not explain that date discrepancy.

No policies, statutes, or board bylaws are cited in the minutes attached to this action. The item on the agenda was recorded as “Approval to give Tenure Status” for a teacher who “has successfully completed 5 years of teaching in Alcoa City Schools.” The minutes do not provide additional background on the tenure process, appeal rights, or next steps following approval.

The called meeting was brief and limited in scope: the minutes record roll call, a moment of silence and the single tenure action. The record does not indicate public comment or debate occurred on the tenure item.

The board’s action grants tenure status to Kelsi Laverdiere as recorded in the June 23, 2025, minutes; the district’s administrative process documents or personnel files would be the next source for final confirmation of personnel status.