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Board votes: Perkins allocation, personnel changes, facilities projects, Poplar Hill bid and routine approvals
Summary
At its March meeting the Rutherford County School Board approved a package of routine and capital items including Perkins funding for Rutherford Works ambassadors, several facility requests, new job descriptions, denial of a transfer student under disciplinary policy, and the Poplar Hill Middle School construction bid and funding request.
The Rutherford County School Board approved multiple motions during its March meeting. Several items were routine approvals; others carry budget and implementation implications that the district will present to the county commission or implement administratively.
Key votes and outcomes (brief):
1) Rutherford Works ambassador school leads — Perkins allocation - Action: Approve allocation of approximately $15,000 of Perkins 2024–25 funds to support Rutherford Works ambassador school leads (stipends of $500 per participant for professional development attendance). - Outcome: Approved (motion passed; mover not specified; seconded; general voice vote).
2) Transfer student under discipline (policy 6.318) - Action: Board considered admission of a transfer student expelled from another system for possession of a THC vape and voted on the director-of-schools recommendation. - Outcome: Board voted to deny admission while the student remains under discipline (motion to deny approved; voice vote recorded as passed).
3) Supervisor of "Teach Now" specialist — new job description - Action: Approve new job description for Supervisor of Teach Now Specialist to support the teacher-preparation program and reporting/compliance duties. - Outcome: Approved (motion passed by voice vote).
4) Playground, security and facility requests (multiple schools) - Christian Elementary: approve use of grant funds and school funds for Asher Sullivan memorial playground improvements; approved. - Rockvale High: approve purchase of 12x24 storage shed from band account (cost below $14,000); approved. - Wilson Elementary: approve playground equipment and sunshade funded by Richard Siegel grant, $24,086.80; approved. - Riverdale High: approve JROTC obstacle-course improvements at a cost of $5,000 funded by JROTC fundraising; approved.
5) Custodial equipment repair tech — new job description - Action: Approve new custodial equipment repair tech position to replace HVAC level 6 position; approved.
6) Poplar Hill Middle School bid and county funding request - Action: Staff recommended RG Anderson Company as lowest responsive bidder for construction (bid: $59,197,000) and presented an overall funding request of $70,897,000 to include construction, construction-related costs, furniture/fixtures/equipment, design and site contracts. - Staff noted $3,700,000 for design was already funded; the district said the funding request to the County Commission would be approximately $67,197,000. The board moved to approve and forward the request to the county’s health and education committee and the full commission. - Outcome: Approved (motion passed by voice vote).
Procedural note: many items were approved by voice vote with “all in favor say aye”; individual roll calls were not recorded for most of these routine items in the public transcript.
What happens next: staff will implement approved projects where funding is internal or will present funding requests to the Rutherford County Commission where outside funding is required (Poplar Hill construction request and some textbook funding). Several new positions require hiring and classification actions through human resources.
