Cheatham County school board approves athletics and fine‑arts supplement; accepts grants and authorizes property sale

The Cheatham County Board of Education voted unanimously Sept. 11 to approve a fund‑balance supplement described during the meeting as between $342,444 and $343,444 to implement an athletics and fine‑arts supplement, effective July 1 with retroactive pay. Board members said the change is intended to make stipends for coaches and arts staff more competitive and to correct a long period without adjustments.

The supplement request was one of several finance and routine items the board approved in a single meeting that also included acceptance of grants, approval of carryover funds for the Innovative School Model, authorization to negotiate a property sale and routine contract and policy actions. The board handled the supplement after several members described the step as overdue and said the amount was developed with input from coaches, athletic directors and school staff.

Board members who spoke in support framed the supplement as an attempt to bring parity and market competitiveness to extracurricular stipends. One member said the effort had taken months and input from “boots on the ground”—coaches and school athletic directors—and another said the board had aimed to be conservative while correcting decades of underpayment. Several board members urged coaches, arts teachers, parents and students to attend the upcoming county commission meeting, where the county commission is expected to consider the broader funding steps tied to the supplement.

Votes at a glance

- Athletics and fine‑arts supplement (fund‑balance request described in meeting materials as $342,444 and read in a motion as $343,444): Approved unanimously. The board recorded a roll‑call yes vote.

- United Way of Greater Nashville: Accept tutoring grant, $42,205 — Approved unanimously.

- Innovative School Model (ISM) carryover funds: Accept carryover, $148,386.43 — Approved unanimously.

- Authorization to negotiate sale of district property (referred to as CCCHS/Scott property): Authorize staff to negotiate a sale price of $90,000 and return for final approval — Approved unanimously with direction that closing costs and contract details be negotiated and returned for final approval.

- Resolution to reaffirm and ratify a real property transaction for the library (outside counsel authorization included in the resolution presented at the work session): Approved unanimously.

- Contract approval for community/athletic field operator (referred to in the meeting as the PVAVDES/PBAA/PBES contract): Motion to approve the contract as presented — Approved.

- Consent agenda (minutes from Aug. 7 and routine items): Approved unanimously.

- Policies 16b(1)–(6) (first reading, including charter‑related adjustments and a promotion/retention policy): Approved on first reading by voice vote (ayes have it).

Discussion and context

Board members described the supplement as the result of multi‑month work involving district staff, athletic directors, coaches and arts educators. The board’s discussion repeatedly emphasized consultation with the people who perform the coached and extracurricular work, and multiple members said the stipends had been “behind” for many years and needed to be made more competitive to support retention and recruitment.

Superintendent‑level and academic staff presentations at the meeting focused on academic planning, instructional observation protocols (IPGs) and literacy initiatives; those presentations were informational and did not require board action. Academic staff outlined use of IPGs (instructional practice guides) for brief classroom observations followed by debriefs, the district’s participation in literacy networks and planned benchmarks during the school year. The board asked for periodic updates and mid‑year benchmark data.

What the board approved and next steps

For the supplement, the motion approved at the meeting authorizes the appropriation from fund balance and implementation starting July 1 with retroactivity noted in the agenda language. Multiple board members urged coaches and arts staff to attend the county commission meeting scheduled the following Monday; at the meeting several members said the commission’s approval is part of the process to finalize the funding changes.

For the property sale, the board voted to authorize staff to negotiate and prepare a contract at the $90,000 price point and bring a final contract back to the board for approval. The board directed staff to include customary closing‑cost language and said any sale‑related legal costs will be paid by the buyers, per the discussion.

The United Way tutoring grant and the ISM carryover funds were accepted into the district budget as presented. The board also approved a resolution to reaffirm a library real‑property transaction and approved a routine contract related to athletic fields.

The meeting minutes and the board’s agenda packet list the amounts and motions; the transcript included both $342,444 and $343,444 when the athletics/arts supplement amount was read aloud. The board recorded the motions and carried each item by unanimous voice or roll call vote as noted above.

Ending

Board members closed the meeting with brief remarks thanking staff, recognizing employees of the month and reminding the public of upcoming literacy and community events. Several members reiterated the request that coaches, parents and supporters attend the county commission meeting the following Monday to show support for the supplement measures the board approved at the Sept. 11 meeting.