Overton County school board approves building bids, fund transfer and pay schedule; elects chair and vice chair

The Overton County School Board on Sept. 9 elected a new chair and vice chair and approved multiple building-project low bids, a transfer from fund balance to cover remaining building-program costs, and the 2025–26 certified supplement pay schedule.

The board voted to make Mitch Stoneshofer chair and Ricky Dodson vice chair. Those nominations were made from the floor and approved by voice vote.

In roll-call votes the board approved low bids on several elementary school additions and related building-program actions. The board approved the low bid for Allens Elementary School from Mid State Construction, the low bid for Hillheim Elementary School from FTM Contracting, and the low bid for Rickman Elementary School from King Construction Group. The board also approved moving $6,043,665 from the fund-balance reserve to cover the portion of the building program not covered by bond proceeds and to finance site repairs and minor projects (softball fencing, basketball court and awning installations).

The board approved the Overton County certified supplement pay schedule for 2025–26 and voted to adopt several budget revisions and grant-related items contained on the consent agenda, including multiple fiscal-year 2026 federal- and state-funded program budgets and amendments listed on the consent agenda (CTE Perkins, Title I-A revisions, IDEA revisions, McKinney‑Vento, 21st Century CCLC remaining funds and others).

Most of the construction and budget-related motions were approved by roll-call votes. Where the roll calls are recorded in the transcript, individual members responded yes or no during the roll call; the meeting transcript records the sequence of roll-call prompts and responses.

Board members and staff said the building-program approvals are part of a broader capital plan that includes additions at multiple schools and related site repairs. The fund-balance transfer was presented as necessary to complete parts of the building program that exceed bond funding.

The board also approved several fiscal-year capital-project revisions and building-program budget amendments and heard an OCEA recognition and brief remarks on after‑school staffing and substitute pay during the meeting’s public portion and work session.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes (July 29, 2025) and meeting agenda (Sept. 9, 2025): motion and second recorded; approved by voice vote. - Election of board chair: Motion to nominate Mitch Stoneshofer; second recorded; approved by voice vote. - Election of vice chair: Motion to nominate Ricky Dodson; second recorded; approved by voice vote. - Approval — 2025–26 Overton County certified supplement pay schedule: motion by James Clouse, seconded by Ben Danner; roll-call vote recorded in the transcript with members answering in sequence; motion passes. - Low bid approval — Allens Elementary School addition (low bidder named in meeting as Mid State Construction): motion made and seconded; roll-call vote recorded; motion passes. - Low bid approval — Hillheim Elementary School addition (low bidder named in meeting as FTM Contracting): motion made and seconded; roll-call vote recorded; motion passes. - Low bid approval — Rickman Elementary School addition (low bidder named in meeting as King Construction Group): motion made and seconded; roll-call vote recorded; motion passes. - Transfer approval — Move $6,043,665 from fund-balance reserve to cover building-program shortfall and specific site repairs and installations: motion by Ben Danner, seconded by James Clouse; roll-call vote recorded; motion passes. - Approval — multiple consent-agenda budget items and grant revisions (listed by staff during the consent agenda; see list below): motion made and seconded; roll-call vote recorded; motion passes.

Consent-agenda items listed in the meeting audio (as read into the record by staff) included fiscal-year 2026 line items and revisions for: CTE Perkins basic, Title I-A, Title II-A, Title IV, IDEA Part A and IDEA preschool, McKinney‑Vento, 21st Century CCLC remaining funds, early literacy pre-K teacher stipend, consolidated administration and an HQIM literacy implementation network original budget, and the fiscal-year 2025 quarterly reports. The transcript lists these items by program name and revision numbers as read on the record.

What the board approved does not, by itself, alter the specific project schedules or staffing decisions beyond what was presented at the meeting. Several board members and staff noted that additions at Allen’s (Allens), Hillheim and Rickman elementaries will increase square footage and will affect custodial and maintenance staffing needs; those staffing decisions were discussed in a separate work session and were not adopted as formal motions at this meeting.

Ending: The board concluded with routine items and moved into a work session to discuss school maintenance staffing and related operational matters.