Elizabethton board approves stadium turf replacement, two special‑education assistants, policy revisions and city funding resolution

The Elizabethton Board of Education voted unanimously at its September meeting to approve four substantive items: a proposal to replace the artificial turf at Citizens Bank Stadium, ratification of two full‑time assistant positions to meet special‑education needs, first readings of board policies on evaluations and student records, and a joint resolution with the City of Elizabethton clarifying capital contributions for 2025 and 2026 and their effect on maintenance‑of‑effort requirements.

Board presenters said the stadium replacement will use a cooperative purchasing contract. "If you approve this, this evening, they should be able to do it over Christmas, which means by the soccer season in the spring, it would be completed and ready to go," a board presenter said. The proposal from FieldTurf USA is not to exceed $650,000 and will be procured through the Omnia Partners cooperative purchasing agreement. Board staff said the district will use funds previously designated for the project and, if needed, either the half‑cent sales tax or undesignated fund balance to cover any remainder.

The board also ratified the creation of two full‑time assistant positions to provide required services identified through students' individualized education program (IEP) meetings at Westside and T. A. Duggar. "We didn't want to wait to provide these students those needed services until the board meeting," a presenter said, explaining the positions were implemented immediately and then brought to the board for ratification.

On policy, the board voted to approve first readings of policy 5.109 (evaluation) and policy 6.6 (student records). Trustees said edits to 5.109 remove reference to an older TAP evaluation model and align the policy to the district's current team evaluation model. Revisions to 6.6 reinstate language discussed with the board attorney to clarify data‑sharing and how third‑party or online services that handle student information may be treated as school personnel for record‑sharing purposes.

Finally, the board approved a joint resolution with the City of Elizabethton covering capital contributions for the 2025 and 2026 budget years. Staff said the city council approved the same resolution at its meeting last Thursday and that the resolution treats the city's capital payments as one‑time contributions so they do not reduce the city's maintenance‑of‑effort obligation to the district.

Votes at a glance

- FieldTurf USA proposal to replace artificial turf at Citizens Bank Stadium (not to exceed $650,000; Omnia Partners Cooperative Purchasing Agreement): approved (unanimous). - Ratification of two full‑time assistant positions to fulfill special‑education services at Westside and T. A. Duggar: approved (unanimous). - First reading, board policy 5.109 (evaluation) and policy 6.6 (student records): approved (unanimous, first reading). - Joint resolution with City of Elizabethton regarding capital contributions for maintenance‑of‑effort for 2025 and 2026: approved (unanimous). - Consent and regular agenda approval at start of meeting: approved (unanimous).

Board members and staff emphasized the projects are funded from designated reserves where possible and that the staffing ratification responded to immediate IEP‑driven needs. No recorded roll‑call tallies by name were given in the public transcript; votes were recorded as unanimous "aye" with no opposition.

The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be Thursday, Oct. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the same boardroom.