Board approves new lease terms, budget amendments and multiple policy updates; authorizes Sun Life account access

At its Aug. 14 meeting the Bradley County Board of Education approved a revised lease with Family Resource Agency for the East Cleveland property, several budget amendments and multiple policy updates on first reading. The board also approved a resolution authorizing district staff to obtain access to a Sun Life share account so the district can confirm holdings.

Family Resource Agency lease: The board approved a lease amendment for the district-owned building on Strawberry Lane (formerly East Cleveland School) used by Family Resource Agency for pre-K offices and classroom space. Doctor Kaylor read a new Paragraph 9 into the record: “Family Resource Agency Incorporated shall, at its sole cost and expense, obtain and maintain in full force and effect throughout the term of this lease, a policy of insurance meeting the coverage and limits required by the Bradley County Board of Education. Such policy shall name Bradley County Schools as an additional insured….” The addition places responsibility for insurance, certificates and building maintenance on Family Resource Agency; the organization may sublet some classroom space to Cleveland City Schools for pre-K and is responsible for remodeling and upkeep under the lease. The motion to approve the lease passed.

Budget amendments and grants: The board approved a package of budget amendments, including a special revenue amendment for Fund 145 (PIE Center operations and fee-funded CTE programs such as esports, mechatronics, machining and welding), general fund amendments moving year-end reserves into safety, CTE, technology and the Bradley Central baseball field house, voluntary pre-K grant funding run by Family Resource Agency per a memorandum of understanding, transition and state special education preschool grants, adjustments to TISA and educator bonus allocations, and a capital-projects true-up for Okoye Middle (Fund 177).

Policy updates on first reading: The board voted to adopt Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA)-recommended revisions on multiple policies to reflect recent law changes: charter school application/oversight/renewal/revocation (policies 1.901, 1.903, 1.905, 1.906), surplus property sales (2.403) — which aligns the district with a federal threshold increase from $5,000 to $10,000 for certain disposals and incorporates new posting guidance from Public Chapter 500 — virtual education (4.212), employment of retirees (5.119) reflecting a required bona fide separation of service (60 days) under recent state guidance, attendance (6.2) and student wellness (6.411), the latter reflecting a state change requiring elementary students to receive 40 minutes of physical activity per full school day.

Sun Life account access: Board members discussed limited available background information on a Sun Life share account established in the 1990s. Staff reported an initial estimate of roughly $6,800 in holdings but said a full accounting requires authorized access. The board approved a resolution authorizing staff to obtain access to the Sun Life account; staff committed to report back with the original share certificates and a recommendation for handling the funds.

Why it matters: The lease clarifies risk and maintenance responsibilities for a facility used to operate pre-K services, the budget approvals allocate funding for CTE and capital work now and next year, the policy changes implement recent state law updates (including retiree rehire and physical-activity requirements) and the Sun Life authorization will let staff identify and decide how to use a small legacy holding.

What’s next: Staff will return with details on the Sun Life account holdings and with grant- and budget-related reporting documents. Policies approved on first reading will return for a second reading per district policy.