School board approves policies, donations, scholarship and facility repairs; personnel motions certified

The Warren County School Board approved a series of items on March 5, 2025, ranging from policy updates to facility repairs. The board approved donations to support McKinney-Vento students, adopted several policy updates on third reading, accepted a new memorial sports scholarship, and authorized county-led repairs at the Fifteenth Street facility.

Donations and scholarships The board voted to accept a set of community donations designated to support students experiencing housing insecurity under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Donors included Diana and Cami Robinson, Hike Kids Foundation, First Bank, Stone Branch Center for the Arts, and volunteer students and a teacher who assembled hygiene and art kits. The motion to accept donations passed without recorded opposition.

The board also accepted the newly established Billy Vaughn Memorial Sports Scholarship, to award up to two scholarships annually (a maximum of $5,000 total) to graduating senior athletes at Skyline High School and Warren County High School. The motion passed by voice vote.

Policy approvals The board's policy subcommittee presented a set of policy revisions. The board approved third readings of multiple policies (DLB, DLC, DM, DO, EA, EBAA, EBBA, EBCB) and modified policy ECA to explicitly include "technology" in the inventory list. A first reading was held for additional policies addressing flags, decor and student survey opt-out language; board members discussed combining two draft options to avoid unintended loopholes and to ensure curricular uses (foreign language, history) remain permitted.

Facilities Parks and Recreation staff requested approval to remove a deteriorated section of bleachers and repair steps and a small shed at the Fifteenth Street Health and Human Services facility. Public Works had removed one section of bleachers earlier after identifying safety hazards. The board approved the county project to remove unsafe railings and walls, grade the area for blanket and chair seating, repair remaining bleachers where feasible, and repair the small storage shed near the press box.

Personnel and other approvals The board certified personnel actions and a personnel report addendum discussed in closed session and approved a slate of other routine consent items. The board also approved the 2025-26 Program of Studies changes (new CTE courses, middle-school electives and course scheduling adjustments) and accepted several budget-related non-labor increases and capital requests as part of the superintendent's packet earlier in the meeting.

Ending Most approvals were routine and passed by consensus; the FY26 budget vote was the single split decision at the meeting. The board asked staff to return redlined policy language for a second reading on the flags/decor matter and to provide figures for capital items such as tennis-court repairs and specific equipment quotes.