Hickman County School Board approves amended agenda, multiple trip requests, budget amendments and pay-plan flexibility

The Hickman County School Board approved an amended agenda and a package of routine and substantive motions during its Dec. 9, 2024 meeting.

Board members voted to accept the amended agenda and to approve the minutes of the November 2024 regular meeting. The board approved the consent agenda and several trip requests: a senior-class trip to Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana on May 15 (48 students; fundraising and a per-student cost of $150 were reported) and four Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) overnight/travel requests tied to culinary and skill competitions (destinations included Sullivan University and events in Huntsville, Antioch and Chattanooga). The board approved four budget amendments (nos. 17'0) affecting the general fund and several grants and accepted a new internal-school-funds audit contract with Matlock and Clemons for the coming audit cycle.

The board also approved a revision to the district's disciplinary hearing authority to reflect recent staffing changes and approved an amendment to the hard-to-staff portion of the district's differentiated pay plan after staff reported a band-director resignation and requested flexibility to add midyear hard-to-staff certified positions. The administration said about $84,000 is budgeted for the differentiated-pay supplements and that spending is below 50% for the year.

Why it matters: the package bundles short-term operational approvals (trips, audits, minutes) with budget and staffing decisions that affect pay supplements and grant-funded programs. The budget amendments include adjustments to the Innovative School Model and federal Perkins CTE funding and a correction to the ATSI state grant budget.

Key details and outcomes - Amended agenda: approved by voice vote. - Senior trip to Holiday World (May 15): approved; 48 students signed up; fee reported as $150 per student; overnight/longer-than-12-hour trip requires board approval. - FCCLA travel requests (multiple dates and destinations): approved. - Budget amendments 17'0: approved. Staff described Budget Amendment 17 as moving $5,000 within the general fund to a subcode for externally donated funds; Amendment 18 relates to the Innovative School Model grant (staff said approximately $170,000 is expected to be spent over the next two years after revisions); Amendment 19 adds roughly $2,100 to Perkins CTE budgeting; Amendment 20 corrects a duplicated placeholder for the ATSI grant. - Internal-school-funds audit contract (Matlock and Clemons): approved by roll call. - Revised disciplinary hearing authority (personnel roster updates): approved. - Amendment to differentiated pay plan (hard-to-staff list additions): approved; administration said no additional dollars are required beyond the $84,000 already budgeted.

Formal vote notes: several items were approved by voice vote; the budget amendments were approved by roll call with board members recorded as present/yes in the roll-call sequence that appeared in the transcript (Doctor Kays: yes; Miss Herron: yes; Miss Taylor: yes; Miss Baker: yes; Mister Hobbs: not present; Mister Lang: yes; Miss Banks: yes). The transcript did not provide full named roll-call tallies for every motion; where roll call was recorded the meeting transcript was used.

What the board did not decide tonight: the therapy-dog policy remained a topic of discussion (the board directed staff to gather additional information and return with guidelines), and some policy language about election-day signage was tabled for broader consultation with election officials and political parties.

Ending: The board adjourned after routine reports and updates. The board set its next regular meeting for Jan. 13, 2025 and discussed scheduling a work session to consider contingency planning if state-level voucher/education-freedom legislation advances.