School board appoints temporary Zone 5 member, approves parking work and mobile weapons detectors

The Nashville School Board on a 4-0 vote appointed Anthony Whitmore to fill the Zone 5 seat until the next board election and approved several routine expenditures, including payment of bills, a parking‑lot reseal and a mobile weapons‑detection purchase.

Board members moved to accept the resignation notice from Jamar Finley and to appoint Whitmore as an interim member until voters choose a replacement in the upcoming election. The motion to appoint Anthony Whitmore was made, seconded and recorded as carried 4-0.

The board approved payment of district bills after the superintendent reported the operating budget and current spending level. The board recorded the motion and a 4-0 vote to pay the district’s bills.

On facilities, the board voted to contract Tri State Asphalt to reseal, coat and restripe the elementary front parking lot for $13,345. The motion was seconded and approved 4-0.

In a separate action on security equipment, the superintendent described a vendor demonstration of a mobile weapons‑detection system and recommended purchasing four Open Gate devices from Pirano Security Solutions (Conway). Board members approved the purchase by motion and a 4-0 vote. The superintendent told the board, "I think it's money well spent," and explained the devices are mobile, will be used at each campus and at large public events after staff training.

Votes recorded in the meeting minutes were tallied by the board as unanimous in each case (4-0). The transcript does not list individual board member vote names in the roll call; vote tallies are shown as 4 yes, 0 no.

Next steps: Whitmore will serve in the Zone 5 seat until the upcoming election; the district will schedule vendor training and receive the Open Gate systems once procurement and training are complete.