Scott County Board of Education approves tenure grants, budget amendments and $500 paraprofessional bonus; OKs baseball/softball renovations pending county vote

The Scott County Board of Education, at its regular meeting on Nov. 20, 2025, approved a package of routine and substantive items including budget amendments, tenure grants, a one-time $500 bonus for paraprofessionals and capital work on baseball and softball facilities that is pending county approval.

The board opened with brief recognitions and then moved through a consent agenda that included approval to continue district membership in the Clinch-Pal Educational Cooperative for the 2026 school year, submission of the district’s 2025–2026 compliance report and approval of out-of-state and overnight student trips. The board adopted the meeting agenda and approved the consent agenda by roll-call votes with no recorded opposition.

Votes at a glance - Adopt agenda (Item 6): approved by roll call (Doctor Murphy; Miss Kidd; Mister Shelton; Miss Smith; Mister Silcox; Mister Stanley — recorded as 'Aye'). - Approve consent agenda: approved by roll call (unanimous 'Aye' as recorded). - Continue membership in Clinch-Pal Educational Cooperative (Item 8a): approved by roll call (recorded 'Aye'). - Submit 2025–2026 compliance report (Item 8b): approved; the chair cited Tennessee Code Annotated sections 49-1-101 through 49-6-201 as governing K–12 curricula and rules and stated board approval was required to file the district compliance report. - Approve out-of-state and overnight trips (Item 8c): approved by roll call. - Approve FY2025–26 budget amendments to balance the budget (Item 8d): approved by roll call. - Approve and submit annual accountability report under Tennessee Code Annotated, section 49-3-112 (Item 8e): approved; the chair said the report must include student-achievement goals, including a target that 70% or more of district third graders meet or exceed expectations on the English language arts portion of TCAP and an explanation of how the budget supports those goals. - Grant tenure to Hannah Burchfield for the 2024 school year (Item 8f): approved by roll call; the chair said Burchfield’s name had been left off the June agenda and sought retroactive approval. - Grant tenures as recommended under Board Policy 5.117 (Item 8g): approved by roll call. - Authorize a one-time $500 bonus for all paraprofessionals to be paid on the Dec. 20 payroll (Item 8h): approved by roll call. - Approve $23,937.50 for baseball/softball renovations contingent on Scott County Commission approval of an equal contribution (Item 8i): the board approved the district share; the transcript states the total project price is $47,875 and that county approval remained pending.

Quotes and context A board presenter who introduced the student recognition said of Taylan Swenson, a freshman at Scott High: "She turned in her second best time of the season and finished 92 out of 176 in Class AA. It's a great honor, for our school and our community." The presenter’s name is not given in the transcript.

On administrative requirements, the chair cited state law in presenting the compliance and accountability items. The transcript references Tennessee Code Annotated sections 49-1-101 through 49-6-201 in describing K–12 curricula and rules; it also cites the accountability-report requirement commonly codified at Tennessee Code Annotated section 49-3-112.

Financial and procedural details - Paraprofessional bonus: one-time payment of $500 per paraprofessional, scheduled for the Dec. 20 payroll (approved). - Baseball/softball renovations: district portion $23,937.50; transcript states total project price $47,875 and notes the district action is pending Scott County Commission approval to fund the county’s share. - Budget amendments: board approved unspecified amendments required to balance the FY2025–26 budget under board policy 2.201; the transcript does not itemize line-by-line changes.

What happens next The district will submit the cited compliance and accountability reports to the Tennessee Department of Education as approved. The baseball/softball renovations will proceed only if the Scott County Commission approves the matching $23,937.50 contribution. The board adjourned following brief Thanksgiving remarks from several members.

(Reporting based on the Nov. 20, 2025 meeting transcript of the Scott County Board of Education.)