Lakeland board elects Laura Harrison chair, confirms committees and adopts policy and fee clarifications
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Summary
At its January meeting the board elected Laura Harrison as chair and Jeremy Burnett as vice chair, approved committee and independent hearing officer appointments, adopted a new unassigned fund-balance policy (second reading) and approved clarifying amendments to the 2025–26 fees list.
During the January business meeting the Lakeland School Board completed routine organizational actions and adopted several administrative items.
Nominations opened and Laura Harrison was nominated and elected as school board chair by voice vote; Harrison accepted. Jeremy Burnett was nominated and elected vice chair by voice vote. The board then approved multiple committee appointments: the disciplinary hearing committee (members listed in the agenda), policy committee membership and the ethics committee (which includes community member Adam Henry and the chair by policy). The board also approved a slate of independent hearing officers — attorneys Tom Minor, Deborah Owen and Sam Jackson — to serve on standby for employee hearings.
On policy matters the board approved a new policy on unassigned fund balance and cash balance on its second reading, as discussed at last month's meeting. The board also approved amendments to the district's 2025–26 required fees list, clarifying fee descriptors (for example changing grade-band language to school-specific labels such as "middle school winter musical cast fee" and "high school fall production crew fee"). The amended items were moved to the discussion/action portion of the agenda and approved by voice votes; staff will post the updated fees on the district website.
The meeting concluded with routine reminders to sign the annual code of ethics and to file statements of interest on the Tennessee site, finalization of TSBA Day on the Hill attendance, and an adjournment by voice vote.