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Smyth County School Board approves consent agenda, carryover request, MOU and policy first reading; superintendent reports on finances
Summary
The board approved the consent agenda including payroll and fund payments, authorized an FY25 carryover request, approved an MOU with Highlands Community Services and passed a first-reading revision to booster-club policy; the superintendent reviewed finances and summer feeding. The board also considered (but did not record an approval for) a $0.01 bus-driver pay increase.
The Smyth County School Board on Aug. 11 approved routine business matters including the consent agenda (minutes, payroll and warrants), authorized a FY25 carryover request to the Smyth County Board of Supervisors, approved a first-reading revision to the district’s booster-club policy and approved an MOU with Highlands Community Services for the 2025–26 school year.
During the consent vote — moved by board member Joe Johnson and seconded by Ben Adams — the board approved payroll totaling $923,817.98 and recorded payments from the County School Debt and Capital Outlay Fund of $841,232.36; utilities and athletic-officials payments of $89,442.49; and Textbook Fund payments of $7,510.92. The FY25 carryover request was approved by a separate 7-0 vote (motion by Ben Adams, seconded by Joe Johnson).
The board approved a first-reading policy revision labeled DZC_Rev_Booster Clubs on a 7-0 vote (motion by Dr. Paul Grinstead, seconded by Mac Buchanan). The minutes do not include the policy text; the action was recorded as a first-reading approval.
The board approved an MOU with Highlands Community Services for the coming academic year (7-0). The superintendent’s report, given earlier in the meeting, included a review by Julie Bear, director of finance, of July revenue, expenditures and cash flow, along with updates from Superintendent Dr. Brad Haga on summer feeding totals, school-start preparations and facilities.
On compensation matters the minutes record that the board “considered” increasing the hourly bus-driver rate from $15.45 to $15.46; the minutes note the consideration but do not record a subsequent motion or vote to enact that pay change.
Votes at a glance: the consent agenda was approved 7-0; the FY25 carryover request was approved 7-0; booster-club policy revision (first reading) approved 7-0; MOU with Highlands Community Services approved 7-0; superintendent contract-term revision approved 7-0. Several other actions (instructional-aide additions, observance of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and numerous personnel approvals) were also recorded as unanimous approvals later in the meeting.
Next steps: the carryover request will be forwarded to the Smyth County Board of Supervisors as authorized by the school board; the policy revision will return for any further readings as required by board policy and state law.
