Director's update: audits clear, staffing vacancies noted; SLP services contract tabled

During a directors update at the Nov. 3 meeting, Dr. Kristy Walker reported that a meeting place had been booked for a retreat at Fall Creek Falls on Jan. 10 (the minutes list the date as Jan. 10, 2025), and departmental updates were provided by Finance Director Kara Walling and Human Resources representative Sharlene Roberson.

The finance department reported a completed financial audit with no findings. An IT audit of finance department computers is in progress, and a workers' compensation audit has been performed with results not yet available. Human Resources reported two certified vacancies (a Deaf Educator and a Speech Pathologist) and three assistant positions open — one at Pikeville Elementary and two at Bledsoe County Middle School — and said longevity, Career Ladder and 1.5% bonuses will be paid in November. The minutes also noted an update on the board attending the TSBA convention.

Separately, Special Education Supervisor Cory Garrett's request to contract for in-person speech-language-pathology (SLP) services (agenda item 12) was tabled; the agenda had been changed earlier to table that item. No further details on the SLP contract (scope, estimated cost, or vendors) are recorded in the minutes.

The minutes do not specify the district role title for Dr. Walker beyond her participation in the director's update, nor do they provide dollar amounts for audit findings or the SLP contract; the retreat date listed in the minutes predates the meeting date and is noted here as recorded in the minutes.