Canton Public School District board approves contracts, policy changes and personnel actions; accepts superintendent’s recommendation to release employee

The Canton Public School District Board of Trustees met Oct. 15, 2024, at Reuben B. Myers CSAS and approved a slate of routine and substantive items, including financial reports and claims dockets, multiple contracts and purchases, a broad set of policy revisions and several personnel actions. After a closed executive session, the board accepted Superintendent Gary Hannah’s recommendation to release an employee from her contract.

Chairman Johnny Brown opened the meeting at 5:30 p.m. and Trustee Lenderrick Taylor moved to adopt the agenda; Trustee Peter Brown seconded the motion and roll-call votes were recorded as 'Aye.' The board then approved the Sept. 10, 2024 minutes.

In the superintendent’s report, Gary Hannah presented monthly updates and school-improvement materials, including teacher attendance and the utility report for September 2024. Trustee Peter Brown moved to approve items 7.1–7.4; the motion carried with affirmative votes recorded.

Finance director Tony Foster presented the financial section, and the board approved financial items 9.1–9.11. Those approvals covered multiple claims dockets (including Claims Docket #25912–26065 and earlier dockets listed in the packet), an asset disposal request (Exhibit 9.8), the activity fund report for September 2024 (Exhibit 9.9) and the September 2024 financial statements (Exhibit 9.10).

The board authorized three contract/easement items listed under agenda item 10. The trustees approved contracts with Kids First (instructional coaching and professional development for secondary schools, not to exceed $25,000) and J&G Consulting Services (similar services, not to exceed $25,000). The board also approved a right-of-way easement to Entergy Mississippi, LLC for 0.113 acres (fair market rent of $915.00).

A broad consent agenda (items 11.1–11.19) was approved, covering donations (for example, a $1,500 donation from G.A. Carmichael Family Health Center to the athletic department and two BankPlus donations noted in Exhibit 11.2), PTO and booster-club officer appointments, use of Old Capitol Inn for Canton High School’s 2025 prom (not to exceed $4,000, to be paid from junior-class funds), travel authorizations, license and coordinator supplements, and purchases including three Quest VR headsets donated to the Canton Career Center (Lobaki, Inc.), an annual AIM 3.0 (ParentSquare) service not to exceed $26,000 for 2024–25, a Cyber Foundations II consumables/equipment purchase not to exceed $70,000, and an upgrade for Nurti Kids to Mosaic iCloud/Heartland not to exceed $18,800. The consent agenda also included a change order for the Canton High School intercom project to add the Ninth Grade building, increasing the contract from $496,749.00 to $506,557.00.

Under student-transfer business the board approved the transfer of ninth-grade student Terrin Carr (11.20.1), noting the student’s mother is employed by Madison School District for the 2024–25 school year.

The trustees moved through an extensive policy docket. The board adopted Policy EBBAG (Cardiac Emergency Response Plan) and Policy GBDB (Retired Teacher Employment), placed Policy EFC (Use of Artificial Intelligence) up for review and approved a large package of revisions to board policies on governance, personnel, attendance, testing and student-directory privacy. Item 11.42 specifically rescinded Board Policy ADB (Average Daily Attendance) citing HB 4130. Board motions to adopt and revise the policies were approved by voice/roll call as recorded in the minutes.

The personnel section (items 12.1–12.16) recorded multiple leaves of absence, resignations and employment recommendations. Notable hires recommended for ratification included Derrick Roach as a teacher at Canton High School (pending certification), Nate Martin as a teacher assistant at Porter Middle School and Charles Matthews Jr. as Automotive Technician at Canton Career Center. The board approved the personnel slate; the recorded roll call for this approval shows one 'Nay' among otherwise affirmative votes.

Agenda item 14 identified an executive-session matter: 'Kasey Rather — Release from Contract.' The board moved into executive session to consider the personnel matter. After deliberation in closed session, Trustee Peter Brown moved that the board accept Superintendent Gary Hannah’s recommendation to release the employee from her contract; Trustee Glen Lacey seconded the motion. Upon return to open session, Chairman Johnny Brown announced the board had voted to accept the recommendation. The minutes do not include additional details about the basis for the release or further personnel conditions.

The meeting concluded at 6:17 p.m. after a unanimous vote to adjourn. The board’s next regular meeting dates and locations were noted in the packet; the minutes include a full schedule through June of the next year.

Actions recorded in the minutes were procedural approvals typical of a regular board meeting (adoption of the agenda and minutes), fiscal approvals (claims and financial statements), contract and easement authorizations, policy adoptions/revisions (including rescinding ADB per HB 4130), personnel approvals and the executive-session release of an employee per the superintendent’s recommendation. The minutes attach exhibits for the superintendent’s report, financials and multiple consent/contract items cited above.