At a regularly scheduled meeting, the Oneida Special School District board approved solicitations for service contracts, accepted personnel changes and routine budget amendments, authorized administrators to withdraw a debt‑service CD if needed to finish the gym project, and heard director reports including a $60,000 pre-K grant.
District directors and principals reported plans to hire staff, detailed student-support efforts including a $10,000 grant, expanded weekend food backpacks and upcoming testing and recognition events.
The Oneida Special School District board unanimously approved a first reading of a zero-tolerance policy, created an AI task force, approved a capital outlay budget amendment and a set of fundraisers, and accepted a bid for a metal storage building during its meeting.
District staff updated the board on the high school gym project timeline (contractor deadline April 27), site safety assessments that found classroom doors not lockable from the inside, and deployment plans for an Evolve weapon‑detection system and Rapid radios funded by grants.
District staff reported a 15% increase in the share of freshmen scoring 18 or higher on the preACT, early postsecondary opportunity gains on the ASVAB, and presented results from a 17‑question student survey about events, phones, electives and stress.
The district held a first reading of revisions to the high school class‑ranking policy that clarify valedictorian/salutatorian eligibility, including provisions for students graduating in December; the board approved moving the policy to a second reading in December.
At its November meeting the Oneida Special School District board unanimously approved the agenda, consent items, three procurement items, a memorandum of understanding with the University of Tennessee–Knoxville and several personnel and budget items.
District leaders reported grants, student recognitions and a new weapon-detection screening system for school events, and principals highlighted a theater grant that will provide 50 student tickets to a Broadway-style production in April 2026.
At its meeting, the Oneida Special School District board approved routine business items including permission to seek bids for cafeteria warmers and coolers, three partnership/contracts, a budget amendment for the OES gym project, resignations and multiple school fundraisers; all recorded motions passed by roll call votes.
The director told the board the district applied again for a T‑Mobile Friday Night Lights $5,000 award, emphasizing a request for accessibility upgrades to stadium access and restrooms rather than large capital projects.
