Student absences reduced in Obion County Schools

Prior to adjournment of the October session of the Obion County Board of Education, Director of Schools Tim Watkins updated the board on current statistics recorded as of the 40 day of the 2022-2023 school year.

Watkins said he recalled, during the interview process for the filling of the Director of School’s position, he had stated the Obion County School System appeared to have an attendance problem.

“Today, that would be my problem. But I am happy to report, having just finished the 40th day of school, our attendance county wide is at 94.7%. In all seven schools we have seen a decrease in absenteeism. This accomplishment has taken everybody. All our staff should be commended,” Watkins said.

Board members heard from the system’s Technology Department, Joe Lewis and Mitchell Williamson regarding their request to begin the process of establishing an ESports club at Obion County Central and South Fulton High Schools.

Both provided information and statistics which reflected 80% of students who participated in an ESports club had never before participated in any other extra curricular activity. Williamson reported scholarships are now available for full college tuition, for studies relating to gaming, film, graphic design, coding and STEM-related studies.

He said while students had been competing in the ESports gaming at home, he now had the use of donated PlayStation 4’s, to use for setup of a lab at the school. Currently, Williamson said he had 42 students interested in the ESports program. He said some area Tennessee schools have already implemented the program and he and Lewis would be willing to oversee the ESports Club outside of their regular duties and hours of their jobs within the school system’s technology department.

The board approved the implementation of an ESports Club for each high school in the system, under the oversight of Lewis and Williamson, with $500 in funding to be alloted for the next budget year for each club.

While the ESport is not presently governed by the TSSAA, Lewis said the process is set to begin to approve the sport for the designation.

During the portion of the Obion County Board of Education’s Oct. 3 meeting’s agenda designated for Recognitions, Communications Director Lauren Kendall presented awards to Outstanding Student, SFHS senior Allie Taylor and Outstanding Alumni, Ja’Quay Garmon, who is an Educational Assistant at SFMS/HS and serves as Assistant Middle School and High School Football Coach.

The South Fulton Middle/High School Band members were recognized, for their achievements earned at the Smoky Mountain Music Festival competition, SFHS Beta Club members Stewart Conner, Mary Pitts and Daniel Pitts were honored for their advancements to the National level of competition and placement, and STEM program participants were recognized for their recent Emergency Preparedness kit give-away for the community.

Monday night’s School Board meeting was held in the library of South Futon Middle/High School with Board Chair Fritz Fussell, Board members Keisha Hooper, Barry Adams, Tim Britt, Jared Poore, Shannon Hogg and Kyle Baggett in attendance. Director of Schools Tim Watkins was also present.

Resignations were reported for Teresa McFarland, South Fulton Elementary, Educational Assistant, Laura Petty, Custodian at Obion County Central High School and Delores Slaughter, Food Service at Obion County Central. Retirement was reported fo Letha Reavis, Educational Assistant at Ridgemont. New hires listed included Mary Beth Gowen, Custodian at Hillcrest, Dana Hart, Educational Assistant at South Fulton Elementary and Payton Rice, Educational Assistant at Ridgemont. Two leaves of absence were reported, for Brenna Riley, Social Worker and Ben Farley, Custodian at Obion County Central High School.

The list of Substitute Teachers provided included Allison Simmons, Katie Clark, Abby Potts, Chris Boucher, Karley Eaves, Nathan Laws, Larry Holtzclaw and Abby Fulcher.

A number of overnight trip requests were submitted and approved by the board, including the Obion County Central High School Band, Nov. 5-6 to Smyrna, Tenn. for performing their Fall Field Show for Adjudication in the Tennesseee Division II State Marching Band Competition; Hillcrest Cross Country, as well as Black Oak Cross Country, Lake Road Cross Country and Ridgemont Cross Country, to Clarksville, Tenn. Sept. 30-Oct. 1 for an athletic event/state cross country meet; Obion County Central High School Future Farmers of America, Oct. 26-28 to Indianapolis, Ind., for the FFA convention; Hillcrest 7th-8th grade band students to Memphis, Tenn. Feb. 9-11 to perform an audition piece for consideration to perform with the best players in the West Tennessee area; and South Fulton Middle/High School Cheer, Jan. 19-23 to Dallas, Texas to compete in the National Cheerleading competition, for grades 9-12 Cheer.

Other overnight trips approved by the board as submitted included South Fulton High School Agriculture-Future Farmers of America, Oct. 26-28 for the FFA convention in Indianapolis, Ind. and the South Fulton Middle/High School Band, to St. Louis, Mo. Nov. 5-6 to attend a performance of Jurassic Park by the St. Louis Symphony.

Two schools’ programs requested and were approved for the surplussing of uniforms and equipment.

South Fulton Middle/High Athletic Director Keith Frazier requested SFMS/SFHS cheerleading and sports team uniforms no longer in use be sold as a 2022-2023 fundraiser for the programs, to include old basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, cheerleading uniforms and football jerseys.

Black Oak Principal John Kerr requested a list of items he provided, no longer in use by the basketball program be declared surplus, to be sold, with funds gained placed into the school’s athletic account. Items included practice jerseys and shorts, Under Armour jerseys, long sleeved shooting shirts, and uniform shorts and jerseys.

Both requests received Mr. Watkins’ recommendation and the board’s approval.

Board approval is required for ESSER compliance and public posting, associated with the federal government’s Covid Relief Act funding. Watkins reported just over $5 million of the ESSER funds have not yet been spent, but have been allocated for future projects. He stated the ESSER 2 funds would be expended by the end of the 2022-2023 school year and by June of 2024, all ESSER funds would be required to have been spent. The plan for remaining funds, the Safe to Return to School document, the Budget Overviews for ESSER 2.0 and 3.0 and the Tennessee All Corps (Student Tutoring) Grant Overview for fiscal year 2023 was approved.

Annually, the Board approves members to serve on the textbook adoption committees pursuant to TCA §49-6-2207(c)(1-4), (d)(1-2),(e), and (f), which provide (c)(1) Boards shall make their adoption upon recommendations of committees.

These committees shall be set up by subject matter fields and composed of teachers, or supervisors and teachers, with the number of members of each committee to be determined by the board based upon the relative size of the local school system. These committees shall be composed of teachers and supervisors who are now teaching or supervising the respective subject and shall be by grade or groups of grades arranged so that a committee may consider an entire series of books if it should so desire; provided, that in all cases, the teachers appointed on the committees herein provided for shall hold professional certificates and have had three (3) or more years of experience as teachers or supervisors in the public schools. The members of the committee authorized in this section shall serve for one (1) fiscal year.

The system wide Obion County Math Curriculum Adoption Committee members include for K-2, Black Oak – Candace Thweatt, Hillcrest – Sydney Maloney,,Lake Road – Candace Hailey, Ridgemont – Lindsey Gidcumb, South Fulton Elementary – Jennifer McConnell, 3-5 Black Oak – Edith Barnett, Hillcrest – Deanna Wilson, Lake Road – Kenthia McKinnis, Ridgemont – Lauren Black, South Fulton Elementary – Moranda Johns, 6-8Black Oak – Lana Davis, Hillcrest – Tori Jones, Tina Forbes, Lake Road – Krista Vise, Ridgemont – Denise Davidson, South Fulton Middle – Marina Greer, 9-12, Obion County Central – Tonya Cochran, Kendra Meurs, South Fulton High – JB Suiter, SpEd, Melashia HoltChanda Peal, Casey Webb, ESL, Rachel Whites, Non-voting Consultants, Dr. Stephanie Kolitsch, UTM Math Professor, Sandy Simpson, PreK-3 Supervisor, Lesa Scillion, 4-8 Supervisor, George Leake, 9-12 Supervisor, Heather Horner, K-2 Instructional Coach, Debbie Richardson, 3-8 Math , Coach Maria Matheny, 9-12 Math, Coach, Parent Representatives, Black Oak – Kyle Thweatt, Hillcrest – Lucas Wilds, Lake Road – Niki McBride, Obion County Central – John Cagle, Ridgemont – Callye Moran, South Fulton Elementary – Allie Lusk, South Fulton Middle/High School.

Bids were requested for a new scoreboard on the Obion County Central High School Baseball field with funds to be provided by the Sliders Club. The bid in the amount of $12,675 was recommended by those in attendance, including Principal Barry Kendall, for the bid opening, from Varsity Scoreboards. Specs included a 20 x 8 baseball scoreboard with 15” LED digits with Protective shields and a 9 inning scoreboard with AT BAT and H/E.

The bid was approved.

Three bids were received for a Boxed Eave Covered Frame for the outdoor classroom requested by Lake Road Elementary. The cost is to be covered by ESSER 2.0 funds, with the recommendation to accept the bid from Mayberry Metal Structures for $5,765,

Max Steel bid was at $7,204.98 and Quality Outdoor Products, at $10,314.

Central Technology’s bid in the amount of $10,546.12 for the school year, was the successful bidder for purchases and upgrades for security cameras. Director of Schools Tim Watkins explained Principals and SRO’s at each school made recommendations throughout the year regarding camera needs and upgrades, with recommendations also made by the school system’s technology department. South Fulton, Obion County Central and Lake Road, Watkins said, are in line to receive new and/or upgraded equipment.

Konica Minolta bid $11,048.65.

Central Technology also received the successful bid on DyKnow Classroom Monitoring Software, in the amount of $14,175, to allow teachers the ability to monitor students’ laptops and usage during classroom time.

The Board was updated on the awarding of bids for school campus intercom systems, with Watkins explaining several schools were still operating with their original intercom system. South Fulton Elementary, South Fulton Middle/High and Black Oak schools are to receive a new intercom system, with the original bidding coming in under budget. The Central Technology bid was $78,430.66.

Board member Keisha Hooper asked about Hillcrest’s intercom system, installed last year and school staff members stated there were still two hallway intercom systems which were not functioning properly. Watkins said the company which installed that system last year should be contacted to make repairs, however that company did not receive the bid award for intercom systems to be installed this time.

The Board considered and approved an Amendment to Board Policy#6.4052 – Opioid Antagonist. The current policy provides procedures for parental notification, maintenance, record keeping, reporting after an incident and storage of Naloxone, a medication used in the immediate treatment of drug overdose.

Watkins shared with Board members the amendment pertains to school nurses and other trained staff members who may be required to administer the medication, to be assured they would not be held liable for their actions.