Members of the Haywood County School Board are (from left) Greg Vanstory, Harold Garrett, Harrison Jones, Olivia Farrington, and Allen Currie. Harold Garrett was re-elected as chairman, and Allen Currie will serve as vice chairman.

The new school board members attended their first meeting Thursday night, September 11, – Olivia Farrington for Districts 3 and 7, and Harrison Jones for Districts 1 and 5 – with a packed house in attendance. The meeting opened with an introduction by Board Chairman Harold Garrett of the new technology that allows everyone to see the agenda and all the details of the meeting projected on a screen.

Among other business on the agenda, with a vote of 3 to 2, Harold Garrett was re-elected as chairman. Greg Vanstory received two votes. Allen Currie was elected to serve as vice chairman with another vote of 3 to 2, and Harrison Jones was the other nominee.

Harold Garrett appointed Harrison Jones and Allen Currie to the Scholarship Committee, Greg Vanstory and Olivia Farrington to the Collaborative Conferencing Committee, and he and Allen Currie will serve on the Budget Committee. Mr. Garrett will also serve as the Tennessee Legislative Network representative.

Members of the HMS administration and Leadership Team are (from left) Mindy Jones, Tanesha Walker, Jane Jameson, Principal Yvette Blue, Assistant Principal Morris Long, Michelle Brasfield, Mary Jane Williams, Gina Cozart, William Grissom, and Rachel Dreyer. HMS was recognized as a 2014 Reward School.

Mrs. Russell gave recognition to the HMS administration and Leadership Team for their great success in raising the students’ scores this year and being named a 2014 Reward School. She also talked about all the schools’ participation with the Brownsville-Haywood County Arts Council in the Arts in Education Week. Each of the schools celebrated art in some form on its campus. Mrs. Russell announced the PEP Club’s Pep Rally on the court square on Monday, September 15, and thanked them and the community for their support of Haywood County Schools. She also announced Homecoming on Friday, October 3. Tailgating begins at the stadium begins at 1 p.m. and the parade will begin at 1:15. The Tomcats play Ripley High School at 7 p.m.

School board members also approved out-of-state travel for the HHS FFA sponsors and several students to attend their national meeting, and DECA students and sponsors for a trip to New York. They agreed to renew the contract with Cowart, Reese and Sargent CPA firm in Brownsville to audit internal school and cafeteria accounts for the period of July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015.

In other business, Cary Hinson of Hinson Construction gave a report on the Tornado Safe Space at Haywood Middle School. He said they are close to completion, and the school system plans to hold an open house on October 1. The total cost was $1,653,511 – most  of the money coming from a TEMA grant. In-kind contributions from the city, county and others in the community equaled $206,689, and the only cost to schools was $25,836 – money received from selling property on Highway 76 next to Sunny Hill. As of now if nothing changes, the project will have cost the schools no cash. This safe space will also serve as six classrooms at HMS.

Several policy changes were also on the agenda. Policies 5.900, 5.901, 5.902, 5.903, and 5.904 were all deleted from our policy manual. Because of changes to the Professional Personnel Negotiations process, these policies are no longer needed.

Also board members passed on second reading a change to Policy 5.115 about Assignment/Transfer. In addition, Policy 6.411 – Student Wellness, was rewritten and was approved by board members on first reading. Director of Food Services Alison Pyron read this policy for the audience. These changes reflect all the changes in school health, wellness and nutrition that have been made on the national and state level over the last several years. She worked with School Health Coordinator Cindy Smith to make changes to this policy.

The next meeting will be held on October 14, 2014.