The Marshall County Board of Education met in regular session on Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. in the Board conference room at Jones School.

Members present were Debbie Allen, Jerry Campbell, Kristen Gold, Tim Harrison, Jack Keny, John McCullough, Randy Perryman and Ann Tears. Absent was Todd Tietgens.

Prayer/Pledge

Before the meeting began, Dean Delk, Principal of Chapel Hill Elementary School, presented the members with gifts in honor of School Board Appreciation Week. Principals from the other schools had also presented the members with gifts.

Mr. McCullough made a motion, seconded by Mr. Harrison, to approve the minutes of the January 12th, 2006 meeting. The motion passed 8-0.

Bob Edens, Principal of Cornersville High, had requested that Craig Michael be approved as a volunteer football coach. Mr. Harrison made a motion to approve this request. Ms. Tears seconded the motion and the motion passed 8-0.

A federal projects budget amendment was presented for approval (see attached). Mr. McCullough made a motion, seconded by Mr. Perryman, to approve the amendment. The motion passed 8-0.

The following was presented in the consent agenda: Special Olympics to attend state basketball tournament in Memphis on March 3-4, Spring games at Westhills Elementary on April 28, and Summer games at Vanderbilt on May 19-21, Cornersville High to select three students to attend Tennessee Junior Science Symposium in Knoxville on March 2-4, Cornersville High Beta Club to attend convention at Opryland Hotel on April 17-19, MCHS Student Council to attend convention in Brentwood, TN on March 3-4, MCHS seniors to travel to Six Flags Over Georgia on April 28, MCHS Tennis team to pick up trash as a fundraiser, Cornersville High Student Council to attend convention in Franklin on March 3-4. Mr. Harrison made a motion to approve the consent agenda. Ms. Allen seconded the motion and the motion passed 8-0.

Bids for four 90 passenger buses and one 36 passenger bus were presented. Central State Bus (Blue Bird) submitted a total bid of $350,546 and Mid South Bus Center submitted a total bid of $330,570. These bids included trade-in allowances for five retired buses. Mr. Perryman made a motion to reject all bids. Mr. McCullough seconded the motion and the motion passed 8-0.

Changes to the following policies were reviewed (see attached): 6.409 Child Abuse and Neglect, 6.411 Student Wellness (new), 4.600 Grading System, 4.601 Reporting Student Progress and IHD Adm Rule Promotion and Retention. Mr. Keny made a motion to approve these policies as changed. Ms. Tears seconded the motion and the motion passed 8-0.

Under new business, Mr. Perryman made a motion to suspend the rules and to allow Chris Gilbert of the Chapel Hill Lions Club to address the Board. Mr. McCullough seconded the motion and the motion passed 8-0. Mr. Gilbert reported that the Lions Club would like to lease the property designated for a concession stand/restroom facility at the Forrest baseball/softball fields. They would like to use the $50,000 allocated by the County Commission and build the facility. The facility would then be deeded to the School Board. The Lions Club will come back to the Board with detailed specifications and the Board will be looking into the legal aspects of the arrangement.

Jerome Beasley of the Marshall County Youth Football League reported that land had been acquired for a field and that work had begun. He will report later on the status of the field.

In the Director's report, Mr. Pierce referred the Board to information on child nutrition in their packets. He told the Board that the mowing of school grounds would have to be bid, since the man who mowed last year was going up on his prices.

Mr. Pierce reported to the Board that since the Board had indicated at a recent work session that they wanted to reject the original bus bid, he had rebid the buses due to time constraints. The bids were unchanged from the original bids (see attached). Johnny Flynt, Transportation Supervisor, distributed letters from the state and from Bedford County which indicated problems with Thomas Buses (see attached). There was also a list of problems that Marshall County had encountered with Thomas buses which were purchased within the last two years (see attached). Mr. Flynt also reported that we had a Thomas bus stop in the middle of the road the day before and lost all power. He recommended that the Board accept the higher bid by Central State Bus Sales (Blue Bird) because of the problems encountered with the Thomas Buses purchased at Mid South Bus Center. Mr. Pierce also recommended the higher bid. Mr. Harrison made a motion to accept the Central State Bus Sales (Blue Bird) bid of $350,546 because of the documented safety concerns. Mr. McCullough seconded the motion and the motion passed 8-0.

Mr. Pierce reported that Mr. Howard Wall was willing to deed , at no cost to the Board, approximately 40 feet of land at Chapel Hill Elementary that would be used as an additional entrance into the school. Mr. Perryman made a motion, seconded by Ms. Allen, to accept this donation of land. The motion passed 8-0.

The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully Submitted,

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Jerry Campbell, Chairman

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John D. Pierce, Director of Schools