Board members also addressed several policies and procedures, amending them to align with guidelines set forth by the Tennessee School Board Association and discussing how they apply to students and educators in the Dyersburg City School System.
Notable changes in current policies included guidelines concerning hazing, corporal punishment, registered sex offenders and differentiated pay.
* Bullying/Hazing-
In the Student discrimination/harassment and bullying/intimidation policy, the system added one sentence concerning hazing or harassment.
"The reason this is here is to make sure we don't have any problems," said Ramer. "We are changing 'hazing' activities to say 'Coaches and other employees of the school district shall not encourage, permit, condone or tolerate hazing activities.'"
* Corporal punishment-
On the issue of corporal punishment, board members chose not to amend the policy to prohibit paddling even though schools in the system have not paddled students for two consecutive school years.
"We do not paddle kids," said Superintendent Lloyd Ramer. "We have not paddled kids in two years and we are not paddling now. Frankly, all this says is we cannot paddle."
"If we are not doing it, why take it off the table?" asked Hubert Jones, who said in the past, the practice had been an advantage for parents, educators and students in the school system. "There might come a time when it's needed again."
"What I think is fair is for you to ask me to come back to you in a year (with this policy),"said Ramer.
Joe Yates made the motion to further study the issue of corporal punishment for one year, with Jones adding a second. The motion passed with three votes in favor by Yates, Jones and Twilla. Newly elected board member Sherrie McElrath abstained. Nettie Thomas and Amy Heckethorn were absent from the meeting.
* Registered sex offenders-
"Three changes have been made in that law," said Ramer. "Parents who are registered sex offenders may drop their kids off and pick them up from school and attend parent/teacher conferences, but they have to have permission to be on our campus."
The policy states that parents who are registered sex offenders may go only to the front office when they are on campus.
Other changes in restrictions for registered sex offenders include 'No registered sex offender whose victim was a minor shall come on, about, or within 1,000 feet of a local school's property line, nor may they loiter within 500 feet of school buildings or grounds."
And registered sex offenders who are "employees of third parties may enter the school grounds temporarily during school hours for the limited purpose of making mail, food or other deliveries."
* differentiated pay plan
The city system did not approve the same Differentiated Pay Plan as the Dyer County School Board, but instead drafted their own after objection from Yates at the last board meeting.
"Joe, I want you know we created a policy just for you," said Ramer.
The plan allows for three $1,000 bonuses for teachers completing and re-hiring for assignments identified as "hard to staff."
The policy states that currently, "Dyersburg City has no schools identified as hard to staff, however this plan will allow Dyersburg City Schools the flexibility to employ qualified personnel in any future hard to staff positions."
Board members also approved policies:
* addressing acceptable computer and Internet use for faculty, staff and students
* establishing a Code of Ethics
"We already had a Code of Ethics," said Ramer. "The law says we had to indicate to the state that we have one."
* encouraging energy management conservation throughout the system
* incorporating new state laws concerning fundraising for booster clubs
"We have had great cooperation from our boosters already," said Ramer. "I appreciate that."
* altering extended school-day programs from 12 months to 10 months
* identifying opportunities for parents and families to participate and support classroom instruction
"The parent/family involvement (policy says we) welcome parents (to participate in their child's education) but in a role we help them establish," said Ramer, who said the policy is influenced by No Child Left Behind legislation.
* clarifying the use of private vehicles for field trips and discouraging students who drive from completing errands during the school day.
* restricting registered sex offenders from loitering within 500 feet of school buildings or grounds, allowing a parent who is a registered sex offender to drop off and pick up their child from school and come onto campus for parent/teacher conferences. Parents who are registered sex offenders may come to the front office only at those appointed times.
Board members also discussed:
* the minimum insurance coverage required for parents volunteering for field trips
* brainstorming with the Dyersburg Education Association to find a way to legally provide contact information for retired and employed teachers without violating confidentiality laws.
"We want our teachers to be accessible by parents," said Ramer. "(But) this is the law. Jonathan and I will come up with something in the policy."
* A recent vote in the delegate assembly concerning permissive legislation allowing taxing school boards. Members of the city school board stressed their satisfaction with support from the city and stated they would not consider implementing taxing authority if the issue passes.
"This is going to make headlines," said Prince. "There are 38 states that do have taxing authority. Tennessee is not one of them. The TSBA overwhelmingly (voted in favor of this issue.) The TSBA convention reminded us how fortunate we are in Dyersburg and Dyer County."
"We think the city has been very good to us," said Ramer. "We appreciate the support of the mayor and aldermen."
"The primary purpose of this board should be for the children, not for fundraising," said Twilla.
* Prompted by discussion at the state school board convention, Prince also reminded board members that it is inappropriate to speak on behalf of the school board when out in the community.
Prince made a motion to pass changes to all policies with the exception of corporal punishment. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Upcoming events include the School Board Staff Dinner on Feb. 2, the board retreat on Feb. 7, a regular school board meeting on March 2, the NSBA convention April 4-7, a regular school board meeting on April 6 and the annual retirement dinner on May 4.
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