Two policy votes at the next Hamilton County School Board meeting Aug. 17 will adjust how county residents are represented in the district.
In a state-mandated change, students themselves and school employees may request formal review of school instructional materials or textbooks, joining parents and guardians.
District 3 representative Joe Smith said the policy is still too narrow.
“I’m not sure I like that,” said Mr. Smith. He said the policy effectively states, “We want your money, but we don’t want you to have a say.”
The new policy as worded would exclude, for example, families with preschool children, graduates themselves or any new residents who may have a cautionary tale.
But Hamilton County Department of Education lawyer Scott Bennett said any Hamilton County resident may address the board at its public meetings. Mr. Bennett said, “There’s no vehicle” for people who do not live in Hamilton County to address the board or formally critique the curriculum.
The second change allows a school board member to attend 10 or more board meetings virtually during the school year. The expanded pandemic-era policy allows physical absence but virtual attendance for five reasons: sickness, bad weather, family emergency, travel for work and military service.
A board member may attend three meetings virtually per instance of sickness or bad weather, plus two meetings virtually for family emergency or travel for work. There are no limitations for absences for military service.
Mr. Bennett said a representative who abuses the policy may be accused by constituents of negligence of duties and eventually be ousted.
A quorum of members must be physically present to conduct any board meeting. The board member attending virtually must be visually identified by the chair.
OTHER NEWS
The board will vote to require dated, written consent by a parent or guardian for students under 18 to participate in extracurricular activities.
District 11 representative Jill Black asked the board to update policy verbiage from “(s)he” and “his/her” to “their” and “they.” Mr. Bennett said the choice is the board’s but suggested the grammar be consistent with what is taught in Hamilton County Schools, or to rely on language used in the Tennessee School Boards Association manual, which, at Mr. Bennett’s first look, uses “his/her,” etc.
Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson suggested the board vote to subscribe to a TSBA language editing service for about $25,000 a year to ensure consistency and currency in the Hamilton County policy manual.