The Elizabethton Board of Education on Tuesday approved creation of an assistant swim coach position at TA Dugger Junior High, advanced first readings of two harassment-related board policies and accepted the district's TISA accountability report for 2024'25 expenditures.

The measures were approved during the board's regular October meeting in the MacPierce Boardroom. The vote to create the assistant swim coach was taken after trustees were told the junior-high swim program averages about 30 students and currently has a single coach, a staffing level described as a safety concern.

Board members described the proposed position as an additional set of eyes for students in the pool; the motion to approve the position carried with no opposition. The board did not record a roll-call vote in the meeting minutes provided.

The board also approved first reading of two policy updates described by staff as bookkeeping changes. Under board policy 5.5 (discrimination/harassment of employees), the person responsible named in the policy changes from the director of federal projects to the director of student services, identified in the meeting as Mr. Thompson. Under policy 6.3041 (Title IX and related harassment), the lead contact changes from Mr. Hutchins to Dr. Newman. Trustees were told these edits reflect personnel-title changes and do not alter substantive policy language; both motions carried on first reading.

Trustees approved the district's TISA (Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement) accountability report for expenditures in the 2024'25 school year, a state-required filing that links spending to district goals. Presenters said the district listed three goals: third-grade reading proficiency (a state-required goal), a grades 3'12 English/language arts goal, and a grades 3'12 math goal. Staff told the board the district spent roughly $500,000 on third-grade ELA supports, about $3.8 million on grades 3'12 ELA efforts and a little over $6 million on grades 3'12 math initiatives; those figures were presented by staff during the meeting as the amounts tracked to the TISA goals.

Staff reported the district met or exceeded two of the three TISA goals and made measurable improvement on the third. The report was posted on the district website and was opened for public comment during the meeting; staff said they had also met with a state department official to review the plan.

During discussion, trustees and staff raised concerns about the state'level funding formula used to allocate some aid. Presenters said the state adopted the federal government's revised definition of "economically disadvantaged" students for the TISA formula, which reduced the count of qualifying students and produced a local funding decrease they estimated at roughly $200,000 to $300,000 for Elizabethton. Speakers said that earlier hold-harmless funding mitigated the loss in prior years but that future support remains uncertain. Trustees discussed the strain this volatility places on district budgeting and on efforts to increase teacher and support-staff pay.

All items discussed were advanced or approved without recorded opposition.

Votes at a glance

- Approve creation of an assistant swim coach at TA Dugger Junior High School — Motion to approve carried; mover/second not specified in the meeting record; outcome: approved.

- First reading: Board policy 5.5 (discrimination/harassment of employees) — Motion to approve first reading carried; change assigns responsibility to the director of student services (Mr. Thompson); outcome: approved (first reading).

- First reading: Board policy 6.3041 (Title IX and harassment) — Motion to approve first reading carried; change assigns lead to Dr. Newman; outcome: approved (first reading).

- Approve TISA accountability report for 2024'25 expenditures — Motion to approve carried; outcome: approved.