Personnel Physical Examination Policy Goes into Effect After 2nd Reading
Personnel Physical Examination Policy Goes into Effect After 2nd Reading
Shannon Taylor
Editor
The monthly Weakley County School Board meeting was held Thursday, April 4 at Dresden Middle School.
Principal David Lewellen stated that while normally the principals get up and speak about their school, what better way to hear about the school than from its students. Eighth-grader Maggie Robinson, a Beta student member, and Madeline Thomas, President of the Junior Beta Club highlighted things going on at Dresden Middle School, including that DMS was one of the three schools in Weakley County recognized by the state as the Reward School for the 2022-2023 school year.
“Overall, our staff holds 31 bachelor's degrees, with 17 of our staff having master's degrees,
one completing their EDS degree, and one set off to complete their EDS degree in December of this year. Plus, DMS has a combined 536 years of experience in the education field,” Thomas said.
“One of the best things about DMS is that there's something for everyone. DMS offers a variety of clubs to make sure everyone feels included. Our clubs consist of Fine Arts, Beta, STEM, Book Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Yearbook, and Youth Coalition,” Robinson said.
“One of our most successful clubs is Junior Beta. Beta is involved in most of our school activities, as well as providing service for our community. Currently, our members have logged over 900 service hours this year and more is to be added. Our Beta Club traveled to Nashville to the same convention in the same location in the same competition. This year, our very own DMS student, Ella Jane Bonham, was elected Tennessee State Beta President. She will represent our school next year as she presides over the Tennessee State Convention
as well as runs for the National Junior Beta President this summer in Savannah, Georgia,” Thomas said.
“This year, the ISM grant allowed our school to increase the CTE class offerings for our students. CMS students are now being exposed to classes in coding, health medicine, keyboard, STEM innovators, and career exploration,” Madison said.
In other business, the board approved the hiring of volunteer coach Blake McCollum for Westview High School Golf.
Board member John Hatler stated that he wanted the volunteer hiring procedures to go back to the school level and be revisited again by the board.
“Personally, I'd like to see us probably get out of the human resources business. Let our principals and our coaches do what they need to do and understand the responsibility that comes with that. It seems as though it’s gotten pretty lax over the past 18-24 months,” Hatler stated.
The board decided to take it under consideration and look at that in the days ahead and bring more information back to the board on the hiring and selection process.
The board approved the second readings of Policy 5.106 (Application and Employment) and 5.400 (Personnel Health Examinations Communicable Diseases) both stating that the school is not bound to require a physical from anyone.
The board also approved a revision of the school calendar for 2024/25 and 2025/26.
“The first step would be April 18th and April 3rd for the next two years, move them to August
30th and August 29th. Those days are currently a staff development day at the stockpile. That would become an instructional day. The next step would be to move those days to the end of the service week, the five days we have before. We would make those days into the August business season. We can make those days a staff development day, but that counts as an instructional day in the future,” Director of Schools Jeff Cupples said.
The next school board meeting will be held on Thursday, May 2 at the Weakley County Board of Education.
