School board approves staff changes, retirements

The Brown County Schools Board of Trustees approved the following on March 25 and April 1:

• A resolution opposing education savings accounts and voucher program expansion. (See story.)
• A renewal of the food service management company contract for the 2021-2022 school year with Compass Group USA Inc. by and through its Chartwells division.
• The 2021-2022 certified, noncertified and administrative staffing placements as they were as of March 25. (See story.)
• The following retirement notices effective at the end of the 2020-2021 contract year: Marvin Brock, Carolyn Stant, Debra Arnold, Donna Griffith, James Bond, Pamela Walters, Kelly Rudd, Denise Campbell, Catherine Baum-Newlin, Laurie Godfrey and Kelly Harmon.
• Retirement notices requesting VEBA Bridge effective at the end of the 2020-2021 contract year: Karen Melahn, Debra Pinney, Staci Harden, Madeline Lucas and Debra Sumner.
• Appointing Brown County High School math teacher Sean Dorsey, bachelor’s degree, Level A, $38,000 with zero years of experience, full-time with benefits, effective April 5 ($7,641.24 for the 2020-2021 school year). He is a replacement for Matt Roberts.
• A $600 donation from Curtis Boggs to Eagle Manufacturing.
• A resolution approving action taken by the Nashville Redevelopment Commission to establish residential housing development programs in an area of town.
• Separating Brown County Intermediate School after-school care supervisor Rylee Seacat, effective March 26. This was not a termination. Jade Shepherd was appointed to replace her, part-time with no benefits, $14.50 per hour, effective March 25.
• Separating Brown County Junior High School assistant cross-country coach Ian McCabe, effective March 25. This was not a termination.
• Separating Sprunica Elementary School preschool teacher Emily Roberts, effective at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCJHS head football coach Joel Lewis, effective March 12. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCJHS assistant football coach Josh Hazelgrove, effective March 12. This was not a termination.
• Separating Brown County High School English teacher Rachel Kearney, effective at the end of the 2020-2021 school year.
• Appointing BCJHS head girls track coach Chasity Smith, Group 7, $2,302 stipend, effective March 5. She is a replacement for Kevin Roush.
• Appointing BCJHS head boys track coach Carlie Salisbury, Group 7, $2,234 stipend, effective March 5. She is a replacement for Dan Lewellen.
• Appointing BCJHS assistant girls track coach Christy Wrightsman, Group 12, $1,241 stipend, effective March 5. She is a replacement for Emily Lewellen.
• Appointing BCJHS assistant boys track coach Kyle McGaha, Group 12, $1,241 stipend, effective March. He is a replacement for Tim Hebert.
• Transferring BCIS night custodian Lisa Mowery to Van Buren Elementary School night custodian, effective July 1. She is a replacement for Donna Griffith.
• Transferring BCHS night custodian Thomas Bartlett to VBE head custodian, effective July 1. He is a replacement for Pamela Walters.

Contract with food service company renewed for third year

Students in Brown County will continue to receive their meals at school from Chartwells after the school board unanimously approved renewing the contract with the food service management company last month.

This is the third year the contract has been renewed with Chartwells. After the fourth year, the contract will go up for bid again, Superintendent Laura Hammack said at the March 25 school board meeting.

In 2019, the school board approved a contract with Compass Group USA Inc. to take over the food service department through its Chartwells division. Prior to approving that contract, the district’s food service department’s budget had been running $150,000 to $200,000 in the negative. That affected the district’s bottom line as it continues to lose funding while student enrollment declines.

The hope was that bringing on Chartwells to manage food service in the schools would help bridge the budget gap.

“We bring very good news to the board that the significant balance issue that we had in our food service fund is slowly, but surely being chipped away, which was the intention of moving to a company like Chartwells,” Hammack said at the March 25 meeting.

The COVID-19 pandemic allowed for Chartwells “to really shine” as the company stepped up to organize meal pickups for families when schools were closed or help out at various pop-up food pantries that have happened since the pandemic began.

In July 2019, Don Hymer took over as the director of food service for Brown County Schools. Hammack said that Hymer and another food service employee were both at the pop-up pantry at Helmsburg Elementary School over spring break, handing out meals to families there.

“It was extraordinary to see a week’s worth of meals being delivered to our families, then families getting all of the wonderful produce and items in the pantry,” Hammack said.

“It is just one little example of the broader community engagement they have really evidenced.”

Resolutions approved for sale of CRC building

Steps continue to be taken in the sale of the building that currently houses the Brown County Career Resource Center.

The Brown County Schools Board of Trustees approved a resolution at the Feb. 18 meeting that authorized Superintendent Laura Hammack to get two appraisals to “explore selling the property,” the resolution stated.

On March 25, the school board approved a resolution that authorized the disposal of the property. The district engaged with Benjamin Hopkins and First Appraisal Group to assess the property.

At the April 1 meeting, Hammack said they had received two appraisals. The board was able to deliberate about the appraisals and agreed to a minimum purchase price for the building. The board will publicly vote on that minimum bid at the April 15 meeting.

The resolution approved late last month also authorized Hammack to “take any and all necessary action” to sell the property, including advertising the sale at a price that is not to be less than the average of the two appraisals.

It also authorized Hammack to obtain bids for the property and to sell it to the highest and best bidder.

After the minimum bid is approved, the property will be posted in the newspaper. Bids will be opened at the May 6 board meeting, Hammack said.

Selling the CRC building is part of cost-cutting strategies the school board formally approved in February due to declining enrollment.

The Brown County Intermediate School will be closed and remade into the Educational Service Center. It will also house the Brown County Career Resource Center and a daycare/preschool program.

Current fourth-graders will remain in their elementary schools for fifth grade. Current fifth-graders will move to the junior high school for sixth grade, and the junior high will be renamed Brown County Middle School. The middle school will serve all the district’s sixth- through eighth-graders.

The plan is sell the current CRC building on East Main Street and then use the money from that sale to help in renovating BCIS to “better serve adult learners,” a presentation on the district’s 10-year vision stated.