The Lakeland School Board (LSB) met Monday night (5.11.20) for a business meeting electronically due to COVID-19.
Among discussions and decisions were talk of how the next school year might look, plans for the eighth grade promotion ceremony and approval for a land purchase.
Link to agenda:
https://lakelandk12.org/res/web/05.11.20%20BM/05.11.20%20Business%20Meeting%20Agenda.pdf
Link to meeting video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgPyIfbVH7M
During his superintendent’s report, Dr. Ted Horrell said there are lots of discussions on what the next school year will look like. “We have determined we are in a position to send home with every student in the Lakeland School System a Chromebook as necessary,” said Dr. Horrell. Also additional hot spots are being ordered and increasing the data on the hot spots to unlimited data just in case there are students studying from home next year, he said. “We’re hoping for the best and planning for the worst.”
Kevin Floyd, LSB chair, verified with Dr. Horrell that no decision has been made for next year.
Dr. Horrell said he is monitoring the news and virus cases, along with communicating with the Governor and the Department of Education. He said he is trying to think through the possible challenges for a new school year.
Dr. Horrell said at the middle school, plans are being finalized for a virtual promotion ceremony for eighth graders and details will be provided soon.
The Board unanimously approved a resolution for a purchase/sale agreement of 15 acres of land at Old Brownsville and Evergreen Roads for a future elementary school.
Dr. Horrell explained that in November 2017, he and the Board discussed the need to identify and purchase land for a future elementary school. “The rate of development in Lakeland would likely limit our options for suitable property if we waited too long. We’ve been working with Billy Rogers of Crye-Leike since then, along with Jim Mitchell (Southern Educational Strategies, LLC) to identify potential properties.”
He said he wanted to make it clear this is not an eminent construction project. “Land is going quickly in Lakeland, land that has access to utilities in a geographical location that makes sense for our schools. It is very close to the future middle and high school campus. He mentioned the possibility of making a new school an intermediate school, taking some grades from Lakeland Elementary School (LES) and fifth grade from Lakeland Middle Preparatory School.
The Lakeland School System set aside $1,000,000 from its fund balance in accordance with the approved CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) and formally approved a 2019-20 budget amendment for the money in April 2020 for acquisition of appropriate land for a future school.
Dr. Horrell said $1 million will not be needed to purchase the land. “It’s 15 acres at whatever price we negotiate.” The balance, he said, would remain in the capital projects fund and could be transferred for use for other capital needs.
Board Member Michelle Childs asked how the size of the new land would compare to LES. It is 20 acres, he said of the LES property. A new school should accommodate about 1,000 students and 50 classrooms. Utilizing a preliminary design plan, he suggested the proposed school on the 15 acres could be a two-story facility but there is no final layout plan.
Other business
TLN (Tennessee Legislative Network) Representative Childs said the General Assembly is set to reconvene June 1st. The Davidson County Chancellor ruled that the school vouchers program is unconstitutional and cannot move forward while under appeal. It will go to the state supreme court, she said.
Dr. Horrell reported school principals are making plans for the end of the year including methods for parents to pick up students’ belongings and custodians to do projects like striping and waxing floors.
He congratulated all the students at Arlington High School, especially Lakeland students at AHS who this week are picking up their diplomas through a drive-through graduation ceremony.
Mrs. Childs asked what percentage of Lakeland students have been participating in the online optional school work during the pandemic shutdown. Dr. Horrell said it is hard to pinpoint but estimated roughly half of the students are utilizing the materials consistently.
Discussion items numbers 3-9 were approved by the Board.
