Monroe County School District board meeting, Aug 13, 2026

1 h 14 min · 1 public speaker

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Monroe County board votes to require schools to display Ten Commandments, founding documents 28:43

  • The board approved a motion requiring its schools to prominently display the Preamble to the Constitution, a portion of the Declaration of Independence and the Ten Commandments. 28:43
  • Board members discussed a track coach's request for about $45,000 for field event facilities, and Dean Williams moved to give $50,000 to track programs. 37:54
  • The board voted to place the item on the February agenda for a workshop, provided the administration deems that necessary. 1:07:34

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Item by item (15)
  1. Opening certification 0:00
    • Board members were asked to certify that their votes would be in the best interest of the school system regardless of the effect on the employment of relatives. 0:00
  2. Recognitions 0:36
    • The board recognized the Monroe County Forestry Judging Team, which won the national championship at the National Invitational Forestry Competition in Weston, West Virginia. 1:25
    • A speaker said that to their knowledge Monroe County had never had a national championship until now. 1:25
  3. Agenda adoption 4:09
    • Jo T. Cagle moved to amend the agenda to add an item requested by a board member. 4:09
    • The added item was placed at the end of new business as 813⁠-⁠11A. 4:50
    • The board adopted the agenda as amended. 5:25
  4. Budget amendments 5:25
    • A staff member said revenue including the sale of Sweetwater High School as of June 30th was $64,192,675.06, expenditures were $62,936,679.59 and the district went into fund balance at $1,244,004.53. 6:03
    • Dean Williams said each month they would ask what the fund balance is and what interest rate the district is getting. 7:00
    • A staff member confirmed there was no new money in the amendments and that they only moved money around. 7:24
    • The budget amendments were approved on a voice vote. 7:54
  5. Minutes approval 7:54
    • The board considered the minutes from the May 14th, 2026 regular board meeting. 7:54
    • The minutes were approved. ~8:30
  6. Ground lease for high school track 8:30
    • A staff member said the lease between the county and the school system allows the track to be constructed on school system property, and that the board's attorney and the county's attorneys drafted the document. 10:20
    • A speaker said the lease was understood to cover only the construction phase before the property returns to the school system. 11:32
    • Dean Williams asked whether the board could see the cost of the track once bids came back. 12:48
    • The motion carried. ~15:51
  7. Special education service contracts 15:51
    • The board considered contracts for special education related services for the 2026⁠-⁠2027 school year. 15:51
    • The contracts were approved. ~16:33
  8. Consolidated funding application 16:33
    • The board considered the 2026⁠-⁠2027 consolidated funding application covering Elementary and Secondary Education Act programs and Individuals with Disabilities Act programs. 16:53
    • The application was approved. ~17:32
  9. School fees 17:32
    • One board member said they would be a no vote because the district has $20+ million in fund balance and should be funding the fees. 18:44
    • A staff member said the fees were the same as last year, and one board member said they would like to know the total figures before voting. ~19:29
    • One board member said an elementary fee was no longer needed because of additional funding. 21:51
    • An amendment to strike that fee from the list was approved; a roll call was then taken on the fees as amended. 23:03
  10. Display of historical documents 25:03
    • One board member suggested leaving the display to each school, and another board member said they would like to know the cost. 26:12
    • The board approved requiring schools to prominently display the Preamble to the Constitution, a portion of the Declaration of Independence and the Ten Commandments. 28:43
  11. Track program funding request 28:43
    • A track coach asked for about $45,000 for shot put, discus, a new high jump mat and related improvements. 37:54
    • One board member moved to give $50,000 to track programs, and another board member said they were opposed to the protocol of requests coming directly to the board for money. 39:58
    • One board member said they would have voted for it if it had been in the budget. ~48:58
  12. Elementary teaching assistant survey 51:26
    • A staff member presented teacher and administrator feedback and said the district already employs 115 assistants, 59 full-time and 56 part-time, in programs required by law. 52:28
    • Dean Williams cited a cost of $240,000 for aides, and a staff member said the plan would require up to 9 or 10 positions. 56:17
    • Mitch Avery moved to amend the motion so the item goes forward only if the administrative staff and the director think it makes the cut. 1:05:31
    • The board approved placing the item on a February budget workshop, provided the administration deems that necessary. 1:07:34
  13. District report 1:08:09
    • A district staff member said a full-time transportation director started this school year and enrollment was 4,064 students before no-shows were removed. 1:08:17
  14. Board comments 1:09:40
    • Jo T. Cagle said the board had not held a workshop to discuss how to spend Sweetwater funds. 1:09:45
    • One board member said the public cannot get through on the central office phone system. 1:11:19
  15. Student board representatives and adjournment 1:12:16
    • A speaker said the board would add student representatives from two high schools and asked members to review the applications. 1:12:16
    • The motion to adjourn carried. 1:13:27

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “Monroe County Schools August 13th, 2026 Regular Called Board Meeting”