“My feeling on the whole thing is that the board, if we need to meet any time, we can call a meeting and any time we ever really need anything,” Bobby Johnson Jr., board member, said in a follow-up interview. “That’s the reason why I didn’t see it being that big a deal for having it the same night because I stay in touch with Jason (Vance, director of schools) and he keeps me abreast to what’s going on. If I need information he’ll always give it to me, and if we need to have an extra meeting besides the workshop or anything we could have one if the board needed one.”
 

The decision should put the matter to rest, Ubben said, noting meetings a week apart should give the public and board enough time for review.
 

“Sometimes the issues are fairly complex and when you have a meeting at 4:30 (p.m.) and then have to vote on it at 7 o’clock, there’s not much time to do any research or get anybody else’s opinion,” Ubben said. “Two times a month is something I’ve always preferred because it gives me more time to study the issue.”
 

During the meeting, Newman called for an amendment to the vote that, if passed, would have cut board members’ pay in half. The amendment failed for lack of a second.
 

“I thought that was on the right,” Newman said in a follow-up interview. “... If we were going to cut our duties in half it’s only fair that we cut our pay in half. Just like if I only work 20 hours a week, I’m only going to get paid for 20 hours a week.”
 

The board will hold its August workshop and meeting on the same day, Aug. 9, due to the state and federal primary and county general election the Thursday before.

Out-of-county students?

A lengthy discussion ensued before board members denied admitting three out-of-county students into the district.

One situation included grandparents who had power of attorney because the mother is away most of the year for work.

Director of Schools Jason Vance informed board members out-of-county students typically aren’t enrolled unless they meet hardship criteria, whether the parent be deceased, mentally incapable or incarcerated, or if they experience a natural disaster.

The parent would have to be deemed unfit and a judge give a court-ordered power of attorney, he said, which wasn’t the case presented.
 

“That’s what it all boils down to is the almighty dollar and they’re putting money into our system and basically they’ve got custody because they don’t want to go through the courts and cause a big riggity roar and say their daughter is unfit when she’s not, she’s working,” Newman said.
 

Vance said policy 6.203 is vague in its use of power of attorney. The policy references Tennessee Code Annotated 49-6-3001(c)(6).

“In essence what Section C Section 6 says is a true hardship on one of those great big four things that I told you,” Vance said. “If they meet that on a power of attorney, we let them come on in no questions asked. If they don’t, I expect them to be court ordered.

In essence the judge says, ‘You got complete custodial guardianship. Parents are removed’.”
 

Newman asked if Vance didn’t consider the family’s situation a hardship.
 

“What I’m saying is that would not meet my litmus test,” Vance said. “Now with that being said, you guys can supersede the policy, but I’m governed to abide by this policy.”
 

Newman and Ridings motioned and seconded, with the vote failing 7-3. Board members who opposed were Tate, Simon, Johnson, Jenkins, Brown, Ubben and Best.
 

Another situation included a parent who owns property for his business inside Loudon, but recently had to move to Roane County. Newman said board members passed a similar situation a couple years ago.
 

“He’s a taxpayer, guys, I mean there ain’t no other place to put it,” Newman said. “He owns a house right down here on Mulberry Street.”
 

Policy 6.204, which addresses out-of-county students, mentions residents instead of taxpayers, Ubben said.
 

Simon asked if it was illegal for the parent to use his business address to enroll his child. “That’s the way this whole system gets manipulated all the time,” Brown said.